Right Now I'm...

Photo by Maren Vestol

Sharing. It's a nice thing to do.
Grabbed this fun idea from Melissa at Designher Brands. PASS IT ON!

Right now, I’m:

Wearing--
My favorite knit jeans, my oldest tee and a scarf I knit 5 years ago.
A bracelet with charms hand made by a great friend.
Bare feet. Comfort clothes of the best sort.


Drinking --
Earl Grey tea with a slice of Meyer lemon from my backyard tree


Listening To--
My cat meow, reminding me it's time to go out in the courtyard for grass. Reminding me I need to take a break in bare feet. Reminding me to breathe.


Wondering--
How many more rows until I finish my next knitted shawl


Wishing--
I could knit faster like Caroline!


Thinking--
I am soooo glad that summer 's heat is almost over


Feeling--
Glad, inspired, very thankful to have good yarn, good friends and stories to tell


Hoping--
That I can finish a chapter before I take my cat outside!


Planning on--
Kale and broccoli salad for dinner. Sesame tahini dressing. (recipe
coming!) Deviled eggs too. The kind my mother made better than anyone else could...


Aggravated by--
Not much, for once!
A very good day.


Most passionate about--
The next scene I am about to write.
LOVE these crazy characters. How do they make such a mess of their lives?
Hey, don't look at me!


Wanting--
Chocolate.
But not giving in. Not.
Giving.
In.
Yet....


Dreaming Of--
A song by the Gipsy Kings
Can't remember the title
But very lovely.


Wishing I was--
Eating macarons in Paris.
Sipping a cafe creme.
In a little shop overlooking Notre Dame, on my way to the Louvre....


Trying to--
Focus on now.
On the soft fur pressing against my feet.
On the pinkish gold afternoon light so beautiful I want to spin it into miles of yarn.
On the steam swirling gently from my tea cup.


Most thankful for--
All the above, including the little cat who almost died 6 months ago.
Who is now happy and soft, wanting to go out to play.


Giving up on--
"Should, must, need, can't"


Thinking--
All is well.
All is well.
All is well.


And now I'm almost able to hear the church bells chime over the old tiled roofs above
the Seine....

I'd love to see your answers.  Curl up with a cup of coffee and give them some thought. When you're through, post a link to your blog with your own answers to these fun questions!

Photo by Jennifer Wolsey

Paris Nights Wristlets

By Christina Skye

Copyright 2010

You never forget the first time you saw Paris…

You don’t forget the smell of baking bread or the restless pattern of the chestnut trees on the gravel in the Tuileries Gardens.

With the sun on your shoulder, you lean out over the weathered stones of the Point Neuf and watch the silver line of the Seine snaking past a thousand years of memories.

My gloves aren’t black or even French blue. The yarn didn’t come from Paris, but this sinfully soft muted merino makes me think of the night sky glowing over the Seine in the moments just before dawn when the air softens and the city is hushed with unspoken potential. You never forget that rich silver-gray light.  You never forget the dreams you had there.



These wristlets are soft and practical, guaranteed to make you feel elegant ~ even if you’ve been walking hand in hand for hours. 

And like Paris these have great lines.

Their color is effortlessly classic and always chic. Don’t ever expect it to go out of style! Enjoy them with a glass of champagne and a chocolate macaron or two. And remember the first time you saw the Seine at dawn…

Using worsted weight yarn and size 7 needles, cast on 33 stitches using the cast on of your choice. Leave a 12” tail for hemming later.

Row 1. (RS)

*(K3 ,P3)* across. End K3.

Row 2 and all odd rows.(WS)

*(P3, K3)* across. End P3.

Row 3.

*(K3, P3, Yo, K3tog, Yo, P3)* across. End K3

Row 4. Repeat row 1.

Lace rib pattern--repeat rows 1 to 4.

Continue in lace rib pattern for desired length. Suggested length in my sample is 7"  {fairly long, but mileage may vary! Make it your own.}

Bind off on right side in ribbing on a pattern row 2, leaving a 15-inch tail for sewing up the seam. Note: go up a needle size for a loose bind off.

Make 2.

Right and left hands are the same.

Yes, really.  Watch and see.

Sew up seam loosely so the rib is not pulled out of shape. How?  Turn wristlet with right sides out and fold vertically, matching the sides. Mark thumb hole on your hand using a hair clip or sewing pin. {Plastic, spring-loaded orchid clips work perfectly here. See the picture for how well they work.  Check your local garden or home supply store.  They come in all colors and sizes.  Really.  Who knew?}

But back to the seams.  With the right side facing you and the insides touching {not turned over, as in an interior seam} sew in a seam one stitch from the knitted edge, using matching yarn and a blunt darning needle.  Start at the bottom and stitch through both layers. {mattress stitch}. This makes a slightly raised rib, which nicely picks up the pattern.

Continue sewing until you reach the bottom of the thumb hole, which you marked with your orchid clip. Break yarn, leaving 8 inches to weave in. Sew the top of your seam in the same way above the thumb hole, leaving another 8 inches of yarn. Sew securely in place and then weave in all ends.

Wear with elan and enjoy your toasty hands.

And when you’re finished with your masterpiece ~ send me a picture for my wristlet gallery! Don't forget a link back to your shop! scarfaholic@gmail.com

For tutorials about various cast on styles and all common knitting stitches, see http://knittinghelp.com/videos/knitting-glossary  This is an excellent and immensely helpful site for all knitters!


This pattern is copyright 2010 by Christina Skye. Please feel free to use it for your own personal use and for gift-making. I must insist, however, that under penalty of law, this pattern not be resold in whole or in part and that it not, under any circumstances, to be used commercially. 

~Welcome~

Photo by Jennifer Wolsey