FOs and a WIP.

I've got a couple of Finished Objects to share with you. The first is a Mesh Scully Cap in Alchemy Wabi Sabi for a friend who is going through treatment for brain cancer. This particular girl is stunningly beautiful, very stylish and with very fine features. We're always searching for good "chemo cap" patterns, and I think this one is ideal for summer. Very stylish. And the color - "Sangria" - is just beautiful.


This was my first time to work with Wabi Sabi, the 66% silk/33% wool hand-dyed chunky weight from Alchemy. It was just butter in my hands! Works up so quickly - the hat only took a couple of hours on size 9 needles - and the end result is soft and squishy like chenille, but luxurious like hand-dyed silk. I've been hoarding a bunch of Wabi in a red blend for Alchemy's Trench Coat pattern, but haven't gotten around to it...now it's moved to the top of my to-do list! Yum!

Next up is the Yellow Halter Top from the new Rebecca Magazine, modeled by BF Kristy and me. We did this as a very short knitalong because it was so quick to knit up! The fun thing about this halter is you can also wear it criss-crossed (see second photo of Kristy).


I asked Kristy what she liked best about knitting it, and she said:
"I love halter tops because they seem to be flattering on just about every woman at every age. It must be the exposing of the shoulders. It looks a little sexy without showing too much. Add to this the fact that this pattern has a v-neck, and you’ve got a winner. As Tim Gunn from Project Runway pointed out during his appearance helping dress the contestants on The Biggest Loser: a v-neckline is very slenderizing on a woman. Sign me up! I’ll take all the help I can get!"

So there you have it: Make it work, people! The yarn, Leona, is available on our site here, and well as the magazine with the pattern, here.

And all this finishing means I get to start a new project! I chose "Affair to Remember" by Annie Modesitt from her book, "Romantic Hand Knits." I have nicknamed it the "Boredom Buster Bootie" skirt. The Bootie part is obvious:


The Boredom Buster part is that it has lots of different parts, easily broken down, so that just when it starts to get monotonous, you get to add a new part. Tired of stockinette? Here comes a little cable! Tired of that? Here come the lace panels! And yet it's simple enough to work on without constantly referring to a pattern. I'm using Berroco Love It and, predictably enough, I LOVE IT. It's a cotton/acrylic blend so I can wear it year-round, and it's very stretchy so it should keep its shape well (or as Ingrid says, after a few wearings, your "po-po" won't be hanging out.)

Best part - the pattern is written for either DK yarn held double, or worsted held single. That means only 7 skeins of Love It for the medium - less than $60 for the skirt! Wahoo!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com
P.S. Big shipment of Malabrigo worsted just arrived, plus more Silken Straw in new colors!