Cast On

House projects have broken me; the summer of socks continues; the red that bled; Tour de Fleece; and a return to Clifford Byway. 

My new obsession for shorties led me to Zabava Socks. They fit very well, and work up quickly. The pattern is easy to follow and the results are moreish.

The Tour de Fleece Facebook Group is here.

The Holy Texts of Tour de Fleece: Fleece and Fibre Sourcebook, by Deb Robson, and The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs, by Sarah Anderson

Vacillate is officially in the queue!

You owe it to yourself to check out Wild and Wooly's mailing list.

Music in this podcast:

Jim Fidler, Merrigan's Reel

Voyageur, My Only Love

Jamie Drake, Beginnings

The weather. Men in shorts. The run down. Ta Da moments. And the moments just before a plan comes together.

The Red Edge is complete!

The chart for Red Edge was designed by Anna-Lisa Mannheimer Lunndown, and is from the book Poems of Colour, by Wendy Keele. I used the top down set-in sleeve method pioneered by Elizabeth Doherty. I talked about this method at length in 153 I, Curator.

My Summer(s) of Socks

2022: Ipomoea, Lunaria and the gradient-dyed pair of Syncopation socks that set Jeny Staiman on a path towards Polar Arc.

2023: Weekend Shorties, and Pan.

2024 Plans: Weekend Shorties redux, Footprint, Zabava, plus August Argyle's, once I have learned intarsia in the round. I have tons of sock leftovers (courtesy of my KBFF) and I'm having a blast playing with all the colours.

Read more about Gradual Stiffening, pattern 207 in A Pattern Language, by Chris Alexander, here.

Music in this podcast: Merrigan's Reel, by Jim Fidler; and I'm Back! by Royal Deluxe.

In this episode: The party dress; picking up threads; a project round up; and the big idea, spoken aloud.

The High School Art Teacher Dress by Vogue [(V1410)](https://simplicity.com/vogue-patterns/v1410)

I can highly recommend the following books by David Page Coffin: [Making Trousers for Men and Women](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Trousers-Men-Women-Multimedia/dp/1589234499/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2FUKFXA8S92IP&keywords=making+trousers+for+me+and+women&qid=1707313032&sprefix=making+trousers+for+me+and%2Caps%2C1168&sr=8-1) [Shirt Making: Developing skills for fine sewing](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shirtmaking-Developing-Skills-Fine-Sewing/dp/1561580155/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2RNHMZFPAOVDC&keywords=david+page+coffin&qid=1707315304&sprefix=david+page+coffin%2Caps%2C278&sr=8-2)

Project Round Up

[Elm](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elm-3) socks

[Esther](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/esther-18)

[Mirabelle Slippers](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mirabelle-slippers)

Music in this episode:

Jim Fidler, Merrigan's Reel [Bobby Saint](https://www.musicbed.com/artists/bobby-saint/43928), Feelin' Good

In this episode: Stash enhancement; hat boxes of joy; the rug of sorrow; knitting memory lane, letting it go. Repeat after me: It is okay to rest.

Thank you, past Brenda, for setting up [Esther](https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Brenda/esther-2) (by Camilla Vad) and [Boreal](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boreal-2) (by Kate Davies). Leftovers from Esther will become [Winter's Fern](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/winters-fern) hats.

My [Elm](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elm-3) socks, , by Cookie A, in Admiral Hanf.

The Red Edge is for Season 3 of [Lupin](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531336/), which I am hoping to watch next week, by the fire, with a cat on my lap.

Busting out hats using the [Two by Two](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/two-by-two-2) pattern.

Meet [onion](https://www.wildandwoollyshop.co.uk/shop/yarn/nettle-sock-yarn/), a truly sustainable sock yarn in oodles of colours.

If you like looking at very pretty old dresses, the [John Singer Sargent Exhibition at the Tate Britain](https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/sargent-and-fashion) is for you. Read more about Madame X and listen to experts discuss the painting [here(https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/20012492).

Genius Loci is my new favourite newsletter. [Get it here.](https://www.digest.andymarshall.co/)

Music: [Perfect Holiday, by Cassette Deck](https://www.musicbed.com/songs/perfect-holiday/45838)

In this episode: Undone by Cosmo/Cosmo undone; colour blocking that didn’t stitck; a summer romance; a bounty of beautiful sock yarn; packing projects for a journey with no end date; and the view from the Stone Cottage!

The sweater that was [Cosmo](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cosmo-cardigan) is no longer pining for the fjords. We are both happier for it.

The colour blocking that I thought might be the answer to knitting a longer Schneke did not work for me. Might have been the yarn. I’m still swooning over the spiral lace pattern. Full marks for [Schneke](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/schnecke-3).

If you need a yarn just like the discontinued yarn you're running out of, [Yarnsub](https://yarnsub.com/) is your friend.

My affaire de couer with shortie socks includes:

[Pan](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pan-8) (which looks better on the foot than off).

[Weekend Shorty Socks](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/weekend-shorty-socks). I had a blast choosing the colours of these and took many, many, many pics.

Next in the queue, [Zabava](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/zabava-2), on sale through 31 October. I also plan to try out some new heel constructions this winter, starting with [Biarritz](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/basic-biarritz-socks). It's also on sale through 31 October.

It's finally sweater season! Up first, the sweater of my long time dreams, [Esther](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/esther-18), soon to be followed by [Boreal](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boreal-2). If I can complete these two AND finish the Red Edge, it'll be a very good winter.

Music in this podcast: Merrigan's Reel, [Jim Fidler](http://www.jimfidler.com/) [Boxes](https://www.musicbed.com/songs/boxes/33111), [Ben Rector](https://www.musicbed.com/artists/ben-rector/69)

In this episode: I have more projects on the needles at one time than ever before, and I talk about all of them. Also, we're buying a cottage, and trying very hard to remain detached until the contracts have been signed.

The Schneke Shawl spiral has been a little bit addictive. Now that I've reached the back and forth section of the first rectangular end, it's less so.

Not feeling the love for 24 Days Socks knit from the toe up. Time to call time out.

The August Argyle Socks are still just yarn and an idea at this point. It occurs to me that perhaps a swatch in the round of simpler intarsia shapes, like a square on one side, and a triangle on the other, might be a good practice piece.

Against All Odds is off the needles, and the fit is much more relaxed than anticipated. I don't hate it, it's just something to be aware of when you knit with linen.

The Cosmo Cardigan goaded me into nearly completing the yoke in about a week. I'm slowing down now, and saving this project for when I need a break from all the lace and fingering weight yarn.

[The Red Edge](https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Brenda/the-red-edge-cardigan-poc) details make all the difference. I just love this project. Never gonna give it up. Never gonna let it down.

Knit to this: Tonia and I have been amusing ourselves with these fine podcasts, hosted by Danny Robins, from BBC sounds: The Uncanny Podcast is great fun. [Start here.](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0010wp9) The Battersea Poltergeist is also creepy and very weird. But our favourite was The Witch Farm, because it takes place in Wales.

Music in this podcast: Jim Fidler, Merrigan’s Reel and [Hanna Trigwell, Never Gonna Give You Up](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSDOcLfwM-I)

The Great Airing of the Stash 2023. Hibernating projects emerge, blinking, into the light. The Red Edge gets a new button band and top-down contiguous sleeve cap. Made progress on Against All Odds - closer to done than I remember. Love that. The butterflies from Paint Pan will be knit into stripes using the 24 Days Sock Pattern.

Then, after taking care to continue work on old projects, I went a little nutzy starting new things. Schnenke (really fun knit, clever and interesting shape). Gilet Parodia destined to become my new favourite Grandpa sweater. And my first ever Argyle socks from Anne Berk’s Diamonds Are Forever knit to the length of August Argyles.

The production line. Tiny arms. The trouble with Esther - I’d rather begin the yoke with GRANITE (not “graphite”). Ready to redesign the colorwork on the swatch. The sock makes a brief appearance before returning to time out.

I have not yet performed penance on recent stash acquisition, but I did just think up a great name for this project: The Squeaky Spinach Boreal. It’s perfect, right?

Ready to learn beautiful mending with Visible Creative Mending and micro skeins of joy (twenty pence piece for scale = roughly the size of a US nickel). Fiona’s very sad sleeve and the mend from last year.

Make your own Desert Boots in this online class from the Chicago School of Shoemaking. (Tip o’ the needles to Sarah S.)

Massive thanks to Kim Werker for her time, enthusiasm and inspiration. Kim’s current project with Kate Atherly is Digits & Threads, about Canadian fibre and textile arts. Their first book: Sheep, Shepherd and Land.

Music: Jim Fidler, Merrigan’s Reel; Marie Hinds, Light Up the World

IKvetching is now free to all! Find it on Ravelry or on Jeny Staiman’s Payhip.

The Stitching show was fun, if a bit short on yarn. Next year, Wonderwool. That said, I’m pretty happy with this button. (Left: new button; right: with the incorrect button it replaced.) The button makes the knitwear. I have always said this.

I Can Make Shoes, and so can you. Check them out.

Music: Jim Fidler, Merrigan’s Reel; Marie Hines, It’s Just the Beginning

The level of craft chaos was high this week, but Lilly’s retro-vibe pinnies are finished! Pattern is Bias Trimmed Apron from Little Things to Sew by Oliver & S, in lightweight linen with bias binding in designer fabrics from this UK eBay seller. Several knitsibs want an adult-sized version. Still looking - drop a comment if you know of something similar.

The Sock is not at a very interesting place, but you can see progress. The yarn is Coop Knits, Socks, Yeah! in Labrodorite (reads more dull green than grey). Happy with my decision to drop the reverse stockinette and make the diamond shapes both wider and taller. Progress will be slow.

Yarny goodness: arrival of the darks for my Magic Circles Afghan palette. The interspersed cakes are handspun and/or variegated - might be too dull chromatically speaking. The basket of clear bright colours is calling to me. Yes, 100% wool, blanket designated for HUMANS ONLY. May have to post a sign.

Gene Marshall is a rabbit hole. You’ve been warned.

Music: Jim Fidler, Merrigan’s Reel; Bear Jackson, My Way