Log Cabins and Feather and Fans oh my!

I stopped off at Border's on my way home from work tonight. I picked up the new Spin Off and a couple of Notebooks - I am totally stoked about the notebook on the left... it's got a zipper pocket - divider pockets, little pockets big pockets... (I'm easily amused). But really, I've been floundering for a good all purpose notebook - this one has different sections, some with lined paper, blank pages, grid pages. I can put circs in the zip up pocket in the back, a printed out page fits nicely in the page protector sheets, there's even nice sized picture holders in there.

While I was at Borders I was able to sit and look a bit at the new Mason-Dixon knitting book, and ohmygosh - I want it! I didn't buy it at Borders mostly because I'm Poor. But it's definitely on my list. As I was glancing through it I noticed a snippet saying something along the lines that sweaters can just be fiddly and sometimes we want to just start knitting, and keep knitting.... Log Cabins baby... If there is one thing that I'm a sucker for it's Log Cabin quilts. I pieced a couple of queen size LC tops way back when. I remember one was an off center that I fiddled around with the placememtn of the LC's until I was happy - all in really gorgeous Amish shades. I think the Boo spilled ketchup all over the back of that one. I haven't quilted in years.

I have a similar fascination with the feather and fan or old shale stitch pattern. Everytime I see anything in Feather and Fan - it's the same thing... ohmygosh I want that!!

I've been putting serious thought into a new top for myself. I have a couple of ideas for a new top. One is a top down raglan cardigan - maybe trying to expand my top down raglan repertoire via Barbara Walker, and doing a modified set in sleeve, with a long fluted sideways knit edge. I'm thinking about some fawn colored alpaca - either the stuff I just spun, or some commercial that I have a 2 pound cone of at home. The other thing I'm thinking of is a feather and fan bottomed top up set-in sleeve in the round ala EZ in some nice pink wool that I scored a couple of pounds off of e-bay about a month ago. I also have some purple wool that I kettle dyed purple that I think could work as all the trim. Body in pink - trim in the purple... might work. Hmmm - whataever I do it looks like I'm going to try my hand at a set in sleeve in the round. Either bottom up or top down - with lace trim at the bottom.

And log cabins! Maybe a rug... A log cabin rug... Though I have a kilo of white mohair another kilo of kelly green mohair, squads of brownish red... that I could try to do something with, but I'm afraid that it just wouldn't work without a massive infusion of dye. Could be fun though!

I'm still waiting for my little frame loom to arrive. I've been doing some research on what can be done. Bookmarks are on my work computer though.

The weather remains totally crappy. Floods warnings are in effect. Everyone is grumpier than normal, and this is what I've been putting my whole feeling of general funk down to.

And here's a lovely picture that I took on one of my lunch time walks last week.

Until then, have fun - and check out that Mason Dixon knitting book.

This post was brought to you from our good friend caffeine