Banshee is back.

I have been gone a long time, and I have FO's to prove it! Now let's see if I actually have pictures of any of them on my laptop or Flickr, so I can blog them while I'm still in Sweden!

It should also be noted that while in Stockholm, I've been knitting on Tuesday nights with the nicest, most fun, most welcoming knitters in the whole world. And I haven't mentioned it previously, but when I return to the states, I will be moving in June to my favorite city, Portland Oregon. As a result, I have committed my Stockholm knitting to stashbusting a little bit. So I'm trying not to buy any gorgeous yarn at any exquisite local yarn shops. So far, the stashbusting is not getting very far (I've acquired no new yarn, but only knit through one complete skein). Lorette pointed out to me that I might need to do some souvenir shopping in Stockholm and the yarn stores might be a good way to do that. And you know, I just might agree with her on that count. So, I think my dear readers may expect to see some yarn store reviews before my time in Stockholm is up.

But, we mustn't forget the last round of souvenir yarn shopping! That is mostly what I have committed my stashbusting to while in Stockholm. Remember the Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Mountain Tango, from my residency interviews in Utah? Just to remind you, it is 60% Superwash wool, 25% mohair, and 15% nylon, 350 yards of sport to fingering weight yarn. I wanted a good one skein pattern that would showcase the gorgeous colors in this yarn.

This scarf looks really good, if I may say so, with my green wool coat, but Katarina looked so cold on the grounds of Karolinska Sjukhuset (hospital) in April.


Katarina and my scarf


Katarina looked cold


Macro of the colors


Close up of the feather and fan pattern

Pattern: Let's see. I used Wendy's pattern, except I purled row 2 in order to have a garter ridge that stood out more from the stockinette background. I also slipped the first stitch knitwise on every row and knit the first and last two stitches on every row (two stitch garter stitch border). Wendy is pretty much buck nuts over feather and fan these days and I would have to agree with her. I will have some feather and fan socks someday soon.
Yarn: Mountain Colors, as above. It's awesome. I really love it. The pattern worked really well with the wild variegation of this yarn.
Needles: US5 Susan Bates. I like to knit on circs just to be able to stuff it in a bag more easily.
Thoughts: I started this scarf in Guatemala and finished it while visiting Mr. and Mrs. O in Illinois. I love it. I've gotten tons of compliments on it, and I think it really fits that hand-knit but not obviously home-made criterion. I will probably use this pattern again with special and beautifully variegated yarn. It's funny, this scarf was so easy and simple, but it might be my favorite thing I have knit!

I have started stashbusting Malabrigo from Michigan with a cross-hat mitten, hat, and scarf set, and I'm stashbusting mohair from Worcestor with a Kiri shawl. While listening to Brenda complain about it on CastOn! But I think it was the one-project Olympic knitting that got her down. If you haven't checked out her knitting Podcasts yet, you've got to. I expected it to be good enough to have on in the background while I knit, but I really truly enjoy it and can't wait to listen to the next episode. And the intro is hilarious.