I Love Fall

This is how I feel when all the new fall patterns come out:

Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of time and would probably knit my fingers clean off, but come on, just look at all the new Knitty has to offer:

Ooooohhh

Ahhhhhhh

                                                                        Drool....

                                                                     So pretty...

Unfortunately, it's not feasible to knit ALL the things.  I'm still plugging away at Lowry...and Inlay...and you know, other productive things, so back to being productive I go.  Sigh.

Oh, and that decor post I promised you this week?  We've got a couple of exciting new developments on the way, so it's going to get pushed back.  This week, I'll have a pretty new beret to show you.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

-Allie

PS: For those of you don't get ALL the things, or just want a good chuckle: Hyperbole and a Half

First Test Knit

I did it.  I finished my first assignment, the Vertical Waves Tank by Knit One Crochet Too:

Once I got the pattern figured out, the whole thing only took me about a week.  Of course, that could have something to do with how ridiculous I've allowed my queue to become and how eager I was to move on to the next project.  But now it's done and I've sent it back to Knit One Crochet Too along with my swatch and the leftovers.  I got an email from them the other day--they were very pleased with my work and asked if I want to do more in the future!  How cool is that??  I've already been paid for this piece, but I don't know what/when the next project will be.  I'll keep you posted.

This one was a pretty fun knit, which could have something to do with how fast it was!  The yarn was not my first choice, I mean, microfiber orange?  I will grant that it is soft and I'm sure that color looks good one someone, but that someone is not me. 

However, I do like the wave pattern--no cables, just increases and decreases:

(Color is truer in the first photo)  What a cool motif!

If I were to knit this pattern again, I would have to make some changes, like waist shaping, bring the neckline down, and finish the armhole edges.  It's a good basic pattern and would be good for someone who wants to learn a simple cable without worrying about shaping the sweater.

I can't wait to see what they have next!

For next time: as you recall, Hubby and I decided to put off house hunting in favor of paying for his tuition while he studies to get his CPA, which means we've renewed our lease in our current apartment for another year.  Next time I'll take you for a tour around the place and show you some before and after decor shots.  Get excited--I'm really proud of some of my improvements!

Cheers,

-Allie

New York Cardigan

As promised, here is my latest selfish knit, the New York Cardigan:

What a nice, drapy cardigan for fall!  The weather in Maine is finally starting to cool off and I get to pull out all my beautiful creations again, hurray!  I had originally intended to make this sweater 3/4 sleeved, but lacked the foresight to order enough yarn.  Oops.  Guess I have to wear it with long-sleeved tees underneath.  Oh well.

The yarn is delicious, too.  Gloss (merino/silk) with the softness, and the drape, and the sheen...drool... Good color for fall, too!

(Doesn't my hair look nice in that photo?  All shiny...)

Anyway!  In terms of difficulty, I would rate this one a "tangy" on the Knitty scale.  (Speaking of, have you noticed that Deep Fall is up?  I actually see some things I like in there.  To bad they have to wait until I get through some of my monstrous queue!). 

The body was super easy--just a basic raglan with yarnover increases and then transitioning into the lace.  However, the lace "scarf" part was really, really tedious.  I got so tired of the pattern after maybe the 3rd repeat.  I guess this is why I don't knit scarves very often!  It makes for good tv knitting, but be warned about the tedious factor! 

The only reason I got it done as quickly as I did was because I wanted to move on to my first test knit and finish that sucker under deadline...and then I just wanted to be done with that as quickly as possible.  Someone needs to work on their attention span, don't you think?

The good news is that I finished the test knit tank top this weekend and Joyce at Knit One Crochet Too tells me that they received (and liked!) it today.  She asked me if I wanted to do more projects in the future--so of course I said yes!  I'm just hoping that next time they'll send me something that isn't neon orange.  I've asked if they're okay with my posting pictures of my test knits online so perhaps next time I'll have some test knit pictures to show you--or maybe we can just do a collective drool over some of the patterns in Knitty?  What do you think?

Cheers,

-Allie