Pansying Around + New Magazine

Yesterday afternoon I drove over to Kiski Park Nursery (literally) across the creek to see if they really had gotten their first pansies in, as they had promised on Tuesday. In my pocket was a snippet of my chosen Amy's Pansy Shawl yarn to match.

Sure enough, there were several trays of variously colored pansies. Even better, there was one that matched Pansy exactly! The cone of yarn here is Brown Sheep fingerling in "Bordeaux" on a #6 Addi lace needle. Yarn Elf of Willcox had sent the Bordeaux my direction a while back. (Click to embiggen, as per usual!)

An update on Yarn Elf is that his healing is coming along, he has successfully moved the store two storefronts to the south and the sign painting/organizing is coming along, albeit slower than he'd prefer. When the sign painting and organizing is compli, I've promised to share photos here!

Along with the guernsey KAL I'm working with through the Gansey List on Yahoo, the pansy shawl is a KAL that Amy Detjen is leading through the SHP site. The swatch chart and written directions have now been released for a start date of October 1.

Tuesday I'd also gone to the store to see if they had gotten in pansies. Nope, just display upon display of mums. The local Giant Eagle grocery store (a chain in the Ohio Valley)has been slack in getting the wonderful selection of knitting magazines they carried five years ago. This week, though, they have the premier issue of Fons & Porter's "Love of Knitting". Fons & Porter have been known in the quilting world through their books, magazine and PBS series "Love of Quilting".

I don't think there's a subscription in the offing for me with this new magazine. However, there are things about it I like. The models are real-life people of various ages -- yes, even gray-haired ones. There are large print and well photographed knitting techniques illustrated. The projects are for different ages and genders. Hmmm. Those are the critiques people have of other magazines who have not listened to the madding crowd. I may just watch how the issues develop to consider that subscription. Giant Eagle certainly cannot be counted upon to carry every issue.