I am not sure if this is more correctly “End of Summer-Knitting” or “End-of-Summer Knitting.”  Perhaps both are accurate — as I am both concluding the Summer-Knitting and racing to the End of Summer with hopes of finishing these knitting projects before Autumn officially begins.  The point of concluding the Summer-Knitting is, of course, so I can commence the Autumn-Knitting :) 

But this year, I have the added incentive of Jimmy Beans’s “Tahoe Untangled Maker’s Retreat” which begins on September 23 — the first full day of Autumn!  Sarah and I are headed to Lake Tahoe for the retreat (YAY!) where I hope to be draped in my End-of-Summer Knitting pieces.  It is still pretty warm in Nevada and cotton knits will be the way to go.  

I am half-way through the sewing up of my Queen Sweater (We Are Knitters kit) — then I have to knit the collar and embroider a field of loopy lazy-daisy flowers on the front!!  The sleeves took forever to knit — alternating knit and purl stitches the whole way, sometimes knitting the knit stitches and sometimes pulling the knit stitches and vice versa.  And I always forget that a full sleeve is about as big as a sweater front or back.  A lot of knitting.  

The Easy Striped Triangle Scarf (Churchmouse Yarns & Teas pattern) has been a great mindless project for odd moments and short car rides.  Plain garter stitch with a simple double increase at the beginning of each row — switching yarns along the way.  The plan is to knit until I have almost run out of yarn and then bind off.  I love the light, drapey fabric!

Probably my most entertaining Summer-Knitting as been Matamata (designed by the ever-inventive Norah Gaughan).  Loose, lacy ladders bordered by cables.  How fun is that?! And to finish it off: i-cord tentacles to dangle off the lower edge.  

This is the pattern photo (so you can fully appreciate the tentacles which are the last bit to knit)

While there is still work to do on all 3 projects, once they are done I will have only minimal blocking to do — just a little spray of water to relax the fibers a bit, rather than the full immersion and several days of lying flat to dry that wool requires.  Cotton fiber gets so heavy and can stretch out alarmingly when wet — so I prefer to be cautious 🙂

So, that is a snapshot of my End-of-Summer Knitting.  And now, there are tentacles to knit!