Winter Knitting

For me there is something almost romantic about knitting in the fall and winter. It is what knitting was made for, it's what you think about when you think about knitting: cozy sweaters, warm mittens, hats, scarves, blankets, slippers, wool yarns, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love my light airy summertime knit tanks, and my cotton cardigans that help in the transitions between seasons, but fall and winter are the knitting seasons.



Farmer's Market Cardigan, Ignore the bottom part, that's my
version of a provisional cast on.



Thanks to  my stash inventory awhile back, I was aware of the glorious wool yarns I had waiting for me when this season struck. And once again, I have more projects planned than I could ever dream of having time to complete.

My main project on my needles is a perfect winter project: The Farmer's Market Cardigan. It's a hip length, long sleeved cardigan, with some beautiful cabling detail, knit up in a soft, squishy, and gorgeous tweedy rust colored yarn.

My second project on the needles has been neglected for some time now, but I figured this would be a great time to blow the dust off the pattern and start knitting again. The Yggdrasil Throw was originally meant to be a wedding gift for one of my oldest and dearest friends. I started it in plenty of time for the wedding, but the project went into hibernation when she called off the engagement last summer (no reason to work on a big heavy blanket in the summer if I don't have to, right?). It is an intricately cabled afghan with a tree of life motif, surrounded by Celtic style cables. I'm making it in an Orange-brown acrylic yarn, not my first choice for fibers, but it was a gift and needed to be easy care. While acrylic yarn isn't exactly a winter fiber, a big, heavy blanket is perfect to work on during those long, cold, snowy evenings. I have absolutely no idea what to do with the blankets once it is finished, but like any project, it deserves to be completed.

Next on deck, and needing to be started sooner, rather than later, is the Slip-Stitch Baby blanket. This is not really either a winter project or a winter fiber (it's in a cotton/model blend, easy care and so soft) but needs to be completed before the birth of my niece in February.

After that, I have a long, long list of projects ranging from mittens to sweaters in a variety of beautiful, squishy yarns. There can't be many better ways to pass cold winter's evenings than with a warm pile of wool yarn.