Back in early July, Saleforce Park was finally reopened and I went to the reoccurring Wednesday afternoon Imagiknit meet up there wearing this stripey cowl I just finished. It was actually started by Laura, the former co-hostess of our SF Knitters and Crocheters meet up who recently relocated to Sacramento and (due to a mold allergy that seriously affects her but doesn't bother me) blessed me with all of her unfinished WIPs and knitting supplies. Her presence will be dearly be missed at our meet ups but we look forward to crossing paths with her frequently in the future and we're already definitely planning to meet up this fall at Lambtown in Dixon during our group's annual "field trip".
The pattern for the cowl was designed by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas and it's called Yin Yang Loop. Laura used 2 different shades of Worsted Shibui Drift (15% cashmere, 85% merino). She CO 200 stitches with size 8 circular needles. The yarn is super soft and fluffy and this cowl is a perfect addition to my wardrobe, especially for SF summer weather which gets chilly at night but not necessarily cold enough to require a full on jacket.
The next project I recently completed was the 'Tis Autumn hat pattern (#W756) designed by Shannon Dunbabin of Cascade Yarns that was part of the swag bag from the Webs retreat I attended back in the spring. I used the Cascade Pacific yarn that accompanied the pattern.
It was a super easy and fun pattern and I am very happy to admit that I can finally get Xena to pose in a hat long enough for me to shoot a photo now! I've already cast on a 2nd hat in the same pattern using some leftover Knitpicks DK Swish with some slight modifications. It's about 50% complete.
Aside from that, I'm still working on the seed stitch cowl I started at the Webs retreat. I'm about 80% finished with it and I am on the verge of casting on another pair of socks, hopefully by the end of this week and that isn't even the beginning of my WIPs because the biggest news that I have to report is that I am planning to attend Sheep and Wool festival in Rhinebeck, NY this coming October and that Kristine and I are going back to Stitches South in November! Amber (from LI via Brooklyn), whom I met at the Webs retreat is sharing a room with me at my spa hotel in Rhinebeck. She's a Rhinebeck regular and she knows a bunch of knitters from upstate that we'll chill with when we get there. I've heard so many positive reviews of this event and I can't wait to go. Now it's just a matter of casting on for my Rhinebeck sweater!!! It should be my top priority right now but I keep getting distracted by lazy summertime vibes. The fact that I am typing this post at 4AM should be an example of just how wonky my schedule is. Really though, I have no complaints. It's been an amazing summer and I am really enjoying life!
