On such a winters day.
March 20, 2013
From the view that inspired this blanket to the last of the hundreds of woven-in ends…California Dreamin II is done. Once I got started ( with a nudge from my friend C ) I was off to the races…completing this huge piece of textile in a record time considering I was in no rush. Then, once again,” life” happened…the Winter Holidays…a surprising joy easing sadness and loss. Not until well after the start of this New Year was I able to sneak in a bit of time here or there to take care of the finishing details. Just in time to say farewell to the last day of Winter and ready to ward off a Spring chill. 
https://simplequietmodern.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/and-the-skies-are-gray/
Halfway Home
September 24, 2012
Ninety thousand stitches in…ninety thousand more to go. As my friend C reminded me, this project is a marathon, not a sprint. No fatigue, no cramping…no wall in site. 
“The journey of a thousand miles…
August 23, 2012
begins with a single step” in the words of Chinese philosopher Lao-tsu. Or in this case,a single cast on stitch. Finally, California Dreamin II has been cast on…300 stitches to start…180K to go. Phew…that’s a lot of knitting. Elizabeth Zimmerman knew the benefit of a project like this when she said “Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit,and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit either.”
…and the skies are gray
March 4, 2012
Still. But, California Dreamin is off the sticks. Done and done. Ready to take the chill off those cool desert evenings. This newest blanket is near exactly as I had anticipated while gathering the yarns…a definite woven look like some of the earliest Knoll and Herman Miller textiles. And, the hand is wonderful…softer than I expected considering the mix of recycled fibers, cashmere, cotton, linen, merino and hemp( even a touch of nylon )… the colorations are complex at close range while receding to neutral from a distance. I like it.
Better late than later.
January 20, 2012
California Dreamin, continued. OK, I finally got some time to cast this on and see where it takes me. It’s going quickly, even with a yarn change at every row. Already 10 % in…unbelieveable.
California Dreamin
January 4, 2012
All the leaves are brown…and the sky is gray. Must be why I was attracted to this skein of Berroco Boboli. Multi colored? Wha? Add some cashmere, linen, merino and hemp…swatch it up and hope for the best. The result looks surprisingly woven, not unlike some great textured Mid Century textile produced by the likes of Knoll or Herman Miller. Mad as I might sometimes be…no, I will not be knitting enough fabric to cover a chair. I’m guessing a blanket once it’s on the sticks. Stay tuned.
simplequietmodern 