Tea Leaves Cardigan Progress

Tea Leaves Cardigan is coming along nicely. I finished the yoke and about two inches of the body. Then I knit one of the sleeves, jumping up one size on the pattern. When I tried it on it was a bit like having my blood pressure taken. It seems the style now is for rather snug fitting sleeves. So I took out the entire sleeve and added 9 stitches (about 2") to the underarm. This larger version is still plenty snug for me. I haven't decided whether to make the sleeves 3/4 length, as the pattern calls for, or full length.

The color of the sweater is vermillion, not hot pink. I can't get a good read on the color with my camera. The body fits nicely.

The top of the sleeve only measure 11" around. My arm is about 12". This photos is closer to the true color of the Tosh Merino.

I had to get my hands on some of Knit Picks' new Stroll Tonals. This superwash merino is quite nice, isn't it? I had baby sweaters in mind when I ordered these but they could also become shawls or socks. The Spring Green and Gold Glow are my favorites, although I always love a good red.

A Little Present to Myself

Last week I treated myself to hand-dyed fingering weight wool from The Woolen Rabbit. I learned about this wool on Meghan's Stitch it Podcast. My goal is to own a skein of every color. Then I would roll in them. Naw. The two skeins of Oh, Ruby! are Kashmir, a blend of merino wool and cashmere. Pure decadence. The other two skeins are merino superwash. Scottish Heather is less purple than the top photo indicates (more like the second photo) and really does recall the beauty of the Scottish moors. How could I resist?The green skein is called "Ribbit". It has bits of brown and gold mixed in with the loveliest green. These are my Easter Eggs. Based on my purchase the photos on the shop website are very close to reality. The wool came wrapped in pretty paper too. I highly recommend a visit to The Woolen Rabbit's shop.

Tea, Wool, and Friends

After saying goodbye to charming Culross we stopped to visit Marsie's mum and dad in their home outside of Glasgow. They are an amazing couple, well into their 90's and still living on their own. As is our custom on my visits we enjoyed tea and biscuits in their home.

Wool has eluded me on my previous trips to Scotland. All those sheep grazing on the fells were surely tempting reminders. Shortly before this trip I met Tigerlilith on Ravelry. She has an online shop Old Maiden Aunt Yarns as well as a storefront in the small village of West Kilbride on the west coast of Scotland. Marsie graciously drove me to West Kilbride where we managed to find both the shop and Lilith. She was just leaving for the day and spied me in my shawl from across the street. What lovely colors and blends she has! She has a special Homecoming Collection (250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns). I was proud of myself for making a quick decision in the midst of color overload. Even the names such as "Bracken" and "Ae Fond Kiss" conjur up romantic thoughts. Sigh. I did quite well with my 3 laceweight skeins, one sock weight, and one special skein in a color designed by the young Scottish designer Ysolda Teague. I can't wait to see what Ysolda designs for this wool! Lilith carefully wrapped my parcel in tissue paper. She is camera shy but I promised she would not have to pose. She looks lovely, doesn't she?

Later that evening we met Marsie's friends for dinner at The Coffee Club in Kilmarnock. I would say we had quite a full day!