mojo

I've still got craft mojo...I just lost my blogging mojo there for a bit! I've been knitting Marilyn's Not So Shrunken Cardigan using the Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool I ordered ages ago. (The stuff everyone told me to knit up immediately.) I've done the entire raglan shoulder portion and now I'm about 3" into the body. I love the color. It's #09, verdigris. I plan the lengthen the body, so I hope I have enough yarn. But I could always make the sleeves a bit shorter.

I made a pledge (to myself) to head out to our Public Market as often as possible and live on cheap veggies all summer, so obviously I needed a new market bag to help motivate me toward this goal! I'm using this free pattern, but I'm making a few modifications. After reading about how much this thing stretches, I went down a few needle sizes, using 8's for the bottom and 11's for the lace pattern, which seems to be working out pretty well. And I'm using reclaimed Rowan Cotton Rope...from the ill-fated Ruffled Surplice of last summer. I'm also planning on attaching bamboo handles, rather than knitting straps...for cuteness.

I'm also working on new items for the Etsy shop! I've been taking a jewelry making class, so I'm re-learning how to form metal, solder, set stones, etc. I have picked up a torch in years, but it seems to be coming back to me. Here's my first class project:

It looked better right after I finished it...but I've been wearing it so much that it could use some polishing up already! And then I made these...

So I've been practicing with smaller pieces and forcing friends and relatives to wear the prototypes just to make sure they're good enough for the general public, and hopefully soon I'll have some new designs available in my shop!