Box-o-knits

for my parents arrived at their house yesterday, so I can post the photos here! On the left, a shawl of my own design for my mom, requested to match one of her favorite skirts. I'll call it the "Picot-Point Shawl," since it's just your basic garter-stitch shawl with a not-too-dainty picot lace edging. I used 4 balls of Nashua "Vignette," which is a 100 % wool yarn that's actually a sort of knitted tube. This makes it light, warm, and makes a really interesting surface with minimum work. I can't find it online, but I got mine at Windsor Button here in Boston. I'll give a view from the back as well (knitters, you may see the flaw that led Chris to dub this the "scoliosis shawl." Okay, so I finished it up really late one night and I may have had a few beers. Okay!).

Also included in the box was a pirate hat for my dad, requested after he saw the photo of Leah in hers (see sidebar). And some secret things that my mom is going to model for a future pattern publication. She's lovely, and I like the idea of someone other than my nearly-thirty IRS self (Indie Rock Secretary... not my idea! A waiter once told me that was my look, and, well, it fits) modeling cool knitwear. Here's the hat. It matches his wheelchair and hand-pedaled bike perfectly. He used to have a motorcycle and all the accompanying gear in red and black as well. I'll wrangle a photo of him wearing it to post here. I have some good-looking parents and I want to show them off.

This morning was spent at Windsor Button buying yarn for some upcoming designs. Coming up Monday: Parade of Hats. I found a very special place to photograph them at my New Job.