Finished: Spring Beret

A while back I knit up a Spring Beret in Blue Sky Cotton for a far off friend.  I won't lie, I was sad to see the hat go. The yarn and the fit made it one of my favorites.  I promised myself when I slipped the box into the mail that I would make another for myself and the Quince and Co Osprey yarn I just received was calling my name... I knit this quick hat in a few hours, while watching Felicity on Netflix.

I hardly ever repeat patterns but my need for this hat is a clear testament to the design by Natalie Larson.  Now I'm just awaiting the perfect weather to wear it. 

September Progress

It seems somehow September has gotten away from me.  I looked up and noticed we are now approaching the end of the month with rapid speed. So silly how I have to maintain this thing called a "job" that really just gets in the way of my want and need to knit.  I have been feeling so tired lately I have been having a hard time wanting to pick up the dubious pages of my pattern though my private knitting time has grown exponentially lately.  Every few days I groan and pick up my Edie shawl, mainly out of guilt (and the helpless desire to someday wear it with a nice pea coat in the snow).  With temperatures still peaking in the 90's it seems like an impossible dream but I have a feeling by this time next month (or the next, god forbid) I will be rotating my hand knits to make sure they all get a just and complete wearing. 

I haven't set a goal for Edie really, but I hope if I can gain some steam that I should be finished sometime in October (fingers crossed). Because I have a terrible urge to knit myself a few sweaters before late December/January.  I have settled on two patterns and selected the yarn, if only I can convince myself that it isn't that selfish to order, swatch and perhaps, cast on before I finish Phillip's Cobblestone Pullover, whom I recently resurrected from a far off tote bin.  I pulled it from the bag and it was as if it let out an audible sigh of relief... or more likely an angry complaint.  I knit a few rows on the thing (so I don't feel bad anymore), and it brought back a vague memory of not being so bad.  I think it will become my accompanying project on those long days at work when I have just a few minutes between shifts, or when maybe I just need to turn my brain off from all the neediness of my job.  As long as I can squeeze in Edie, my two sweaters and Phillip's Cobblestone before December(-ish) I will be happy. 

In all fairness, even though my knitting time has turned into self imposed lazy time, I have still been growing my stash--of course! I recently ordered two skeins of Quince and Co Chickadee in Chantrelle for a pair of legwarmers yet to be determined and some Quince Osprey in the mustard-y color of Honey for a hat.  Because I am so taken with Quince yarn lately,  those skeins will most certainly stay stashed away for that "perfect" project that almost never comes... ahem, the two year old Madelinetosh Vintage stored away that has been frogged too many times to count. We will see as I have been drooling over a pair of Anthropologie boots and I have a feeling a pair of lace legwarmers in Chantrelle will be the perfect accessory.  

Finished: Creature Comforts

I  finished my Creature Comforts Cardigan after a 10-day stockinette stitch marathon! 

I should admit that I had serious reservations about this pattern.  I consulted the Fit to Flatter group on Rav, I looked at every project page, I researched every possible lead I could on whether the final result would work for me.  The construction is very simple but quite like that of a shrug and I worried that the shape would not look "right" on my body type.  I eventually came to the sorta logical argument that I just had to make it. Screw whether I liked the finished piece, I wanted it. 

(It's a good thing I came to that feeling...) When I finished it, I liked it. I was surprised at how small it was, but I thought I could wear it... should my laundry be undone and maybe if I were without  other garments at my disposal.  So I decided I would block the piece despite hearing some haunting things about the color bleeding... I never had any issue with color bleeding, but I did find  that this yarn seriously lost its shape somewhere in the process. I have decided I will try to reverse the horror I inflicted upon my new sweater by maybe washing in warm water with a quick run in the dryer; I can only hope it will go back to the sorta liked piece of yesterday.