NaKniSweMo 2014: Update

I have been kind of slacking off on posting pictures of my progress for #NaKniSweMo2014. Since it has been getting darker earlier at night it is hard to snap flattering pics of my progress. Today one of my clients cancelled so I attempted to take some quick pics before my next client.

So far I have gotten some good progress. I finished the body of the sweater and have moved on to the right sleeve. I have to say this is a great knit for when you have to pay attention to other things such as lectures or awesome TV shows (Scandal anyone?). Most of the sweater is long rows of stockinette stitch, especially when you get to the sleeves. As you can see I am extending the sleeves so that they are not 3/4 like the pattern states. I really love that the author (Andi Sutterland) notes in the pattern where it would be best to make custom touches.

Well I have 10 days left to get 1 1/4 sleeves done and the button bands. Good thing I have all of next week off!

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Friendsgiving

I ❤️ Thanksgiving. It combines two of my favorite things: eating and drinking. Since I am not originally from the west coast and neither are a lot of my friends here, we tend not to see each other over the holidays. In order to remedy this, my lovely friend R chose to host Friendsgiving. If you don’t what this is, it is like Thanksgiving, but usually held amongst friends. It is a great way to get a group of people together for a little fun and laughter.

I made a centerpiece for the table.

I defiantly waited till the last minute to make the centerpiece and that was a mistake. I thought Michael’s would have a few fall florals left…WRONG! It was like a Christmas bomb went off in there. As I walked through the aisles I got more and more nervous about not finding anything. Why is it now the trend to have Christmas stuff out in October?!? In any event, I took a deep breath and knew it was a “make it work” moment. I ended up finding glittery leaves and fruit as well as some cranberries. A little creativity and some determination later and my centerpiece was looking good.

Here is the centerpiece in action. My friend made these awesome candles with corn seeds on the bottom. Combined with her beautiful dishes the table was ready for the party!

The evening went so well. R’s turkey was amazing as well as all of the other side dishes. I made an apple pie and yams with marshmallows. I have to say I am beginning to like cooking a lot more, especially when I can cook for others.

Well having Friendsgiving only got me excited about real Thanksgiving. Only 1.5 weeks left till Turkey Day!

Birthday Adventure

Well today is my 29th birthday. As much as I love birthdays, I don’t like the getting older part haha.😋 The boyfriend surprised me with a day trip down to Half Moon Bay, CA. Half Moon Bay is a quiet coastal town about an hour south of San Francisco.

We arrived Monday night. The town center was very cute, but almost everything was closed by 5:15 pm! We did get to enjoy a delicious Italian meal at Pasta Moon. The next day, we took a loooooong walk (10 miles!) along the Coastal Trail. Although it was overcast, the sound of the waves crashing and the beauty of the nature around us made for a great afternoon.

Part way through our “hike” we stopped at the Half Moon Bay Brewery to take a break and enjoy the views of the harbor. It it so nice to kick back and just enjoy being still. All and all the trip was just what the birthday girl wanted!

FO: Chunky Grey Cardigan

Remember that project I just couldn’t put down? Well it is done! What was I creating you might ask? A chunky cardigan! Lately, I have been in the sweater mood and this project was instant gratification (It took me 2 weeks to create!).

It all started when I saw these on Pinterest…

I loved the texture of the grey shrug (Moss Stitch). It was simple, yet added a dimension of complexity to the garment. The orange cardigan had the length I wanted for the sleeves and torso sections. Since I wanted to combine elements from both sweaters, I embarked on making a sweater from scratch. I am by no means at the level of creating my own sweater patterns so there was a lot of research as well as trial and error during the knitting process. My swatch and tape measure became my best friends.

I had concerns about how this all would turn out, so I decided to select an economical yarn. I used Hometown USA yarn in Dallas Grey from Lion Brand Yarn. This yarn is quite soft and was only $7.00 a skein. It defiantly withstood multiple froggings, which was a good thing in this case. I highly recommend it for bulky items such as scarves or blankets. It makes for a quick knit and it is machine washable.

Well here it is! My Karl Cardigan. I named it Karl after the gloomy fog that frequently visits San Francisco. It is perfect for those slightly chilly fall days. I picture myself throwing it on to run errands, go out to brunch, or even wearing it on a casual date night.

Until Next Time,

Whit

Progress is Happening

I completed quite a bit of my Minette sweater for #Nakniswemo2014 this past weekend. However, the work week has hit and my progress has slowed. Good thing I have 27 more days left! I am really enjoying this pattern. It is a top down cardigan with just the right amount of detail around the neck and button panel. It wasn’t until the last year that I had made a sweater from the top down and  I have to say I prefer it.  Since I have a short torso,  I can hold my project up to myself and determine proportions a lot better from the neckline than the waistline.

I also am pleased with the yarn choice. I have worked with Cascade 220 in the past and was not a fan of the roughness on my fingers. It is a relief to not be having that issue with this project. Nothing is worse than rough yarn sliding through your fingers.

6″ inches already!!!

My Swatch

I also started one of the many Christmas gifts I need to make. I am creating a cowl using my leftover Rowan Softknit Cotton from my Flax Sweater. Isn’t this diagonal herringbone pattern awesome?  Since the yarn is such a neutral color, I really feel the cowl needs some texture to jazz it up.

Check this pattern out on Ravelry!

So what are  you working on?