we had a wonderful trip and there are so many pictures i'll never get through them all. soon enough they'll be put online. but for now - there's knitting! before the trip i was focused and knitted a real(!) gauge swatch for the Here and There Cables scarf. (the color is actually more orange and less pink)


using knit picks shine worsted i got: 20 sts & 25 rows = 3.5" in St st on size US6 needles. the pattern says 4" for size US7. i thought the scarf was too wide originally so this should be perfect. and today i started the pattern and persevered when i had given up before - after the first cable row this piece did not look right to me and that's why i ripped it a while ago when i first tried it - but i just kept going this time and now it looks great - just like it should. why do i doubt patterns? actually i think i just assume i messed something up. silly me.

my head is buzzing. today was filled with scanning patterns from the knitting books i got from the library: Scarf Style, Nicky Epstein's Knitted Flowers, Vintage Knits and Loop-d-Loop. to be honest, i'm really not sure if this is ethical but really what else would you do with a knitting book from the library (i mean use the pattern for free). i don't plan on giving the patterns to anyone else so i guess it's ok. i only do this with books that i'd never buy because there just aren't enough patterns to justify the cost.

anyway, the majority of the morning was spent researching the kind of yarn to use for my sis's scarf. it's a pain since she's allergic to most animal fibers and i really want it to be warm. i think i'm going with KnitPicks Shine Worsted in Terra Cotta. it's 60% Pima Cotton, 40% Modal - supposedly super soft and great for cables. i'm making Here and There Cables from Scarf Style.