almost a movie title

Except we have no doorbell, and I'd call her a postal delivery person. So,
The PO knocked once:

When my oldest bff said she was sending a care package, I knew it'd contain her Imperial Cookies. I suspected, correctly, it'd contain some cuts of shot cotton because we are on a mutual quest for it, and she'd called me from Spool a couple of weeks ago exclaiming over the checkered colors.

What I didn't know is she'd been to a flea market and found these vintage resin buttons with seeds and beans in them. Which she correctly knew I'd be crazy about.

Not sure what I'll do with them but for sure something knit. And maybe something sewn like an apron. And maybe some will go on etsy.

The PO knocked twice, in abundance of thoughtful friends:

Do I not have the most beautiful potholder in the world? All during the Thanksgiving cooking, people kept telling me it was too pretty to use, it should be on the wall. Considering I'd enshrined a warshrag there earlier this year, I liked the way they were thinking. Except I really needed a new potholder so it went to work.

and a mid century modern cookbook sponsored by an insurance company, I love them!

Hand crocheted & felted & gifted by my blog pal Ellen Bloom, who rocks crochet in a way I rarely see elsewhere.
Exception maybe the character Felicity in Pirate Radio. Seriously, she is wearing a different piece of crochet in every scene.(Wish I could find a better still from the film online to show you what I mean but you can surely pick her out in the group.) It was incredibly distracting and craft inspiring. Made me want to whip up some granny squares while blasting the Stones and dancing. All at the same time.

a net

is not as slimming as one would hope for a sweater fabric. But I'm still happy.

I like a rumply cardigan I looked too buttoned down when I had it buttoned up.

pattern: Annette from Knitty Summer 2009
yarn: the lamentably discontinued Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed
(that there is a link to a place that seems to have it in stock. Pounce!)
needles: size 6 us
notes: I started this in the sunshiney days believing I was knitting a sweater a month in 09. In late July I thought it'd be a wonderful cap sleeved little cardi to wear over a black tank top. It became an autumn knit and long sleeves were obviously the way to go. First I knit a long sleeve using the diameter of the short cap sleeve in the pattern. It was wide & blocky. Starting over wanting a fitted sleeve, I cast on 41 stitches and knit it up from the cuff, increasing gradually until I'd reached the cap sleeve diameter in the pattern.

Funny yet embarrassing story: I was seaming the sleeves at SnB, and my friend the Archiknist, who designs fabulous sweaters & has an analytical eye, wondered why the sleeves weren't designed to be knit in the round. I agreed with her, and then said I wish I'd thought of that, and we even had an extended conversation on how lazy designers could be, not wanting to write out a 4 row lace stitch pattern in the round vs back & forth as in the cardi body, tsk tsk tsk. I was looking at the seams and the way the increases on the sleeve row edges were forming solid little stockinette islands along the inner arm seam, I was thinking that the designer could've maybe been more clever with that, too.

Then it struck me. She didn't design any long sleeves at all. It was my idea to knit them flat and to increase on the seam. Forehead smack. Thwack!

And, Ok, Lulu was right about the buttons.I guess she saw the writing on the wall. Very smart.

If you are coming to Make Mine Local in Boston Friday night, the indie fashion show put on by the Common Cod Fiber Guild, you might just catch me wearing this. See you there?

Sweater photos posed by my new favorite coffee shop. Vegan BLT's? what is not to love?

brought to you by the letter b

My Annette is blocked & dry.

Thanks to yesterday's long roundtrip in my new car mobile blocking unit. Funny view back there- some photo equipment, my yoga mat and knitting. Throw in a cup of coffee, maybe a little dark chocolate, and there you have me. Thing wise, I mean.

I found these bug buttons marinating in my button tin. My sister Lulu brought them back from England for me a long time ago- maybe a decade or more. I've been saving them for just the right sweater.

As luck would have it, she popped by as I was contemplating giving them this permanent home. My other option, also under consideration at the moment, was mismatched vintage (and here vintage means not sure where they came from) green buttons. She told me I could do that if I wanted to "perpetuate my patchwork potholder look" . Or I could use the bug buttons if I wanted "a smarter style". Being mature and all, I didn't say anything in a sarcastic Goofy voice like "well, garsh, who wouldn't want to look smart" . But you know, I think I'll go for it.

ready for finding

Buttons, anyone? Come on over, I'm officially open www.SheShootsSheepShots.etsy.com

Take a look around. It's not all up yet, it's a start. I was going to show you a view of my beach down the street where I scavenge the sea glass but I like this of Kelseys Island , it's a 15 minute kayak paddle off shore. It's got a creepy edge after dark, especially if it's windy. (And, no, we do not have anything green on trees here yet, unless you count buds. This is from summer past. I am ready for a new season to get here.)

Ironically, nothing photographic for sale yet but I'm getting some notecards ready. The little gnomes are out back printing them. Or....partying, I can't tell which. Hey, keep it down, willya? I am so not letting them near my drill.