Sassy Does It

Sheer Poncho is gunning her engines to hit the (insured, heavily tracked) mail to Holland today.

While I’m just a smidge over two months late for Kymber’s birthday, I console my tardy self with the knowledge that this cashmere wrap is still likely to take the chill out of my friend’s North Sea-swept days on the beach, however sunny and un-January they may now be (since it’s pretty much April).  If you want to get to know Kymber (also a knitter) and her Netherlands-filled adventures in mommyhood, check out her splendidly-written blog here.  I love it.

Allison suggested that the name for this knitted creation should be something other than “Sheer Poncho”, and although I’ve gotten used to calling it that, I quite agree.  Poncho does invoke the feeling of an itchy acrylic crocheted number that you wear on Easter when you’re eight, so as much as there’s a bit of nostalgia there that I appreciate, I think we could do better.

I think “Seamless Cowlneck Wrap” is more modern-sounding, although not as exotic as “Utterly Glorious Wrap”, like Allison suggested.  The thing is, it makes me uncomfortable (like climbing the rope in gym class) to change the name of the pattern as christened by the designer.  What if somebody is Googling for other people’s notes on this pattern, and then I’ve gone and changed it so they won’t find mine?  Isn’t that the whole point of the blog-sharing thing?

You know in your heart I’d give it a more glamourous name if I could bring myself to do it.  That’ll have to be enough.

Pattern:  Sheer Poncho by Amy Arifin, available for free here

Yarn:  Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere (2-ply) in colorway 50, Driftwood;  about 3 skeins

Needle:  US 5 / 3.75 mm, Addi Turbo all the way

Finished, unstretched dimensions for the fourth pattern size as written (1=smallest, 6=largest); designed to fit stretched bust width of 48 inches, including both arms:

• Neck width (at narrowest): 12.5 inches
• Cowl width (at bind-off):  21.5 inches
• Width across shoulders:  19.5 inches
• Width at bottom:  29 inches
• Length, top of shoulders to bottom:  18 inches
• Length, neck (at narrowest) to bottom:  25 inches
• Total length, including fully-extended cowl:  35 inches

Overall, what’s not to like here?  She’s a beaut.  There’s nothing about this finished project that isn’t satisfying and fabulous.  This is the kind of garment that I’d like to think could be worn everywhere:  casual enough in the swooshy drape of its cowl to look great with jeans, yet elegant enough to play dress up.  One Crafty Writer told me she’s making one as her wedding shawl (can’t wait to see it)!

As you know, I’m smitten with cowls, so the generous overspill at the neckline pleases my little eye.  This cowl is so wide and roomy that it can be draped over toward one shoulder and still have room to rest gracefully.

I like the smooth, steady look of the line of increases down each shoulder/arm, gliding right through the otherwise uninterrupted seamless sumptuousness of the round-the-body wrap. 

The pattern doesn’t suggest a certain type of increase, so I decided after a little trial-and-error that KFB (knit one front, knit one back in same stitch) would work best.  I like the even, symmetrical look of these increases on both sides of the stitch marker.

Another pattern tip, before I forget:  bind off fairly loosely at the bottom of the body.  Not as important for the cowl, but it is important for the body, especially if you’re using a fragile and/or non-stretchy fiber.

This could have easily been knit with just three skeins of Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere (at 400 yds each, about 1200 yards total).  I had extra on hand, so I went ahead and made the cowl extra-swooshy without fear of it not being long enough (I actually put the body on a stitch holder when about 3/4 complete so I could switch to attaching/finishing the cowl first).

The wham-bam 25% everyday bulk discount from WEBS for this yarn brought the cashmere splash into range for me.  The sad thing is I’ve never bought anything cashmere for myself - yarn or garment - but this gave a great excuse to start. 

The softness of the finished fabric is everything that it seemed it should be.  More, probably.  I was ready to be underwhelmed (perhaps as a way to justify my frugal resistance to buying cashmere for so long), but it’s. just. so. freaking. nice. to touch.  The yarn wasn’t at all splitty and was very easy to work with; low breakage once I got going.  The single strand, even though 2-ply, is fragile, it’s true (I did recover from my initial man-handling syndrome unwinding the first hank), but I think that goes with the cashmere territory, especially at this fine gauge. 

The fine gauge is what creates such a gentle, sexy drape, however - and puts that bit of sheer into Sheer Poncho.  But not too much sheer - as you can see, it’s not like I’m flashing my boobies here.

I thought I might be put out by the reverse stockinette all-purl look of the wide-end cowl, since the knit side is for the most part tucked underneath when the cowl is left to naturally drape from the neck.  But I like it.  The fine stitching makes the purl side look more fetching than I normally give it credit for, and my instinct to want to somehow modify the pattern to compensate (e.g., knit it twice as long to double-back over itself and seam) subsided once I saw the smooth, even finish of both sides of the fabric.

The color of the fiber was sometimes hard to capture with my camera, even in natural light.  Often it looks too light or too grey in photos:  the true hue is an almost-imperceptibly heathered mid-range sandy khaki.  In soft mood lighting it’s a deeper tan, like a light mocha.  Very pretty indeed. 

Beware of the color chart on the Jade Sapphire website; colorway 50, Driftwood, looks way darker there - although I’d done my Ravelry homework and the lighter shade I received was exactly what I’d sought/expected.  Perhaps there’s some variation in the colorway…but more likely it’s poor photography on the manfacturer’s site.

The only thing I’m not 100% sure about is the rolled hem.  It’s a non-issue on the cowl end because the fabric’s all rolling over itself in the drape anyway.  Even for the bottom hem, I’ve settled on it looking perfectly fine - especially since this is not in a my mind a super-dressy item, but one that looks great for everyday wear.  Ways I could have addressed this, had I decided to:

1. Block it with my flexible blocking wire and hope that it would stay flat once worn and, later, cleaned
2. Make a tiny seam all the way around the bottom for a more finished look

But, nah - it looks real purty just the way it is.  Kymber can seam it if she likes it better that way.

I wasn’t sure whether to get this fabric wet to block or not; but since I really like to do this (so often the difference in stitch uniformity is striking, even when you don’t think you need it), I went for it, after a little homework.  Seems like some people are too frightened to mess with cashmere (understandably) and go for dry cleaning, but enough people routinely hand-wash their cashmere that I wasn’t too worried.  It turned out just lovely after a quick dip in lukewarm water with a bit of Eucalan.

The pattern pics show this as potentially being worn three ways; as shown above, as well as either A) with the cowl pulled up over the head or B) with the body pulled further down to make it a dress. 

So of course I tried the over-the-head thing:  it certainly works, but it looks a little dorky, IMHO.  I guess if you got a chill you could whip up the cowl as a hood and continue on your way.  I gotta believe that most people would end up looking more chic than I do wearing it this way, though, because I’ve kinda got a long giraffe neck that stretches it too much.  Sissy B, who helped with the photos, had to agree on this point - that’s why there’s no evidence here showing that option.

I also didn’t include photos of the dress suggestion:  uh, there’s no way that would’ve worked for me, and I have to say it wouldn’t for pretty much anyone who doesn’t have freaky Barbie dimensions.  I’d need more than double D’s to keep that sucker up at the top.  If the dress option was important, you could reel in the cowl width - but I simply knit it as written.

The only area that I felt that pattern was a little off was in the length.  Obviously this is a super-straightforward pattern, so you can just stop knitting when it’s long enough; but as written, the increases toward the lower end of the poncho (body) went on too long for me.  I could have done without the last few increase rows (in my size, this was every 9 rows) and just skipped to knitting even for the last few inches.  As it was I eyeballed it and stopped when I was ready, as I’m sure anyone who knits this would do.

If it were me, now that it would seem I’ve been let in (let myself in - duh) to the Cashmere-Wearing Club, it would be silly to save the wonderfulness of a garment like this for only special occasions.  Kymber’s still nursing Little K, so it occurred to me that while wearing this she could shield the nip from public consumption (if she could find a situation in Europe where this is actually necessary!) while at the same time shielding Little K from blustery breezes. 

On the other hand, she could whip this out for a stylin’ trip to the local beach bars.  Go ahead!  Spill a little (white) wine on it (just not while nursing).  It’ll survive.  Break it in, wear it, love it.

However Kymber enjoys it - even as folded in her drawer - I hope she feels the love and tenderness imparted with every stitch.  Happy (Big) Birthday to my dear friend.

Oh.  Hmmmmm.  Boy, I hope she’s not allergic to cashmere.  That would suck.

In this moment, I’m about as happy as I can be.

I’ve just arrived back in the UK for a week’s holiday with friends in the north of England, and I can’t bloody wait for the good times to get rolling with some of my favorite people ever.

Before I fly further north, I’m hanging out at Heathrow.  Normally not something noteworthy, but I’m digging the new Terminal 5 like a kid in a candy store. Building this extension may have been controversial, but today it’s ringing my bell. I can’t get enough.  Now, by the time my connection takes off in 3 hours, I’m sure I’ll have had enough - but until the ADD kicks in I’m luuuurrrving it.

Although severely tempted by the Wagamama and Giraffe, my hungry belly veered me into the pub mecca in which I’m currently hoovering down my Stilton & Broccoli soup and Murphy’s stout.  I’d take a picture to show you, but I’m afraid it might not look as appetizing mauled and half-munched.  I’ll leave it to your mind’s eye.

Right - I could continue to ramble about my delight in the glory of T5 (did I mention that there is a much, much better selection of places to eat and shop and sit around? and that the design is just cool?), but that will get old fast in spite of its shiny newness.  Instead let me update you on my knitting.  What a concept!

My Thermis is off the needles and ready to warm my neck in the chill of the North.

FO:  Thermis

Fiber:  Cascade Rustic

Adaptations:  Fewer number of pattern repeats to account for taller row count in gauge with subsituted fiber

Verdict:  Like it.  Very quick knit.  Feels lovely.  The wool/linen combo of the fiber is surprisingly nice; warm but not heavy or scratchy.  The soft variegation of the gray shades works for me, and I can be picky about my variegated yarns.  The length is nice.  Little loosey-goosier than the pattern called for, but whatever - it’s a cowl, and fit-wise, it will be largely obsured under other warm garments.  And there’s always the dryer.

So much for gifting it:  immediately upon completion, the weather warmed up in all the target markets where my potential recipients were located.  I’m sure it will get cold again, but it seems silly to give a wool cowl to someone when it’s that balmy out.

Thus, I’m, er, keeping it for myself.

I do like the look of it, although even with adaptations for the bulkier row gauge for this fiber it ended up a bit bigger than I planned.  No biggie - and I didn’t sweat too long over my calculations at the start, so it isn’t surprising.  But it doesn’t matter, I do like it, and will flaunt it with pride.

I like the wee buttons I found for it at the LYS, so they make me happy.

I broke down and bought some cashmere mittens a few weeks ago (gloves/mittens for myself are too far back in my queue for my poor fingers to benefit this winter), and these new mittens are the perfect shade of grey to go with the cowl.  Good thing I’ll be in a chilly place this week to appreciate all the warmth.

My other project is moving along, although there is just a lot of ground to cover.  The Sheer Poncho is my gift for Kymber, who’s birthday-girl status is the reason for our reunion vacation this week.

It’s not done on time as I’d planned - of course - but I’m OK with this.  I’m not superwoman - there, I said it.

It’s looking lovely; the cashmere fabric is so dreamy, and the drape is perfect.

I think I’ll be able to finish it this week while we are loafing around.  This will make it less of an on-the-day surprise and more of a work-in-progress display of affection until it’s done.

I’ve churned a lot more out than is shown here, but you get the idea.

Oh look, a plate of mac and cheese with mature cheddar has materialized, as well as another pint of stout.

Yes, that’s two dishes with fatty cheese in it so far today (not to mention the second pint) - aren’t I good to myself?

I rationalize with the following:

1. I’m hungry. I’ve just flown many miles without proper nutrition.
2. I’m veggie. I need my protein from something other than the steak & ale pie alternative (as if this is well-known for its easy-on-the-waistline properties).
3. I’m on bloody holiday.

That’s it for now. Off to finish round #2 of my gloriously naughty not-at-all-good-for-you British lunch.

I passed by a concert venue in the city this weekend that was featuring a band called Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head.

At first I thought it might just be the sign guy being funny, but the warm-up band listed was a normal-sounding name, and it seemed like a lot of trouble to put all those letters high up there on that marquee just for a laugh.

Well, color me pink  - there really is a band with this name (I checked on it later, in between Curlicue rows).  NPSH for short.  If I’m not mistaken, Nat had her head shaved for that V for Vendetta movie, so I’m guessing there may be a link there.  Ya think?

That movie looked scary to me, so I didn’t see it.  I’m a wuss.  I’ve learned not to pretend I can watch scary movies unscathed - doing so ends badly for everyone in the same house with me once the lights get turned out that night.

In less frightening news, I’ve whipped out my cashmere, and life is good.

Isn’t she lovely?

You’ll remember my recent ode to the Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere I bought from WEBS.  I unhanked my first skein and unwound it (by hand), then re-wound it (by hand) into a center pull ball - all 400 yards of it.  (Yes, I’ve been hinting pretty heavily to the fam that a ball winder and swift would make a grrrrrrreat gift at some point, sometime.  Any old time.)

It’s gorgeo.  Really, so soft and delicate.

A little too delicate, at first, for my unaccustomed-to-such-fineries man-hands.

I thought I was winding it loosely enough, but once the ball was completed, the first few yards I pulled back out were tougher than I expected.  After breaking the thin fiber a couple of times inadvertently (eeeek! eeeeeeek!), my fingers took the hint and handled it more gently.

Sheer Poncho
by Amy Arifin

Now the center pull is playing nice and I have a pleasing on-gauge swatch on which to base my work for the Sheer Poncho.  Remember this?  Yippee!  So happy to think I can cast this on any day.

The Jade Sapphire (2 ply) label provides guidance for a 6-8 stitches/inch gauge on US 1-3; the Sheer Poncho pattern calls for stitches that are “loose and open” with a 6 stitch/inch gauge.  The pattern as written by Amy Arifin (and featured in MagKnits, Warm 2004) features Jagger Spun Zephyr Lace Weight knit on US 5.

I was curious to see how the fabric of my cashmere pick would knit up on US 2, so I tried that first, just for kicks.  I came in at 8+ stitches/inch, and the stitch definition was nice and even; a smooth, solid look.  You can see this tighter gauge knit in the first four rows of my (small, lazy) swatch at the left.

However.  It’s a good thing that the stitches are meant to be more open for this garment, because I’d go buggy knitting on US 2s for the entire duration of something like this (all stockinette, all the time).

I finished my swatch with US 5, and the stitches are airy and sheer as prescribed.  Gauge is 6-7 stitches/inch:  close enough.

I’ll knit on the bigger side, and the fabric will be a bit stretchy - I think we’re going to be OK here.

As the WIP turns:  Boy, the Curlicue is flying along.  The tininess of the US 3s is a red herring when it comes to progress because the Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton is such a nice full fiber that the fabric feels like it knits itself.

Done with my second of four skeins, so we’re now at 50% length - well over 16 inches.  (See my quarters next to the blanket?  You know, for reference?  Thought you’d like that.)

Amy = Happy.

Happy with knitting, happy with the state of things in the country at large.  All is well.  Hallelujah.

Yippity ding dong, my WEBS yarn arrived!

Isn’t it glorious?

Here, let me get you acquainted.

Jade Sapphire
Mongolian Cashmere
Colorway 50, Driftwood

On the left we have the amazing Mongolian Cashmere, made by Jade Sapphire, in colorway 50, Driftwood. 

Oh yes, we’re feeling very posh with this splurge for a friend’s b-day gift - it’s a big birthday, so she’s going to get 100% cashmere.  And at a 25% discount for me, thank you very much, Kathy and Co! 

The project of my desire, about which I will blog once I’ve cast on, is the Sheer Poncho. This is a design that I initially drooled over here after having found it on Ravelry here.

Cascade Fixation
Color 3919, Maroon

Next we move into the Cascade Fixation portion of my stash-building order.  There was a closeout on Maroon (color 3919) so I decided to dive in.  I’ve not knitted before with Fixation, but I hear it’s quite unique in its springiness.  I’d like to try some socks with it, so I ordered just a bit…OK, in a second color, too - Yankee Red (color 3628).  Yankers was not on sale - but what the hey - in for a penny, in for a pound.

Cascade Fixation
Color 3628, Yankee Red

The Yankee Red is a bit on the Fire Engine side for me, but I’m thinking it might be really nice for Maizy, who is a Fire Engine Red kind of girl.  The Maroon I really like, because I like…things that are maroon.

Maroon.  Marooooon.  Another word that gets funny if you say or spell it a lot.  Maroooooon. 

It’s been a long day.

On the right you’ll see the nice pile o’ yarn that will be known in the future as Little K’s baby blanket à la Curlicue.  The to-die-for Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton is organically grown and truly luscious, certainly in the vibrance of its color (617, Lotus) but also in the feels-like-your-fingers-are-sinking-into-it plushness.  It’s uber-fabulous, all of it.

I swatched a bit in preparation for Curlicue cast-on; not that a swatch is absolutely necessary for a baby blanket, but I’m a little picky about baby blanket dimensions (I like ‘em intentionally generously-sized and not accidentally teddy-bear sized).

Top third stitched with US 5,
Middle third with US 6,
Bottom third with US 7

The yarn label says US 7-9 will yield 4-5 stitches/inch.  I’m wanting to stitches a bit on the tighter side so that my lace pattern is sure to pop.  I started with a 7 and came in at about 4.5 st/in.  Decided to tighten it up and gave it a shot with a 6, then with a 5.  Although the tension looks more pleasing to my eye with the smaller needle, the fabric didn’t change much in actual gauge; it’s still in the 4.5-4.75 st/in range.

So, I’ll probably go with the US 5.  I’ll run a few inches of the pattern on my swatch and then stick a fork in that decision (I dilly-dally around a lot, don’t I?).

The design calls for a repeating 11+1 pattern, so rather than the 100 stitches called for, I’ll up it to 122 and yield a blanket right around 26-27 inches wide.  Then block it heavily if it’s not big enough in the end to feed my fatty blanket beast.

One more set of yarn introductions will round out my lot this time, all from Valley Yarns.  It’s the sock-weight Huntington, in three hues.  Red (4150), grey (0605), and chocolate (B118): these were the short-sock color possibilities suggested by Squeezer, if I were to knit, say, a gift or three for her. 

Valley Yarns Huntington
Color 4150, Red

I have to say I’m in love with this red.  Really in love with it.  I’d call it a deep red, but not an earthy one.  I’m no color expert, but to my eye it’s got less of the orangey undertone and more of the blue. 

Sidenote:  I probably wouldn’t have said anything about blue undertones if I hadn’t had accidentally and briefly met someone who apparently knows more about undertones that I do, which thereby empowered me with an “eye for color” I don’t really have.  Backstory:  I have an Ann Taylor sweater in this shade that has been a staple in my winter wardrobe for a couple of seasons, and once in an elevator in Boston a woman randomly complimented the color and said, “Oh, honey, the blue undertones in that red really suit your complexion.”  Which was a really nice thing to say.  And this shade of red reminds me of that sweater.

Anyloo-hoo - this is my last planned yarn purchase this year.  I’ve really gotta cool it until next year as I’ve got a nice stash to bust between here and there.

[sigh]

I guess I better get knitting so I don’t get distracted by another yarn sale.

In the spirit of basking in fall goodness (and in Halloween preparation mode, in Squeezer’s case), we ventured out recently to get ourselves a spiffy pumpkin.  We’d previously picked up some smaller pumpkins for baking, but we were in need of a bit of ceremony, and thus journeyed out to a neighboring town with wider open spaces and plenty of pumpkin patches.

Immediately upon return back home, Squeezer wielded the knife and gave our new friend a toothy grin.

Boy howdy, that girl doesn’t waste a minute in getting projects like this started (and finished) - she’s my hero.  The pumpkin was carved and propped on our front porch within 20 minutes.

The crisp fall air inspired me inpsired to whip up some pumpkin-based dinner that evening. 

I removed a couple of cups’ worth of pumpkin pieces (as previously frozen from the cut-up baking pumpkins we’d bought a few weeks earlier) and altered a favorite go-to recipe from Mediterrasian.com (a fan-freaking-tastic site) to create the following:

Pumpkin Curry Soup
1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
1 onion—chopped
3 cloves garlic—chopped
2 teaspoons red curry paste
2 cups of fresh pumpkin —peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup red lentils (or yellow split peas)
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup coconut milk (less if desired)
1 heaping teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander
pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
fresh cilantro

Lightly brown the garlic, then add the onion; cook for a few minutes.  Add red curry paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.   Add the pumpkin, red lentils, stock, coconut milk, spices, and brown sugar and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes.  Puree the soup in food processor until smooth, then add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.   Add a few tablespoons of fresh cilantro and serve.  Serve with a dollop of nonfat natural yogurt and garnish of cilantro and freshly ground black pepper. 

Too bad I didn’t take a picture to share with you.  It was so pretty.  And so delicious and warm and cozy.

Other reminders of cozy fall goodness include the wooly comfort of The Big Project (Bidie-In has now shortened his name for this sweater to just TBP), with which I’ve made the opposite of progress.

Yeah, I frogged my Fisherman’s Sweater, like, entirely.

It was just getting a little too baggy.  And by a little I mean a lot. 

Even after the first few inches of stockinette I knew it was on the big side for Bidie, but I hoped it would be within the margin of error for “big, cozy, hot-toddy-by-the-fire” sweaters. 

Then I held up my in-progress front and back pieces to the actual width of Bidie this weekend.  Ah…no.  

The wool I’m using has a bit more give than the acrylic blend from which my seaworthy-sweater-model was knit.  This makes “a little baggy” more like the way-too-droopy clothes on the kid version of Tom Hanks in Big after the Zoltar wish machine brings him back when he’s done being an adult.

This problem is exacerbated a *teensy* bit by the fact that I screwed up with the gauge at the very beginning. 

I know, I was shocked too, because usually the smoking gun of improper sizing doesn’t simply lead back to the fact that the dimensions of the starter swatch were completely ignored.

Bit too quick to green-light the gauge for Rowan Plaid on US 11s. 

Hello!  Look at this picture! 

In spite of the photographic evidence shown here that clearly illustrates how NOT close the size of the brown stitches is to that of the off-white stitches, I think I just thought my swatch was close enough to the existing knit gauge to base my design roughly on the number of stitches of the prototype pattern rather than the actual measurements. 

[boo, hiss]

I know.

Argh, rookie mistake!  I should have either tried a smaller needle or adjusted my first swipe at the design, or both.  Which is what I’ve now done.

Frogging it isn’t that big of a catastrophe, though, really.  Don’t feel sorry for me.  The yarn knits up at about 3 stitches/inch, even on a size 10½ needle, so it’ll knit up fast all over again.  And the yarn wears/frogs well, so it’ll look fine the second time around.  I hope. 

Right.  Done with the ripping out part, starting with the re-doing part.  Yes!

Swatching now on US 10½, I can see the fabric holds its shape a bit more to my liking.  And my design notes are headed in the right direction, too.  I’m using a bit more actual math, boys and girls, in converting the real gauge (not a pretend one) into a number of stitches based on the desired finished dimensions.  Capital idea.

In other news, my 2-at-a-time Practice Socks are off the 40-inch Addi Turbo Lace needles (still sexy, as previously reported).  The Raindrop Lace Socks, bless their wee hearts, are on.  Really and truly.

Although it was touch and go during my first hour or four of learning the 2-at-a-time method, I’m happy to report that once I hit my activation energy I was off and running, with fairly infrequent consternation.  Perseverance led me through the initial (heavy) cursing at tangled yarn to a happy harmony of satisfying, quicker-paced sock knitting.

At the heel flap

At the heel turn

Best tip I’ve garnered so far from Melissa Morgan-Oakes, other than the actual technique of keeping both socks on the needles at all times, was to put the ball of yarn in a Ziploc and pull two ends of yarn from the ball (one center-pull and one from the outside) and poke a little hole in each bottom corner of the bag, such that one end of yarn comes out each side.  Then any (short) length of yarn that is stretching from the bag to the needles doesn’t get tangled.  Smart.

These two little guys would need blocking before gifting (due to my beginner’s inconsistency), but we’ll see if I end up gifting them at all.  I don’t think I have enough of the green sock yarn to do another, even small, one.   Maybe I’ll whip up a second tiny beige one on its own.  We’ll see.

More soon.  Cannot wait to show you my new yarn coming from WEBS - yes, Allison, I went for the bonus yarn and told the boys in Massachusetts to throw another few logs on the fire with my order (boys = boys or girls, logs = skeins, fire = pile of yarn).

Two words: Cash. Mere.

Cannot. Wait.