Red Sweater, Redpolls, and Red's Mate

The second sweater for Children in Common (CIC) is almost completed.

The sleeves are being finished with frogged yarn from Autumn Song swatches. Then the firecracker red heather yarn is gone. Much as I love red, I'm ready to knit another color for a while.


Pattern: Chelsea's Gansey from Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel. Split, overlapped garter welt on bottom replaced with ribbing and an extra inch of stockinette inserted to lengthen the sweater for warmer coverage.

Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, 100% wool.

Color: Firecracker heather (left over from Autumn Song)

Needles: #2 and #4.

Gauge: 6 stitches/inch, 8 rows/inch in pattern

The Redpolls are coming to the thistle feeder in flocks of several dozen.

This is the first year I've splurged on thistle seed, thinking it to be more expensive than sunflower seed. Turns out, a feeder full lasts for days, even with activity like this. It's the tiny birds that like it. Even if the larger birds wanted some, they don't want to hang from this feeder to get it.


Snow brings out the beauty of a female cardinal.