September Bear Update

Dear Oogy,
An unprecedented achievement: I have completed a Thing-a-Month project before the end of the month!
Here is Peabey I, sporting his breast cancer awareness scarf in anticipation of October.

I plan to give him to a friend who is grappling with breast cancer treatments, for her birthday this week.
I managed to get through the 8 pages of instruction for Peabey with just one major gaffe, which I was able to graft together after the fact, and a few misreads that required tearing out several rows on a few occasions.  I am in awe of Snowden Becker's ability to work out the detailed shaping of the bear.  You can see this and other designs here.  Cool that she's a professor!

Peabey I is ready for winter.

I am about half-way done with the latest tammy.

I'm using up tiny scraps of Sheltand Wool that I've been accumulating over the past 23 years.  This one even has a bit of Campion from the days of my first Fair Isle sweater.

I'm looking forward to our luxury fiber project in October.  I'm deciding between qiviut and bison, but I have no idea what I'm going to make.  What's your plan?
Love,
Neuro

Late start in September

Dear Oogy,
Did you ever find your bear eyes?  I must confess that I have not started our September project.  I have, however, picked out the bear(s) that I plan to make:

This is a kit from Knit Picks called Peabey the Polar Bear.  I am looking forward to making the bear, but I find myself distracted by other projects at the moment.  In my defense, one of those is the reverse engineering project that I began in July:

Look at that hot mess!  I'm attempting to use intarsia to make an argyle pattern.  I believe I have tried this in the past, and now I am reminded of why I have never finished an argyle pattern.  Luckily this pattern only accounts for a small portion of the sweater, or I would be putting that project aside indefinitely.

Another distraction is the tammy I started yesterday.  I was so happy with my Scatness Tam that I was inspired to make up my own.

Scatness Tam, using some Jamieson's, but not what KD directed in her pattern.  The background is Oogy-spun!

I love the wheel pattern on this tammy.

I'm using the general shape of Scatness Tam, some instructions from Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting, and patterns from Mucklestone's 200 Fair Isle Motifs.

I have also been making more mitts.  There was a party last weekend to launch this year's Camel Knitters Guild fundraiser.  I was grateful for the Camels' enthusiasm for the mitts project.  I'll keep you updated on our progress!

I do promise to start my bear soon.
Love,
Neuro