Queue Me Up

Whenever I turn a page in my calendar, I get a little excited at the prospect of new beginnings.  I know it's sort of silly ~ after all, new beginnings can begin on any day of the month but somehow, the first day of a new month has that new shiny feel.  So, now that a new season is also about to begin, I'm making myself commit to a challenge that I've been thinking about a lot over the last few months. I was so inspired by everyone's #madememay projects, and I desperately wanted to play along but who was I kidding?  I haven't created enough in my wardrobe to even post for a week, let alone an entire month!

So instead of pouting and feeling sorry for myself, I've decided to do something about my lack of creative output over the past year.  I've started and stopped too many projects since last fall and in going over my stash, I'm having to admit that it's getting me down. Why are there soooo many one skeins in there?  Do I seriously not have any sweater's worth of yarn in any of the gazillion bags I seem to be hoarding?  This is going to change! I'm going to take some time over the weekend to sort through my patterns and stash and start a brand new queue for my summer knitting which will include warm weather tops and accessories.

I haven't participated in a KAL for a long time, but I'm thinking that jumping in on a couple of knit-alongs this summer may just be what I need to inspire me and to keep me honest and engaged with all you lovely knitters. I haven't hosted a knit-along in while either so stay tuned as I'm scheming of a fun one to announce early next week.  In the meantime, if you're enjoying one now that still has a few weeks to go, let me know.  I just may join you!

A New Project for A New Month

Did May pass by as quickly for you as it did for me?  If today is an indicator of how quickly June will also fly by, I'm in trouble.  It's already mid-afternoon and while I've been productive (a 5k run, grocery shopping, laundry, a trip to the library to pick up this book which I'm excited to read), I still have so much on my to do list for the rest of the day!

One thing that I'm definitely going to do is swatch for my new June project with this gorgeous yarn that I picked up yesterday at my LYS.

Arroyo

I'm going to knit a Portico tee for the summer, and I know that this color way is going to keep me smiling all the way to the bind off. 

But what was I up to in May?  I fell down another rabbit hole and have started scrapbooking (thanks to my uber talented sister whose scrapbooks are truly a work of art).  

And I cast on a summer cardigan for Miranda of my own design.  She has an arm's length list of sweaters she'd like me to knit, and there's no way that I can refuse.  

But this afternoon, I'm going to do some knitting for my own summer wardrobe so excuse me while my ball winder calls.  

FO: Otherside

Just before leaving on our European holiday in August, I signed up to test-knit a new design by Melanie Berg of Mairlynd Designs.  Her new summer tank was exactly what I wanted to add to my late summer/early fall wardrobe, and the pattern didn't disappoint.

Otherside has a clever construction, and I welcomed its simplicity especially as I planned to knit this on holiday.  Wanting to be completely organized with my packing, I went in search of the perfect linen/cotton blend but I just wasn't satisfied with what I saw so I packed my needles and the pattern in hopes to find the yarn on my travels.

When we were in Barcelona, I came across a wonderful LYS steps away from the flat that we rented. I couldn't believe my luck ~ not only was All You Knit is Love filled with wonderful local yarns but the shop keeper spoke English!

I bought four skeins of Rosarios 4 Damasco which is spun in Portugal.  Two skeins were in a natural linen shade and two in a soft white, and as the pattern calls for, I knit alternate stripes throughout.

My finished top is exactly what I've been looking for ~ drapey, summery, and stylish.  

If you haven't been introduced to Melanie & her designs yet, what are you waiting for?

Testing 1 ... 2 ...

My computer is on the blink so it will be a little while before I can share some of my photos and stories from our incredible trip to the south of France and Barcelona. Let me just say that our time in Europe was restorative and blissful.

What I can share today are my knitting projects, one being knit with a new yarn (to me) that I bought at a LYS in the El born neighborhood of Barcelona which I stumbled upon one afternoon and was only a few blocks away from the apartment we were living in. All You Knit Is Love was such a nice surprise ~ filled with a great variety of yarns including gorgeous skeins hand-dyed in Barcelona.  I was in search of some linen and was happy to find Rosarios 4's Damasco, a perfect blend of cotton and linen that I knew would be just right for my project.

Before leaving on holiday, I signed up to test knit Otherside, a summery tank by Melanie Berg (aka Mairlynd) which she recently released.  I picked two neutrals, one with a slightly marled caramel tone, the other pure white.  The caramel is my contrast color which is knit as thin stripes while the white dominates the overall piece.  I've made a lot of progress and expect to finish it before the weekend is over.

My second test knit is by Jane Richmond, one of my favorite designers and her new design doesn't disappoint.  Knit with bulky wool, this sweater is going quickly, but I can't share any details or photos until the fall when she releases it. Trust me, it's a beauty ... and bright red! 

It's About Time

Somehow, I didn't expect my Nachtfalter to take as long as it did...but it did! Still, I'm so pleased with how it turned out, and I know that I'll be wearing my new top a lot this summer. The big bonus is that I got to do some stash busting with this project as I used my stash of Knit Picks CotLin and Comfy Sport in the pomegrante colorway. Knitting along with a lively and fun group of knitters over on the Holla Knits Ravelry group was an added plus, and I hope to join in on another of their KALs soon.

So, back to this project:  I loved the construction of knitting the twisted rib ribbing and then splitting for the front and back panels. I loved using the three-needle bind off at the shoulder seams which creates both a strong and attractive finish. And I loved the intricate moth stitch pattern which kept me on my toes. I'll admit that I did fall down a few times and had to frog back and reknit. Those of you who have had to tink back on a lace pattern can understand the fear I felt each time I had to do this ~ trying to figure out where those darn YOs were (sometimes in multiples of three or four) led to some nerve wracking moments!

Wanting to be a more mindful knitter, I didn't ignore my mistakes and now that I've finished, I'm so glad that I took the time and patience to correct those missed stitches. And finally, with uneven yardage, I combined the CotLin and Comfy Sport within the body but you can barely tell ~ I think it works! 

The Summer of KALs

I didn't intend for this to be the summer of KALs, but it sure is shaping up to be just that. The Pour Moi KAL over on my Project: Stash Ravelry group is winding down and ending tomorrow at midnight so if you've been participating but haven't posted a photo of your FO yet, don't forget to head on over and show off your knitting. My Pour Moi project ended up being a beautiful test knit for the uber talented Jane Richmond, but as the pattern won't be released until the fall, I have to keep my FO under wraps. I can say that it's a cardigan and up until now, it's my most accomplished achievement.

I'm happily knitting along on my Holla Knits KAL Nachtfalter, but I've needed to step away from the needles so as not to get too ahead of the rest of the group ... 

... and I just jumped into the Self-Striping Sock KAL being hosted by the Just One More Row podcast gals. My sister, Esther, gifted me a skein of Patons Kroy Socks in a colorway that I've been anxious to try, and this is the perfect yarn for this KAL.

I don't usually have so many projects on my needles (did I mention that I'm test knitting  a cardigan for a German designer?), but these KALs have been hard to resist.  If you're knitting along on a pattern and/or with a group, please share.  I'm sure I have some spare needles lying around.

Resistance

It's been hard to resist not knitting on my Nachtfalter as the baby cable ribbing is so seductive. 

Over on the Holla Knits KAL, we're breaking the knitting down into parts and for week one, our assignment is to knit half of the ribbing which for me would be 3.75 inches.  

Ummm ... yeah, right ... it's the morning of day three, and I've already reached my assigned goal. Several other KAL'ers are finding the ribbing hard to resist, too, so I have a feeling we may be moving ahead a little faster than originally planned.

When I reached my 3.75 inches last night, I put my knitting down and picked up The Fault in Our Stars which has been my read this week.  I finished it and can see what all the fuss has been about ~ it's poignant, intelligent, funny, and deep. I find it interesting how some novels are designated YA when a book such as this one is truly for all ages. If this book hasn't been on your radar, get it ... from your local library, book shop, or online.  It's wonderful.

Summer Projects 1: Nachtfalter KAL

Yesterday was cast on day for the Nachtfalter KAL, and I have been so excited to start that I had all my materials in my I love London project bag ready and waiting to go. I swatched the baby cable ribbing on US4 needles as per the instructions, but since I'm fairly slim hipped, I went down a needle size to US3 for a more snug fit.

It's hard to believe that I've never knit with Knit Picks Comfy Sport before (especially since I've had some in my stash for about two years).  It's soft and easy to handle which for a cotton blend is a plus.
As you can see, I've called today's post Summer Projects 1 ~ being the goal-oriented knitter that I am, I have several warm-weather tops in my queue for the coming weeks, and I'm looking forward to chronicling my progress here.  We'll see if my ambitions are bigger than my stash!