Sometimes the sea of canvases parts before you and the right project reveals itself. It’s like magic. You know this is the one. You must be united for life. There has never been a more perfect canvas for you.
Well that happened to me. Today.
But for real! How was I supposed to simply walk away from this?? It will be the cutest pillow in town and it will be all mine!
Well it’s almost June and that means we’re almost half way through the year. Where the heck has it gone?? I suppose that this is as good a time as any to have a little progress report of my 2105 resolution: finish all the WIPs!!
Remember the Mystery KAL I mentioned back in January??
FINISHED!
To say that this is one of my favorite pieces ever is a major understatement. It’s so cozy to wear and the colors are amazing. I ran into the designer of this shawl while I was at Vogue Knitting Live and he was pretty impressed…and I may or may not have fan-girled a little over him….it’s whatever.
I also mentioned my chunky triangle shawl at the beginning of the year and I’m proud to say that it too is FINISHED!
While the weather was a little into Spring by the time I finished this I did get 2 or 3 days of wear in it. Let me tell you, this shawl and I are never going to part come winter. It engulfs me and I couldn’t be happier about it. And let’s be honest, fringe is pretty much the shiz.
One piece I didn’t mention was a super soft Alpaca cowl that I had promised Karli I would make for her. FINISHED!
Luckily it WAS still winter so she had ample time to be snuggled by this guy. Alpaca and winter go together like a kitchner stitched seam. Get it?? Yarn humor. Moving on.
Those are the only personal pieces I’ve finished so far. Now before you go saying “C’mon Sarah, we know you’re always knitting….how can that be all???” let me show you the other things I’ve made this year for the store.
…I also learned to needlepoint.
I can only hope that the my good momentum will continue! Going to Europe in a couple weeks will definitely put a little pause on some things but don’t get it twisted, I’ll have a project with me. Hooray for 2015 and getting shiz done! It feels pretty grand.
I’ve decided that my wonderful track record of starting projects and never finishing them is going to be dealt with this year. I have so many wonderful things on needles, half stitched, and in progress that I can’t wait to have, and yet the minute I see the next love of my life pattern it’s like I have blinders on and things get pushed aside. Well no more! I am determined to spend this year finishing the things I’ve started. For my sanity and my wallet.
And of course I have not 1, but 2 sweaters in progress. The one to the right only needs sleeves and it’s finished. That’s all! The one to the left I started BEFORE the one on the right. Are you seeing the pattern here….
Well, it happened again. I was consumed by a yarn. {holds head in shame} This time the takeover was much slower and very gradual but it still happened nonetheless. A couple weeks ago this very interesting cotton fabric yarn popped up in the store. It looked as though strips of fabric had been cut and then twisted around a string to make a yarn. Knitting AND fabric…I mean come on. One problem though, no one had a clue what to do with it. Every couple of days a customer would ask about what to do with it. I would shrug my shoulders. There weren’t any patterns for it so it was hard to imagine what the possibilities were. A rug? A bag? It was a real head scratcher. As the days went by and I looked at the yarn, a little idea started to creep up. I saw a big needle. Like US35 big. The thought of them alone was exciting. I haven’t made a project on such large needles yet so the prospects seemed wonderful. A holy, loosey, goosey summer cowl. Yes!
So cast on I did! And again, and again. I forgot how much experimenting comes with creating something from nothing; the scientist in me was napping apparently. Once I figured out a proper cast on number I went to knitting. After a couple rows it became clear that a US35 was just not the proper needle for this project. There was little to no stitch definition and I was barely an inch in and the ball was almost used up. So frog I did. My next try was the US19 and it made all the difference. I fiddled with knits here and yarn overs there and the end result was a super unique cowl that I absolutely love! The pattern on the fabric gave me a country vibe but it’s still a girly accessory so I named it Daisy Duke!
Here she is!
The yarn is called Wildflower by Knit Collage and it comes in 3 other super cute colors. There isn’t a lot of yardage on each skein so I needed 2 for this cowl.
Thanks to my pal Brie for snapping these shots. It takes a village folks and I’m sure glad I’ve got that gal in mine!
The pattern is available on my Ravelry page and will be on my Etsy soon!
When I decided on using mitered squares for my mood blanket I didn’t really think about how to connect them and beyond that how to connect the rows together. I just knew I liked the way they looked and that people had been connecting them somehow. So mitered squaring I was. Connecting the first row of squares as I made them was easy. When it came time to start row 2…then the trouble came. I knew I wanted my diagonals to go in the same direction as row 1 so I figured out how to make the first square and quickly realized that square 2 and the rest of the row wouldn’t prove to be as easy. I didn’t want to bother with seaming 2 long rows together so I scoured the interwebs for some kind of solution. I quickly realized that the easiest way to connect mitered squares just happens to be in a diagonal fashion . I certainly wasn’t about to un-knit 21 days of progress so I knew I had to find another answer and find another answer I did! So I figured it was only the nice thing to do to share my answer with anyone else who cares to know. So I took some pictures and I’ll explain my steps. If something doesn’t seem right or you have any questions, just ask!
Note: I’m making my squares with 20 stitches on each side so if you attempt this with a different sized square, adjust your numbers accordingly.
I’ll be referring to 3 different squares to work with:
-The Previous Square-the square in the same row as your new square: Pink
-The New Square-the square you’re knitting: Yellow
-The Top Row Square-the square in the row above your new square: Blue
Let’s go!
Step 1:
 |
| (RS) |
 |
| (WS) |
 |
| (WS) |
 |
| (WS) |
 |
| (RS) |
 |
| (RS) |
 |
| (RS) |
 |
| (RS) |
Guys…..for real….I’ve found the most wonderful project of all time! My friend Holly over at Crafty Holly Louise posted about this particular project she found on instagram(there’s a blog now!) that has taken the crochet world by storm!! It’s called the Crochet Mood Blanket 2014. The idea is that you designate a number of colors of yarn (as many as you wish) to moods that you feel. Then you pick a pattern to crochet and each day make 1 block with the color of your mood that day. Awesome right?! Except for that minor detail of the fact that I don’t know how to crochet!! Obviously I wasn’t going to let that stop me so I decided on knitting my instead. duh.
Most people are making it in a DK weight so I chose Tosh DK by madelinetosh….because their yarns are my all time fave. A girl that comes into the yarn shop where I work is currently working on a blanket with miter squares and I love the way it looks so I decided that would be my pattern. With those decisions made I went about choosing my moods and colors. Since madelinetosh comes up with such great names for their colors I wanted to base my moods off the color names as much as I could. This is what I came up with and I couldn’t be happier!
Last night I went about figuring out my moods for the days in January I missed so I can catch up and today I decided that I needed a yarn for good ol’ happiness so I chose Courbet’s Green. My squares come out to be about 3 1/4 inches and I want the finished shape to be square as well so I decided 20 rows x 20 rows (with a few extra squares to fill the last row) will do and make a nice humongous blanket! I can’t wait to sit down and catch up!! I see a lot of edison bulb and courbet’s green happening in the month of January.
It’s especially awesome to see the way this blanket idea has taken off. There’s a Facebook group for people making it with over 3,000 people in it. Everyone shares their progress, asks for suggestions and really encourages each other. It’s really amazing to be a part of. And if you feel inspired and want to join in the fun DO IT! It’s not too late and who says you can’t start your year today! There really are no rules! I can’t wait to share my progress with you all here and see this blanket take shape. It’s my first, so it’s even more special.
This year I decided that I would make some winter hats as Christmas gifts for the folks I work with at the wine store! The yarn shop I work at had just gotten in some really great chunky yarn that came in the most magnificent colors so I just knew it would be perfect to use for some hats. I thoughtfully chose a different color that I thought would compliment each of my co-workers. I took into consideration their skin tones, winter coat colors, and favorite sports teams…it was a process I took very seriously.
And because I wanted these hats to be just right and made with love and intention I decided to go ahead and make my own pattern for them! I wanted a pattern that I could knit on the subway and that looked good on a man or a woman. And since the yarn is so beautiful I knew the pattern wouldn’t need a lot of detail.
So, after a few trials, frogging, and re-knitting I came up with a hat that fit all my criteria! And since I’m such a swell gal I thought I’d share the pattern with all you folks! I give you…
Weave in all ends. 
A couple months back, while I was working at the knitting shop, I came across this particular yarn and needless to say, it was love. I’m sure any of my fellow knitters/crocheters can understand the mystical draw of a yarn that really speaks to you. It immediately takes over your thoughts as well as your project list and wallet. You have no idea what you’ll use it for but you know it has to be yours, before anyone else can discover its glory and get it first. So when I saw this yarn, madelinetosh pashmina worsted in Rain Water, my craft gears were in overdrive. In order to make sure that I was having some kind of head on my shoulders I told myself that I wouldn’t buy the yarn until I actually had a project for it (you can imagine the anxiety this gave me as there were only 3 skein left!). I began scouring Ravelry for the perfect project and quickly determined that a cowl would be the best use of this luscious yarn. But which? I searched and searched and just couldn’t seem to find the right pattern that would really do my yarn justice. It’s one of those things where, when you know, you know. I had an idea of what I wanted in my head but it didn’t seem that such a pattern existed. I was feeling defeated. My beautiful yarn needed a soul mate. Then, it dawned on me…
…why don’t I just make my own pattern? If I could figure out a way to translate the vision in my head to a pattern that looked similar, my dream cowl could be a reality! The swatching process began. There were needle sizes to gauge and pattern combinations to be tested. The end product was quite the hodge-podge of crazy but man was it helpful to really seeing how things would turn out if I used different techniques. I will never again underestimate the importance of swatching. I now had a clear vision of what I wanted to do and how I was going to do it. It was time to cast on.
And cast on I did. I even got a solid 2″ into the pattern when I realized that it just wouldn’t do. There were already a few too many hiccups along the way and I just couldn’t have them tainting my vision for this yarn. Frogging had to be done, and lots of it. And it was in my frogging that I was also able to realize that my original number of cast on stitches just wouldn’t be enough either. As much of a pain as frogging can be, it certainly proved educational this time. As did taking notes. So important.
I cast on again, this time with just a tad more focus and determination to not only NOT mess up but also figure out how to correct any mistakes that were made. I would keep it with me to work on while I rode the subway every other day or so and found that I could knit a little more than a row per subway ride. (Let me tell you, there’s nothing like knitting on the subway to really make you feel it when people are looking at you) In about a month I had my cowl complete. It was everything I wanted it to be and I couldn’t be happier. Now it needed a name. Something feminine and meaningful. It had to be named Carol, after my grandmother. I owe so much of my talent to her and I would have never picked up knitting needles if she hadn’t have passed them down to me. So it was only right that this be The Carol Cowl.
I couldn’t be happier with it! It’s exactly what I wanted and I’m so glad I took the time to play with it and really work it out. Now if only the weather would cool down a tad so I can wear it!
I’ve been knitting for 3 years now and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to be able to say this but…I’m making my first sweater!!!!!! When I got the job at Annie & Company I told my friends for days that I was secretly hoping my boss would tell me that she wanted me to learn how to make a sweater. Come my first day, my boss said that very thing! I couldn’t believe my ears. I spent a week scanning through patterns on Ravelry and looking through books in order to find the perfect sweater. It wanted to find a pattern that wouldn’t be too far out of my skill level but was still something new that I could be challenged by. One night on Ravelry I found the perfect sweater. It’s called Aidez and the minute I saw it I knew it had to be mine. It’s so comfy and cozy looking and I even loved the color that it was made in originally. Clearly, this was meant to be. The next (and most important) step was picking the perfect yarn. I knew I wanted something neutral in color and soft to the touch. It only took less then a day and a little guidance to pick The One. I decided on Rowan Cocoon on the color Frost ( which is a natural/tan). This particular yarn in 80% Merino Wool and 20% Kid Mohair which means it’s super duper soft and I pretty much love it. I’m so happy with my choice!
I started the sweater as soon as I possibly could. I was so excited! I quickly realized that this sweater was just right for me. It has tons of cables and knits together really quickly so even doing a couple rows makes it seem like I’ve accomplished a good amount. So far I’ve finished the back piece and I’m working on one of the front sides. Everything’s knit on straight needles so it’s done in pieces and sewn together. In order to avoid sleeve seams though I think I’ll knit the sleeves on circular needles. I read a lot of the posts from the other people that made this sweater and many of them made the whole thing in the round but I decided early on that I didn’t want to take too many chanced by changing the way the pattern is written. Better to air on the safe side for my first sweater. The last thing I want is to get too ahead of myself and go changing things and making mistakes.
So that’s my first sweater so far. I really can’t wait to have it to wear. It’s gonna be great! As I get more done on it, and other projects I’m working on, I’ll be sure to post about it here. Working at a knitting store has really lit a fire under my ass as far as crafting is concerned. I missed it a lot and am still sad that my sewing machine didn’t get to make the trip (yet) but for now I’m really enjoying all the new opportunities I’m finding through knitting. It feels amazing!
The hotel is dark this entire week which means CRAFT TIME FOR SARAH!!!! It’s pretty exciting I know. I’ve decided that I need to work on at least 1 thing every day this week, big or small. Last night started things off nicely with finishing a hat for a friend of mine. He knows that he’s getting a hat but he doesn’t know what it looks like so I won’t be putting it on here just yet. All that’s left is to tie in the ends (blah).
Today I slept in till 11! Pretty scandalous for me. So it was right to work upon awakening. To get into the swing of things I decided to finally do a DIY from my “future projects” board on Pinterest. Too often I want to try something I see on there and then forget or just don’t do it. So with great determination I went to choosing my project. Upon scanning my pins I knew which one I would conquer.
 |
| Just a little large!! Time to fix that! |
Years ago in high school I managed to convince this kid to give me a shirt of this that I adored. It’s a men’s XL Tee with a picture of Jim Morrison, of The Doors, on it and the lyrics to People Are Strange on the back. I remember being obsessed with it back then but to this day have no idea how I was able to coerce him to give it to me. It’s still one of my favorite tees but I don’t wear it for much other than sleeping since it’s so big on me. It was time to up-cycle it.
Enter Trash to Couture, the super awesome blog where I found this great tutorial on turning a large t-shirt into a cute dolman tee. As a fan of the dolman tee I knew this was the project for me.
Per the directions I went to cutting the sleeves first. Since I’ve worked with T-shirts before I was more than aware of the fact that cotton will curl as soon as you cut it. So I decided it would be better to measure the sleeve in my arm first then sew the diagonals and cut the excess off afterwards. It made sewing it SO much easier!
 |
| No curling here!! |
I did the same measuring on my hips before doing the gathering portion of the tutorial. I didn’t want to sew it too small or not small enough and have to redo it over and over again. Once i marked how far to sew in I guest-timated that starting 4 inches above the hem would be sufficient. Lucky for me it was!
There was really no method here. I simply tucked the fabric as I sewed it. Easy Peasy!
When it came to sewing from the gathering point to the arm I found myself doing a sew-and-check pattern. I would sew it then try it on and sew it again until I thought it looked right. It didn’t take too many try’s to get it the way I wanted.
I switched things up even more by doing the first step in the tutorial last. I know, I’m a rebel. That way, again, I could cut little by little until it looked the way I wanted it too. I like tees that fall off one shoulder so I prefer a bit of a wider neck.
FINISHED!! And I looooove it! This was SO easy to do and I can’t wait to try it on all my other huge shirts!!
There are tons of other really great DIYs on that blog too that I hope to try eventually. That gal is so crafty!
The rest of my day was spent working on a fleece tie blanket to sell on my Etsy page as well as working on a flannel shirt that I had started for myself back at the beginning of the year. Most of the work was already done, it was just a matter of getting the sleeves finished, put on, and hemming the bottom. Such little work yet I’d put it off for this long! Shameful. And even though I wasn’t able to finish it today it’s now much closer to being done and I’m determined to get it done this week. Hopefully I’ll even get to wear it now that the chilly weather is once again upon us.
So there you have it! One crafty Monday in the books! Hopefully the rest of my week will be just as productive!
