Three times a year, in April, August, and between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, I used to take a kind of sabbatical rest from my design work. That hasn't been the case over the past couple/few years, and I would like to get back to that next year. However, this month, while not entirely a sabbatical, I am working on sweaters for my granddaughters, a hat for one of them, a knit jacket for myself (that I just cast on!), as well as continuing with Saint Patrick for December.

I don't think you can see it in that picture, but the yarn for my jacket looks very red/purple in the skein and ball, but when I cast on, it looks more blue. We shall see how it knits up in the garment. It is a pretty straight forward, garter stitch, jacket, which I intended as something to wear with my summer dresses - especially an orchid colored, lace overlay, sleeveless dress I like - but I am a little concerned all the blue forward color will clash. Either way, I will still like it, but I may have to rethink wearing it with that particular dress. This is going to be my evening knitting, because I can just keep at it, with simple increases, as it goes from the neck down, and it is all knit stitches.

You can see how much progress has been made on Lentilla's sweater. Four stitches per inch and a three month size are amazingly quick. My little hiccup with Amelia's sweater is now solved, so I just have to remember the rate I used when picking up for the sleeve on the first one in January. Why do I never note this in my project page or my design notebook?! I will not remember. It took me about five tries to get it right last time. I'm hoping for three tries this time. These baby sweaters are my weekend, non-work, knitting right now.

Saint Patrick is still at the easy, kind of mindless, stage, and it is my morning prayer knitting right now. It has a lovely, cabled border and a twisted moss stitch rib edging which will finish it off beautifully. This is the yarn I bought on our two hour tour of Dublin, on our way back from Split. I love that it is going into a Celtic themed shawl.

‘Igal is now available on PayHip, Ravelry, and LoveCrafts.

The ‘igal is a cord, usually black and made of goat’s hair, worn doubled to keep the ghutrah (a traditional Saudi men’s headdress) in place. This bucket or cloche hat, more feminine in nature, is knit in one piece, beginning with a provisional cast on, with a picot hem and doubled brim. The ‘igal in this design is knit in a contrast color and attached so that the entire piece is seamless. In every size but the largest, you can reverse the colors and make another hat with the original yarn. (And even with the largest, you could at least make a baby or toddler hat with the colors reversed).

This hat is a cousin to Baladi and I am running a discount right now with the purchase of both. The coupon code Cousins will permit you to take 50% off of ‘Igal if you also purchase Baladi (and previous purchases of Baladi count toward this coupon). Coupon is valid through the end of the day on June 6, 2025. On PayHip, if you put both patterns into your cart, you will receive the same discount automatically.

Still making my way through Taco USA. I think I am the slowest reader, and I used to be one of the fastest readers I knew. It is more about free time and exhaustion, than actual reading speed, but the result is the same.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

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Labels: Books, Design, Family, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along