“SABLE- A common knitting acronym that stands for Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy.”
― At Knit’s End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much
This week I present my new favorite sweater! It was a long time in the making, but wow do I like it! I like it so much that I have plans to make another.
I have this vintage skein of yarn from Briar Rose Fibers (thanks to being a premier SABLE member) and once I find some mohair to go with it, I will be knitting a second sweater! (if you all have color suggestions for me, I will gladly take them!)
Anyways, back to my sweater…the fit is really lovely, but next time I will knit 2 more repeats of the “pine cones” before beginning the bottom ribbing as I’d like an option with a bit more length. The sleeves are long and I am surprised how much I like them this length! I only did 7 sets of sleeve decreases (versus the 10 the pattern called for) and for me that was just perfect. I worried about how it would fit at the shoulders, but it sits perfectly and there is no slipping or sliding off! The pattern is incredibly well written and it is easy to follow. I highly recommend Ririko’s Evening Dew Cardigan.
On top of all of that, I managed to spin up a bit of fiber and I finished the yarn from last week. Sarah was right…a soak helped, but some bits still need a bit more twist, so I will run this through my wheel again. The other skein is Warm Woolen Mittens I (sorry, no longer available on their site) from HipStrings and I just love how it turned out!
I have yet to re-cast on those socks… and I need to get going on that pronto! But….
This lovely little diversion arrived this week from Lisa at Fibernymph Dye Works… my first installment in the Backyard Birdwatchers Club! This is chickadee (with a small bit of contrasting fiber dyed to match their speckled eggs!) and it is just gorgeous. It is BFL and I can’t wait to spin this up!
The reading was so good this week… and there was so much of it! Insomnia is good for something…oy.
Lightly: How to Live a Simple, Serene, and Stress-free Life by Francine Jay
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I think this book is a simplified version of Marie Kondo – minus the joy. The author immediately suggests not reading the book cover to cover (perhaps her best suggestion, lol) but rather pick and choose the areas you want to work on. I did not find many useful suggestions, but she does make some suggestions that are helpful (perhaps not so much helpful, but insightful.)
Archive 17 by Sam Eastland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It felt good to get back to Inspector Pekkala and this book takes him back to Siberia to uncover a mystery and find the Tsar’s hidden gold stash for Stalin. There are some unexpected twists and turns, but Pekkala prevails… sort of. I won’t give any of the story away, but it is a fun read!
The Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Vera and a murder…what’s not to love? This latest installment in the Vera series does not disappoint. I have so enjoyed watching the development of characters as this series has progressed. I highly recommend this series!
Whew… that was a lot of stuff for a post! What about you? How was your week?
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Your sweater is so lovely, a perfect match of yarn and pattern! I meant to comment on how nice you looked wearing it last night, and your next one will be just as wonderful. Good spinning and good reading (even if you aren’t getting good sleep) make a great week!
did you make that sweater for me?? ha ha, it’s gorgeous and in a color I adore and matches my current wardrobe, just sayin 😉 Your spinning is lovely!!
I can totally see why that is your new favorite sweater! It is gorgeous — and looks great on YOU, as well. (I have some equally-vintage Briar Rose yarn in a similar colorway. You may inspire me do something with it . . . finally.) I think your mohair choice really depends on whether you want the sweater to tip to the neutral (tan-ish) shade or the blue or green shade. Either would be lovely, but the mohair will drive the color of the finished sweater, so it really depends on what you’re looking for there. And I just love the notion of a bird-themed fiber club! Can’t wait to see it unwind (wind up?)! 🙂
Your sweater is just stunning — I love how it seems to glow! Love the new handspun, too. It’s a shame they don’t have that blend anymore, but I’m sure they’ll come up with some good new stuff. I am also jealous that you got a spot in the Backyard Birds club! I meant to sign up but was busy or otherwise distracted when sign-ups opened, and by the time I went over to do it, all the spots were taken. (Not like I don’t have PLENTY of fiber to keep me busy, of course!)
That sweater is so beautiful!
Your sweater is gorgeous and I hope you enjoy wearing it! I am always in awe of your knitting!
Ha! I was just telling my husband about SABLE on our walk the other day. Your new sweater is just perfect. It will be fun to wear this winter. The spinning looks wonderful to me. Have fun with that newest bit of fiber.
I noticed you were wearing your new sweater last night and I meant to compliment you on it but didn’t get the chance so I will say right now that it’s beautiful and it looks great on you! That’s some really pretty fiber you’ve got to play with, too.
Isn’t it great when you can look at something you’ve made and smile knowing you’re going to enjoy wearing it.
It’s a lovely looking casual jacket with (I’m sure) a soft squishy feel about it. Here’s to years of wear
I thought I’d found a new detective series but unfortunately my library only has a couple of Inspector Pekkala books (I don’t buy these days) they sound ‘different’ so I’ll have to be content with what they have
Oh my – your sweater is so gorgeous!! And that Briar Rose yarn is gorgeous – I love digging through my stash and finding the “vintage” pieces 🙂
A Backyard Birdwatcher fiber club sounds divine, ha!! I love that little combo. Enjoy your spinning 🙂
That Chickadee made me swoon, I have to admit…color combo and name, both! And is that the sweater you were wearing on our Read With Us Zoom? Because I couldn’t stop looking at your ‘Brady Bunch block’–that’s one of my favorite colors, and it was like a magnet for my eyeballs!
Beautiful sweater! And I also love the linen top underneath it. Did you make that as well? If so, mind sharing the pattern name?
Your sweater is just so gorgeous, the color and texture are divine. Well cone. Enjoy and stay safe.