August 3 :: wearing this as I type with Shadow cuddled into my lap. Decided to go with the belt instead of a button because the belt helps hold up the weight, I meant to weigh the robe, but don't want to disturb the cat, who seems to very much approve of the cotton softness : )

Since this is my daughter's birthday month, my next project, I think, will be covering a hot water bottle for her. Going to look through Kaffe Fassett's pattern library for just the right blue on blue thing xoxo

July 31 :: on safari. This past week an eMac has come to my house. so I've been distracted from knitting...tho knittingwise on the web... I was pleasantly happy to follow emma's link to rug pattern and see how swiftly and prettily Safari fetched the pattern for me.

Knittingwise, I am inventing a pocket for the bathrobe, deciding how to button it, then on to the next project...woo-hoo..

July 27 :: down to the bottom's border, on which I am just mimicking the sleeve. I don't like the feeling of this belted, so I will just button it near the waist. I still imagine some type of happy pockets, but I am getting close enough to finish that my head is fuller of daydreams of future projects than on this one.

I am not at all tired of knitting with this cotton, however, after the bathrobe, I am going to put the rest away until next summer. I think the same is true of organic cotton as well...I'm in the midst of a sock, which I don't find as fun, I believe its about the needle size, 3 US, compared to 5& 8 US that I have been using with the cottons so far.

July 20 :: making good and fun progress, I want to keep going to my ankles unless it gets too heavy.

July 16 :: One wonderful thing about Oregon is that its weather is mild, and even in July it is nice to bundle up in the mornings, and this morning I was thinking how nice it will be to slide into this robe.

I think the very first try at cuff is going to work fine. Thats the belt lying between cuff and sleeve, I want to do something between them, at the moment I think maybe the squares as on the pocket try. Here is a close-up of the cuff, tho I am getting more and more frustrated about how much much more wonderful knitting is in person then by photo

July 10 :: bathrobe body is done to the waist & one sleeve to the elbow. I had to retry many times before I felt the raglan was lying well. Ended up increasing more often on sleeves than body.

I have a fun idea for big cozy pockets, I think that is what this weekends knitting will be.

You can see the uneven dying of the Araucania cotton, one of its many charms : )

Also finished one sock...which in the wash shrank well lengthwise at the toe, but not enough in the heel. am abandoning this for some not yet imagined 2 color cotton sock.

 July 6 :: I chose the stitch for the bathrobe belt because it looks good on both sides. Here is a close-up but the thick&thin of the yarn doesn't allow you to see very clearly. It made me want to look for more stitches like this, that would be good for blankets and scarves. Here is the how-to of this one, from Harmony Guides 440 more Knitting Stitches Volume 3

number of stitches :: multiple of 4 + 2

1. k2,*(p2,k2)
2. p2,*(k2,p2)
3. k
4. p
5. as 1
6. as 2
7. p
8. k

*repeat( ) to end of row

"Can you lead me to more such stitches?"

July 5 :: I have turned the heel since this photo. When checking google to find an online link to the pattern, my own journal came up from the last time I had made this pattern. That still spooks me a little, but looking back at it, it was a fun knitting week : ) This is a very fine pattern, I am a little concerned about cotton shrinkage and how much to add, so I am making my best guess and will wash up sock #1 before making its mate.

Below is happy grandma outfit, I do mean to model it for you. I have made a wee start on the bathrobe, will show you that too, soon, soon

And I started this day adding to stash, for Yarn Forward is having Lopi sale.