Jennyarn

With the generous support of numerous cats, I have been knitting with dogged
persistence. I’m pleased to have crossed a finish line. A vest for my Dad for
Father’s Day is now an FO!

The yarn used in the pattern was discontinued. I was glad to be able
to contact the designer, Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer, through Ravelry
to ask her opinion on what yarn I might use instead. Luck was on my
side; I was able to find sport weight Louet Gems on sale. Interestingly,
the yarn is made in South Africa.

Bijou & Oliver conduct softness and durability tests

My luck seemed to be dwindling as I waited and waited for the yarn
to arrive. I contacted the online shop and learned they had completely
forgotten about my order! While I appreciated the honesty, I couldn’t
help but be miffed that ‘my’ yarn was no longer available. Choosing a
yarn for a project is sometimes ridiculously involved; that was the case
with this one.

Bijou & Oliver help me join without twisting

While I’m mostly easy going and strive to be empathetic, once in a while
I am apt to write a scorching letter, calculated to acquaint people with their
incompetence. Being the daughter of a lawyer may bring this out in me.
Except then my inclination to do this subsided when I received an email
from that yarn company which ended with ‘God Bless You.’ While I have
no religious affiliation, I was somewhat taken aback by the sentiment and
it served to quell my upset. I thought I’d just revert to being nice and
understanding for a while.

The shop offered me the same yarn in a worsted weight which they
claimed was light for worsted and not so different from the sport weight.
Despite some qualms I opted for it. But all the knitting while, I was
concerned over the vest coming out too large. It did not!

This is a wonderful seamless pattern. While none of it was difficult
per se, the stitch pattern was fairly laborious for me. There are never
more than 3 consecutive knit stitches, and those were few and far
between. That was daunting at first yet it became easier as I was
able to get into a rhythm with the diamond patterning. I have become
quite agile with knitting through the back loop. When the knitting went
from rounds to rows, purling through the back loop was not my favorite
stitch but I’d like to think I’m better at it now.

Ribbed Diamonds Man’s Vest from HeartStrings FiberArts

I am hoping the vest will make for a special Father’s Day gift. Now I
am working on a hat to match.

One of my knitterly proclivities is for making hats.

Nomad Hat and Scarf by Kat Coyle, Interweave Knits Fall 2007

Hats like me because I create them quickly and wear them out and about. They like to see the world. I like them because I can create them quickly and wear them out and about. They keep me company when I’m away from cats. And hats keep me warm as I herd cats in the cold.

I am awfully fond of this hat. Misti Alpaca Chunky yarn is thick and lightweight and soft like one Miss Jordan cat. It reminded me a little of some hair ribbons popular when I was a kid. I haven’t seen them in donkey’s ears. Ha! My maladroit attempt at some rhyming slang has backfired into some double entendre. Incidentally, I have learned that a female donkey is called a jenny. I know this is all related somehow.

I wear my Nomad every chance I get. Sunny California has been none too warm lately so we’ve become rather close.

There is another very nice hat pattern called Thorpe, and it is a free pattern! I highly recommend it. I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky in pink for my first Thorpe. This pink yarn was beginning garment life as a scarf. But it was a scarf-gone-wrong! Amidst all the right-slanting cables of the Onduleux scarf was a lone, lonesome left-slanting cable! And it was located very near the cast-on edge.

Oh well, it was not meant to be. I was quick to begin a new version in a different yarn, to offset any upset. It was better to just let pink Onduleux unravel on it own as scarf became hat. No need to make a separate unraveling effort which was sure to cause me some pangs, and not at all necessary anyway.

Thorpe with Cashmerino

I’ve long since given up a habit of kicking walls and slamming doors. I still have bouts of volatility but I keep them at bay and I’m mostly a pacifist. I don’t eat animals even though, at the age of nine when I stopped, I thought they tasted pretty good. I used to order lunches from Give Pizza Chance. Recently, I gave Peace Fleece a chance. It didn’t look like much and it didn’t feel like much; I didn’t taste it. However, I’ve grown to like it quite a bit.

Thorpe with Peace Fleece, and Pastaza edging

Ancient Fern is a darkish color described as a rich brown, burgundy heather with flecks of green. In good light the subtle color variations can be appreciated more easily. It is a lanolin-rich yarn, not oily and not sticky per se yet somehow, in some way, emollient. I think it’s the sort of yarn that softens considerably with washing and wearing. I wish I could see all of the colorways offered in person. I would like to use Peace Fleece for a sweater coat.

I was touched by the story of the Peace Fleece company, even if none of the patterns written for the yarn appealed to me.

My Thorpe hats are still undergoing some adjustments. The pink one is too large, even for my big head. I’m getting the hang of crocheting the edging, thanks to online resources for lefties, but I’m still experimenting with color. I had been led to believe that any yarn within reach, when there are cats on my lap, is the best choice. I may have to rethink that.

This hat/hood is a finished object! It is from Viking Knits by Elsebeth Lavold. Vigdis is the main pattern, a magnificent sweater coat. There is an accompanying hood (this one!) and a bag to match.

Vigdis hood in Elsebeth Lavold Angora