current candle iii

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Well that didn’t take long, I’m already at my third candle!

This is a Northern Lights candle, by a NY based company of the same name, in business since 1978.

The scent of this candle is called Cotton Blossom & Dogwood. It’s a little soapier than what I’d usually get, but I enjoy the change of pace from my usual, woodier choices. Nick’s mom gave this lovely candle to me as a Christmas gift last year. Thoughtful Nick must have given the hint to her that next to tea, it’s just about the perfect gift for me.

fo : slide socks

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Slide was a treat to knit. The non-identical but symmetrical pattern was knit using dpns, which offered a nice change of pace from my usual TAAT magic loop method. The easy flow from section to section in Cookie A’s pattern kept second sock syndrome at bay.

pattern : Slide by Cookie A
yarn : Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20 in an OOAK colorway
needle : US 1 [2.25mm]

size : M, 10”

These long lines were what drew me in. I was curious about what made Cookie A such a popular knitwear designer, especially for socks. The pattern was concise, with a clear and lovely layout. As a very visual person, layout is most of a pattern PDF’s value.

Little things like the inclusion of special stitch descriptions in the pattern were much appreciated for moments where I needed to remember how the hell to pull off a m1pR. Thanks to cookie’s conscientious design, I suffered no confusion or discomfort…except of course for that time that my needle just snapped in half and i had to move projects…but that’s not her fault!

I enjoyed using the zen garden yarn, it’s an impossibly soft wool nylon blend. The subtle variegation of this yarn challenged this sock’s long lines but without bossing them around too much. It felt like an even push-pull of visual busy-ness.

If only this wasn’t so plushy and soft! I would wear these around much more often if I wasn’t so sure that these would just felt after just a dozen wears and washes.