My second Luminos Tee is done, and I love everything about it. It’s knit exactly the same as the first one. Pattern is by Yamagara, and it’s well written and easy to follow. (Ravelry link)
Luminos Tee
It’s been fun expanding my wardrobe this summer.
RanunculusFlyss: 65/35 silk and linen
I thought about knitting one more Ranunculus with some Handmaiden Flyss (silk and linen), but it’s really time to get back to work around here. I’ve started playing with more yarn from A Chick That Knitz; this is Vintage Rose (pooling) and Respect on her Singles fingering base.
I don’t have enough yarn to do what I was thinking of, so I frogged this and started playing with a different idea.
This isn’t quite right, either, but I’m working on it!
Where am/was I? I’ll tell you about it in the next post.
When I said I was knitting away on my second Luminos Tee, I really was knitting, away. I took a trip to the Oregon Coast with my friend Vickie. She’s a forever friend; we went to University of Oregon, way back when. She’s the source of my blueberry cobbler recipe!
We went to Yachats, which is near Cape Perpetua. Yachats has a lot of rocky shoreline which is great for rock hopping and tidepooling.
Wall of marine life: mussels, barnacles, starfish, anemones, dogwinkles, crabs
dogwinkles (carnivorous snails) come in many colors; I like the orange ones! the starfish are back!
I’m glad to see the starfish are recovering; there were several years of starfish wasting disease where their numbers were down.
starfish and sea anemonestiny crabstiny pelagic gooseneck barnacles on seaweedmore gooseneck barnaclestiny sand dollars and a heart-shaped fragment
This shelter was built by the CCC in the 1930s. Workers (young men who needed jobs during the Depression) earned $30/month. They kept $5, and $25 went home to the family.
crocosima on the trail
It was a quick and efficient getaway! I’m planning one more before the summer is over; I like short trips. Do you have summer travel plans?
Remember I gave away my first Ranunculus? It was too long for me.
Unblocked and blocked Ranunculus #1
I finished the second one in 5 days, easy peasy.
This is more the length I was looking for. I love it! It’s perfect over my many long sundresses (I think I have five?). Just enough when it’s too cool for bare shoulders, or if I’m looking for a little modesty.
I finished it before I went to visit friends in Sisters.
We visited the Whychus Creek Overlook, and saw the Three Sisters (behind us).
We could also see Mt. Jefferson, Black Butte, and the Akawa Butte Fire. This wildfire was about 6200 acres at the time, grew to over 27,000 acres to date, and is now 43% contained. There are many wildfires burning in Oregon; it’s a very dry summer. I hate that there is now a yearly fire season.
Missing Claudia!
We had a great visit and made music and food and fun.
Warm scones and yellow plum jam!
Here’s my ancient scone recipe that hangs on my fridge. It’s probably been hanging there for 25 years! I’ll interpret for you.
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar for chocolate chip scones, or 2 T sugar for plain scones
Stir dry ingredients together, then cut in 1/2 stick butter (4 Tbsp) with pastry blender or rubbing in with your fingertips. Stir in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, if you’re using them.
Measure 1/2 cup milk, then scramble 1 large egg into the milk.
Pour egg and milk into dry ingredients, mix until combined. Knead 4 or 5 times on floured surface.
Form into two circles, slightly domed in the middle. Cut each circle into 4 (or 6 if you want tiny scones) triangles. Place scones on ungreased cookie sheet, and let them rest for 10 minutes.
Bake at 425° F for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.
As for the jam, it’s the plum jam recipe for MCP pectin (Sure Jell is fine, too) with a generous 1/4 cup bourbon and 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger stirred in at the end, then processed in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
I’m knitting away on my second Luminos Tee, and enjoying it as much as the first one! My second skein of pink isn’t quite a perfect match for the first skein; it’s slightly darker and less streaky. But I started the new skein above the contrast color chevron on both the front and back, and used the old skein for the lower parts, so it all flows nicely.
And sometime soon I’ll get back to designing! It’s been a fun break, but I’ve been plotting and planning the next design while I’m in my Aquafit class. It’s a workout for body and mind…
I finished my Luminos Tee. It looked great right off the needles, and even better after wet blocking. The size stayed the same, but the stitches and edges are smoother. I knew the size would be consistent, because I knit, washed, and blocked a swatch. That’s always good for a sweater that you want to fit!
A quick mirror selfie. Yarn is a kit from Knits All Done/Yarn Snob, merino/silk/cashmere. Luxurious!
Do I always knit, wash, and block swatches? Usually yes, for sweaters. But I’ve been eyeing the Ranunculus sweater, and I’m not sure it matters. The instructions are the same for all sizes through the yoke; the actual size is determined after knitting the yoke, when beginning the raglan shaping. You can use any weight yarn, and a size 10 needle is recommended. That’s all pretty loosey-goosey!
I wanted to play with some fingering weight linen that’s in my stash. Most of it is in an abandoned design project. There are 3 untouched skeins (50g/168 yards each), so I can play with what’s there without ripping the old project yet. This sweater takes 370 to 400 yards for the short sleeve version, so I’m covered!
It would make a very open and airy Ranunculus, to go over a tank top or sundress. I decided to jump in and start knitting; it’s just as easy as making a circular gauge swatch. I’ll have enough done when the yoke is finished to really figure out my gauge, and adjust accordingly. Because blocking is transformative for linen, I could put it on waste yarn and wash and block. Or not. The smallest size in this pattern gives me 10 inches of ease, so I’m not worried that it would be too small.
I took it to the Waterfront Blues Festival yesterday; it’s going pretty quickly. (Jenny Don’t and the Spurs on the screen.)
The weather was perfect for 3 days of music outdoors. Happy Fourth of July weekend! 250 years for this republic.
I taught an entrelac class for Modern Daily Knitting on Friday morning. Always fun to hang out with MDK!
Team Shakin’ Streetfighters
I rode in a fundraiser bike ride, PeDal Support for Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon (PRO) on Sunday morning. DH was on the organizing committee. They raised $20,000, which is great. I found our old bike jerseys in a drawer, so we had to wear them! PRO provides programs and information for People with Parkinsons and their care partners. DH hosts a weekly ping pong program for them, and a monthly support group. His blog, Shakin’ Street, is here. And if you’d like to donate to my PeDal Support page, that link is here.
The ride was on the Banks Vernonia State Trail, which is a rails to trails conversion. The path is fairly flat at the beginning, and then begins a gentle climb that goes on for a while. It’s an out and back ride, which means downhill on the return! The section in Stubb Stewart State Park is especially lovely, with dense forest and so many shades of green.
Our garden has been in berry overdrive! We have two blueberry bushes, one of which is probably 25 years old. We’ve had gallons of berries this year. Blueberry muffins, blueberry bread, blueberry cobbler, blueberries in the freezer…I’m about to make blueberry lime jam.
Blueberry cobbler (recipe link) and vanilla bean ice creamSugared raspberries with ice creamBisquee investigates raspberries and prosecco
Picked and dunked within 5 minutes. Bliss.
Luminos Tee by Yamagara
I’m making good progress on my Luminos Tee. I put it on 2 needles so I could see the shape! I’m currently working in the round, and it’s shaping the shoulders and V neck. The construction is very clever, and I’m enjoying seeing how it’s put together. (There is actually pink in the lighter stripe; the lighting at my dining room table is wonky because of the reddish wood.)
Test knitting for Trillium Path is nearly done. I’m looking forward to sharing this simple knit with you!
Still enjoying the knitting on my Luminos Tee. This half is done, and I’ve also finished the second half and joined them to work in the round up the body.
See all the reminders to myself? Chain row counter to tell me which row I’m on, and also to increase on each side of the marker on right side rows. I do remember to change the chain loop when I move it; sometimes I forget with my barrel counter. Little locking stitch markers to remind me that I need to increase on the Right Side rows. Otherwise I’d sail right past, because sometimes I’m not looking while I’m knitting!
I brought this project with me, but didn’t work on it. I just wanted the picture with this bird.
I didn’t have my knitting with me when I saw this seal in Yachats.
But I did see this pair of otters having breakfast in the river! I didn’t realize that there were two until I looked at the video. Sweet.
I’m home now, prepping for Saturday’s helix knitting class at For Yarn’s Sake. There are a few spots left, if you’re looking for a fun and easy knitting project.
I’ve been knitting/working a LOT. Last week I had 3 designs in test knitting, and I was knitting/finishing versions of two of them. One of them is for the helix knitting class next weekend; that one was at the tech editor. All my knitting is done, so it was time to pick something new to knit.
I’m away for the weekend, and I want to knit a little summer top for myself, that I don’t have to design. I just want to follow someone else’s instructions!
My options: a little brioche top from Knit Graffiti (Mist), Ranunculus in fingering weight linen if I abandon something I started several years ago and will probably never finish, and Luminos Tee.
I discovered that I didn’t have enough yarn for the brioche top. Poot.
This is the linen top that I was freestyling, that I don’t feel inspired to pick up again. I started it in 2022. I may have knit some in 2023 and 2024, up to the armhole. The lace pattern is the same as the one I used in Kittiwake, which was Aran weight linen. I think Kittiwake is more appealing.
Kittiwake
But I wasn’t ready to frog the fingering weight piece.
Last year I bought this kit from Yarn Snob. It’s superwash merino, silk, and cashmere, for the Luminos Tee.
Luminos Tee by Yamagara, photo from their Ravelry page
Winner winner!
The construction of this is so interesting. It starts with the two triangles at the bottom. I finished one last night. Working on the second one, and then I get to join them and start the stripes going up the body. Super fun, and the instructions are very well written so far. The side triangles are a great social knit; the increases are very regular.
Find my patterns on Ravelry: Michele Bernstein Designs
Here are some of my favorites, and the newest. Many of my designs are also available through my Payhip store.
PDXKnitterati 