Some of you probably recognized the crochet detail in my last post as none other than the Babette blanket, a pattern by Kathy Merrick.
Virginia made this blanket over the course of the last few months, using 17 different colors of Cascade 220.
The pattern is a clever adaptation of an amazing quilt (Jewel Squares) originally designed by Kaffe Fassett.
Several major projects are wrapping up in the ScratchCraft household. Here’s a little sneak peek of what you can expect to see in the coming days.
Details to follow! In the meantime, we are celebrating Virginia’s birthday this weekend. I believe there are lots of good things to come this year – interesting places to visit, creative projects to start and complete, good food to eat (including a birthday cake or two). Here’s to a happy birthday, Virginia.
I’m almost afraid to say it, but a few days of cooler weather have made it clear that Summer has moved on, Fall is here and Winter is just around the corner. Do you have enough handknits to keep you warm?
If not, get yours here: scratchcraft.etsy.com.
There have been a few days in the last couple of weeks that have cooled in the evenings, sending the reminder that Fall is just around the corner. (Today being an exception, with the mercury hitting 90º F. Still, something inside stirs when the heat of Summer starts to wane.)
One sign that my body is recognizing the change is my gravitation to playing more with wool. I have started spinning again, surprised that my wheel still turns – it having sat stationary for the better part of the season.
I’m glad that I haven’t completely forgotten how to convert roving into yarn. This superwash merino (dyed by us several years ago) is spun into about 287 yards of 3-ply yarn.
I also must be feeling the need to pack on a little more insulation myself. We’ve revived the Saturday Night, Pizza Night tradition, trying out some new themes, including a new favorite:
It’s a pear-greens-caramelized onion-blue cheese collection of goodness baked on a thin, crispy crust that has been coated with garlicky olive oil mixed with sage. We seriously had to restrain ourselves from devouring the entire pan (even though leftover pizza is never as good as fresh-from-the-oven pizza).
Virginia is no stranger to wool, and is constantly working with it. So, season changes do not necessarily influence the amount of work she does with the fiber (although, maybe once the cold hits, she’ll be working more with alpaca, cashmere and other more insulating fibers).
She continues to knit socks, the latest being:
The rest can be seen, as always (and often before a blog post appears) on flickr.
And, it being the time to start thinking about keeping warm, Virginia is offering some of her handknits for sale on Etsy. Check back often, because she will be listing a variety of items, including shawls, cowls, scarves and (what’s listed right now) hats:
We’ve been slicing, dicing, stewing, jamming, freezing, canning and generally gorging ourselves on the fruits (and veggies) of the summer.
So, what do you like to do with the gifts of the season?