not just a scarf
June 12, 2026 
In today’s post I’d like to share my newest FO (finished object), a bit of gardening, and a lovely yarn store in Pacific Grove, California. It’s always fun to gather up the little things that have been inspiring me lately, so let’s just hop right in!
First up is this scarf by Isabell Kraemer called Just A Scarf. It is knit in the round and uses slipped stitches (also known as mosaic knitting) for the colorwork sections, along with a fun dip stitch for the stripes. The pattern can be knit with two, three, or even more colors, making it a wonderful stash-busting project. Mine was!
This scarf was a joy to knit and the perfect project to have on the needles when I wanted something interesting but not overly challenging. It accompanied me on many car rides. The yarn was leftover from two previous projects—the navy from my Ooey Gooey Sweater by Andrea Mowry and the natural from my Heimathafen by Isabell Kraemer. By my calculations, that makes this scarf free!
- JAS (just a scarf) by Isabel Kraemer
- My own Ravelry project page
- Purl Soho Good Wool in Well Water
- Jupiter Moon Farm Patagonia Organic Merino in Sand
- Both yarns were a pleasure to work with and offer beautiful colors at a reasonable price.
My husband is so proud of his hydrangeas this year. They are just beginning to bloom in the bed beneath the windows of my sewing and knitting rooms. The bushes on the other side of the house and in the back are a little behind, but I’ll keep taking pictures throughout the season.
We have never quite figured out the right way to prune them, as you can find so many different opinions online and in gardening books. This year we cut them almost down to the ground, and I think that may have been the trick. but if anyone has any ideas, please let us know.
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| A giant magnolia from our 80 year old tree in the front. It smells like lemon and vanilla. |
While we were in Carmel last week, we visited the charming Victorian town of Pacific Grove, home to a famous Monarch sanctuary and also home to a wonderful knitting store, Monarch Knits. I only had a short time to browse, so I left my husband and Biscuit in the car.
When I returned, I was quickly made to understand that one of them had taken a nap, while the other had stood sentry, keeping a close eye on the front door of the shop where he had last seen me disappear. I’ll let you guess who did what.
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| I almost purchased a gradient mini skein set but then thought about all the yarn I had at home, and wisely decided against it. |
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| The knitting bags were stunning! |
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| They have a great yarn selection! Here are just a few: Woolfolk, Rowan, Spincycle, Knitting for Olive, Blue Sky, mYak, Quince & Co. |
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Back home now and I hardly dare to show you what I made when Carter was here for dinner--a recipe my son saw on TicToc. What you see above friends, is a chicken breast with a potato pancake coating!
Note: Peel and grate russet potatoes into cold water to let the starch settle at the bottom, a few minutes. Lift out the potatoes, drain and repeat. After the second soak, place on a cotton towel and gently squeeze to remove moisture. |
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| pickled green beans |
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| The first fritters of the year! Let's hope there's a good harvest and many more fritters to come! |
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All 18 fritters are heading to the freezer to flash freeze, then I will bag them up. The recipe is here. I love having these on hand because they reheat so nicely in the toaster oven, and they make a simple dinner more special. In summer I'll often grill a piece of fish, put two fritters on the plate alongside a few slices of garden tomatoes. My summer dinners tend to be easy peasy and that's exactly how I like them! |
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This inexpensive vegetable holder is just what I needed to make perfect slices. This will be great for slicing onions too. I'm so happy with this simple purchase and even though I'm generally not one for kitchen gadgets, this is a game changer for me! |
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| When I went out to pick the dill for the pickles I decided to pick the smaller cucumbers too and make a jar of pickled halves. |
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| One jar of big slices for sandwiches and a jar of halves for snacking. My favorite recipe for pickles is here. |
Thank you for reading my long post! I hope you enjoyed it and found it helpful—I’d love to see you back again! I publish about once a week and would be honored if you subscribed to the Knitionary blog. Just click here to join, and new posts will be delivered straight to your inbox.
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