Woolly Tones
Swatching does a funny thing to your productivity - you know you're knitting a ton but feel like you have very little output. I really enjoy swatching, though -- it's the best way to really get to know a yarn, and I find that design ideas almost always reveal and shape themselves in a major way during that period. To me, the material makes a design, so swatching is a bit of a brainstorming session. Or maybe like a first date.
I've been doing a lot of swatching these past couple of weeks.
![Hap Swatching](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sv4ycm7rVLmeOIzTiSZ5hTKQD6yp1SCDe-YiIb3j566brF7bHfAJfbfM4u2-HXl-WgPOrtXzxEqfEXWRp1C3yyLLX5O0ksGnktZG9qIPw7a42d1bYrhrX_9T5tAsGGOFE=s0-d)
The Tweed Baby Blanket got me really hungry for a true Hap Shawl knitting experience with traditional yarns - so when I pulled out my burgeoning Shetland Stash and started pairing color groups, I really got into it. Shetland, with it's unbeatable palette, lets me indulge my love of tonal color relationships. That, and my fixation on natural sheep colors and their endless combinations.
![Shetland Browns](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_siydDt1sqKprg2cXjbRH3SgmyqRcVeDFdHK2aK_25dcj_PNLHZnhzD5bLp4RPLlIxdlsl-5-N3ZzFbX4cFqZB_vODu_sErjS6gj5woyje2PNA0H4yZHElI9wOohPIegGg=s0-d)
There are also mitten designs being worked on - lots of colorowork around here. I just can't ever seem to shake that bug.
And a very special arrival came this week from Portland...
![Shibui Kits](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uNjCK7zZVFqIq58QRSsZ2gSVcHSEjYninGKrsAOWInSZTfALwn0aI6dbggmo-bN-o1k3ktqb6twPQEO3XxsWihMhyYPNwqaAKZAXj2K7Emc5Skcrgp9bbJ1qCSzKYCpg=s0-d)
A gorgeous treasure trove of Shibui Sock -- sent as a collaboration between the folks at Shibui and my sister-in-law (they're practically neighbors) -- kits and colors chosen by the Baby Mama herself. And let me tell ya, she has great taste -- I'm certainly not complaining about these choices!
![Shibui Oasis](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_umyrGvejvSbQGBDkwW3iyZKXk-nrUyS6Ps7a-SDAGj0bEP6ScLylWE3Q6YjhMjWB28yVSzvTzwYRAd0-2UMe2QyTiA5bnw0LEi1574k0hXraLcfynuXeCN-5aFzosjlg=s0-d)
I've already started knitting a pair of baby leggings with the golden colorway - I hardly ever knit with real SOCK yarn - so I'm enjoying the change of scenery for these. And they'll be machine-washable too - something I can rarely say about my knitting. Good for new babies (or new parents, rather) for sure.
Tonight I fly to the West Coast - for a little work and a little play. I have a photoshoot in Seattle over the next few days then am taking some time with my family before a quick trip to SoCal for a short but real-and-true VACATION. I've packed knitting that satisfies needs across the board from the simple stockinette longies to fingering weight colorwork. That's what I call travel security.