And we have a match.

I finished the matching scarflette yesterday, but three posts in one day --- I will make all attempts to deal with what is turning into an OCD by too frequent posting. (Or maybe I'm just really busy)

When you spin your own yarn and then knit it, you are bound to get an original design. What I have only discovered recently (through a conversation I had with my pal Judy) is that the yarn has it's own nature and that I did not need to have perfect yarn to work with it.

Now I am actually searching for different characteristics in the spinning and trying to see how to incorporate them into a design. There is a double pleasure in designing from the wool up.

When I was sitting in the cafe yesterday, a bunch of names of pieces came to me. They have not been designed yet. So I am giving myself a challenge......Reverse engineering hat and scarf design.....Titles first, and then design inspired by that.

Names of hats yet to be made......I will cross them off the list and provide photos once they are knit. This will be a limited edition collection.

• Her Taste Runs to the Fantastic
• Questionable Landscape
• The Heart Decides
• Unrelenting
• Passion Provides
• These Grey Days
• I've Been Here Before
• When Common Sense does not Prevail
• Winds of Change
• A Garden I remember ------done.
• Twist of Fate -------done
  
• Protect Me
• Circular Momentum
• Tidal Impulses
• Where I Dwell
• Small Voices
• A Bump in the Road -----done.
  
• YOUR SUGGESTION HERE......

So if you have a title for a design that you would like to challenge me to work with, I will pick the best one and send the winner a thank you ball of hand spun.....Retail value $40 - $50.... This odd little contest will run until the end of May.

Readers meet Carolyn.....

I spend many mornings out knitting in public at the local coffee shop in the hood. Blenz is my favourite coffee shop in town for a number of reasons.

• Baked goods -awesome
• Staff - terrific
• Free wireless
• Holli and I have a lot of meetings there
• Interesting customers
• No one EVER asks you to leave.

My record for time spent at Blenz was Boxing Day 2007 when I spent 11 hours seaming together 47 hats. (again, and no one asked me to leave).

Carolyn has been my favourite barrista and often would ask me about what my current project was. Today I found out she is leaving on Thursday.....The summer off for travel and contemplation----I'm jealous---but I wish her the best.

I named today's design finished in Blenz after her. "Carolyn" is a free form crochet design from three of my own hand spuns as well as one ball of Malabrigo in "Lettuce". The gold was so energized I didn't know what to do with it and suddenly, the perfect place for it to rest. I crocheted it into this design.

Here are a few more views of a hat I truly enjoyed designing. The rest of the afternoon will be dedicated to designing a matching (sort of) scarflette.


It's been a while since I've allowed myself the luxury of free form play.