Redwood Smoke: help from a fellow knitter

Back in November I found myself in a quandary. Redwood Smoke was nearing completion and the edging yarn ran about 10 yards short. This is the Woodsmoke scarf pattern published in Brave New Knits. Smoke signals were sent up with success and this sweet knit was finished in a jiffy!

Just one more example of what a helpful tool Ravelry can be in making our fibery dreams come true.

The updated search options made it super easy to locate projects that had been knit out of this particular color of Malabrigo Silky Merino. I searched for finished projects and then asked those who had bits and pieces of the yarn left over for help. Locating a fellow knitter who would not only part with her yarn, but sent it to me right away and refused to accept payment was made easy.

Once the package arrived, this scarf was finished in no time flat. The colorway matched and is indistinguishable from what was originally used.

My plan was to gift this as a Christmas present, but I am finding it difficult to part with.

Many thanks to Mary who goes by Hellskitch on Ravelry. I appreciate your kindness.

sending up smoke signals

Have you checked out Jared Flood's Woodsmoke scarf? What a great gift idea! It doesn't take long to knit at all and I've always loved the process of knit-on edging.


The nagging began in the back of my mind two days ago. It seemed like I may run short on the edging yarn. I kept knitting and tried to focus on the positive possibility that there may be enough...just enough yarn to finish.

Sadly, my suspicion was confirmed. Last night, I knit the last full repeat possible and found myself short of yarn.

Estimates put me approximately 10 yards short and I've messaged a Raveler with leftovers to see if she is willing to part with it. Let's hope she answers my 'smoke' signal!

Malabrigo Silky Merino is very pleasing to knit with. I've used it before and remember how yummy this yarn actually is. It usually runs around $11 for 150 yards and the colors are fabulous. The inside of this scarf is knit with Redwood and the edging is, of course, Smoke.

Happy Friday!

Warm hats not needed

My new issue of Interweave Knits arrived with the Brattleboro hat pattern that could not be resisted. The designer used worsted weight malabrigo which is beautiful but a little warm for Louisiana weather. I knew there was some beautiful Malabrigo Silky Merino in my stash and it was easily located (bonus)!

After swatching it was apparent that the DK weight yarn could be made to work and it turned out quite nice. The lighter weight will work well for Bugg while going to school in the 'Winter'. She has decided to stay here this semester to see if she likes it. We are thrilled!

All things Darby: After one week on the new insulin, Darby is back to himself. He has gained a little weight and has been playing with his buddy Kasey. When it is time for his shot, he walks up to me and bows his head down. Once finished, he looks up for a kiss on his little snoot. Gosh, I love this dog!

Miller's Hat - a finished object!

Miller's Hat came out from Through The Loops Designs just as I was finishing up the mystery sock.

What a cute, stylish hat and made with worsted yarn. I knew my daughter would love it.

It knit up quickly in just 3 days. I'll admit it was obsessive knitting, but you still have time to get a few finished for Christmas.

The main color is Tosh Worsted in Betine. This is from my fiber club subscription and there is one more skein of it.

The pink trim is Malabrigo Silky Merino in the color Rupestre. This was held double to attain Worsted gauge.

These yarns made for a super soft hat.

This is the only Christmas gift I've made this year!

See it on Ravelry

Rivolo Finished (finally)

Anne Hanson is genius!

The pattern is Rivolo which I simply doubled in width.

There were two skeins of Malabrigo Sock in the colorway Velvet Grapes. I knit and knit until the yarn was gone.

FYS is back from his summer trip and took photos for me.


I would really like to keep this wrap, but I've been wanting to gift something to a certain someone and this seems just the ticket. It may be tucked away for a few weeks in case I change my mind.

My view

Time just slips by and March arrived before I knew it. Every day has been a good day since we've moved. Even I am amazed at the turnaround of my outlook.



Every morning, I awake to this view from my coffee pot. There may have been one or two days that the sun hasn't shown at some point. That is pretty good for 3 months. Whew! we have been here for 3 months already.



It has turned a bit colder, but it warms to the upper 50's during the day. The sun shines and there is no snow...no chance of snow. I am happy.

Sunshine is good!

The days do fly by quickly. I have found a nice stitch shop which has open stitch once a month and a very friendly yarn shop. My LYS has much to offer and I don't just mean fabulous selections of Rowan yarn (they carry other brands, too). I can stop by any time and find a multitude of different knitters talking fiber, planning their next project, or just enjoying the camaraderie. Jason's intro in the newsletter hit home and describes my exact feelings this move brings.

A word from Jason about .Who.s ya mama?..
The phrase might seem cliché by now, along with .Can you make a roux?.. But even so, it.s one of the most frequently asked questions in our area . but not because folks are being nosey, no. It.s all about establishing a connection. In the big picture, there really are no strangers: everyone is connected somehow, even if it.s through a close relative or as distantly as the neighbor of your aunt.s baby sitter. That.s just the way we are here in Acadiana . an intriguingly fascinating people salad.
We belong together, and that.s fine. We search for connections, because they unify us, knitting us into a network of friends. Besides the yarn, needles, hooks, bags, patterns, and notions, this is what Vermilion Bay Yarn is all about: bringing people together and establishing a connection, building a community of fiber friends. .Jason, why don.t your chairs match?. My answer: .Why should they match?. A strict designer might advise that our knitting area would look trendier, classier, glitzier, slicker, were everything the same, a uniform circle of perfectly coordinated seating and perky side tables. That.s nice...for a bouncy magazine spread, but that.s really not our look. Our knitting area reflects the beautiful diversity of the folks sitting there: Cushy upholstered love seat, fluffy ottoman, leather lounge chair, wicker settee, art deco seats, farmhouse rockers, cane rockers, and often for Knit Café, plastic folding chairs and a 1960.s pipe organ bench. Who is VBYC? We.re teachers, artists, nurses, homemakers, engineers, lawyers, musicians, counselors, designers, paralegals, office managers,
secretaries, dreamers, administrators, bankers, husbands, wives, partners, children and everything in between. The binding thread? Our fascination for and love of working with fiber and creating wonderful, delightful things for ourselves and the people close to us. .How do you know her?. .We knit together on Tuesday nights, and we both love Rowan Kid Silk Haze.. What a tremendous, amazing gift! VBYC celebrates difference, because just like our dear Acadiana, we seek to establish connections with our neighbors to create the most beautiful
patchwork of friends. Pass the word to those you know, whom we may not yet know and
invite them to join the community of knitters, crocheters, lace-makers, sweater creators,
and lovers of fiber at Vermilion Bay. Oh, and by the way, to start your gumbo, take
equal parts fat and flour to make that roux. Let it cook in the pot until it.s a dark, mahogany
brown like your Nana.s sideboard. All the while, keep stirring so it doesn.t burn!

...I LOVE it!


I must divert to a cute little fellow that FYS brought home

This is the tiniest frog I've ever seen. FYS found him on a plant outside the door.

As for knitting, there has been activity. It was instant love when I saw this pattern by Erika Knight. My LYS was on the way home from the bookstore and the Kidsilk Haze fell into my possession. This color is difficult to match, but interesting alternatives have been chosen and we shall see how that works out. My original intention was to make this in every color - heh, heh, no surprise that the plan has changed and this will be one of a kind.

Angella and I also started making Rivolo out of some Malabrigo Sock. Mine is in the Velvet Grapes colorway and hers is in a beautiful green.

We opted to double the scarf sized pattern to make a wrap. It will be incredibly soft in this yarn.

It doesn't look like much right now, but the proof is in the blocking.