FO Friday: Mushin Cowl & Darn-a-thon Update!

Three days after I started it, the Mushin Cowl was finished - it took me longer to get around to photographing and blogging about it than the actual crocheting! I became completely addicted to this pattern, which was easy to memorize and absolutely perfect for the yarn, Malabrigo Arroyo in Escorias. I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but the Mushin Cowl is available as a free download on Ravelry.

I find it surprising that I'm only the seventh person to make this pattern; it never ceases to amaze me how some patterns catch on and have thousands of WIPs and FOs, while other designs that are just as awesome (sometimes more so) remain in obscurity. It looks likes this pattern came out this year, so there's still time for it to be discovered! If you're new to crochet like me, this is the perfect project to build your skills while making something pretty. I highly recommend giving it a try!

Darn-A-Thon Update: My BMFA Socks that Rock are back in business! There was a small hole on the bottom of the heel on one sock, taking them out of commission. They'd been in the "fix me/ignore me" pile for well over a year, which is a shame because these were one of my favorite pairs of socks to wear.

I think Tyler bought me the yarn for my birthday one year; at the time, I think the Raven Clan series of colorways had just come out. Clearly, murky tones are a favorite of mine, if this blog post is any indication! These socks were knit in 2008 using the Oriel Lace pattern from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks. They were my first-ever successful toe-up socks and I'm really excited have them back in the sock-wearing rotation this season!

Also revived this past weekend was my Tea Leaves Cardigan, which needed new buttons and a nice shave since finishing it in 2010. Now it's good as new!

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App Review & Giveaway: Stash 2 Go

The developers for a paid Ravelry app for iPad and iPhone called Stash 2 Go contacted me earlier this year to see if I was interested in writing a review or their app on their blog. While I don't own an iPad or iPhone, I was able to gift a download to a knitting friend who had an iPad and was willing to let me play around with it for the purposes of this review! This is the first time I've ever accessed Ravelry via an app (on my Android phone, I typically use the m.ravelry.com site), and I found most of it to be easy to use. Some of the features weren’t intuitive to me at first, but once I got the hang of the idiosyncracies, it was smooth sailing. Stash 2 Go makes the most of API functions Ravelry has opened up to developers (there are still several areas which have yet to be completed in the Ravelry programming interface, so developers can only implement what is available through www.ravelry.com/api ). Most of the app's functionality allows the user to view the ...

Australian Superfine Merino Yarn Review & Giveaway

After more than ten years of knitting, I can still have new experiences - even with well-covered territory such as merino yarn! This recent merino experience actually took me by surprise: I've spun with it, I've dyed it, I've knit with it, and I've even crocheted with it...I was pretty sure I knew all there was to know about merino! Turns out, there are four different classifications of merino fiber, sorted by micron count range . At the bottom of the spectrum is Strong Merino , which ranges from 26-22.9 microns; above that is Fine Merino , which ranges from 20.1-23 microns; next up is Extra Fine Merino, which ranges from 20-15.6 microns; and at the very top of the heap is Superfine Merino Wool , with a micron range of 18.5-15.6. If you're into numbers and wondering how these four classes stack up against other fibers you may be familiar with, here are a few for comparison's sake: BFL (Blue-Faced Leicester) has a micron range of 24-28, Cashmere goat down ...

A Finished Sweater, With Cat Hair

After losing Tilly and Robin within a year of each other, I sure didn't think I'd be finding cat hair in my knitting any time soon. But the universe had other ideas. Over the winter, a white feral cat adopted us. I'd noticed her when we moved into our apartment last summer - I would see her hiding in the bushes or sunning herself in the grass when she thought no one was looking. I assumed she was someone's cat until I realized how skittish she was around humans, plus she had a tipped ear, which is a universal sign that a feral/stray cat has been spayed. Neighbors confirmed that she was a feral kitty (descended from several generations of feral cats, in fact), and that she has survived on her wits and whatever food various residents put out for her. We had some bitterly cold days over the winter, and I just felt so sorry for this poor kitty! I started offering her treats and slowly gained her trust. She didn't even want to come inside our apartment at first, much le...

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