Progressive Knitting

No, I am not referring to my personal politics (that's a whole 'nother entry, believe me!) but to the masterwork by one Ida Riley Duncan. Mrs. Duncan's classic (1940) reference on the art of all things knitted contains such gems as:

"There are today manuafacturers and dealers in the yarn business who sell inferior grades becase they have no standard to keep and no service to offer....

"Buy yarn from a reliable store whose yarns come from a reputable manufacturer. A reasonable price will have to be paid, but one is assured of good quality, long wear, uniformity of dye and satisfaction in every way. The initial investment, or the actual cost of the yarn, is small when one considers the hours that are necessary in the construction of a sweater or even a scarf. When one makes an article by hand, time, patience and skill are required, and one wants to be proud of one's achievement."

Hee. I love her starchy style of writing - it just cracks me up.
Dated and formal though it may be, the book also contains some excellent reference material on sweater construction. Very clever indeed.

Having finished off the Cozy Sweater, and decided that it will, indeed, become a Christmas gift for a very special someone, I am in the mood to play with this lovely stuff:


Mountain Colors Yarns makes gorgeous, gorgeous handpaints and this is no exception. This is Mountain Goat (55% mohair, 45% wool) in Rosehip. I am going to enjoy swatching this lovely stuff, just to watch the colors change.

More puppy love, as taken by the Boy-O:

Bel's tasty, tasty love...

"But I neeeeed it..."