{this stuff is like buttah}

Baby alpaca! I love this. One of the fantastic fibers I've sourced from my new supplier here in Bordeaux. You have no idea how soft this is. Seriously. I want to tuck it under my pillow and sleep with it there every night.

I'm thinking a neck wrap suitable for crisp spring weather...something that can take you from winter to spring, and from fall to winter. I have this on my "what I'm knitting next" list and it won't be waiting until the weather gets cold again, either. This year I will be knitting through summer so expect the occasional new knit design to appear in the summer months.

I know. Usually at this time I'm sketching, making textile samples, draping on the dress form, drafting patterns, and sewing up prototypes for the shop but all that will have to wait until June as I'm soon to be on maternity leave. While I'm now sketching clothing and bag designs, I haven't been able to do any of the other intensive work since mid-January. But I'm eager to get back to it so expect my clothing, bags and other sewn items to return in time for fall 2012!

Knit collar. Pure wool. From France. In purple. Oh, purple. One of my favorite colors.

[Knit Collar in Organic Merino Wool in my Etsy shop.]

Elena from betsy3.etsy.com in her knit collar! How fab is this photo? And she makes the most beautiful and delicate jewelry. Visit her Etsy shop here.

I just love it when people share photos of themselves wearing the things I make. It literally makes me stand up in front of the computer and do a happy dance that looks like the twist, even though I'm right in front of a window with a view of, oh, about 50 apartments and a building full of financial consultants and neighbors on their terraces who can see me. But that's how happy it makes me.

Every time I need a break from work I knit a few rows on something, like this armwarmer still on the needles. The color is a plum/berry and I love the richness of it.

Small projects like this are ideal for me because I can stick them in my bag and carry them with me. I make my way around the city by foot, bus or bike so the smaller the project, the better. No afghans, heavy sweaters or big shawls currently on my knitting needles, unfortch. I have done my share of big projects, tho ;-)

[Flat drawings in the backdrop are my own designs rendered by me in Adobe Illustrator.]