Berry Stitched

Pebbled & Primped

Up next… some actual knitting content!

Now where did I leave my pluck? I know it’s around here somewhere. Ever have one of those days (or so many in a row you barely recognize yourself any longer) where all your get up and go, your vim, vigor and, well, your pluck just got up a left the building? Well, I’m sick and tired of having those days.

It’s the first of September tomorrow (January 1? Yeah, that marks a new calendar year for sure, but to me the true “new year” has always and will always be in September).  Summer is, for all intents and purposes, over and Fall is just around the corner.  Back to school. Change of season. Fresh start. The nest is empty. The house is getting a fresh coat of paint. Primo has arrived by the bucket full, new colors, blends and pattern ideas are keeping me up at night (in a good way for sure) and, well, the boot and baking (perfect blueberry muffins indeed!) obsessions are in full swing.  Dare I say it? I’m thinking the pluck and vim was never totally gone, just misplaced for a little while – and I most definitely feel it making its way back to me.

Thanks for bearing with me…. wishing us all a fantastic Fall full of fresh starts and crisp happy days (so we can all wear some wonderfully cozy handknits, of course!).

Well, I promised you some more accessory suggestions didn’t I? First up is the Plucky Curacao Cowl from Thea Colman (a.k.a. Babycocktails). Using just two skeins of Plucky Merino SW Worsted…. well, let me let Thea explain:

“The cowl is knitted as a long ribbed piece and sewn into a simple smocked design at the end. The detailed design is a nice balance to the soft and chunky cabled edges of the cowl, and I love how it looks in the yarn, which is the perfect weight and softness for neck wrapping.”

One can never have too many cowls I say. They are endlessly versatile, make great gifts, are quick projects and a great way to use up a skein or two of special yarn.

I’m saving her other lovely pattern for another post. They’re both so special they each deserve their own post.

Photo courtesy Caro Sheridan

Photo courtesy Caro Sheridan

Photo courtesy Caro Sheridan

Shot In The Dark – Primo!

It’s a Fall thing indeed – this boot obsession of mine.

Gilgarran Boots – Be still my boot loving heart.

Fall accessory knitting has also begun -

Deluxe Lace Stitch Cowl  from SweaterBabe. While I love this, I’m thinking it needs to be tweaked a bit.

With the above mentioned modifications I’m hoping for something that, at the very least, slightly resembles this little number from the latest Garnet Hill catalog. It’s a fine line between a cute little capelet and an ‘all sorts of wrong’ poncho. It comes down to proportion I think. As long as you have a base layer(s) that gives a you a long visual line (say all one color underneath – black, grey, brown, etc.) with the capelet on top it would be really cute. Also, I think it’s imperative that the capelet isn’t too long, that it stops just above the smallest part of your waist (you know, accentuate the smallest part of your figure). What do you guys think? Any ideas? As a knitter and hand-dyer of yarn, it just seems wrong to go out and buy one…..

Speaking of Fall accessory knitting, I have a couple of fantastic suggestions to share with you tomorrow. Thea (the design whiz behind Babycocktails) has come up with two adorable patterns featuring Plucky yarn – not only are the patterns super cute, they are free!

So tell me, what do you most look forward to about the Fall? Is it the kids being back in school? The weather cooling off? The knitting, of course the knitting! The food? Leaves? Hayrides? To me, it really is the most wonderful time of the year.

Vintage Vernors crate was a great Etsy find. Wildflowers a lakeside find. Poison ivy on my feet? Why it’s the gift that keeps on giving!

Friends and family, of course.

Cameras, both vintage and new.

Elmer T. drove the ‘49 International KB5 – which worked out very well as the flatbed was fantastic for extra seating and coordinated nicely with tablecloths (yeah, I’m nerdy that way).

Of course there was tons of good food (very handy having a sister that loves to cook and does it very, very well) as well as cake & ice cream.

Card games

Volleyball. Can you guess how soggy the lawn was?

A little swimming, wake surfing and boat rides.

Of course Sam was in on all the action.

What a gorgeous sunset. What’s the saying? ‘Red sky at night, sailors delight……’ Of course the weather was picture perfect the next day…. all’s well that ends well, right?

After all the tiki torches were extinguished, dishes washed and tent dismantled I think I can safely say that a great time was had by all.

Have a great day and hope to see you there!

Henley – Primo

Feeling The Fall – Primo

Honey Wilkes – Primo

Sterling – Primo