motley aran

I started this one in Huron City, when I stayed longer on vacation than I'd planned, six days longer, and had only one book of patterns, Starmore's Children's Collection, and only one yarn stash--Rauma 3-ply strikkegarn-- necessity is the mother of . . . . Yarns left over from the elephant Christmas stocking.

A little classic Aran, done in motley: knit from the bottom up, in the round, going as long as one color lasted, shifting, up we go. All was seed stitch, triple cables, honey comb (a bruiser, every stitch cabled), slow going. The saddle sleeves were a finishing first for me. The defects of this sweater: it's a rough yarn, will need to be worn over turtle necks for comfort; it's a strange thing to have all the switches of color; for some reason, it's very wide compared to its length.

Anyone know a round and chubby four-year-old who'll fit it?

final footnote about "Jenny Wren": A day passed with no activity after I moved the in-house basket to the front stoop. Then the couple returned, overstuffed the nest, and laid a few tiny eggs.

I was away for a few days, and on my return: no wrens, and cracked eggs. I don't know if some other bird ate the eggs. But there's no one left around my house. hmmm

Elephants for Little Lee

But first a note about Jenny Wren. It's cute, having Jenny Wren dash in and out. But sometimes, Cute Is Not Enough.

Now is Sometimes, though I'm still not sure how to curtail that nesting. In a basket atop my kitchen cabinets, where she's made her nest. Really won't do, as much for babies' sake as mine. So I put the basket outside, NEAR the house, for Jenny's and pete's sake, but outside. We'll see what happens.

And elephants for Little Lee: worthy Alice Starmore elephants, now embedded in a simple and washable raglan sweater, and marching around a modified "Judy's Colors" Christmas Stocking. One to outgrow, the other to enjoy annually.

Just as I have satiated myself with Samantha jumpers, so, now, am I mistress and past-mistress of l'éléphant. On to fresh pastures.