A Change in The Weather

Teddy 2

Today I finished the polka dot curly scarf  I have been knitting. This little friend was the only one I could find to model my project. It has been so hot the past few weeks, that wearing a scarf is the last thing anyone wants to do.

Today was different though, and we woke to a cool, cloudy morning.  It was a wonderful change and I went out to the yard to transplant marigolds. It felt so good to be outside in the cool air.

After breakfast we went for a scooter ride to Newport Beach. I think the cloudy morning had discouraged beach goers and traffic was very light as we traveled along Pacific Coast Highway. We stopped for lunch at the Crystal Cove shopping center and it too was amazingly quiet. The sudden change of weather is very welcome, and long overdue. Once home, I got to work and finished the scarf. red scarf 2

Right now I am looking forward to fall, but I have a feeling, in just a few weeks I will be looking for summer weather again.

A Black and White Baby Blanket

While knitting a baby blanket using a lavender, pink, and blue variegated yarn, I suddenly remembered back to a year ago, when our neighbor was having her first baby. On her registry was a request for a black and white baby toy. That is when I learned that babies see black and white before they begin to see colors. I, like most knitters, have been creating baby blankets from pale pastel shades. The idea of a black and white baby blanket intrigued me. I quickly looked through my stash of yarn, but no black, and certainly not enough white. I could not get the black and white blanket out of my head, even though my current project was only half finished. Before I knew it, I was on my way to my favorite craft store to buy the needed yarn. I also purchased a new set of circular needles. I prefer to knit with circular needles, finding them more comfortable to work with and less likely to slide from the stitches.

111 width=

Shortly after returning home with my purchase, I cast on 111 stitches using the black yarn. I liked the idea of a black border for the blanket.

knit3

Next it was time to change over to white and begin a new pattern. I liked the look of the black and white combination. I was not sure if I should have changed the pattern, but I wanted to keep going before I made my decision.

Cosseette and blanket

Our Senegal parrot, Cossette is inspecting my work. She wasn’t sure she liked black and white at first, but seemed ok with it as her curiosity got the better of her.

Black and White blanket Several weeks have passed, and the blanket is finished. I tend to be a slow knitter and friends tell me I should learn to crochet, because it is faster. I will have to think about that.

I like the contrast of the black and white, but it does not seem quite right for a new born. I have a feeling that I’ll be going back to my pastel shades. In case you are wondering, Cossette was asleep for the night when I took this photo, so I had to find some stand ins.