Hats are in Season

This Christmas was the year of HATS. I loved knitting the Sidewinder and Slouchy Beanie pattern by Johnny Vasquez (shown below). He also has great "how-to" videos at New Stitch a Day

Katie and AJ are wearing Sidewinders that I modified by adding brims, at the suggestion of my Mom. The yarn is by Rowan.

John (left) is wearing a beanie in a wonderful non-itchy cotton blend by Berroco . Steve (right) is wearing the Sidewinder.

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The Finisher: My Journey in Forensic Knitting

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Every knitter accumulates leftover yarn from projects. It would be a shame to waste beautiful, high-quality wool and other fibers. Over the years, these leftover balls and scraps grow into sizable stashes, especially when you inherit yarn from other knitters. So some knitters like me turn to scrap-yarn knitting. It's a fun, creative, and liberating process. You can let go of the rules and play, using only the most basic of patterns. Here's my first project, a scrap-yarn cardigan, circa 2009. Same sweater different scarf, as shown with my friend Becky. The 1985 book that riveted me. It was in the window of Homespun Boutique on the Ithaca Commons. From the richly textured stitches forming that sweater, I moved on to more color play after learning new techniques from Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably when they visited Cornell and led a weekend workshop. Kaffe's work caught my eye in the early 1980s, and the story of how this Big Sur, California...

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Knitting & Purling

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