Knitting Mantra

I have a confession! I love knitting projects that require repeat counting of stitches. I think this is why I loved knitting the Ulmus shawls. The pattern made me count to 3 in a mantric way that I find very relaxing. Does this sound weird to you or do you do it too?

Yesterday, I started Maplewing. I am using Whisper, the merino laceweight yarn of The Woolen Rabbit in the colorway Arabian Night and I am loving it.

A failed attempt at showing you the lace in my Maplewing bud

A failed attempt at showing you the lace in my Maplewing bud

This sure is a long start - 522 stitches in all their glory

This sure is a long start - 522 stitches in all their glory

In the first section of the pattern there is a repeat of 39 stitches and I find myself counting all the time,  It goes:

10, 9, 10, 5 with some stitch manipulations in between
6, 10, 7, 10,1  and the manipulations
2,10,5,10,7,,,

What a treat!

The pattern has its own internal markers (the above mentioned stitch manipulations) so if I don’t get to one of them at the end of one of my counting sections, I know I have a problem and I stop and check, this make it perfect for this relaxing knitting/counting sessions.

Do you think I am crazy or do you enjoy things like this in your knitting too?



And I thought knitting lace is complicated

My friend Luly Mason who lives in Dublin, Ireland, just returned from a Spanish studying trip to Valencia, Spain. During her visit she went to school and stayed with a local family. She says the conversations with the family were the most helpful to her Spanish.

She sent me these amazing photos of her hostess, Toña Peris Raurell working on her hobby:

Tona Peris Raurell making lace

Tona Peris Raurell making lace

Look at all those pins and bolillos

Look at all those pins and bolillos

What a beautiful intricate work

What a beautiful intricate work

What an amazing work. I wonder how she remembers which bolillo to use next. I can imagine the mess I would have done with all these pins, threads and bolillos.

And I thought knitting lace is complicated !

Thank you Luly for showing me this beautiful work and letting me use your photos to show it to my friends here.

Ex-Arizonans

Oh what a lovely gray, rainy afternoon!

Oh what a lovely gray, rainy afternoon!


  • People who go sit out on the veranda to enjoy the rain not the sun.
  • People who love the cold (everything is relative you know,,,)  rainy days in mid June.
  • People that are amazed by the green things all around them and the beautiful blooms everywhere.
  • People that are pleased to wear long sleeves and woolly creations in mid June.