Saturday, December 29

2013, Lets do this

I wanted to write about my New Years resolutions.
I always want a list. THE list. What I need to do before I'm 30. What I need to see before this and that.
I think my lists only got up to #5. And it was tough getting there. This year I decided to be a bit more realistic than "Travel to China".

1. Clean the house
My house is clean, but I want to be the queen of clean. Spotless clean. I used to be like that, but then I moved into a teeny tiny house and things started to pile up. This August we're supposed to be moving into a new house, and I plan on keeping it spick-and-span. AKA, shoes off at the door!

2. Get a Cat
Or a rabbit. Y is OK for either. Or both. That will happen in the new house as well.

3. Cut the sugar
Almost three years ago I went on a Candida diet. It lasted for almost 5 months until I broke down and ate a piece of chocolate. Since then I've only felt guilty every time I eat junk food of chocolate. Both Y and myself plan on eating healthier, less fat, sugar, meat. Tons more veggies and grains.
Make more food at home to take to work, freeze in advance. It's possible, I did it before, I can do it again.

Lululemon, Runder Under Pant


4. Fitness
Tomorrow I'm in the gym. I'm not a bum, but I need to work out more. Besides, I need an excuse for new running gear :) AKA, I need to loose 3 kg.

5. Read more
I used to love reading, and I still do, but it seems I don't have any time. A newspaper just isn't enough. 10 minutes before I go to bed is a good start.

This is getting harder...

6. Read more design magazines
Actually READ them. Cut out the pictures I like and want for inspiration, and do it. It's really not that hard. Just a matter of doing.

Agas & Tamar, Gold Studded Earrings


7. Buy myself jewelry
Because I deserve it.

8. Sew more
Even if it's late at night and just for 15 minutes. I know I'm pushing everything until our new house, but once we move, we'll finally have room for an actual studio, and it will make things easier. These days I need to pull out the ironing board on the kitchen counter, clear off the table for my cutting board... It wi;; be easier once everything is already OUT.

9. Be a better person
Be more polite. Say good morning to more people. Talk less behind people backs. Offer to help, don't turn people down. Be more patient. Keep my voice down. Stress less. Don't take my work home, don't bring my personal life to work. Bake more for co-workers. Smile more.
Mostly, think before talking/doing.


10. Drink more wine
And learn how to make cocktails. Every now and then a Mojito is nice to drink.

11. Try new things
Be open to new ideas. Change is not always bad.

12.
#12 is reserved for something private. But it's there and happening. Hopefully it's something that I'll be able to have accomplished by 2014 :)

OK 2013, I'm ready Let's do this!


Saturday, December 22

Inspiration is everywhere: Tiles

I've definitely been interested in tiles lately, the different colors, shapes and sizes.
I've been getting a lot of inspiration from them, be it for the color palettes, or finished pattern. I love how you can use a simple shape and turn it this way and that, change the color, and get something amazing.
I hope to get better at quilting to actually use some of this inspiration for quilt patterns.
Soon, very soon...









Friday, December 14

Baby it's cold outside

Winter is finally here. The other day we dusted off our heater and plugged it in. I dug out my slippers and hot water bottle. My fingers are always freezing cold, and our showers are super short because we never have enough hot water.
But for some strange reason, I keep looking at people all bundled up in sweaters and think to myself, "but it's till too early for bulky sweaters!"  I think I only admit it's winter in about February. Then, it's already too late. It's almost spring!
Time flies.
I know I need to start my winter knitting/sewing early, but I'm always late. Right now I want to knit another blanket. or, in other words, a fat warmer. But it'll only get used next year. Until I get around to it.

My dream living room has a big round wicker basket, filler with hand knit blankets. Colorful and chunky. And they will always be folded neatly inside. Each family member will have their favorite fat warmer to cuddle up in and fall asleep with.
Sounds lovely.

Anne Hanson, one of my favorite designers has lovely blanket patterns. I've knit Honey Baby (gifted) and the Hourglass Throw. Both were a pleasure to knit, as are all of her patterns.

Our Fat Warmer

Another blanket I knit was from Madelinetosh, Heirloom. I loved knitting it, and think I will gift it to a co-worker who is expecting her first child any day now.

Heirloom, but I call it "The Big Green"

But the first blanket I ever tried knitting crocheting was the Babette Blanket. What a pattern! I started back in 2009, and laughed when I read that it took some 9 months to complete it. Boy, was I a beginner.
I completed most of it right away, but then things got slow. I got bored. I really should have used more than 4 colors. 
To this day it's still missing the last panel, but it's big enough to wrap up in. The yarn is pretty heavy so it's super warm. Since I hate weaving the ends in, (and I can also use the excuse that it's still not finished!) there are loose ends all over the place. Oops.
 But Y loves that old blanket. He uses it every day, and claimed it his. I have a plan to finish it and surprise him with it, maybe next year...
If I had enough patience I'd knit him a brand new one, but I think some patterns are only made to be knit once. That's how they become special ♥

A blanket for the Bub


Hope everyone has a warm weekend! 
Stay home snuggled under the covers with someone you love (Let them bring you the hot chocolate!)








Saturday, December 1

In a rut

A little while back I ordered my first Fat Quarters. Margurite, but Stitch studios for Riley Blake.
On the screen it looked lovely, vintage and sweet.
In reality, it's pretty, but not what I expected. The pattern I had planed for it- was out. Some of the prints were much larger than I had expected.
As much as I find fabric hunting hard, pattern hunting is even harder. I've spent the last 2 days searching the internet for that one pattern that said "Me, ME, PICK me!"
It isn't there. I've searched.
I'm still not 100% sure what I'm going to make from it. I wanted to make a baby blanket, but Swoon (Camille Roskelley) is looking awfully nice right now.
I have come across a TON of gorgeous blankets I do plan on making. Some day.

Here are some of my favorite inspirations:


Plum & Bow Blossom Patchwork quilt from Urban Outfitters ($169-$189 here) Isn't it gorgeous?
This got me thinking about the beautiful Indie line by Art Gallery.



Star Light Star Bright, by Jocelyn Ueng. Available in QUILT Magazine, December/January 2013 issue.
I NEED this magazine! ASAP please.

The next one isn't a quilt, but something I've had my eyes on for a while-


This lovely scarf/wrap/stole is from Plumo. I have this "thing" with triangles lately, and this just takes my breath away. I feel calm and happy just looking at it. Imagine how I would feel with it wrapped around my neck. Ah, pure bliss.
I desperately want to make this into a quilt (seems simple enough), but I need to get my hands on a color card first. I want solids, and the right way to get there might just be to dye my own fabric. That could be an adventure.

This isn't a quilt either, but it gets me thinking. Mostly how I need more scraps ;) But also about the use of Neutrals, and how simple can turn stunning.


You can read about the idea behind this beautiful piece over at Wit & Whistle.


Don't forget, you have a 15% discount on everything in the shop! Good until December 3rd, using the code HOLIDAY12 at checkout!






Saturday, October 27

Head Start


I know I don't celebrate Christmas, but seriously, I cannot resist the super fun holiday fabrics!

Blitzen, by Basic Grey for Moda

I ordered a whole bunch last month, and finally received them the other day. I was so happy with everything!
The only problem was that I had mistakenly ordered the wrong amount of one fabric. All's good though, I'm sure I'll find something to do with it!

Blitzen, by Basic Grey for Moda

This weekend, after a long break I finally sat down at the machine. The whole darn day. I had to stop early so I could take pictures. It gets dark here so early. At 16:00 I was pushing it.  I have to start sewing more during the week though, I just can't find enough time.

Joy, by Kate Spain


All fabrics were bought from Sew Lux Fabrics, which had awesome customer service, and great selection. I will definitely be back!

You can find all the bags in the store. Don't forget you have a 15% discount when using the code HALLOWEEN12 at checkout. Good until October 31st.

Sunday, October 14

Weekend FO


This Friday I finally finished my Imogen Cowl.
I cast on in May, and somehow threw it into a project bag and forgot about it.
I lost my knitting mojo back in June, and the cowl went with it.

Imogen cowl, pattern by Carrie Bostick Hoge 
Yarn used- Madelinetosh TML, 
colorway- Betty Drapers Blues


 The pattern is quite easy to remember, but took me a while to "get into it". Until I memorized it, I stopped working on it.
Knit with 3.5mm needles, I'm still not sure if I should have gone up or down a size.
I also used the three needle bind off. Could not be bothered with the Kitchener stitch.
The pattern shows through, but not as much as I'd have like it to. But it could just be the kind of pattern. When bunched up around my neck, it doesn't really matter.


 I used 1.5 skeins, 18 repeats in the end. It turned out a bit long, I was afraid it wouldn't be long enough. If I lived in a slightly cooler climate, this would be awesome to wear with a T-shirt. I'll have to wait at least another month to wear this though. Maybe in the evenings?


I think this is going to get a lot of wear this winter, even though I'm slightly "meh" about it now. I'm not sure why though. I love the color, the yarn, drape, what's not to love? It might just be our never ending summer has me dreading anything too hot.



 On another note, I LOVE madder patterns. Isn't the Immie baby blanket adorable? It looks like it's based on the imogen pattern, but knit with much heavier yarn. I think I'm going to have to make that blanket my next!

Saturday, October 13

Happy Weekend

So...
I was going to post a FO post today. I still don't have the pictures, but that was the plan.
I'm going through a bit of a rough patch lately, work, life, and over again.
It's a bit hard for me to be happy these days, I feel like now is the time to make THE change. Not sure what the change is, but it's time.
Today I came across  three videos on Youtube which made me happy.







I know they are three very different videos, but they all give me a happy feeling inside.
I think it's also the music I listen too. I love the melancholy music, indie and beautifully sad. Bon Iver, Zola Jesus, Antony and The Johnsons, Angus and Julia Stone...It inspires me. But I need to know how, when, to listen to certain music.

Hope these videos made your weekend a bit happier, they have for me ♥

Monday, October 8

Well hello luscious quilt!

I did it! I finished!
Yesterday I finished sewing on the binding to my first quilt, threw it in the washer, and today have my very first 100% complete quilt!
I cannot express how proud of myself I am :)

hello luscious zig zag quilt front

So, from the beginning. I loved the Hello Luscious line (Moda, Basic Grey) since I first saw it, but had no idea what to do with it. I didn't know how to make a quilt. I googled "Hello Luscious quilt" and one of the first results was "Mommy by day, crafter by night" blog. Apparently, she had a Zig Zag quilt-a-long in July.
Plus, she had sewn an amazing zig-zag quilt from the Hello Luscious line. (Gorgeous)
I'm usually not late, but decided to join in anyways.

hello luscious zig zag quilt folded

The whole tutorial she gave was so helpful, even if she used layer cakes, and I only used a charm pack.
You can find all the steps here.

hello luscious zig zag quilt folded

 I bought some acrylic filling and plain white backing. Since it was my first, I didn't want to try anything fancy. This time.
I really wish I could have found the exact same color for the back, but I guess it's OK, and after all, the beauty in homemade quilts. (The white I used was Bella Solid white)
Quilting was, well... tricky. I had to move my machine over to our kitchen table so I could have more room. The twisting and turning each corner was a bit scary, because I had rolled up each side, and with each turn the rest of the quilt loosened up a bit, and pins started to fall out. Now I know why safety pins are recommended. Towards the end I got the hang of it, but I think it will be a while until I make a bigger quilt.

hello luscious zig zag quilt back

Binding, the part I was most afraid of, was actually the easiest. I cut out 3" strips, and used Heather Baileys tutorial on binding.
I bought some extra fabric from the Hello Luscious line for the binding. That was hard choosing!
Connecting the ends was a bit tricky, but I got it right. Almost. I was a tad off and had a bit of extra fabric. No problem though, it was easily fixable and unnoticeable.
Sewing on the other side of the binding by hand was far less scary as I thought it would be.
We watched a movie and I finished it up during that time.

hello luscious zig zag quilt folded

I always thought I'd like the free-motion stitches, but maybe because I just couldn't get it, I really do think I like the simple stitches, straight lined.
I like looking at the more complicated, hexagon, star, pinwheel etc. quilts, but I think I'd enjoy making the simpler ones. (You can follow my quilt love on pinterest!) Zig-Zag, triangles, flying geese, those are on my very soon to-do list. I already have more fabric coming my way and cannot wait to start sewing a quilt again!

hello luscious zig zag quilt corner





Thursday, October 4

Inspiration is everywhere / Triangles

I'm into triangles right now...

Udder, Triangle skirt


Plumo,  Giza Wool Scarf

Firm Living, Spear Cushion 


Seventy Tree, Triangles Tape

Saturday, September 22

Upgrading

I'm quite proud of myself for owning the same phone for over 4 years.
I used to be against technology (and somewhat still am). I ignored everyone around me and bought my first SLR (Minolta, sniff sniff) instead of a shiny new digital. I caved and went digital only when I needed one for school. We didn't have TV until about 6 months ago. I think I was proud to carry around that "title" of the-one-who-doesn't-have-a-TV. It was just a title though, and it got too heavy to carry around.
I like titles, but they get old, and unbelievable, and somewhat pathetic.
So we got a TV.
But now, my title is the-one-who-has-a-phone-from-1990.
No, of course I bought my phone in the 21st century, and it's in color, and even has a camera and, well, that might be it. I kept eyeing the new smartphones and saying stupid things like "I really need to get a new phone". It's stupid because mine works perfectly fine.
Last week I went out to do some errands and came back knowing that it's time, I really do need a new phone.
Tecnology. Instagram. Those black and white pixel code reader apps. Apps. Waze. What's up.

Y has a thing for Hedgehogs. He loves them and thinks they're the greatest little animals on earth. They are pretty cute. We have a few in our yard, and every now and then we see/hear one scurrying away.
We live in a neighborhood where all the neighbors feed the stray cats. We've gotten used to it over the years.   It's no big deal anymore. I guess the food they leave out attracts the hedgehogs at night, so maybe it's a good thing in the end.
Last Friday when I left the house, I noticed the bunch of cats eating in a corner. One cat looked, different. Looking closer, I saw it was a huge (HUGE) hedgehog. All the cats were chilling with it, like he was one of the gang. All I could think about was, "I have to take a picture of this, Y will go nuts!" Until I turned on my phone, and figured out how to take a picture, another neighbor came out and the hedgehog scurried away.
I was more than bummed. That was the last straw. I know that if I had a smartphone I would have had a whole album of that hedgehog. (Or would I have?)

I feel stupid for trying to hold onto something I'm really not, like "against technology" and stuff like that. Truth be told, I've wanted a smartphone since the day after I bought my current phone. I want to know what the buzz is about. I want to worry about not dropping it, or ruining it. I want to download lots of junk I don't need.
It's hard to let go of something, and I know when the day comes and I'll hand in my old little heavy red phone, I'll have second thoughts. Too expensive, too fancy and mostly, I really don't need it.

Change can be good. And I'm excited for change. But it might come in a different form ;)






Friday, September 14

Zig Zag!

I finished the top of my quilt the other weekend...

Zig Zag quilt, so simple but so lovely


And today picked up from the PO a bundle of lovely fabric, for both backing (TBD), binding and another quilt or two ;)

Sigh... Oh how I love fabric...

Now, just need some filling.

I bought some "Hello Luscious" Charm packs a while ago and began my first quit. I think I'm in love.
I know I'm only half way through the process, quilting everything together and then binding still lies ahead of me, but up until now, oh what fun!
It took me forever to figure out what color binding would go best. I went with the dark turquoise, "Succulent honeyed turquoise". Yum.
And I might have bought some other fabric...
I haven't even finished my first quilt and already have plans for my fourth, fifth and sixth.
I love the look of Flying Geese, and think Oh Deer, by Momo would be an amazing quilt for a little boy. I cannot wait to get my hands on that.
But being realistic, my next two projects will be simple pink on pink and blue on blue zig zag quilts. I'm so excited!

Did you know I'm giving away a project bag?
Head on over to Lisa Bogarts blog to sign up! Plus a 15% discount using the code "knitwithlove912" at checkout, good until the end of September.
Halloween bags are in the shop, and more will be coming, here's a sneak peak :)

Ever so lovely Tula pink ;)

Have a lovely weekend ♥

Saturday, September 1

Letting Go

Today my loving husband told me I'm somewhat of a control freak.
OK, I get it, I like to know what's going on, to plan in advance, not to be surprised. I like it when things go as planed, work smoothly and come out as expected.
I think perfectionist goes right in there as well.
What he told me did not in any way come as a surprise. I guess I expected him to say I was getting better at not trying so hard. I just can't help it.
Pinterest is great for a lot of things. I think that had it not been for that site, I would have just kept drooling over gorgeous quilt patterns and jelly rolls/charm packs/fat quarters. Pinterest got me going, sent me to work, seeing other peoples projects made me believe that- yes I can!
Last weekend I began my very first quilt (beginners pattern- zig-zag). I bought a super pretty charm pack (Hello Luscious, Moda) and a solid pack to go with it. Because no matter how much I try, I cannot for the life of me cut a straight line.
And I have the most awful time deciding which colors go with which. Most of my time wasn't spent on actual sewing (or ironing those damn seams) but figuring out which pattern should go next to what, how the colors should line up, stressing over tips of triangles not quite matching, and being cut off.
Yes, I am a control freak. I get it.
But I take this as a lesson, and a start at letting go. Quilts, patchwork are known for their "mismatch" and I'm told that's what makes them so beautiful.
I'm still obsessing over the solid modern quilts, but for now am going to try to live on the wild side, different patterns and colors. That does NOT mean I'm not going to get a bunch of fat quarters, I'm not quite there yet. I've been eyeing the Oh Deer and Birds and Berries (both Moda) lately, now just to find a pattern.
I finished the top of the quilt today. I'd say I'm half way there. I need to buy some filling and plain white backing, and decide what pattern I want for the binding. Another hard part. What goes best?!

Check out my Quilt Love board on Pinterest , some of those quilts are now officially on my to-do list. And now that I know I can, I just need to find the time :)

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!



Saturday, August 11

Done!

I finished my first Ravellenic project, CAF Norie, earlier this week.
Whoopie, finally, a slouchy hat that fits and looks good on me! Now, the long and hot wait for winter...

Norie, great for cooler weather, if it ever gets here!

I bought the yarn for it quite a while ago, but obviously misread the yarn requirements somewhere. I used Madelinetosh DK, in the gorgeous colorway Happiness, which has 225 yards, while the pattern calls for 260. Gulp.
I really wanted a slouchy hat.
I knit all 4 lace sections, but just before the last I decreased. Then, only knit 3 single purl ridges, instead of 3 double. I was left with enough yarn, not enough for the full pattern, but enough so I didn't have to bite my nails until the end! It's slouchy enough and I love it.



Working on my second Ravellenic project, the Dahlia Cardigan is a bit trickier. I'm not too good with piecing together, and this just might end up a disaster. I keep telling myself that there's no reason, and that I'm a good and neat knitter. I just can't wait to finish it to admire and pat myself on the back.

Soon, very soon :)





Saturday, August 4

Late

I feel like time is passing by way too fast.
Seriously, I need about 2 more hours each day. At work. That way I could get home and not stress over all the work I still have to get done.
As a graphic designer (and part time vm) for a large clothing company, I feel as if I live from collection to collection. I simply cannot wait until August 19th. And then after that, it will be a date in September. Then the end of September early October. Squeeze in three weeks of holidays and then another collection. Is it no wonder my time just disappears?
I feel bad for Y, I don't feel like going out on weekends, but enjoy the quiet, sitting on the couch and doing absolutely nothing. He looks at me with his big brown eyes and my heart hurts.
I'm late at getting house related stuff done. Last week I finally baked the brownies I've been planning to bake for over a month :)
July 11th I finished my Driven cardigan. And only now I'm getting to write about it.

I love the collar, might be my favorite part!

I love love love it. The color, the way it looks, how it actually fits. I'm so proud of myself for the last bit. The color change is ever so subtle, so I know I'll love wearing it as well. Cannot wait for cooler weather.
When I first started it, I was still in my old office, sitting alone with the AC cranked up to freezer mode. I had plans of keeping it in my office and cuddling with it.
In the beginning of July, I was moved over to another office with three others, one who does not like the AC at all, so I'm left sweating and swearing, both at the same time.


My Driven will have to wait.

This is my first year participating in the Ravellenic games over at Ravelry. I'm watching quite a lot of the games this year. Gymnastics are my favorite.
Norie and the Dahlia cardigan are on my list, two patterns I've had my eye on for quite some time now. Knitting the Dahlia reminded me of how much I love lace. My next project will be some bad ass lace project. Leaves of Grass maybe? I miss knitting a Jared Flood pattern!

I also have a few new sewing projects on my mind. Quilting has always fascinated me, and I finally ordered some charm packs for a first. I was thinking a simple zig-zag quilt. More on that when the fabric arrives. (I'm so excited!) I'm also looking for a quilt-a-long to help me actually finish it and not abandon it somewhere.

And last, a short list of things I ♥

Dear Creatures anything. Their tumblr is such an inspiration!

Florence and the Machine is so cool. Plus, Bon Iver and Mumford and Sons? Too bad this concert never took place. Love your taste in music though! (Taken from this tumblr)

Gorgeous blog. Reminds me I need to get to Iceland ASAP.

Have a lovely weekend everyone, xoxo




Saturday, June 30

Blankets in the Summer

I started to get this "thing" for knitting blankets.
I went through it with socks, then shawls, then cardigans, now it's blankets.
Really, I need to start knitting a bunch of different stuff at the same time, rather than 4 shawls all at once.

It's hot here. I don't remember it being this hot last year, or having our AC on for this long, everyday.
We drink twice the amount of water we usually do, at home. Last week we drank about 17 liters in a week. (Yay for bottled water helping us keep track).
Yes, it's HOT.

So why am I knitting blankets in the heat? I don't know, I'm just into them now.

A few months back (let's be honest, in December) I started knitting Anne Hansons ever so lovely blanket- the Hourglass Throw. We'll refer to it simply as "The Fat Warmer". I bought some local wool, ran out, so I had a pretty good excuse as to why I couldn't finish it.
I have 1.5 skeins left, which means one more repeat, and it'll be done. The thing is super huge, and I cannot wait for it to be completed.

The Big Green, It was supposed to be bigger...


But then came Camp Loopy. I didn't know what to knit, so I chose a blanket. Blankets are always good. It seems. Plus, I had a deadline, I had to finish it by June 27th. And that I did.
I would have liked it a bit wider, but it's perfect as a one-man-lap-blanket. (I had hopes it would be bigger, hence the name "The big Green") The color (Jade, Madelinetosh Sport) is amazing. Green is starting to grow on me. I still remember the days I owned zero green. What was wrong with me?

Checking out the size

The pattern, Heirloom,  is super simple (once I charted it) and went by quite fast. Would I knit it again? I don't think so, I have a long list of blankets I still need to knit!

Have  lovely weekend!

Saturday, June 2

The Dexter

It's hard to get things done when I have so many hobbies.
Do I knit? Do I sew? Do I bake? Do I make marshmallows? Do I just sit in front of the TV with a bowl of Ice cream?
Decisions.
Everyday I walk past my fabric stash and I swear it gives me "that look".
Usually weekends I pull it out and sew something. But I always find new fabric, and my stash just grows and grows and grows. Instead of keeping some balance of I buy to refill. I know that stash actually means to grow larger and larger until it completely takes over your house, but my house is not that big.
Plus, I need to fill up my shop.
My dear husband loves my needle organizer. Of course he does though, finally my needles aren't ALL over the place.
But he also likes it because it reminds him of one of our favorite shows. Dexter :)

Dexters Kill Bag, Custom Prop Replica. Very cool. Taken from here

He calls it the Dexter because of Dexters, well, as google calls it, a "Kill Bag". I thought I'd skip the name and just go with "Organizer". I know there are a lot of Dexter fans out there, but not sure how well a "kill bag" would go.

knitting needle organizer
 Enough pockets for all the needles you need to take with you

It took me quite a while to perfect this baby. How to divide the pockets so that all kinds of needles fit in. Perfecting sewing on a zipper (finally, awesome!) I have quite a lot of funky looking organizers at home, and not enough needles for them all (another kind of stash?)

knitting needle organizer
A little zippered pocket, great for all those notions that always get lost

So, this weekend I pulled out my stash and started sewing another Dexter needle organizer. I love these two fabrics, gorgeous blueish herringbone and a dirty yellow flower pattern (Both Joel Dewberry). I think my favorite is pairing two fabrics up together. Might be why I have such a hard time finding the perfect fabrics for a quilt. they need to match EXACTLY. More on that later. When I have more time to sew.


* I'm having a quickie sale this weekend, 15% off everything in the shop, with the code "JUNE012" at checkout. Making room for some new stuff!




Saturday, May 12

Time

This month seems like it's dragging on. The heat has finally hit us, and I know it's just the beginning of the summer. Longer and hotter days are still up ahead.

I'm pretty much too hot to do anything. In the Winter I'm too cold, in the Summer I'm too cold, and in the Spring and Fall, the seasons I love most, well, I don't have anything weather appropriate to wear.
May sneaked up on me (I just found out "snuck" isn't even a word) and it's going by FAST.  I have so many things I need to do. I need another day in the week, another hour each day will just not do.

I cast on for Driven, a pattern by Veera Välimäki, little while ago for MadMay. I'm using Madelinetosh Chunky, but unlike it's name, it's Aran weight. I was excited about this pattern, I thought it would be a quick knit, and it is. The yarn knits up beautifully, and I'm so happy with the color- Nightbloom. It reminds me of Grape Kool Aid stain.
And why, may you ask am I knitting an Aran Weight cardigan in the middle of a heat wave? Good question. I have no answer. I just know that if I wait until cooler weather, it will already be too late. Besides, now I'll have a reason to crank up the AC in my office. And still be snuggly warm.

I'm also in the midst of trying to somehow redecorate. Martha Stewarts "Organization" is my new Bible. I'm not doing too good at it.
I've been combing through etsy to find some cool home stuff. Anything really. 

I totally covet this pillow. In a K please!

I have always wanted an Abacus

And I'm thinking this fabric could make some great throw pillows. 

And of course, I always need more time.



Saturday, April 21

A gift for my Mom

Ever since my Mom laid eyes on my Topiary, she wanted it. I tried to convince her a lighter stole would be great for summer, and she would have use for it in our winter weather. Seriously, we spent 2 hours combing through Ravelry patterns. I kept steering her back to Celes, a gorgeous pattern by Jared Flood, because I've wanted to knit it the second I laid eyes on it. She finally agreed.


The yarn I used was Madelinetosh, Tosh Merino Light, in the lovely colorway Luster. I remember the first time I used it, it was not love at first sight. But after quite a few projects, it might be my favorite shawl yarn. I think I may have started a bit late, as her birthday was April 1st. I didn't get it done on time. No worries though, she'll be getting it next weekend.


I loved knitting this, as I do all of Jared Floods patterns. The knit on edging, which I expected much harder, was a breeze. Of course only after blocking you see how beautiful it really is. The drape is amazing, and it's super soft. It will be hard to give, but I know I'll see it often.

Project notes here 

Now that another big project is finished, I only have our Fat Warmer (AKA Hourglass Throw) to complete. I have 3 more skeins left, so I'm guessing it's only a matter of weeks. I'm in no rush though. Only that it be ready for next winter!
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