LESSONS FROM HYDRANGEA

I have a passion for hydrangeas. This fact occurred to me when I realized I had twelve varieties festooning my garden, some growing so enormous they crowd the stairs going to the front door. Not only do I love their blowsy exuberance but I find constant inspiration in the subtle color shifts as the flowers mature.

Look at 'Lime Light' above embracing a hank of Twisted Sister's hand-dyed Voodoo silk/merino yarn in a color could only be born from some arcane knowledge of how limey-cream can blush to pink. This one flower and yarn will someday become a touchstone for hydrangea-inspired knitwear.

Speaking of which...

NOT YOUR MAMA'S KNITTING: NIGHT FALLS (at last)

It's finally out, everyone: Wiley's new knitting book, 'Not Your Mama's Knitting' edited by Heather Dixon, has just been released! And 'Night Falls, my scarf-lace pattern, a piece of beaded neck art that seconds as a belt, is featured. More information on Night Falls in my next posting.

Below, my picture of Night Falls and below that, the feature shot in the book. Purchase the book at Amazon.com or your favorite knitting store!

RIVERS, CURRENTS AND STREAMS...

'Ocean Stream', this asymetrical free-range beaded top knit a few years ago, is shown here with my model and its new owner, Hannah Epstein. Italy's coastline does the backdrop. For the adventurous knitter, the pattern will be out for both a long and short version sometime in the next few months.

Bright intense blues, threads of purple,  are true ocean colors but the deeper, earthier, greens and peaty-browns are also water colors. Take the currents of my own little river...