I am flying to Malaysia this week and have spent a lot of time considering what to pack.  I admit that 98% of this time has been allocated to making decisions about which knitting projects I will pack, and the remaining 2% has been allocated to more mundane matters such as clothing and footwear.

I am taking two brand new projects with me, both for summer-y tank tops.  I have been looking for a good work-appropriate tank top – something that will look great under a jacket but which is classy enough to wear on its own.  I fell in love with Deb Hoss’ lovely design Paid in Full:

© Deb Hoss

The design calls for Quince & Co Tern, which is a fingering weight wool with a touch of silk.  I knit up and washed a swatch, and I am already crazy about this yarn!  The combination of yarn and pattern is just luscious and I have a feeling this will be hard to put down.  I bought the yarn in a soft grey shade called Mist:

I have also bought some raw silk, Ito Kinu, in the colour Hydrangea:

I am going to use this, held double, to knit another tank – Sayer by Julie Hoover.  This tank has a crew neck on one side and a V-neck on the other and can be worn with either side to the front.  It has more ease and is a more casual piece.

© Julie Hoover

I have already swatched both tanks, and have cast on each.  The Kinu is a bit rough on the hands (although it softens considerably on washing).  I think this makes them really good knits to take together – I can alternate between them, thus keeping my interest peaked and my hands from getting too sore.

I meant to write this post yesterday, but Doug surprised me with a ticket to see Paul Simon, on his farewell tour, at Hyde Park! (I went by myself as Doug is already in Malaysia.) I was at the Simon and Garfunkle concert in Central Park in 1981, and saw them again at Shea Stadium in 1983.  So, it was pretty cool to also be part of Simon’s good-bye tour.  I have lots of memories tied up in this music.

Yesterday was a scorcher in London.  It was an all-day affair with prior acts including Bonnie Raitt and James Taylor. There is no shade at the venue, and no seats.  The sun was relentless.  But the event was well managed and everything ran smoothly.  I had a good spot near the front (thanks to a Golden Circle ticket from Doug) and had a great view of the stage.  He had some fabulous musicians with him and sang a range of songs from his many different periods.  The audience was a great mix of old and young, and everyone – including me – was singing and dancing and having fun.  One song brought a very strong memory of me singing it with my dad and made me cry.  It was a very long day, and I was totally wiped out when I finally got home well past midnight.  It is 37 years since the Central Park concert, and I seem to have aged 37 years in the meantime; who would have guessed?