forget about a work in progress, this is all about patience

Mason Dixon Baby Moderne Blanket

I started this blanket in February of 2007.  I am still knitting it.  And I have just realized that if I'm still knitting it in February of 2012, I will have been working on it for FIVE YEARS. 

This is when I start thinking about all of the things that have happened in my life since I started knitting this thing.  Off the top of my head, I can say that I've acquired a dog, a marriage, a second home and a career change since I started this blanket.  This is not to mention all of the amazing things that have happened in this world since I started knitting this blanket.  I am stuck between fascination and despair - fascination that I could let something take so long and despair over the fact that I have literally let it take so long.

What I have failed to mention is that this blanket has always been an intended gift for my husband.   And he has patiently waited, birthday after birthday, Christmas after Christmas, for the long promised blanket.

Now if that's not patience, I don't know what is.

fo:: argosy baby blanket

This project has been unfinished for so long that I don't even remember starting it.  It was definitely a work in progress for 3 years! If you think that's a long time, then, don't catch the post where I finally finish the Moderne Baby Blanket - that's been four years for sure!

This blanket has no intended recipient.  I started it because I inherited a bunch of acrylic yarn and I thought that, when finally complete, it would make a great car or stroller blanket.  The acrylic didn't really soften up in the blocking process, but it's still cute and warm.  And I like the color.

Project: Argosy Baby Blanket
Yarn: old old old acrylic yarn from The Bay
Needles: 4.5 mm addi turbos
Modifications: none

I would knit this blanket again in a heartbeat, now that I know how rewarding it is when it's finished.  It's an easy pattern to memorize and is overall an enjoyable knit.

Finally, it doesn't get much cuter than this, now, does it?

Long time no see:: Birthday Cowl as FO

Birthday Cowl in Red

As you can see, I haven't exactly been a faithful blogger over the last two years.  Sometimes you just have to take a long time off.  Studying to make a job change, a job change, a home change and job stress don't always make time for knitting.  However, as is the cycle of life, things have calmed down for now and I have found myself with a renewed inspiration towards knitting.  Projects that have languished in dresser drawers for two years are being welcomed into my world again and are slowly being worked toward completion. I look forward to sharing them.

In the meantime, I will feature projects that have been finished in the last two years but haven't been written about.  Given that I have recently celebrated turning 38 (38!! - crappers! can't believe it!!), I will start with the Birthday Cowl....




FO:: Birthday Cowl
For: me
Completed: Winter 2010
Yarn: Sirdar Snuggly DK in red
Needles: 4 mm
Link to pattern: here

Comments:  I made no modifications to this cowl.  It was an easy knit and I wear it frequently in the winter because the yarn is soft and it's super comfy to wear.  I can't stand anything itchy on my neck, so this is a frequent go-to accessory. The color also pops nicely against the brown and black coats I wear in the winter.

Return

It's kind of like coming home.

Sometimes you have to leave something entirely to realize that there are parts of you that want to return to where you were.

And so I return.

Life has been so busy and there just hasn't been time to do this, there's just been time to do other things. However, you realize after a while that if there's time to do the other things, then there is time to do this as well. So, here we are.

I kick off this return with a list of things to do. It's Spring Break for me and I have a list of things to complete:

- drop off drycleaning; get coats repaired (March 14)
- cutlery for downstairs kitchen (March 14)
- curtain for kitchen window
- call insurance company; cancel house insurance (March 16)
- call banks to change account names; order cheques (March 15)
- pick up parcel at post office (March 14)
- mail package to friend (March 14)
- lunch with Karen (March 14)
- dog walk with Jen
- paint ceramics with Kathy (March 16)
- clean out car
- clean out basement storage room (in process - started March 17)
- blood work (March 17)
- taxes (March 13)
- spa appointments (March 17)
- order new contacts (March 16)
- office supplies at Staples (March 13)
- yoga

..... I'll let you know how I do. When an item is complete, I'll write the date of completion next to it. Cheers!

fo: special day silk hat

Did you know that baby hats are the perfect one-skein stashbuster? I have been so obsessed with busting my stash by knitting baby hats that I actually forgot to post here in the month of April! I knit four hats, though, so at least there has been knitting happening at my house!

Here are the details:

Pattern: Special Day Silk Hat from Baby Beanies by Amanda Keeys

Yarn: Rowan Soft Baby in a beautiful butter yellow shade

Needles: 4.5 mm/ 16" circular - addi turbos

Modifications: None

Recipient: My mom purchased this from me this morning to give to a former neighbour's little baby.

Thoughts: Great and easy pattern but the ruffle is created by a k3tog pattern which was extremely difficult to knit. The result, however, is worth it in the end, wouldn't you say?

Happy May!

fo: springtime cowl

This is stashbusting project #3. The previous posts were all a part of Stashbust 2009, but this one is particularly relevant because this wool had been sitting in the stash for a while. I have two huge balls of this yarn and I just didn't know what to do with it - but the cowl craze seems to have hit me, so I decided that a cowl would be a worthy project for this yarn.

This project is also particularly relevant because I created this pattern on my own! My first real pattern! It alternates rows of stockinette with rows of garter stitch, but in between the those two types of stitch rows is a row of yarn-overs every second stitch. This creates a really cute row of eyelet lace - which I also recognize is super difficult to see with this yarn. I had originally thought that the eyelet lace would be a pretty accent because it was spring and having a lace pattern would be okay in a cowl designated specifically for spring time (you know, it's less about warmth and more about fashion). However, in the end, the cowl was way too big and I realized that if I wanted to actually wear the cowl, I was either going to have to gain 40 pounds on my neck, or I would have to turn the eyelet lace row into a makeshift row of button holes!

So, this actually works out quite nicely because I simply sewed the button onto the cowl and then, when I want to wear the cowl, I can decide how snugly I want the cowl to fit and simply loop an eyelet around the button. It creates a snug fit, but also a cute little ruffle that dresses up the cowl more than I ever could have imagined.

This is how it looks (sorry for the bad perspective, it was the first time I had really tried the timer function on the camera to take a picture of myself!):

You like? I like.

Finally, special thanks to Lolly for Project Spectrum 2009. This year's focus is on the Cardinal Directions and the March/April color choice of green had me MORE than motivated to use a little of this fancy yarn.

Project Details:

Pattern: Springtime Cowl by ME!

Yarn: Soft Delight by Yarn Bee

Needles: 5 mm addi turbos, 16 inch circular

Basic Pattern Details:

Springtime Cowl

Cast on an uneven number of stitches (I cast on 91 stitches but it was toooooo many!)

Join together, being careful not to twist

Place marker at join

Rows 1-4: garter stitch

Rows 5-8:stockinette stitch

Row 9: eyelet lace row - starting at marker *k2tog, yo, repeat from * to last st, k1

Rows 10-14: stockinette stitch

Rows 15-18: garter stitch

Repeat pattern until cowl is desired length (width? height? - I don't know). Be sure to finish with 4 rows of garter stitch.

Cast off with bigger needles.

Sew in ends.

To create ruffle (optional), sew button at front and in middle of stockinette section of your choice. Use eyelet lace rows as button holes and loop over button to create a snug fit.

Enjoy!

fo: berry bramble hat

This month's goal is to post at least three times. I'm already up to two - so this is going very well so far!

I finished this hat a few months ago and the picture even sat in the computer file for a while before I realized that I had the time to blog about it.

This pattern is the Berry Bramble Hat from a very cute little book called Knit One, Embellish Too by Cosette Cornelius-Bates. It's a glorious little book that appealed to me because I am currently under a binding agreement with my mom to "stash-bust" and this book offers lots of ideas for accessories just perfect for stash-busting!

Pattern: Berry Bramble Hat from Knit One, Embellish too
Yarn: Ella Rae Palermo, color 2
Needles: 4.5 mm addi turbos
For: Me! It's my dog-walking hat.

Modifications: The hat is actually supposed to have a cute little tree embroidered on the front in a contrasting yarn and buttons, but I did not have the patience to do this. It's also supposed to have a crochet-chain edging along the bottom of the hat, but I didn't do that either!

Comments: I love the hat and the way it looks, however, next time I would use a thicker yarn and maybe knit it in a smaller size. This was meant to be a dog-walking hat, and I have worn it to walk my dog, however, it just doesn't keep my head warm at -40 degrees (which is the only real time I think about wearing a hat). In any case, it's a jaunty little knit and I recommend it to anyone!

fo: presto chang-o

Blogging has been a long time coming at my house these days. Since Christmas, DH and I have each been sick twice and I am currently on my third round of sickness. In addtion, DH has been plagued with foot and back difficulties. The winter has not been kind to us - we are eager to see a change in the energy of our house!

This little project was a baby gift for DH's cousin and his wife. They are expecting their first child in April - we already know it's going to be a little girl and so this cute little sweater is the perfect gift for who I know will be the quintessential girly-girl!

The Specs:
Pattern: Presto-Chango by Jimmy Beans Wool
Size: 6 months
Yarn: Bernat Soy Naturals
Needles: 5 mm addi turbos
Modifications: none

This pattern is perfect for beginner knitters. The body is knit entirely in one piece and the front panel is an easy lace pattern that knits up quickly. I found the biggest challenge to be the time it took to sew on 8 buttons!

In the end, I'm super happy with the way it turned out and I would knit this sweater again in a second!

::25 Things About Me::

1. I love writing up random lists like this. It's amazing what comes into your mind when you have to think of 25 random things about yourself.

2. Even though I am very extroverted, I actually require a significant amount of alone time/ down time - which I think makes me an extroverted introvert (or an introverted extrovert!) ha haa!

3. I am very proud of being a teacher. It humbles me, inspires me and keeps me young.

4. I have a very difficult time with concealing my facial expressions. If I'm mad, you will know it by the look on my face. I would not make a very good poker player.

5. I worry excessively that I don't participate in my friendships enough, particularly with people who I've known for a long time but don't see very often.

6.I could probably talk about my dog all day long. He's just so damn cute.

7. I am a list person. I love making lists, I always have a list on the go, and when I'm stressed I make a list(s). When I make a list, I try to categorize the items into levels of importance and then I highlight items when they are finished.

8. I own a label-maker. Having read point #7 about me, you should not be surprised by this.

9. I have two blogs - one about knitting (in my defense, there are a lot of blogs about knitting) and one about teaching. I will not provide the links because I don't want Facebook to spam me and also because I enjoy the relative anonymity of the internet.

10. I love my husband more than anybody in this world. One of the things I love most about him is that he reads books. As an English teacher, I obviously enjoy this a lot. But what I love the most is that when I hold his hand, I feel completely safe.

11. I kind of get irritated when people who know that I'm an English teacher tell me I should "read this book - it's really great." I read for a living, people, and most of it is not what ANYONE would choose to read for pleasure.

12. Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself here, but I've never broken a bone and I've never had a cavity. And the grey streak in my hair is completely natural. That being said, my eyesight is so bad that I'm almost legally blind.

13. I suffered from panic attacks and anxiety for a long time. This is not a factor in my life anymore but I make sure I take good care of myself so I don't get there again!

14. I hate putting things away - I will leave something on a table and walk past it for months before I finally lose patience with myself and put it away.

15. My birth date is actually four consecutive 10's in a row - 10/10/1973 (10th month, 10th day, and if you break down 1973 ... 1+9=10 and 7+3= 10)

16. I currently have 15 purses in my closet. I also own about 40 pairs of shoes and at least 40 scarves. I know, I'm not exactly "accessories challenged."

17. I love hockey fights. I think they're awesome.

18. Since we're talking about hockey, I will say that I have become quite a hockey fan in the last few years. I like watching games and I even watch Sportscentre and listen to the Team 1200 on my own so I can learn more about the game. I am currently a little obsessed with the abysmal nature of the Ottawa Senators and I wish they would stop hanging their coaches out to dry.

19. I love fart jokes, ass jokes and inappropriate comments (okay, not when I'm teaching). I love it when people say things like "It smells like ass" and "Shut your cakehole" - I find it very entertaining and I always wish I had thought to say something witty like that.

20. I have a very messy car and a very messy office. However, check out any of my teaching binders and everything is in sheet protectors and divided perfectly into categories. I am a contradiction in progress!

21. I would like to be a high school principal one day.

22. I'm all about cheesy music: "The Sound of Music" is my favorite movie of all time, I can sing most of ABBA's songs from memory and I own all of Celine Dion's albums. I can't believe I just admitted all of that.

23. I often have road rage. Most people really do lose IQ points when they get behind the wheel of their car and I am usually the one driving behind them.

24. I am running out of things to write in this list - what the hell? - I'm never at a loss for words.

25. I like my life. As life goes, I think I've got it pretty good.

FO: Drop Stitch Scarf

this is the scarf that I thought was lost forever, until I prayed for it to come to me.... and it did. this, of course, has changed my entire perspective on the concept of praying.... but I'll save that for another time!

in order to close out the year the right way, I will leave 2008 by writing up a post that focuses on my new favorite thing - a finished object!

Project: Drop Stitch Scarf from Ravelry
Yarn: Ella Rae Palermo, Color #7
Needles: addi turbos, 4.5 mm
Start to Finish: August 2008 to December 2008
Recipient: Kathy, my sister-in-law

Special thanks to my Mom and my dog, Titus, for being such willing models on Christmas Day.

All the best to you and yours in 2009!

Krista :-)

i lost my knitting.... and have since lost my mind

seriously, we are in trouble here.

last summer, i started this scarf for my sister-in-law because i knew how much she wanted a handknit scarf. i carefully chose a fuschia blend wool (so not that colour in this photo, but I digress) because she has super cool black hair and brown eyes and fuschia would look super cool on her.

so, anyway, i've been plugging away at this drop-stitch scarf since summer and i finally realize the other day that i better finish it because Christmas Day is ... um... SOON. so i started up again with renewed vigor and then...... well, then..........

i had to clean. the house. for a party.

and somewhere in my cleaning, i put the scarf somewhere in a "safe place" because i would obviously remember, after the party, where i put the yarn.

however.

i can't remember where the safe place is and i cannot find the half-knitted scarf that I now only have two more days to knit. i've looked in all of my knitterly places - like baskets and closets and plastic containers, but to no avail. i've also looked in all non-knitterly places - like the dog's toybox, the fridge and the TV cabinet. no luck.

i am now only left with my mother's advice:

"just sit down and relax and say "Okay, scarf, come to me"" and it will."

okay, mom, this one's for you and full proof that i've lost my knitting and my mind:

Okay, scarf, come to me!

**ETA Dec. 23: The freaking scarf came to me! When I least expected it and when I was most relaxed. And I found it in the TV stand!!! Who knew? The lesson here, of course:

Never doubt your mother.

shawl fever.... not really

Previous posts have alluded to the difficulty I had finishing this shawl, however, once it was finished, I immediately thought about starting another one!

As a finished project the Goldielocks Triangle Shawl is quite pretty and very light. A perfect accessory to any type of outfit. I just might knit one for myself one day, considering that I have 2.5 more hanks of the stuff.

The specs: Goldielocks Triangle Shawl from Fleece Artist
Yarn: Goldielocks yarn from Fleece Artist (but I don't see it on their website anymore so maybe they no longer have it)
Needles: 6 mm addi turbos
Project length: about 10 months
*** no modifications, except that I probably cast off too early and next time I will cast off with a bigger needle. *sigh*

For: Mom.... on her birthday!

baby fever

I'm not quite sure there's anything cuter than a pair of baby booties.

Anything? Anyone?

I didn't think so.

These booties are for my friend/colleague Corinne, who is expecting her first baby in December.

The 411:

Pattern: "Be-ribboned Booties" from One Skein Wonders.

Needles: 3.25 mm addi turbos.

Yarn: Lang Mille Colori, can't remember the colorway.

Comments:This was a super bulky yarn purposely knit on a smaller needle to increase the strength and warmth of the bootie. Sometimes the yarn was difficult to knit with on such a small needle, but the variegated colors in the yarn and the simple garter stitch combined to make such an awesome texture, that I forced myself to stick with it. I did have cramps in my hands for days afterwards, though!

And I couldn't bear to give Corinne a pair of booties without a cute sweater to match!

The 411:

Pattern: "One piece Baby Kimono" from Mason Dixon Knitting

Needles: 4.5mm addi turbos

Yarn: Rowan soft baby in yellow

Comments: The yarn wasn't as easy to knit with as I thought it would be, but it ended up being so soft that I don't really care. The pattern itself was a dream to knit - excellent for TV watching. I improvised on the closing of the wrap front - just using ribbons and buttons. Hard to explain how I did it, but let's just say that the only effort required was sewing on the button and slipping the ribbon through the knitted stitches to create a tie. I'm quite happy with the end result.

Cue the picture of super cute button detail:

FO: Dishcloths for Kim

These dish cloths are for Kim, a co-worker of mine who turned the concept of tradition on its ear and bought a house by herself. Let’s face it, it’s fairly common to wait until one is part of a couple to make such a monumental purchase and I’m proud of Kim for choosing not to wait and to go it alone. Such an accomplishment deserves something small and noteworthy – like some cotton dishcloths and kitchen soap from Tval.

Congratulations, Kim! I, too, was one of those females who stared tradition in the face and purchased a home on my own. It’s an accomplishment to be proud of because it means that there has been years of individual scrimping and saving to make a dream come true.

Aren't we women awesome?

Pattern specs: Traditional dishcloth pattern (the one where you cast on 3 stitches and then start each row with k2, yo, k to the end to increase and then decrease with k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k to end)

Yarn: Bernat dishcloth cotton

Needles: Addi turbos, 4.5 mm circular

FO: whale of a tail hat (project spectrum continues)

I spotted this hat in a craft shop during my most recent trip to Newfoundland. Spotting the hat equals finding the pattern (in my mind) so off I went to Wool Trends in St. John's and found it - it's called A Whale of A Tail hat and it's by Cabin Fever.

This hat is surprisingly easy to knit - even the little whale tail at the top was not that difficult - only a little awkward. I mean, the tail is done with dpns and when you're down to 8 stitches and you're knitting two together and trying to keep the wool from twisting, I felt like I was just barely controlling it all, but it turned out okay in the end!

Wool: Ella Rae Palermo

Needles: Addi turbos 4mm / 60 cm long then switched to bamboo 4 mm dpns to finish

Modifications: I started the decreases a lot earlier than called for because I wanted the hat to hug my head and not end up like one long tube.

Totally enjoyable and fun. I completely intend to wear this on my morning dog walks during the winter, because something has to be fun and enjoyable about walking the dog in -25 degrees and complete darkness at 6 a.m.

Posts will be even more brief and sporadic over the next few weeks. School is starting up and God knows what will come up between now and October that will sabotage honest knitting and blogging efforts.

sometimes the decision to finish is made for you

As I have previously posted, the lovely horseshoe pattern scarf was taking nothing short of forever to finish. A finicky pattern, combined with slippery yarn and needles, tested my patience for almost a year and a half. But then, along came Lolly and the Project Spectrum Water element and I said to myself, "enough is enough, this is the inspiration you need to finish this personal knitting nemesis of yours."

And so, with renewed vigor and inspiration, I decided to switch the type of needles I was using (from Addi turbos to bamboo) and off I rode towards the finish line. One Friday night, however, as I was nearing the end of the skein (I figured I had approximately 1-2 repeats of the pattern left before casting off), I decided to take a break from the knitting and my marathon viewing of the Season 2 DVD of Gilmore Girls, and went upstairs to check email.

Well, email turned into internet surfing, which turned into checking my blog roll, which turned into Ravelry surfing, which basically turned into me being completely absorbed by the computer. Now this, you may agree, is perfectly fine as long as you don't happen to own a miniature schnauzer puppy with a major yarn fetish. Which I do.

So, the realization that I had left my long laboured over Handmaiden Seacell/Silk blend horseshoe pattern scarf on the seat of the recliner in the living room WITHIN eating distance of the schnauzer with a yarn fetish was somewhat like the realization that Sephora cosmetics (oh, makeup how I love thee) was finally coming to Canada -- I think the earth moved. And, as a result, I developed a sudden likeness to a certain Usain Bolt and probably made it downstairs in less than a second to see how much damage had been incurred to my knitting (my time getting to Sephora was significantly slower and hampered by a 20 minutes drive downtown - for those who need to know).

Anyway, sure enough, no recliner seat is too high for the "Super Schnauze" when the end result is chomping down on some yarn, and when I landed in the living room, there sat Titus on the living room rug surrounded by Handmaiden yarn, calmly SWALLOWING and EATING the remainder of the skein. It was the most concentration and devotion you will ever see on a dog's face and his thought process was incredibly obvious: this (swallow) is (swallow) sooooooo (swallow) good(swallow).....yummmmmmmmmmmmy (swallow).

How maddening. Seriously.

Is it much of a surprise, then, that my only way to stop this madness was to pick up the yarn from the rug and start pulling on it? Pulling so that what had just gone in to the dog's mouth was now coming out? I tell you, I had no choice - that skein cost me 35 bucks and I would be damned if the dog was going to dictate when I was actually finished with this scarf.

So I pulled.

And pulled.

And pulled a little more.

After about a minute of solid pulling, I was left with about 5 feet of goopy, swallowed Seacell yarn and a dog with a huge yarn-eating grin on his face. My only choice? To cut the yarn off, cast off, and try to salvage the remaining pieces in case I wanted to add on a fringe. Which I haven't done yet because I think I'm still traumatized by pulling 5 feet of yarn out of my dog's mouth and stomach.

As I said at the beginning... sometimes the decision to finish is made for you.

And, sometimes, the dog knows better than you do because the scarf is just fine as it is.

restoring order

have you ever noticed that sometimes you declare something to be true and then, once it is declared, it changes to something else within days?

such is what happened with the last post, where i declared that I seemed to be starting more and finishing less. ever since I wrote that post, I have been obsessively finishing things and restoring order to my home. the finished items will come later... right now it's about restoring order.


restoring order (decluttering, reorganizing, tossing out, recycling, buying new) seems to be what I do on my vacation. as a teacher, i have ooooooooodles of vacation time (no need to make me feel guilty, my DH does that) and i find myself using "restoring order" as a way to relax. i find that the chaos of a school year does not allow me to keep up with housework or simple organization, so i tend to do it during holidays. it grounds me.



on my current "restoring order" list:

- cleaning up my office to make room for a new dresser to hold my yarn and a new bookcase to hold my books

- finding art posters that we purchased in Nice, France on my husband's desk - they get new frames tomorrow!

- finding wedding gifts in the spare bedroom closet and either: putting them to use where they need to go (e.g. the new ironing board cover) or finding places to display them

- cleaning up the laundry room with a new rug, new shelves, and a new curtain - because laundry should be more fun than it really is

- gathering up gently used clothing and housewares that I no longer need to donate to the local women's shelter

- writing thank you notes for our wedding gifts


.... and much much more, of course. Some might wonder why I would choose to do so much during my holidays. And I say: because it makes me feel balanced, grounded and centred like these rocks:



















how do you restore order to your life? do you find it as relaxing as I do?

starting more, finishing less

It seems that this summer may be a lot about starting things and a little less about finishing things. The Argosy scarf has been finished, the horseshoe pattern scarf is definitely closer to finished than started (it's my Water project for Project Spectrum), but the Goldilocks shawl has been s-h-e-l-v-e-d. Listen, I lurrrrrrrrrrrvs me some garter stitch, but there's something mind-numbing about garter stitch when I'm working on that shawl...... it kills me, it pains me, it makes me want to chew broken glass.........

So while it's been shelved, I continue work on other projects. The perfect baby kimono, a la Mason-Dixon knitting, and a little Whale of a Tail hat that I happened upon when I was in Newfoundland (see first pic). It's just a basic hat with a little whale tail that comes out the top of it, like a whale's tail comes out of the water. So cute! And it will be for me! So I continue to work on it....

And finally, in addition to travel, eating, shopping and lots of sleeping, this summer has been a whole lot about Titus. We've become so attached, that he now has to sit on my lap while I am at the computer; it is somewhat difficult to update a blog when a 25 pound miniature schnauzer is on your lap and breathing in your face. As DH and I always say......

"At least he's cute."

FO: Ashley's Argosy

These are my friends Karen and Ashley. Ashley (to the right) is heading off to Thailand to teach for two whole years this Friday. She is going to be missed - she's bright, hilarious, beautiful, organized and she has one amazing laugh. On top of this, she is a great friend and many moons ago, I decided that I wanted to knit her something to take with her to Thailand.

Now you just can't knit any old thing and send it on to Thailand, since I understand that it is somewhat of a tropical country and woolen garments/accessories/items do not exactly make great Thailand fashion (all you people who spout about the breathability and "wicking-ness" of wool can just shush right now, even you guys wouldn't knit something out of wool for someone in Thailand). So I dove into the stash and resurfaced with some Paton's Grace (color: tangelo - sounds like ice cream!) and some 4 mm needles (the wrong needle size in the end, ...pecsh!) and the perfect pattern: the Argosy scarf. It took quite a while to knit but it was worth it because it blocked like a dream and now Ashley is going to float off to Thailand with gorgeous cotton-y scarf like beautifulness wrapped around her neck.

So you'd think that, after all of my enthusiasm for this project, I would have the presence of mind to take a picture of Ashley while she was wearing the scarf, but I was too busy giving her a hug and wishing her well. So instead, I'm stuck with this crappy picture of the Argosy in its completion.... and if someone knows how to photograph the color orange, please let me know!


Safe travels, Ashley! Keep in touch! xoxo

Homeward Bound

Off to spend a week in my favorite place in the world - Newfoundland (see pic). My cousin Natalie is getting married on Saturday so it will be a week full of serious Newfoundland-type partying.

Making good progress on the Argosy scarf (thank god) and will finish in the next week. I will bring it with me on my trip and will hopefully finish, but not while I'm partying, okay? I will also bring a baby sweater that I am working on. Hoping to make lots of progress on that because I will rely on my super-knitting grandmother to help me figure out seaming the sweater together.

Enjoy your week. Looking forward to posting photos when I return!