Knitting and Reading for Today's Ecomonic Climate: Installation 1

Watching the decreased revenue and layoffs at my jobjob, and meeting people who have recently been laid off every time I go out, I've decided it's time to take action in the only way I can: Book recommendations and knitting patterns! I've decided to work up a few free ones I've had in mind over the next few weeks.

First recommendation: The Clash. Maybe, like me, you liked The Clash's music when you were younger, because of the sound, and the attitude. Maybe you too rediscovered it when you entered the world of jobjobs and suddenly appreciated it on a far deeper level, the level of someone who actually lives the drag of existence that The Clash describes. Anyway, the band's official book is my first recommendation.

On top of the book is the hank of Malabrigo lace (from Little Knits; they have a LOT of colors) that I'll be using to create the first in my series of simple, free, cheap-to-make patterns. More soon!

Other than hatching this plan, I've been working on a sweater for Mom Bergh, the Lady of the Lake Jacket (I got the kit from Colorsong Yarns). While the construction and stitches required are simple, the directions are very spare, so I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner unless you have someone to flesh out the instructions for you.

It's made from a combination of a soft wool/little bit of mohair yarn and a mohair boucle yarn. As one would expect from Handmaiden, both are very soft and the resulting texture feels like a blanket but looks far more elegant.

Next time: Free pattern in progress. Until then, don't be complacent!