WIP Wednesday: Blue Skies Ahead

I’ve been working on a new cardigan in seekrit lately, it’ll be perfect for those cool spring mornings, or crisp fall evenings.

I’m in love with the color of this shade of Elsbeth Lavold’s Silky Wool, and the drape is fabulous.

The little details of this design are what make it perfect, and I can’t wait to share more with you soon!

Linking up with Tami, as usual!  What are you working on this week?

 

WIP Wednesday: Silky Wool

*Short News Installment: My latest newsletter was sent out this morning, are you on the list?  Not only do you get periodic updates from SillyLittleLady HQ, each newsletter comes with two new motivational quotes!

I’ve been working on this new design for a little while and although I did finish the knitting portion of it just yesterday, there are still things that need to happen before I can personally declare it an FO.

simple project, all in the details

Although it won’t be published for a little bit yet (still needs to be test-knit, etc) I can tell you a little about the design.  It’s knit out of Elsbeth Lavold’s Silky Wool, it’s a pullover and it has interesting construction as well a few charming details that you work on during the entire knitting process but can’t see too well until it’s all complete

details and directional changes

What are you working on this week?  Share in the comments as well as over on Tami’s blog!

 

Something I’ve Never Tried Before

Now, remember when I said last week that I was looking for a yarn to go with my Paris yarn at the Stitches South marketplace?

My thought process was that if I had a goal-yarn in mind, it would help curb impulse spending, (being a broke college student also helps impulse spending, incidentally)   and for the most part, it did.  I bought 10 skeins of Silky Wool in a taupe color because I’ve been in love with the silky wool since my momma had me wind some for her last summer, not to mention it was 50% off in those quantities (you can be expecting another design coming this fall with that yarn).

so much yarn everywhere!

Back to my goal-yarn.

I searched and I searched and for a change of pace, I searched some more.  I knew sort-of what I was looking for, something to bring out the bits of yellow in the gray-ish alpaca I brought home.  I wanted something with a bit of a halo, since the alpaca itself has a bit of a halo.  I wanted it to be of a similar weight – about fingering or sock weight perhaps.

So many of the yellows I found were too rainy-day and some were too dandelion.  Some were too pastel and others were too mustard.

Finally, I found it.  I found my Paris-yarn soul mate.  The color was perfect, just rich enough to add interest, depth and dimension.  The yarn was thin with just a touch of halo, less than the alpaca but not perfectly smooth.

Meet Frank

I’ve never had the pleasure of using Malabrigo before, this was my first Malabrigo purchase and it was so worth it.  I picked up two skeins of the Malabrigo Lace in Frank Ochre.

I’m still sort of deciding what I want to do with it, I know I want it wrapped around my neck/face area because it is so devastatingly soft and I’m thinking I want fringies as well….a scarf, shawl, or cowl……..

And as a bit of added awesomeness to the weekend, I won some Malabrigo Worsted at the Student Fashion Show dinner they had Saturday night too

FO Friday: The Hemp Tie

So I may have actually finished this last Wednesday, but I haven’t blogged about it yet, so I feel like its appropriate to share with you

The Ever-So-Handsome Wes adjusting his new tie

The tie used maybe half of the ball of Hempathy I bought, so I have plenty more to make one for myself (and I think I will).  Oh, and I am going to take this time to brag that I figured out how to tie a tie for the first time, and on the first try no less, when I decided to try it on after casting off

Don't you think I could fit one of these into my day-to-day attire?

Ravelry Deets can be found here.

A pattern is in the works based on all of the responses I got about other knitters wanting to knit one for their significant others, so be on the lookout for that!  I plan on releasing it as a free Ravelry download and I’ll probably be looking for test knitters, so if you’re interested just let me know

Want to see more FO Friday goodies? Check out Tami’s blog!

WIP Wednesday: Hempathy Necktie

Ok ok, so today’s the day.  The day you get to see pictures of the Hempathy Necktie that I’ve written about.

Here’s how it looked yesterday between job applications:

a seed stitch snake

So far so good, like I said, I had too many a few false starts but now that I’ve figured out the point and the proper angles its coming along smoothly.  I expect it to be done today or tomorrow, blocked and given to a very happy Wesley

its grown a leetle bit

Want to share your WIPs?  Skip on over to Tami’s blog to find out how!

2011 Knitting and a Necktie

I won’t be doing a massive recap of all of my 2010 knitting, and you know why?

Because I didn’t document it well enough.

So! You know what that means?

Yup, I’ll be documenting my 2011 knitting much better.  I’m going to Ravel everything, I may even revive my Flickr feed again.  (Probably not, that’s just another website that takes up a lot of time :/ but I can dream right?)

Empathy for the Hempathy, if at first you don't succeed...cast on again

In the mean time, I did eventually start that necktie I told you about.  I cast on for it yesterday and had oh, about 9 false starts trying to get the point perfect, and the texture, and the width and all that great stuff.  Now, its well on its way to being the perfect necktie for my friend Wesley.

Pictures? No, no, those’ll come tomorrow for WIP Wednesday

How do you document your knitting?  I need advice and ideas haha

The First CO of the New Year

I suppose this title is a little misleading because I haven’t actually cast on for this project just yet, but I will and it will be the first cast on of the new year when that happens.

The project?

A skinny tie for my friend Wesley.

The yarn?

I love the textures and the subtle color changes!

Hempathy by Elsbeth Lavold in a nice mustard-y yellow color.

I should be casting on tonight or tomorrow for this project and you can rest assured that I will inform all of you when this ever-important occurrence occurs.

What was your first project of 2011?