Saint Rémy

This is rather a late post and I'm sure you've all noticed by now, but if you haven't, my sweater pattern, Saint Rémy in the latest issue of Knitty!!

That's me!!  I am simply beside myself with excitement.  This is my very first professionally published pattern and in Knitty!!  I could gush for roughly years about how happy this makes me, but will suffice to say that I am deeply flattered and honored to be included in such an illustrious and well-seasoned publication.  Thank you, too, all those involved in the decision-making and editing processes that made this possible.  Another big thank you to Bristol Ivy for her absolutely stunning photography!

My first inspiration was the color palette - the vibrant contrast of the canary yellow against a deep, regal blue - and was unable to break away from images of starry skies.  And, art history dork that I am, I kept coming back to Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night, struck by the similarities in color and shape between my swatches and the Dutch painter's depiction of the night sky of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France.  Thus, Saint Rémy, the sweater was born!

The yarn is Quince & Co.'s Finch, a smooth, but delightfully springy fingering weight yarn.  I think it's fair to say this is my new favorite yarn.  It comes in an astonishingly vibrant variety of colors and the smooth ply is equally friendly to cables and colorwork.  Plus, it's soft and squishy and a real pleasure to wear.  I totally could not wait for the first rainy day after this pattern came out just so I could take her out in public - who cares if it's June?? (I mean, those photos were taken last August, anyway)

Saint Rémy is an elegant, fitted sweater suitable for work or play.  The brilliantly colored yoke draws the eye upward to the wearer's face and the subtle waist shaping serves to flatter any body type.

So please, tell all your friends! Add it to your Ravelry queue! Cast it on and give it a go!  If you have any questions or confusion, please shoot me an email.

Now that I've finished my little electronic happy dance, I hope you all have a lovely fiber-ful day!

-Allie

Lowry Pullover

I know it's not Thanksgiving yet, but Christmas knitting is already in full swing.  You have to start early if you want to get any sleep during the holiday season--and if you want to finish something pretty for yourself!

I started this little number back in September, but then we had a crazy busy October, as stated above, I had to get going on my holiday knitting!  I'm already about 65% of the way done with Hubby's sweater, but have lots more to go.  At least I can cross this one off my list:

Very festive!

The pattern is Lowry by Avril Lang and was featured in Knit Scene Fall 2011.  I would highly recommend that issue--there were a ton of great projects I want to knit in the future, projects for every skill set!

Part of what took so long with this sweater was the allover honeycomb cable pattern.  It's a little hard to see in this picture, but there is a gorgeous hourglass pattern throughout the piece.  The cable pattern is also super stretchy and you knit this sweater with about 10-12" of negative ease (pick a size about 10" smaller than your usual size so it stretches).  Don't be nervous, it'll hug your curves beautifully!

Unfortunately, the same principle didn't seem to apply to the sleeves.  They came out SO tight!  You can see the stretching in the first picture.  It's a little bit uncomfortable.  I know the yarn I used will stretch a little (Knit Picks Stroll Sport), but even so, I'm considering taking the sleeves off and knitting them again--once I get a little further into my holiday knitting, of course!

If you plan on trying this sweater, knit the sleeves a size or two bigger than the rest of the sweater.  The sleeve sizes in this pattern run a little small, even if you don't have the forarms of a Disney prince!

For next time, depending on how productive I am, I might have a sweater to show you or I might have a little knit ornament to show you!  (Pray for a sweater.  I'm getting a little tired of the miles and miles of stockinette in the sweater pattern Hubby picked!)

Until next time!

Cheers,

-Allie

PS: If you're not on Pinterest already, what are you waiting for??  I added a little button to the sidebar that links to my pinboards.  Need an invite?  Let me know!

Lizette and a BIG Announcement

Okay, maybe not so big anymore.  A lot of you are friends with me on Facebook, so you know bits and pieces, but I quit my job last week!!!  Yay!!!  I got an offer for a paralegal job with a bigger firm with a better reputation and for more money.  How awesome is that???  I get to leave Brunswick and the boss that I've loathed for 2.5 years.  My last day here will be July 29th and I start work in Portland on August 3rd.  I am SO excited!!!  I actually danced around my living room the day I got the offer.

Last week I was genuine afraid to break the news to my boss.  Everyone else knew that I was leaving, but I knew I was going to shock the hell out of him.  To my surprise, he was more sad than angry and has been super polite to me ever since.  I'm so glad my last days in this office will be tolerable, if not exactly pleasant. 

I only regret leaving coworkers behind.  I'll miss practicing at Hart Yoga all the time, hanging out with Mel on a daily basis, and I am very sorry to leave poor Tamsin in the lurch.  Well, onward and  upward.  This girl is off to bigger and better things!

Now, knitting:

So, summer here.  Have you noticed yet?  I mean, we live in Maine and it's been up in the 90s the last several days.  Perfect time to show off my cute new tee!

Cute, right?  The pattern is Lizette by Anne Ginger and was in the Twist Collective Spring/Summer 2011.  I've got to say that I've been a little disappointed in that last several Interweave Knits pattern selections--has anyone else noticed that?  Twist Collective is filling that gap for me.  They're a little more expensive, but the patterns are SO worth it--pretty and engaging! 

The only thing I didn't really like about this pattern was that it was written for flat knitting, meaning the back, front, and sleeves were all knit separately and then sewn together.  In this particular case, the front was knit in two pieces and then joined by knitting the icord tie across the front.  Normally I prefer pieces that are knit in the round, rather than those that require a lot of finishing, but this design was so interesting and the constant shaping and detailing kept me entertained.  Plus, the gauge was big enough and the sleeves were short enough so that sewing it together wasn't as tedious a task as it could have been.  Excellent pattern, I say.  And it suits me:

I wouldn't recommend this one for a first-time sweater knitter.  There are a few advanced techniques you should master (or be ready to try) first, like invisible cast-on, cabling, icord, and chart-reading.  However, none of the cabling was especially difficult.  Maybe a good 3rd or 4th sweater. 

The yarn I used was an old standby--Knit Picks Comfy.  Acrylic content aside, it's a really nice yarn.  It doesn't get sticky like acrylic can, has lovely stitch definition, and, oddly enough, is very comfortable to wear.  Just the right weight for hot days.  I'm even wearing it while I type this!  It's holding up well.  I think I'll be wearing it quite a few more times this summer!

For next time, I have another lacy scarf to show you: the last remnants of yarn I bought for a shawl for my own wedding...oh, and my last week in this Brunswick law office!

Cheers,

-Allie

February Fitted Pullover

Man, three-day weekends are lovely, but they really throw off my schedule!  So after a bit of a delay, I present to you the February Fitted Pullover:

I've set an unofficial goal for myself to complete 12 sweaters in 2010 and right on schedule, this one is No. 6.  I cheated a little and picked one I knew wouldn't take much time, but still, I'm proud of having completed 6 by the end of June, 2010. 

I knit this one in Elann Peruvian Pure Alpaca, a decadent worsted weight yarn in 100% alpaca.  Amazingly soft.  If it weren't so dang hot, I would be wearing this sweater all the time.  I really love the color, too. This particular colorway is called "Creole Pink."  Now, I don't know what makes a pink creole, but it is lovely.

The pattern itself was written by Amy Herzog, who is also in the middle of writing an excellent series of blog posts about choosing and modifying sweaters to best flatter your figure.  She's calling it Fit to Flatter and it's already been helpful to me.  She breaks it down by body type, sweater elements, and a number of ways to make a great sweater a perfect sweater. Definitely check her out.

She based this pattern on Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Baby Sweater, which unlike Pamela Wynne's February Lady Sweater, is more "inspired by" than "scaled up."  I may give the FLS a try later in the year, but this one is an allover fitted lace that I found to be really flattering on most figures.  I think the reason these modeled shots don't look ideal is my choice of undershirt.  Next time, just a cami.

The sweater really was a joy to knit--it was clearly written, precise, and the lace pattern was really really easy to memorize.  Plus lace in worsted weight has the same instant gratification as bulky yarn.  And, besides, when do I not love knitting with alpaca?  The only modification I made was adding 2" of length before waist shaping.  I tend to favor a longer sweater and I think that did the trick.  Otherwise, I got a great fit and didn't have to change anything.

Other knitting: I haven't made much progress on the Swirly Mittens.  Not very into fair isle at the moment, I guess.  Can't say the same about lace, though.  Myrtle is about > < this close to being done.  I just need to weave the ends in, block it, and sew on some buttons.  So excited!  I should be able to show it to you some time next week!  I'll be starting on Vicki's leopard print vest by the weekend!!

Next time: Seed Stitch Beret and Moebius Cowl

Cheers,

-Allie

Autumn Rose in Action

Here's another blog post about how blocking works miracles.  Autumn Rose the finished object was a touch too tight for me, an unflattering squeeze in too many places.  But after I soaked it and pinned it out, it is absolutely perfect.  I couldn't be happier with the finished result:

I love the waist-shaping, the sleeve length, and the neckline.  I did have to modify the neckline a little--I used the chart from the size up from mine because it just dipped too low for the 35" size and I want to be able to wear this baby to the office!  Too bad the weather has been too warm to wear it out in public yet.  I am dying to take it for a test drive!  Tuesday's supposed to be a little cooler.  Maybe that will be the day.

What a beautiful sweater and a fantastic pattern.  The whole sweater was charted out, so there was no guessing on where to increase or decrease.  Despite the complicated colorwork, the construction was very straightforward.  Quite the masterpiece from Eunny, I think.

An excellent testament to Jericho's memory: handsome, full of energy, and I absolutely adore it.

Speaking of kitties, I will be making a big announcement later this week, providing everything goes smoothly on Tuesday.  Wish us luck!

-Allie

Goodbye Jericho

I really did mean to post some picture for you last week, but as many of you know already, Walker and I experienced a bit of tragedy this week.  Our beloved bad kitty, Jericho, passed away very suddenly Thursday night.  The vet thinks he had an undetected heart condition and he slipped into a cardiac arrest.  It was very quick and the poor thing didn't really have time to suffer, but he's left an enormous hole in our lives.  Walker and I are utterly heart broken.  Jericho was an integral part of our family and without him, the house has a palpable loneliness.

Of course our sweet Branwen has been a great comfort, but she lacks the confidence and unapologetic friskiness to fill the void.  We can't decide if we should quickly try to replace him, giving Branwen a companion and filling the energy hole in our lives or if it's better to let the sting subside before asking another cat to fit into Jericho's very large shoes.  We will have to think on this some more.

So this weekend I did a great deal of knitting-as-therapy, which fortunately means I finally finished the Autumn Rose pullover!  It was a little snug when I first tried it on, so here is a picture of my attempt to wet block it.

The steeks worked out great and I really really loved that the only sewing I had to do was the zillion ends from all the color changes.  Plus it is a beautiful, beautiful design.  It was still wet this morning, so I haven't gotten to try it on yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it fits.

This one is especially emotional for me because this'll be the last sweater to have Jericho's fur knit into it.  I was working on it when he passed and I'm dedicating it to his memory, pouring all my happy thoughts of him into it.  Jericho, I'll think of you every time I wear it.  We love you.

Here is your giraffe, your partner in crime to see you out.

 Goodbye, dear friend.  Rest in peace.

-Allie

Autumn Rose Preview

No big finished objects for you this week.
I did put a few more baby things up in the shop, my favorite being some pink mary janes:I knit them with leftovers from Mom's Mother's Day socks on size 1 1/2 needles, so the garter stitch is very very fine, but still prevents slippage. I just love the mary jane booties, even more in their perfect pink color and totally washable! (I know, sounds like an ad, but it makes me happy to know that it's an easy care product). The very best part, though, is the buttons I found:How could you pass up tiny heart buttons? Not enough to make me want to make a baby girl of my own, but I wish I knew a little girl to make another pair for. Too cute.

I then got really excited about the Autumn Rose Pullover by Eunny Jang and blew through about 40% of it this weekend. I'm up to the armpit on the body and started the first sleeve. I really really love that this sweater has a raglan yoke. I'll finish the sleeves to the armpit and then join all three pieces, knitting the yoke as one piece and decreasing to the neckline. It means I only have one steek and don't have to so any sewing (except for the gazillion ends to weave in).

Here's a detail shot of the pattern:

I'm using Knit Picks Palette, which I've already gushed about and don't love it any less. Because Palette is a little lighter than the suggested Jamieson Shetland Spindrift, I had to bump the needle size up to 2 1/2. Knit Picks made several color suggestions for this sweater: purples, blues, oranges, etc. I picked the "original" colors, based on the colors in the original pattern because they're gorgeous and because I already had most of the colors from the palette sampler I bought a little while ago.

I did make a couple of changes: instead of marine heather, I'm using navy and instead of edamame, I'm using celadon heather. They just tone that layer down and are closer to the original color scheme. The full list of colors is as follows: Doe, Camel Heather, Bittersweet Heather, Ivy, Navy, Merlot Heather, Celadon Heather, Turmeric, Cornmeal, Autumn Heather, Salsa Heather.

I couldn't be more pleased with the result. Very much looking forward to finishing and wearing this sweater. More pictures when I have more progress.

Cheers,

-Allie

Henley Perfected

I had extremely high hopes for this pattern and confess that I am a tad disappointed. Not that there was anything wrong with the pattern itself, I just don't think I will be wearing the finished product very often.The pattern itself was not as difficult as it looks, I promise. If you understand the basic properties of lace and you can count, you can do this pattern. The hardest part was adjusting the number of yarnovers to suit the armhole decreases and really, that just required a little concentration, not rocket science. If I'd done a couple of things differently, this would be a really great sweater.
I think my biggest problem is that I knit it in a size too big. I don't like sweaters that hang off me like this one does, but after the Venezia fiasco, I am a little shy about knitting smaller sizes. What I should have done is modified the pattern myself and knit something between the two smallest sizes, but I was so excited to get started on the pattern right away.

The lace came out pretty, though, didn't it?

My other problem was my choice of yarn. Although I really like the pink color, bamboo yarn sure is soft and lustrous and I had naively thought it was better for the environment than synthetic materials. Unfortunately, it's manufactured in the same way as rayon and has about the same amount of memory. From what I understand, it's soft and shiny, but doesn't hold its shape well, sagging over time--not the best option for a sweater. So in addition to knitting in a too-large size, the yarn is bound to sag. What I should have done is chosen the yarn suggested in the pattern, or at least one similar to it and been more careful about the size I chose to knit. Lesson learned.

Next post will feature the Baroness Beret, once I have a picture of me wearing it, that is.

Etsy news: I now have 5.5 products finished and once I have 8, I'll start working on setting up a storefron. Once I have 10, I'll put them up for sale. Good progress, I think!

Back to "Normal"

Well, we're back from Paris and settling back into normal schedules. It's weird not having wedding planning to do anymore. And, as you all know, I have a hard time not having anything to do, so I've thrown myself headlong back into knitting!

Firstly, I finished the Kingdom gloves:
Despite not being wild about the pattern, I like the way they turned out. Now my only complaint is the way the cuff is set up, so I decided not to keep them. Vicki will enjoy them much more than I will. I really liked working with the Knitpicks Gloss yarn, though. Highly recommended.

After all those tiny cables, I wanted to work on something with a bigger gauge and a much simpler pattern, so I found the Francis Revisited Sweater by Beth Silverstein. The gauge was so big, the whole thing only took me about 5 days, 5 glorious days of mindless stockinette. This picture doesn't really do the sweater justice--it makes the thing look a lot more see-through than it really is, but you can see how loose the gauge is. The opacity is a lot more like the previous photo and the color/fit is like the one below.Really comfortable, really cute. Here's the back.Next on the agenda is my slew of Christmas gifts. Since we're doing Christmas with the Matthews this year, my list has expanded quite a bit and, as you can see by the sidebar, I've started early. I've been working on the batch of Matthews gifts first (partly because the Wilkes have asked for considerably more complicated gifts!) and once I finish with the last one (about halfway done) I'll dedicate a blog post to all of them. I decided it would be easier if I split the two posts up.

In fact, I should have started posting this stuff ages ago, but the reason I waited was because I wanted to include some wedding photos in my next blog post! Yes, they're up and if you really want a print, you're more than welcome to order one from her site! I don't have the hard copies or the digital disc yet (should get them later this week), but I wanted to share them with you guys as soon as possible!

Happy stalking! And to wrap things up, here's Jericho making a fort out of a yarn shipment box.

Cheers,

-Allie Matthews (!)

2 More Days!

Wow, I can't believe it's so close! My to-do list is done and the in-laws have arrived. I just wanted to get a few pictures up for all of you to enjoy while we're on our honeymoon in a couple of days, so this will be a short post.

First on the list: the skinny empire sweater. I wanted a cute little warm-weather sweater (which is now already obsolete until May) so I made one! I got the pattern out of Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits and knit it with Knitpicks Telemark. If I'd had more cash lying around, I probably would have picked a more luxurious fiber than straight wool, but I really liked the way the telemark kept the ruffle in the collar. I like the mint-green color too.



If I did it again, I would probably have made it a little longer, but I still think it's super-cute. Here's the back:Next on the list is the first of the Kingdom gloves that I've been working on since about June. I'm just not that interested in the pattern. It's too complicated for something I'm not very excited about. I got the pattern off of Knitty, I think it was the summer issue. I've just had more interesting things to work on, so these have been neglected some. I will finish glove number 2 when we get back from Paris (eee!)

And thirdly, and most importantly, is the shawl I've made for my wedding day. Obviously I wasn't thinking straight when I thought I halter dress would be a good idea for Maine in October (I don't think I would have cared then, anyway, it's a gorgeous dress). And I didn't even think that I would need more warmth until about 4 weeks before the big day. So I ordered the yarn (Valley Yarn's alpaca/silk lace, which I love love love--so soft!) and set straight to work. I think the result is quite lovely. I finished it in exactly two weeks, even making it a little wider and a little longer than the pattern called for. I got the Lilac Leaf Shawl pattern out of Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. It was very straight forward worked up really quickly. Here's a closeup of the lace edge:

Well, I think that's all for this update. I have to scurry off again to do wedding things. Once I get back and get back into the swing of things, I'll have more to tell you. I'll even see some of you tomorrow, yay!

Cheers,

-Allie

Dum dum da dum...

Only 7 more weeks left, yikes! We've actually got almost everything under control. We're in the middle of a month-long lull, waiting for my dress to come in and for everyone to RSVP (hint hint). Once September hits, things will start getting crazy, but for now, I'm enjoying the extra knitting time!

Firstly, Dad's birthday is coming up on Monday and I had no idea what to get him. So I decided to find something obnoxious to knit him and I found some patterns for some patterned golf club covers!

What guy wouldn't want pink argyle protecting his driver? Actually, I enjoyed knitting the Dots and Spots one better. Slip stitch is a lot easier than argyle--there are fewer strands in the way and the argyle one is pretty scrunched, which is a shame. I think he'll enjoy them all the same. I knit them with two different Knitpicks yarns: Maine Line (pink and green) and Shine (ivory). I have to say that the Main Line was a lot easier to knit than the Shine; cotton is not my favorite material.

I cannot say the same thing about alpaca, however, for the shrug I designed myself for the rehearsal dinner is finished, a vision in Knitpicks' Elegance, a silk and alpaca blend. I’m VERY pleased with the way this project came out. This was a totally improvised project and it fits and looks exactly the way I had imagined it, yay! I love love love the yarn, too. Knitpicks’ Elegance is so soft, I didn’t want to put the project down!

The only problem is that I didn’t keep meticulous notes while I was knitting it, so I only have a vague idea of what I did. Basically, it’s a cropped raglan with seed stitch trim on the sides and bottom. I added a picot edge to the neckline and a lace edging from Knitted Lace of Estonia, I forget from which project.

Unfortunately, I didn’t account for how much it would ‘swing’ in the back, resulting in a lot of curling, so I pulled out the needle and thread and nipped it in on the sides. So now it fits great, but you can’t close it at the bottom, which was not what I made it for, anyway. I’m so excited to wear this to our rehearsal dinner in October. I think it’ll look great over the pink floral dress I got the for the occasion. Yay!

Here's the picot edge:

And the lace cuff:

I've also had some time to work on the Venezia Sweater, which is not progressing very quickly. I have, however, finished knitting the bulk of the torso. Here it is with the steeks uncut:

Looks funny, doesn't it? Since I took that picture, I have cut the neck steeks and have been working on the neckline, but I don't like the way it's turning out, so no pictures yet. I might have to rip out what I've done on the neckline and try again, but that's irritating me, so I've started the left sleeve (pictures of that when I've made more progress).

Here's a close-up of the pattern stitch. I'm very pleased with the color selection I spent so long making. Totally worth the deliberation.

I still can't predict how this sweater will turn out, since I can't try it on until I cut the arm steeks and I'm afraid to do that until I have a sleeve to put there. I love the pattern, though, and I really really hope it turns out well, especially since it's taken so much time to get to this point. I want to finish it before the wedding, which may or may not happen, depending on how busy September gets. I really don't know why I gave myself that deadline--maybe because I want to show it to people coming into town? Maybe I just can't wrap my head around any date after October 10th? We'll see. Apologies in advance if this is my last post before the wedding. It's not because I don't love you guys, but because I'm too busy preparing things for when I see you in October!

Oh, here's a silly Jericho picture to wrap things up:Cheers,

-Allie

Happy Independence Day!

Yeah, I know I'm a day late, but I've got some fun projects (and one really great picture) to share with you, so I hope you'll forgive me.

As you all know, we've been very busy with wedding plans lately and we just got back from visiting my mother's parents, who are very old and will not be able to make it to the wedding. They were thrilled to see us and helped us make a couple of important plans, but by now we've got most of the big decisions squared away. We have new bridesmaid dresses on the way (if you haven't heard that story, ask me about it) and they should be arriving in a couple of weeks! We've finalized the menu and readings, the tuxes and my accessories, and have ordered bridal party gifts.

Big decisions left: ceremony music/whether or not we'll hire a trumpeter, finalizing the flower order, picking one more reader, "important dance" songs, and addressing and getting invitations out (which I'm sure you've already heard about from me). All of these are in the works and I'm feeling very on top of things right now. Tomorrow we're doing an engagement photo shoot, mostly for a newspaper announcement, but I'll be sure to share the pictures with all of you :)

Now, knitting:

Finally, after three months of knitting, I finished Vicki's Balloon-Sleeve Jacket. I blame wedding planning and not being able to find an appropriate buckle for the delay ;)
She seems to like it a lot and I am very glad :). I like the way it came out, even though she has to tie the belt and the sleeves look a little bit long on her. That could be my fault or she may have to pull them up a little--the body fits her well at least. I was worried that Knitpicks Comfy wouldn't be springy enough of a texture for a jacket like this, but it worked surprisingly well! And, shockingly, it's very soft and comfortable.

And then to finish off the yarn from that project, I made a Foliage Hat for Mel. I should have done a gauge swatch because it came out a little wide, but I brought it as a project for our trip to Santa Fe and did not have my tape measure, which is now broken anyway. :(Still, an effective use of the last bits of a sweater and it'll look cute on Mel.

Once I finished with those and finally figured out the color combination I wanted, I was able to start on the Venezia Pullover for myself, woo! I'm not very far into it and this sweater is going to take me forever, but you can already see the pattern starting to emerge. I'm so proud! This is my most ambitious project to date, what with its teeny-tiny fair isle all the way up and steeks at the armholes, yikes! Hopefully I will be able to pull the thing off and have something amazing to show you all later.

And now the picture I promised you last time, better than I could have anticipated, Jericho in all his debonaire glory:

How adorable is he?? You will be seeing this cute face at the wedding. I haven't decided where yet, but way too cute to pass up :)

Wish me luck with all my other planning!

Cheers,

-Allie

Springtime!

Sorry I haven't updated in so long. It's been rather a busy couple of months!

First of all, about 5 days after my last post, I was offered a great job in a small law firm! So now I'm a legal secretary and in charge of all the personal injury and medical malpractice cases. I'm really loving it so far, especially the small size and friendliness of the firm. The only downside is that work really cuts into my knitting time, so I don't have much to show for the last two months of not posting.

Second of all, Walker and I adopted a new kitty! We adopted her from a shelter, she's about seven months old and her name is Branwen:

Isn't she adorable? We're hoping she'll make a good playmate for Jericho and are working on the adjustment phase while Walker's looking for a job. (He's been having a little bit of luck with that lately, actually! He had a substitute teaching gig last week and is editing a book for a family friend, yay!) So far, she's still a little skittish, but she's getting more adventurous by the day and we suspect that she actually plays with Jericho at night, when she knows were not there to see it happen. She tries to be dignified, but we know the truth!

Thirdly, wedding plans are coming along nicely! We hit the 6-month mark last week and booked a photographer and picked a florist. We've also received the finished invitations, so you should be expecting your save-the-dates soon! So exciting!

Now, knitting:

Because I promised Charlotte a hat, here it is:It's a little bit long, but I really love the pattern! If you love it, I will be very happy to send it to you (you might have to tell me what your address is again). If you don't, I can try to make my first sale on the website that was recently brought to my attention: http://www.etsy.com/ (I hope to also sell the baby sweater I'm working on here when I finish it). The yarn I used is also a little bit yucky, since I thought I'd try acrylic again to see if I was being a snob over nothing. Turns out I still don't like acrylic yarn.

Which is too bad since I bought enough of it to make me a lovely pink sweater:

This is a slight variation on the Ramona sweater in the Sensual Knits book. The original design is by (Yahaira Ferreira), but I changed the center seam to a cable instead of having to knit it like a cardigan and then sew the front together. That was more me being lazy and not wanting to spend too much time working with acrylics since knitting in the round goes a lot faster for me. I also brought the armpits up a little and nipped the waist in a bit. I really like the way the sweater turned out--it fits really well. I just wish I'd used a different yarn.The other reason I bought the acrylic yarn is that it's a really good choice for baby clothing since very often wool irritates their sensitive skin. I'm trying my hand at a little designing, leaning heavily on The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns by Interweave Press for measurement suggestions since I have no idea how big babies are. The rest of it, including the little boat pattern, is all me, though:

I hope this turns out to be cute and fits some adorable baby! I finished the back of it and am about halfway through the front and then the sleeves and finishing should be pretty easy. There should also be plenty for making matching booties! I have no idea how I would set a price for a handknit baby sweater--by the hour would be too much since I'm already at 4 hours and not even done with the torso. Any suggestions; I am fairly new at this selling game?

I'm also really sorry I haven't mailed you guys the items you've claimed. With the compiling of guest list addresses, they were handed over to my mother before I got the chance to mail them. So Christina and Sunmi, you might have to remind me where to send your things.

One more cute kitty picture:

-Allie

Wedding Bells

Of course you all already know our big news, but I wanted to share it again: we're engaged, yay! We haven't set a date yet, but if I get my way, it'll be in early October, so clear your calendars! I even have a date to try on some wedding dresses while I'm home for Christmas. It's really happening now, guys. :) I'll let you know as more things progress and fall into place.
Some less exciting news: I did hear back from that job and they have a hiring freeze right now. Awesome. They think they should have an opening at the beginning of the year, but I'm not so sure that I really want it anymore. Now that Walker's stint at the Penn library is almost over, Walker and I are seriously considering moving to Maine and have been looking for jobs there. We even have interviews with a staffing agency next Monday, which will hopefully result in a very positive change in our financial circumstances. Wish us luck! The interviews also mean that Walker will be joining my family and me for Christmas, more yay!
Having only a part-time job has given me lots of time for knitting, both for me and Christmas presents for my family. Here's the Stardust cardigan/Christmas sweater I made for myself:
Note the lack of awful applique reindeer. It's a little smaller in the bust area than I had thought it would (which is a really weird thing for me), but I think if I tighten it at the tie joint, it should look at little better. It's still cute. Because we're a little short on funds this Christmas, my family's getting gifts that don't break the bank, but are made with lots and lots of love. Walker's getting another pair of argyle socks, which I think are even better than the last pair (that I accidentally shrank). The cuffs are looser, which means they're easier for him to put on and I like the color scheme better than the last ones. When I asked my sister what she wanted, of course she had to ask for the most ambitious of projects, a sweater. And since she didn't like any of the patterns, I could find, I actually wrote this pattern for her. I really really hope it fits her okay. It might be a little shorter than she would have liked and the neckline may not hit where she wanted it to, but I'm fairly confident the torso measurements should fit okay and the yarn is super soft. So regardless of how short it is, it'll still be really comfy. Now I only have my parents' projects to finish. Dad's getting the Triumph Scarf in jade green and I'm about halfway through with it. Mom will be getting some Nordic-inspired gloves, once the book Selbuvotter arrives. They're going to be in some combination of red and white; I'm not sure which will be the background and which will make the pattern. I'm leaning towards red bg and white fg. I'll post pictures when I finish those. Yay, Christmas!
And here's a gratuitous picture of Jericho in an empty box of propel. Too cute!

Cheers,

-Allie