The Knitting Back-Log

Here are the things I have been working on lately. And by lately, I mean since September. I am really behind. But there was that whole dissertation thing in there somewhere, you know.

The Villette Vest: Purply corset-type vest in a tiny wool-silk blend that took a loooong time to finish.

Linville River Mittens: Super-thick, super-warm, double-stranded with 100% wool worsted and wool sock yarn. I named them after the river that I visit often on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The dark gray mixed with flecks of blue, green, and brown, with the pebbly texture of the moss stitch made me think of looking into a mountain stream with its clear water and rocky bottom. These are lined with fleece for extra-warmth. Hopefully I won't get to test their abilities until next winter!

Rivendell Gloves and Hat: I love coral. I should not wear it. Shades of orange are dangerous with my complexion, but I can't resist. I made the hat first. I love the leaf lace pattern, that also looks (in this shade) like tiny flames. It is a bit long, and therefore a bit lumpy, but, no matter. The gloves reflect another of my obsessions: cables. This is the most complicated cabling I have done, and one glove (the second attempt) came out a bit better than the other. I named them after the elven city in The Lord of the Rings because both leaves and delicate Celtic knotwork seem to belong there. The book I am holding (getting a bit ambitious with our photo-staging, huh?) is David Day's Tolkien's Ring, a really cool study of the various world myths and stories that may have inspired Tolkien.