It's not that I don't have anything to write about. I'm in the midst of making an adult sized William's hat so that I can work out the crown decrease and publish a pattern for it (my first published pattern!) I've been knitting so furiously over the past few days (4 new scarves, now this hat) that my right thumb feels sprained and my left hand is going numb when I knit. I think I'm giving myself carpal tunnel syndrome from knitting! But I have to say that the scarves are pretty good for using 35 needles and el-cheapo and recycled stash yarn. My daughter wants all of them.
Just a few of the scarves, and not the greatest picture, but you get the idea. I often use two different but coordinating yarns to create a chunky one. Also, you can use novelty eyelash and metallic thread yarns to other yarns to give them depth and that added zing. I'm knitting the hat with a recycled angora/wool maroon tweed. It looks so earthy and man-like (at least a man wouldn't cringe at the thought of wearing it).
I've also been refering back to a book that I have found endlessly handy from the moment that I branched out and started designing things myself. I know that there are a million stitch libraries out there, but I really like "Super Stitches Knitting" by Karen Hemingway. It has over 300 stitch patterns, and I've never had a pattern in mind that I wasn't able to locate in this book. I also like the way the swatches are photographed - like they are live works on the needles. I have a few other stitch libraries, but this is the one that I always come back to.
On the domestic front, Collin and Kendall were home sick today. They had a cough, sniffles, and Collin had this prickly rash all over his body. They slept for hours while Will and I chilled out in my room watching Spongebob and knitting and eating popcorn (or "pacrn" as Will likes to call it). Lovely day, all-in-all, especially since the kids seem to be better and are headed off to school tomorrow.
