Footfall

I'm trying to post these projects in more or less the order in which I finished them, but I seem to keep falling behind as I finished this scarf a month ago (and have worn it a lot since) and even photographed it then, but am just now getting around to posting!

This is the Footfall pattern from Kate Davies and it comes from her Bold Beginners book. I tried knitting this pattern some years back (before I was really grooving with lace charts) and made a complete hash of it and gave up. This time, however, it was fairly smooth sailing. In retrospect, I wish I had done a M1L/M1R at the center instead of a yarn over, but not enough to start over again.

I used some silk/wool mix yarn I got for Christmas last year.  My original idea was to use the yarn until I ran out but I got to a certain point and realized that the scarf would be VERY large if I did that, and I didn't want something too overwhelming.  

The upside is that I have enough left to make a hat (and possibly mitts).  My hair is really thin now and my head gets cold quickly!  So I think hats are going to be a fixture this winter.  I've been wearing fingerless gloves in the house for the past couple of weeks because the circulation in my hands and feet isn't stellar, hence the mitts.  Andrea Mowry's new mitts pattern looks interesting.

I finished a sweater this week (after reknitting half of it at least twice!) and am working on some smaller projects before casting on another sweater.  What can I say?  I likes what I likes.

Kazahana

Sometimes you have to frog a sweater that isn't working.  My Weekender from last winter was such a sweater.  I did wear it some but the neckline drove me crazy and it was always too big.  And the drape never seemed right.  

I know a zillion people have made that pattern and love it, but I'm realizing that a straight neck sits really weird on me.  There were a bunch of things about the fit I didn't like, so when it was absolutely miles too big this fall, I decided to pull it out and start fresh.  

I picked the Kazahana pattern since it has my go-to features--textured yoke, easy body and sleeves, and interest on the cuffs and hem.  I did a twisted rib on the cuffs since I ended up not liking how the pattern iteration looked or felt, and I made the sleeves full length that tapered to the wrist.  I did do the pattern on the hem, but honestly, it is so subtle, I think I could have got away with twisted rib there too.  Since the yarn was worsted weight, the knitting went extremely fast--I think I made the whole thing in under two weeks.  I've worn it a ton since finishing it, so it was a good call!  

The yarn is such a pretty heathered color; it is hard to capture on film, but there are flecks of turquoise, yellow, seafoam green, and a darker teal running through it. It is definitely a solid color for my wardrobe palette.

I used a gift certificate for a local yarn store recently and bought some Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in the Button Jar colorway.  It is more to the olive side of green, but the tweedy flecks are similarly toned, so I'm eager to knit that yarn up!  I'm nearing the end of another worsted weight sweater, so I think the Shelter will be next up.  It is looking to be a colder year this year, so I'll be glad of some heavier weight pieces to keep me warm--I'm feeling the cold a lot more these days.