In the Pink!

What could be better than 

a BIG dose of PINK

during the dreary month of January?

I have been immersed in pink

for the past couple of weeks.

It started with a need to make

Pink FUSION

for my cowl....

...and hat kits.

Since the yarns were all pulled

and together,

and I did not already have one made

I decided to knit a cowl.

From there,

a hat seemed to be

the next project to do.

Then of course,

what's a hat

without a matching scarf?

My shop shelves are fully

stocked with pink now.

Hope you're 

"in the pink"

too!

My BIG Score at Tuesday Morning!

Do you have a "Tuesday Morning" in your area?

They are a closeout retailer,

specializing in home decor, 

but they carry lots of other items too.

The trick is to visit them regularly,

because their inventory changes

often and fast.

Just because you see something there 

on one visit, 

doesn't mean you'll see it next time you go.

If you are a knitter, you know what kind

of treasures you can find there.

I scored really big this week!!!

I am always on the lookout for

novelty yarns to add to my

FUSION Yarns.

I must have hit it just right 

because look what I found!

I bought all they had...

26 balls in seven different colors

of Trendsetter Yarns, JOY.

This color way is "Flower Garden."

Isn't that fitting?

It's a fun yarn with little flags, 

which can add wonderful textural interest 

to a knitting project.

And look at the savings!

I also picked up 3 colors of a bamboo ribbon with some metallic.

These are the kind of sales that make my heart sing!

Be sure to visit buttermilk cottage.com

and see what I do with these!

My Boutique Yarn FUSION

I hate to brag, 

but are these not gorgeous???

I love the process of making this 

boutique, art yarn which I call

FUSION.

It is a combination of a dozen or more

different yarns 

which has been cut and hand tied together.

When knitted it creates a unique 

color way and texture.

I have FUSION available in 

200 yard hanks, in a variety of 

different color ways

for the knitter, crocheter, weaver 

or fiber artist.

Or, you can purchase FUSION kits with

all the yarn needed

and pattern

to knit a slouchy hat or...

...cowl.

It's not too early to start some of 

those holiday gift projects!

Happy knitting!

On My Needles Today...

It's been a very busy week here.

We made it through the yard sale and Bistro

last weekend.

I'll tell you all about it on Saturday.

Since then I have felt exhausted and

have been very happy to spend 

a little time getting back into my zen 

with a little knitting!

Today I am working on a scarf

from FUSION, color way "Rain Forest."

I love these colors and

they are putting me in the mood for Fall!

Happy Knitting!

On My Needles Today...Not...or The Coat is Finished!

It's been a bit of a journey,

but my knitted coat is finished!

I love the color way and am calling it

"Abalone."

It has subtle shades of

aqua, sea foam and lavender.

The sleeves, which should be

a simple component,

gave me some challenges.

I started with the stockinette stitch 

you see above,

but decided I did not really like the look.

I then changed to the 

"Mistake Rib"

pattern I used on the opening

and sides.

After knitting almost half a sleeve
I decided I didn't really like the

way it was looking either. 

So, I changed to a larger needle and

worked them in stockinette stitch (again).

I found the perfect buttons at a lovely yarn shop in

Blowing Rock, NC

during a recent road trip with my

knitting buddies, called

Unwound.

There are slits at the bottom of both sides.

I never finish a project like this without thinking,

"If I ever knit another one of these I will..."

There are some slight changes 

I would probably make,

but over all, I'm very pleased with

the final results.

So...what IS on my needles today?

I am in the process of binding off a FUSION scarf in

shades of teal.

I plan to make a slouchy hat to match.

Happy knitting!

(Continuing...) On My Needles Today...

Still working on my FUSION jacket,

which has finally "told" me

it's going to be a coat rather than a jacket!!!

The back and one front are now complete.

I made a start on a sleeve,

but decided I wasn't happy using

the stockinette stitch for it.

So...

...a bit of ripping out this week...

(Personal motto...

"If you're going to knit,

you're going to rip...")

...and back to the drawing board for a bit of redesign.

So much of this process is trying something

and deciding if I like it.

I wish I could clearly envision how

designs are going to actually look once knitted.

But I'm a "try it and see" person.

I decided the sleeves needed a bit more texture

than the stockinette stitch I originally tried.

I am using instead the "Mistake Rib" stitch 

I am using on the sides and front openings.

The sleeve here looks a bit out of proportion

but will widen out once it is blocked.

Once this sleeve is finished (very soon now)

everything else left to do, 

except finishing,

will just be a repeat of what has already 

been knitted (i.e. other side and sleeve).

So, although I still have a fair amount of knitting to do,

the finished coat is now within sight!

Happy knitting this week!

On My Needles Today...

I am continuing on with my

Fusion jacket.

The back is done!

I am presently working on one

of the fronts.

This is my beginning yarn inspiration.

The sleeves will be knitted with it.

Happy knitting this week!

On My Needles Today...

is a pretty little brown hat.

I am using my FUSION Yarn

and am really liking the little touch

of red with the brown.

Can you see it?

Happy knitting!

On My Needles Today...

…is a scarf knitted in…

…a combination of many of the shades of Autumn.

My Creative Process



What gets your creative juices flowing?

I recently bought these two balls of yarn

at a discount store.

I'm always on the prowl for yarn to add to my stash.

What usually gets my attention is

something that sparkles or

has an interesting texture.

Both of the yarns above qualify

and the extra bonus was they are

both in the same colorway.

I decided to make one of my reversible cowls

to be lined with the scarf above.

So out come the yarns,

anything and everything that coordinates

with the colors in the scarf.

Then the really fun part,

knitting!

It's so exciting to see the

interaction of the colors as

I knit them, row upon row.

Here's the knitted cowl,

all ready to be lined with the scarf.

The finished cowl.

This colorway, which I'm calling,

"Raspberries & Blueberries,"

is the perfect pop of color

to get us through

the final days of this winter

and into spring!

I decided to knit a slouchy hat too!

FUSION Yarn, colorway "Raspberries & Blueberries"

That's how my creative process works!

How about yours?

My Needles have been Clicking!



I've recently completed a series of knitted vests,

using my FUSION Yarn.

This red vest has a tab

and stick button for closure.

The green vest  has two wide lapels

which overlap and create a

fold back collar.

The closure is a large coconut button.

I call this colorway "Rain Forest"

because of its vibrant greens.

I particularly like the styling of these vests

because they are knitted sideways.

This gives them vertical lines,

which are very flattering.

Visit my Etsy Shop for

some great holiday shopping!

New Hats!



New this week in my Etsy Shop!

The Daisy Hat

It's a fun, cloche style hat with a

wide fold back brim.

The brim is a blend of 15% mohair and 85% wool.

The crown is knitted in my own boutique yarn,

FUSION

This colorway is "Rain Forest."

This colorway is "Peacock."

Each hat comes with a knitted flower,

attached with a corsage pin. 

(It also looks great on the lapel of a jacket.)

Do you have a stylish, fun hat for this

winter season?