my wisteria, spring garden, a new blanket, and haute couture!
April 20, 2024
Where should I start? I have so much to blab about today, but I'll try to be quick because I'm leaving soon for an Arne and Carlos colorwork class, FUN, and I'm sure you have a busy Saturday too! But first, the blanket--I started this two years ago when I was determined to use up my years of leftovers, and use them up I did, this being my 5th blanket made of scraps!
The yarn is Rowan Kid Classic in Feather, Bittersweet and Nightly, or white, brown and navy and it has made my most luxurious blanket yet. The pattern is loosely based off The Woolstok Light Wrap by Virginia Sattler Reimer. It's only $3 and a good pattern to have on hand because it helps with color selection, not really necessary in my case of only three colors, but also helps with figuring out how wide the rows should be so they look random and not contrived but still harmonious. I used Virginia's row counts but instead of 14 colors, used only 3, because that was my stash! More details are on my Ravelry Project Page. As for the Kid Classic, it is one of the best yarns available to the hand knitter, and is indeed a classic. I think Rowan has been manufacturing it for 20 years, maybe more. it's worsted weight and super fun to knit because it glides nicely on the needles and makes a gorgeous fabric. It is a value priced luxury yarn, if there could be such a thing, because the yardage is 150 yds. which goes a long way in worsted weight and not a bad price. It is a blend of wool and mohair.
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| No weaving in ends! The ends are hidden inside the i-cord edging. |
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| I've got leftovers from a leftover project! Oy! I have it for sale on Ravelry if you are interested. |
Now let's talk about this Japanese Wisteria! The Japanese variety is different from most varieties I've seen because the flower racemes get up to 4 feet long and some years they get close to sweeping the ground! This year it was pruned a bit too late because of all our rain and it's not as showy as it could have been, but it's still pretty amazing. The bees absolutely love it.
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| These nasturtiums volunteered themselves along the walkway under the wisteria pergola, and while I love them very much and they look so pretty, they will have to go soon, replaced by the zinnias who are waiting patiently in the greenhouse for warm weather to be more consistent. |
And here they are, those lovely zinnias. I've planted some favorite varieties such as the Queen Lime series, but also some new varieties that are just offered this year from Floret and Dawn Creek. I'm very excited to see what the zinnia border will look like this summer! I'll do a separate post this July on the zinnias.
The vegetable starts were planted in the garden a few weeks ago and just these last few days I've been seeing a lot of growth. It takes a while for them to feel comfy in the garden after they've been living their short lives in the cozy greenhouse. I've also planted all the seeds that go directly into the soil and most have come up but I'm still waiting for the pole beans. I'll do a veggie garden post soon and share all that is planted. We're hoping for a banner year. The roses are just starting to bloom and a rose post will be coming in May.
If you live near the San Francisco Bay Area, the de Young Museum has a fabulous fashion exhibit featuring over 100 haute couture dresses. All the gowns have all been worn to an event in San Francisco over the last 100 plus years and they tell you who, what, when and where they were worn, plus of course the designer and the fabrics. They also had an augmented reality Snapchat mirror booth. When you stepped in front of the mirror, you were immediately clothed in a designer gown that you could save to your phone. Below, I am going to the opening of the opera and the opening of the ballet! My girlfriends and I had so much fun.
You had to show your hands in an obvious way or it wouldn't work, that's why the unnatural pose!
Wish me luck with Arne and Carlos today. I'll be knitting a Christmas ball in the round on double pointed size three needles. Oh me oh my!
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13 Comments
Gorgeous blanket and the wisteria takes my breath away.
ReplyDeleteAww, thank you!
DeleteYes, I always thought that your wisteria looked like a fairy garden. A perfect place to enjoy a mimosa (for some reason that pairing speaks to me). Have two skeins/balls of Rowan Classic that I have been hoarding. Now I have to find a use for it. Your blanket color scheme is stunning. Blankets feel a little overwhelming to me but now I am thinking of using up
ReplyDeleteMaybe you are thinking mimosa because oranges ripen at the same time wisteria blooms? I am so with you on the mimosa thing but also may I suggest a screwdriver? It's a classic for a reason!
Delete..a stash of Lion Brand Amazing as a blanket Chloe
ReplyDeleteHad to look up the Lion amazing yarn. Looks pretty amazing and it would definitely make a fabulous blanket. As for me, I think I have a few too many blankets at this point and am going to start asking the fam if they want to take one or two home.
DeleteI can't believe you got to see Arne and Carlos in person! So jealous! I hope you had a fabulous time!! Sharon Semko
ReplyDeleteSharon! They are completely adorable! So approachable and chatty. I talked to both of them for quite a long time--Carlos about their association with Rowan, and Arne about Norway and our shared heritage. Just knittin' and talkin' like we were old pals. They held four classes and a lecture over a three day weekend. I was able to go to the lecture and one class. What a treat. I loved it.
DeleteWisteria enchanting, I could sit and stare at it all day! Perfect way to relax!
ReplyDeleteMe too. Something about the wisteria swaying in the breeze, right?
Deleteyes, a screwdriver! And so envious about Arne and Carlos! C.
ReplyDeleteThat blanket is gorgeous! I love making blankets too...trying to use up my stash this year! But your garden! Wisteria is INCREDIBLE! Your entire garden is just stunning! I have complete and utter garden envy! I live in Minneapolis, and we have a VERY shady yard, so it's very hard to grow any veggies! My husband does have a small herb and greens garden under grow lights in our dining room though!!! Love your blog!
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