The "Hi" in Hiatus

Hi, there! It’s been a while - I know. Guess I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus. Aren’t we all “on hiatus” in one way or another these days? Just didn’t have much to say during these last few months, with the continuing pandemic and household sickness weighing on us.

Peace Out, 2020 and Happy New Year, 2021! Now it’s a brand new year with hope for a fresh start. Looks like it has come in some ways, but this year is already full of surprises. But, optimism is a choice and I’m going with it!

As mentioned before, when the going gets tough, I turn to my knitting. It’s been no different these past few months. I've been working on various projects and then, just in time my favorite folks at MDK published a new Field Guide with new Kaffe Fassett designs. My affection for his designs has been well-documented here and here, so this definitely caught my attention.

This Field Guide focuses on intarsia and I was inspired to take one of the designs and make it my own. The design is called Villages and it is repeats of a house, done in lots of different colors. Having adopted SoCal as my hometown, the first thing I thought of was canyons with houses and winding streets. I strategized about how to get some palm trees into the design. Then, I was reminded of a neighborhood in nearby Pasadena called Bungalow Heaven, which is home to many historic Arts and Crafts bungalows.

While the house design is different from the craftsman bungalows, the knitted design has the same neighborhood feeling. I put my own touch on the design by adding sky and cobblestone “streets” separating the rows of houses. I’m having lots of fun doing it, designing each row as I go and watching the fabric getting bigger and bigger. I'm just starting the sixth "street" and still don't know how many more there will be - probably nine or ten. Then blocking and the border - it may qualify for its own zip code!

While all this happy knitting was going on, MDK ran a KAL, which of course I joined. I posted photos of this WIP on Instagram, including one of the tangled yarn in the back. In spite of my lack of photography skills I was one of a group of knitters who won prizes! It made my day. The prize is a bag of goodies from Rowan, one of my favorite yarn companies and I’m looking forward to seeing it. In the meantime Snowmageddon happened, so I'm patiently waiting.

I do hope you and your loved ones are safe, healthy and warm, especially if you're impacted by the storm and its aftermath.

Happy knitting!

Lois