FO: Malabrigo Mizzle

Do you ever just have to knit a particular color? For whatever unknown reason, I was craving blue. And this lovely Malabrigo with bits of purple and green in my stash answered the siren call. And how.

Pattern: Mizzle by Patricia Martin
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock (Indiecita)

The first part of this free (!) pattern went so fast. And then came the, shall we say "just slow down and breathe,"  decorative ribbing. But that deep border is what drew me to the Mizzle, so slow down and keep knitting I did.

For those keeping count, this is #8 of my "12 Shawls in 2012" personal challenge. Good thing it's knitting season, 'cause I've got some catching up to do!

FO: Izzy's Fingerless Mitts

Hello, Fall. How I've missed you.

In Albuquerque, the air turns crisp around Thanksgiving. For a "fall is my favorite season" person, the September equinox is a strange sort of torture: "It's nearly October. The kids are settled back in school. Why can't I pull out my woolens?!" Happily, Minnesota is bringing it this year — even throwing in a first frost warning on the 23rd.

Faced with chilly mornings, the kid started asking for a pair of fingerless mitts. We went stash diving last weekend and found three skeins of tween-perfect bright. (Matching cowl now on the needles, thank you.) The yarn is also superwash wool, so the mitts just might survive beyond the season.

Pattern: Montgomery Fingerless Mitts

Yarn: Cool Wool Merino Big Print (811)

Violet is a bit more skeptical about the September chill.

FOs: Scalene Double Take

Since they knew we were headed back to MN, my sister and brother-in-law gave me a birthday gift certificate to another new yarn store that had opened in Minneapolis during our stay in Albuquerque. (This place is fiber heaven!) Rather than spending it right away online, I decided to exercise some rare restraint and wait a few months so I could visit in person... As luck would have it, I traveled to Mpls a few weeks later for an interview (for the job I got, yay! ;-) and visited Bella Lana over Memorial Day weekend.

Being the total geek that I am, I traveled with the last skein I planned to purchased in NM and the goal of buying a complementary skein in MN to create a symbolic transition knit. Yep, total geek! Here's my "Two-State Scalene," which I love for more than just the silly sentimental reasons.

Pattern: Scalene by Carina Spencer

Yarn: Zitron Unisono (1210) &
 Madelinetosh Pashmina (Magnolia Leaf)

Beyond the great mix of color stripes in the Unisono, my favorite detail is the double keyholes, which make the Scalene so easy to wear.

I wasn't alone in appreciating the style. The Scalene also caught my mother's eye... And I instantly knew what I wanted to do to thank her for all the help this summer, which included hosting Izzy for several weeks and unpacking my kitchen. Yeah, I know. I'm one lucky daughter! Not sure that this "Gratitude Scalene" is enough, but at least it's a good start. And the colors suit her to a T. (And in case it's not clear, Izzy insists that I note she's sporting her "silly face" in the following shot.)

Yarn: Sublime Yarns Cashmere Merino 

Silk DK (Nutkin and Anise)