Knitting

Purls on the Promenade

August 3, 2026 annbh356Leave a comment

brown yarn on knitting needles with yarn ball in upper left corner and pattern creating background

handknit cowl in light brown wool on cream colored marble background

While Manchego sheep featured prominently in part 2 of my virtual tour of Spain and Portugal, cheese rather than wool was my initial introduction to this breed of sheep. I first tasted Manchego cheese years ago when hosting an annual wine and cheese fundraiser with friends. With its buttery, slightly tangy flavor, it paired nicely with a robust red wine. We always designed our menus around 5-6 wines (sweet to dry) that were available without special orders to a vineyard, as well a selection of individually prepared hors d’oeuvres and less common cheeses.

This time, rather than the edible byproduct of this Spanish sheep, the Purls on the Promenade cowl is a blend of Manchego and Merino wool purchased from The Woolly Thistle. This latest design from Marie Greene features a mix of knit and purl stitches that create a subtle wavy design. As I began knitting with this rustic yarn, I was a little worried that the final product might be rough or scratchy around the neck but after a good soak and blocking, the design pops and this cowl is soft to the touch just in time for chilly fall temperatures.

Happy Knitting!

Knitting

Arsenic and Old Lace

July 31, 2026 annbh3561 Comment

close up of knitting stitches in blue and cream lace shawl

I enjoy my Agatha Christie as visual experiences rather than words on the page, whether it is the cinematic classic, Witness for the Persecution, (1957 with Marlene Dietrich, Tyrone Power, and Charles Laughton) or the new streaming adaptations of Hercule Poirot starring and directed by Kenneth Brautigan.

While I know Marie Greene best as a knitting designer, instructor, and the author of six knitting books, she has a passion for mysteries. Currently she is expanding her repertoire while writing her first mystery.

Two of her fall mystery knit-alongs (MKAL) paid homage to her favorite author, Agatha Christie, with The Tuesday Night Wrap in 2023 and, most recently, last October, with Arsenic and Old Lace. As my attention was focused on unpacking and hanging art at Solstice Place, I cast on after the pattern was fully revealed. No mystery during my project.

Arsenic and Old Lace is a two-color shawl that begins by casting on five stitches and then, through a series of increases along the side edges and the center midline, grows into a lacy triangular shawl. This version artfully combines two skeins of fingering weight yarn. The pale blue is from my days as member of Sew Happy Jane’s Handdyed Yarn Club and the creamy variegated was a souvenir skein purchased during our great-niece’s destination wedding weekend in Tennessee. It is always rewarding to stash dive and transform yards and yards of yarn into wearable art.

Happy Knitting!

Knitting

Kumi Cardigan

February 2, 2026February 2, 2026 annbh356Leave a comment

Having seen his shadow earlier this morning, Punxsutawney Phil predicted our frosty weather will continue making this the perfect time to begin the annual Knit Camp winter sweater workshop. With pine needle green yarn in hand, my swatch knit to gauge, and an entire library of online tutorials just a click away, I am ready to cast on. Marie Greene describes the Kumi Cardigan as:

small moss covered Japanese pagoda in a lush green garden

A richly textured cardigan inspired by Japanese Kumihimo. Kumihimo are traditional Japanese braided cords (usually made with silk or other fiber), historically used for armor, kimonos, and samurai swords, but now popular for jewelry, accessories, and crafts using tools like braiding disks. The name Kumihimo means "coming together of threads," resulting in decorative and functional cords that can be round, flat, or square, with intricate patterns. This sweater design features Japanese cables that are inspired by the use of these decorative cords.

My yarn is Peruvian merino wool in light worsted/DK-weight that I have used before and know it offers wonderful stitch definition. This will ensure the Kumi textures “pop.” The pine needle colorway has an almost heathered quality with subtle variations, not just plain green, but reminiscent of sunshine on tall swaying white pine trees.

Happy knitting!

Knitting

Celebrating the New Year with a New Sweater

December 31, 2025January 16, 2026 annbh3564 Comments

close up of shoulder and collar of a handknit sweater in silvery gray and maroon checks

handknit sweater in silvery gray and maroon checks

As I begin typing, it is midnight in Chișinău, Moldova – the most eastern locale I have visited. To celebrate 2026, I am shaking a vintage noise maker and presenting Kleine Cardigan. I began knitting this sweater in February as part of Knit Camp’s first ever virtual travel club and Marie Greene’s annual winter knit-a-long (KAL) workshop. While I completed the knitting in August, this organic merino project was packed away for our move to Solstice Place. Just today it came off the blocking squares and it is ready to wear in the new year. The sweater’s repeating check pattern pays homage to the Swiss flag, although I did take the liberty with my colors as the silvery gray and maroon combo will better suit my wardrobe palate.

Happy knitting and Happy New Year! Or, more appropriately – Viel Spaß beim Stricken und ein frohes neues Jahr!

Knitting

Joining a Gift-A-Long

November 21, 2025November 22, 2025 annbh3563 Comments

Just in time for holiday gift giving, over 200 indie designers are hosting Gift-A-Long 2025. Launched last evening at 5:00pm US EST, this knit-a-long / crochet-a-long (KAL/CAL) will run through December 31 at 11:59pm US EST.

Unlike other KALs in which I have participated when there has been one pattern shared by one designer, the gift possibilities of this KAL are endless – from caps to cowls, from scarves to sweaters, and even stuffies. While all patterns by the participating designers are eligible to be knit or crocheted, only projects made from purchased patterns will be eligible to win prizes. This unique marketing technique had me scanning patterns and checking my in-house yarn inventory last evening. And, this morning, with pattern and stashed yarn selected, I cast on a lacy scarf in this vibrant beetroot colored New Zealand merino tweed.

Happy knitting!

Knitting · New House

Yarn: Sorted and packed

August 15, 2025 annbh3561 Comment

four large plastic bins filled with yarn

I took up my knitting needles for the first time in 32 years when President-Elect Obama asked Americans to volunteer on inauguration weekend 2009. All of those first projects supported a new caring ministry at church, and I was very select in my yarn purchases: three skeins of Lion Brand Homespun for a prayer shawl or a colorful yet purposeful selection of Cotton-Ease for dishcloths. Eventually, I graduated to better quality fibers, but they were always chosen for a specific pattern. At the time, I was a “monogamous knitter” and that was also how I made my fiber purchases, one at a time. It would be five years before I ventured to that slippery slope of purchasing yarn without having already planned a project.

I have distinct memories of that 2014 purchase. For weeks, before the start of each sampler afghan knitting class, I gravitated to the bin of Frabjous Fibers fingering and admired the soft, springy texture. But the weight gave me pause. I had been working with thicker strands (worsted, Aran, chunky) and the fingering selections felt fragile by comparison.

But as brown was Dad’s favorite color and he would have appreciated the dark chocolate hue, I eventually purchased a skein in the Hedgehog colorway without any idea of what it might become. That was my first step into stash creation. Then there were yarn crawls hosted by local yarn stores – each an opportunity to purchase potential. And yarn clubs with boxes of squishy mail arriving monthly from Idaho and quarterly from Germany (although not in the same year.) Each purchase was photographed and inventoried, but organization was slightly haphazard with yarn tucked in six locations around our small house.

In preparation for our move to Solstice Place, that mishmash has been corrected. Each skein (all 115) has been sorted by weight and yardage, the location has been verified in the Ravelry database, and those skeins are stored in new plastic tubs that Two Men & a Truck will move in 39 days.

Happy knitting!

Knitting

Mystery Knit-Along: Postcard from the Edge

June 2, 2025June 2, 2025 annbh3562 Comments

handknit shawl in purple, green, and peach colors on a white background

close up detail of a handknit shawl in purple, green, and peach colors on a white background

My in-house “colorist” helped select the lovely hues for the Spring String mystery knit-along. I am so pleased with the result that I am keeping the Postcard from the Edge shawl for personal use. When making my initial yarn selection, I identified several pairings from among my stash that looked good but I was stumped when moving beyond two complimentary skeins. However, the pattern required a third selection – a main color, a contrasting color and an accent. I will admit I was hesitant when Richard chose Farmers Market (MC), Macrame (CC), and Pumpkin Spice, a variegated accent skein as I could not envision the outcome. (Note to self – Trust the artist in the house!)

Knitting began when the first of five mystery clues was revealed on April 1 and continued quickly with the release of a new clue each Tuesday; all while learning several new stitches. The hand-dyed organic Merino from Heather Best at Sew Happy Jane had a lovely feel, flowing through my fingers. The Knit Camp pattern from Marie Greene offered clear, tech-edited directions and even provided stitch counts as the shawl grew by four stitches every other row – from just five stitches at cast-on to 419 at bind-off. The end result a triangular shawl featuring lacy scallops and slipped stitches drawn into flowery bursts.

Happy knitting!

Knitting

No fool’n…

April 1, 2025 annbh3563 Comments

…it is time for Knit Camp’s 2025 Spring String Mystery Knit-along (MKAL).

The first clue dropped today without any April Fools tomfoolery. The remainder of the pattern will be revealed over the next four weeks. Just like a well-written dust jacket blurb that offers story hints without giving away the plot, the pattern’s pre-release notes provided an overview sufficient to know this will be a triangular shawl, in three colors using fingering weight yarn.

three skeins of yarn with colors (left to right) purple, varigated coral, and green — Colors: Farmers Market, Pumpkin Spice & Macrame

The yarn for Postcard from the Edge is a lovely selection of hand-dyed, organic Merino from Heather Best at Sew Happy Jane. And, with a move to a new house always on the fringe of my consciousness, there will be three fewer skeins to pack and move as I did a “stash dive” for this project.

Happy knitting!

Knitting

Starting Kleine Cardigan Today!

February 3, 2025December 31, 2025 annbh3564 Comments

Swiss flag in the background overlaid with gray and maroon checked knitted swatch

With my yarn caked, the pattern printed on cardstock, and the third swatch having met gauge using my new blue-and-gold interchangeable needles, I am ready to cast on Kleine Cardigan. Marie Greene’s new design pays homage to the Swiss flag although I opted for a silvery gray and maroon color combo rather than the traditional red and white. This sweater will be knit bottom-up in one piece using organic merino hand-dyed in Kansas.

Needles in hand I am ready to virtually explore Switzerland with hundreds of other Traveler’s Club participants.

Happy Knitting! Or, more appropriately, Viel Spaß beim Stricken!

Knitting

Seashell Shawlette

December 14, 2024 annbh3561 Comment

handknit shawl with rows of lace stitches in lavendar and green hues on a wooden hanger — Seashell Shawlette

close up detail of handknit shawl with rows of lace stitches in lavendar and green hues on a wooden hanger — Seashell Shawlette

With an observant eye, whether on a sandy stretch of coastline along the Gulf or walking on a rocky Lake Superior shore, a beachcomber can always discover rock and shell treasures. While this winter we will stay cozy and close to home, we will enjoy vicariously the sun of warmer climes through our friends’ travels and as depicted through knitted imagery.

Designer Shaina Bilow describes the Seashell Shawlette this way: “The lace stripes are inspired by the repeating patterns on seashells and the soft, expanding, curled shape is also a nod to these lovely natural formations.” I knit this version using a wonderful blend of Merino and silk yarn dyed in subtle colors (reminiscent of the iridescent hues of mother of pearl buttons) that will drape elegantly across one’s shoulders.

Happy knitting!