Spring is coming...

Spring is coming. I can feel it. It's in the air. The days are longer. The sun is brighter, the ice is gone, and the snow melts faster! We are enjoying 60 degree temperatures after a really harsh winter. I love snow as much as the next person, but come on. So to honor Spring, I made a few hats.

Porom
Jared Flood
Brooklyn Tweed
Rowan Felted Tweed(148)
Us 8 circular needle

See that sky? I did not edit it. It really looked like that!

Chunky Knit Beanie (pdf)
by Leslie Friend
A Friend to Knit With
Rowan Polar (peach/pink) in my stash
US 15 needles

Another fun knit from Leslie.

Was anyone else as excited as I was on Saturday night waiting for the new Twist Collective? I was like a little kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa. The new issue did not disappoint either. There are a lot of beautiful patterns. I really love Cherry Fizz by Kate Gilbert. That will probably be next on my queue. I am working on the Tangled Yoke Cardigan too. I finished one sleeve. I love this sweater, but for some reason I just need to take little breaks from it!

Cabled Bolero

Cabled Bolero

Norah Gaughan

Vogue Knitting Winter 2006/2007

Classic Elite Wool Bam Boo, 6 skeins

US sizs 6 needles

Even after reading all the problems knitters were having with the Cabled Bolero, I still went for it. I even decided to use a different gauge yarn that had more drape. I also used a smaller needle size because of the yarn change. It was a total recipe for disaster. I was intrigued by Norah Gaughan's design (she is a genius). The sweater is made seamless except for the collar. You knit a cabled pentagon, and then you keep adding pentagons to make a shrug. I don't know how she thinks of these creative designs, but I'm glad she does. I never would have attempted this pattern a year ago, or even six months ago, but Wisteria really boosted my knitting confidence and I wanted to try something challenging. I followed Hisknits modifications (Ravelry Link), and used Classic Elite Wool Bam Boo. What I ended up with was more of a lace shawl type shrug with sleeves. I really like how it turned out. This shrug benefits from blocking, because the pentagons tends to make some funky pointed shapes, but the blocking takes care of that problem. It was fun knitting the pentagons, but the whole time I was knitting, I was thinking to myself, "I'm never going to wear this thing." Luckily, I was wrong.

Wardrobe Refashion - Part 2

I'm feeling a bit under the weather this week with the bad cold/flu that is going around. I haven't felt like doing much of anything except sleeping, but I will share some things that I finished up last week. I've been having fun with refashioning existing pieces in my wardrobe, or just adding embellishment to a t-shirt.

This yellow sweater is a cashmere/cotton blend (oh, okay, only 5% cashmere). It was only $8.57 after all the discounts, so I couldn't resist. The square neck is not a good look on me, so I added some yo-yo's to the neck line to round it off. I like the way it came out and have already worn it. My inspiration came from this book, by Katye Terry, I received as a Christmas gift.

This t-shirt was started back in November, and then was put aside during the holidays. It is inspired by the Alabama Stitch Book. They have a wonderful web-site too.

I added some lace and buttons to make a faux collar on this plain black top. It was inspired by this post from Emily Martin. I had bought the lace back in the fall when a local sewing store was going out of business. It was one of those impulse buys where I had no idea what I would use it for but I couldn't say no.

I'd really like to try using a men's dress shirt to make a women's top like this next. My husband just cleaned out his closet :)

Well, I'm going to go back to bed now. Hope you have a great weekend!

Clapotis

Clapotis
by Kate Gilbert
Free Pattern from Knitty, Fall 2004
String Theory Hand Dyed Merino DK (560 yards)
Color - Fusion
US size 6 straight needles

I love everything about Clapotis, and I'm not the only one. There are over 10,000 projects on Ravelry. Clearly this is a favorite of many knitters. I used a DK weight yarn, so I adjusted the needle size from an 8 down to a 6. The yarn I used is so pretty. I had so much trouble getting a photo that did it justice.
It gets a lot of wear.

Happy Valentine's Day

Pattern: Christmas Tree Bears
By: Julie Williams
Free pattern from Little Cotton Rabbits

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my blog friends and followers!
Sorry I haven't been around here for a while. Writer's block. I've had these little bears done for some time. I made them using leftover yarn, and then gave them the appropriate Valentine's outfits.
Clapotis is also done. I will post about it this week. There, I said it, now I'm committed.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Have a Heart

Pattern: Heartfelt
By: Norah Gaughan
Free pattern from: Berroco.com
Yarn: Cascade 220 Quatro
Needle: Size 9 straight

Notes: I did try to felt the heart, but I realized after that Cascade Quatro doesn't felt. My mistake. I printed the words on muslin by first printing them on computer paper and then taping down some ironed muslin over the printed area of the paper and running the paper through the printer again. I then cut the words out and frayed the edges and sewed it onto the heart. It's a quick knit!

Got Latte?

Michael Scott: Carol used to drink lattes. She would get this little foam mustache. And I used to say, “Hey, got latte?” and she’d say, “That’s not funny.”

The Office, Season 3, Episode 10

We've been doing a lot of traveling on the weekends due to my husband's job. In September he started a new job which is out of state. We are happy that he has a job, because we know so many people are faced with unemployment right now. We really want to let our son finish High School in the town he has grown up in, so we are commuting back and forth on weekends. Some weekends my son and I travel to Maine and then sometimes my husband travels to Massachusetts. Not the most ideal situation, but we are making the best of it.

I made myself this coffee cozy for traveling. It is a free pattern from Erin of House on Hill Road.

I made a couple of them. They are machine washable too.

The white cup is one of those I'm Not a Paper Cup ceramic coffee mugs with a silicone lid. Great for making you own coffee before you hit the road.