Fun Fridays No. 7
A peek at what's bringing me joy this week!
1| Knitting…
This week I picked back up knitting on a Braintree Shawl for my niece, Claire. It’s actually pretty close to being finished. I just need to work one more four row repeat and then I’ll be on to the border! I’d love for her to have it to wrap up in this Fall…
This is a wonderfully large shawl. It is so big that it almost covers the picnic table, and it’s not even finished yet!
Braintree uses brioche knitting in combination with two-color garter stitch to create gorgeous texture, patterning, and color contrasts. It’s also reversible!
The designer, Jenn Lampen, is brilliant, and one of my favorite designers. Her patterns are extremely well-written and easy to follow. She makes it possible to be successful learning to knit an advanced technique like brioche while enjoying the experience!
I love the way the top of the tree branches fade into the night…
This is a close-up view of where the two-color garter stitch connects with the brioche leafy-vine edge. (These are reindeer stitch markers that I made when I cast on this shawl last Christmas season. They are so cute that I have kept them on throughout the Summer despite their being out of season!)
The yarn I’m using is Kashmir by Fiber Optic Yarns. It is gorgeous, squishy, and has great stitch definition. This shawl requires 2 skeins of the colorway Blackberry, 1 skein of the colorway Darkest Hour, and 1 skein of Unified Kashmir Gradient in colorway Sunrise.
2| Nature…
This lovely moth came by to visit for a bit.
They were quite companionable. As a knitter, I am usually not a huge fan of moths, but this one did not seem interested in my wool, so I felt free to appreciate their beauty while peacefully coexisting.
3| The pets…
Would you like to come along with us?
The upper forest path begins along the top edge of the left field, and the sky is so lovely…
Sunny always waits for Tango to catch up…
If he takes too long, she comes back looking for him!
At the corner of the field, the path turns abruptly and climbs up through the upper forest. Carl keeps it generally mowed and trimmed so we can easily walk there, but it still has a wonderful air of the wild about it.
Tango took a small break in a cool spot. I was busy trying to tell which leaves might be green briers and which might be poison ivy (I’m highly allergic)…
The upper forest path comes out in a sheltered green meadow at the top of the hill. So peaceful. Let’s soak in all the greens and blue-purples…
4| Funny…
I don’t know about you, but this totally sums up my vibe for this whole week!
5| Great posts I’ve enjoyed this week…
This article by Anne Vally digging into the truth about how superwash yarn is created, the industry, and its impact on the environment is so helpful, informative, and fascinating! Not only did I enjoy reading it, but I feel like I learned some things worth knowing.
I wish each and every one of you a beautiful weekend with time to slow down and take deep breaths. Drink in the beauty around you. Listen to the sounds of life around you. Smell the smells. Savor the wonder of the gift of life in this moment. And make time to do something that makes you feel alive!
As always, I would love to see and hear all about the projects you are working on! Feel free to share in the comments!
Warm regards,
~Sarah
Such a lovely post - I so enjoyed reading it. And that shawl is spectacular