tentenknits

Dawn

My summer is over.

I've gone from 0 to 160 at work and the only thing that's keeping me sane (other than my husband's hugs and maybe More Cowbell) is my knitting projects. So, of course, while the darkness of my work surrounds me, I would have a knit that brings me to the light... and of course it's name is Dawn. 

Pattern: Dawn by Kim Haregraves, pattern book Nectar
Yarn: Rowan Organic Cotton, 4 balls
Needles: Size 5 and 6 circs
Ravelry Link

Dawn was a knit that I just couldn't get out of my head.  When my LYS, Patricia's Yarns, got Kim's patterns book back in stock, I saw this one and suddenly became a like a middle schooler with a crush.  I began sending it notes.  I thought about it before I went to sleep at night and daydreamed about it when I was knitting other projects. I stalked it on Ravelry. Hell, in one of the notes I wrote:  Do you want to go out?  Circle yes or No.  I'd like to think Dawn would have said yes.

Knowing that my stash at home was taking on a life of it's own, I looked through it first before I went shopping and saw my Honeymoon Cami sitting there pretty neglected.   A quick search on Ravelry showed that the yarn for that cami would work perfect for Dawn and so the ripping commenced.

I never looked back.

This pattern was pretty straight forward but I must say it made this pretty experienced knitter have to really stop and think about her stitches and rows. I am terrible at using things like row counters and charts so I usually rely on counting and recognizing my knitting but this open worked lace was a little tough to decipher.

All my hard work though led to simple as pie seaming.  Since the pattern was worked in garter stitch and such an open worked lace pattern the directions told you to do no more than simple back stitch to sew this puppy up. Who was I to argue with Ms. Hargreaves?  ETA:  I forgot to mention that I did change up the garter neck edging - the directions said to cast off each side collar and sew together but instead I left those stitches live and did a 3 needle bind off.  I think it made it look more seamless!

I'm really impressed with how good it looked after I seamed it all together.  I also gave it a nice wash in Soak.  I can predict that this will be worn many times this fall.

Before things get Really Out of Hand at work I've decided to try to knit as much as my little fingers can handle.  This is the first of the three piles of yarn that you saw in my previous post.  I'm working on pile 2 and 3.  We'll see what comes next... go fingers go!

Songs in the life of...

So I was listening to the radio this morning (101.9 RXP) and Matt and Leslie were talking about their favorite songs*. They decided to make a list of 21 songs and post them on their website.  You can only imagine how hard it was for them to pick their favs being the musical geniuses they are. I guess it's no surprise that their lists hit a chord with some people who were shocked that Paul McCartney was on one list but not another or the fact that there should have been way more Elvis.

It got me thinking about which songs are my favorites and most meaningful to me and well I figured I would share a few of them here.  Now, I'm no music junkie, I have my best friend Johanna for that (best mixes ever!!), but there are definitely songs that remind me of afternoons dancing in my room, parties with my girlfriends, karaoke nights, my marriage, my mom or dad or my dear brother. Some are songs that would never fall out of rotation on my ipod and others are ones that if I hear them on the radio I turn them Up Loud and sing along shamelessly. 

In no particular order, here they are.

1. Two Step - Dave Matthews Band
2. In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
3. My Own Worst Enemy - Lit
4. Gimmie Some Lovin' - Spencer Davis Group
5. When a man loves a woman - Percy Sledge 
6. 25 Miles - Edwin Starr
7. Share - Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers
8. Obvious Child - Paul Simon
9. Another Night - The Real McCoy
10. Viva La Vida - Coldplay
11. Where the streets have no names - U2
12. World Hold On - Sinclair
13. Straight Up Now Tell Me - Paula Abdul
14. The Way you make me feel - Michael Jackson
15. Always be my baby - Mariah Carey
16. Mr. Jones - The Counting Crows
17. Thunderoad  - Bruce Springsteen
18. Sex on fire - Kings of Leon
19. Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode
20. No Woman No Cry - Bob Marley
21. Just Like Heaven - The Cure

I so want to see what my other blog friends song lists are so I'm going to do a little tagging: Nonnahs, Lolly, and ADD Knitter, I'm talking to you!  And just because I didn't call you out doesn't mean I don't want to know what songs are on the soundtrack to your life! If you post it, let me know! :-) Pay it forward!

There is knitting going on too - here's my mini knit update:

I fear September is going to suck the knit life out of me and this fall has just too many great knits that I can not not knit! I have 3 projects going at the moment that should I complete them by the 31st I will wear them ALL in a photo shoot despite the depressing humidity of this August.  I will not be undeterred!

Don't you want to see me sweat it out with gorgeous knits on?  ;-)  

(*I, also, just watched Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist last night so this totally contributed the cause of this music inspired post.)

Little Leyla Violet

It is so good to be a year old.  To be able to look this cute and not even realize it.

To be able to find happiness in a ball and squeel with delight and to be SO adoreable doing it!

I made this dress for a dear friend who helped me tremendously before my wedding.  I never got to photograph it with a model until today when we went out for a little photoshoot with her cutie daughter, Leyla.  She, dear friends, is a natural.  She was so calm and really knew how to work the camera.

Pattern: Little Liza Jane (Ravelry Link)
Yarn: Rowan Calmer, 3 balls
Needles: US 8 

As for the dress, I used a heavier weight for this pattern but I think we can all agree that Calmer is like the absolute go-to yarn! It's got such great give and it's so soft.  It's really the perfect toddler yarn.

Leyla enjoyed playing in the park and I enjoyed hanging out with her and her wonderful parents.

Leyla, you sure do know how to work it girl. ;-)

It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got

I have yarn in my stash and it just wants to come out and ROAR.

Is it bad if it's a whole lot of Rowan 4ply cotton?  More knitting on US2s, you say!?  I must be out of my knitting mind.  

I have been pretty good (sort of) as of late trying to not buy more yarn but I am weak.  When you spend a majority of your time in a place that you love like your LYS, ideas of knitting projects are all around At All Times and you want to buy everything.  Yarn seems to look you in the face saying, "oh come on Ms. M, Buy Me."

Usually I do fall for the yarn suduction, but today, I am home and need to realize what I already have, a rediculously big and wonderful stash. All it needed was a little pattern inspiration.  Enter Kim Hargreaves.  After knitting a time and effort consuming project like Blithe it can be easy to fall out of the knit high and wonder, what's next?

I wasn't left wondering that for too long because Patricia got in both Breeze and Nectar from the great Ms. Hargreaves. (not to mention the fall Interweave, Vogue and Knitscene magazines - Hello Fall, I heart you!)  With the balls of 4ply I found above I have decided to make Dawn and Buttercup. (The latter without fail will always make me think of 3 Amigos and to start singing "MY little Buttercup"  that or anything from the Princess Bride, "HUMPERDINK!").  

I also immediately casted on for the Heather Hoodie Vest in the Knitscene.  I'm going to do a little knitalong with my friend Jillian who got the yarn yesterday and might as well share our knitalong adventure here with you all too!

I'm using Cascade Eco Wool as a subsitute and found that I got gauge on 7mm, or US10.75.  Hearing stories of other people's knits with Eco Wool I know this yarn is going to give a little so I'm going to stop at that and make the small size.

So I guess there will be no wallowing for me as I'm already full steam ahead with the fall knits!

What are you knitting?? 

Blithe

Think of a soft subtle mix, and if it ain't broke then don't try to fix it.

Summa summa summa time.

Pattern: Blithe from Kim Hargreaves
Yarn: Rowan 4ply Cotton
Needles: US 2s Addi Turbos
Ravelry Link
Flickr Link - for extra model shots ;-)

I've explained before my "out of sight out of mind" syndrome - if I don't see it I forget I have it.  It's kind of silly to realize that I've had this knit sitting right under my nose for so long.  Well, as they say, better late than never!  I must admit that one of the many things I love about my summer is the time it gives me to knit.  There is no way I would have considered knitting a sweater on US2s if I didn't have a ton of time to devote to it.

I kept to the pattern except I didn't go down in needle size for the bottom ribbing and the neck edging.  I also had a problem with the cap sleeves.  I knitted the first sleeve as per the instructions and it was about an inch shorter than the sleeve cap.  I casted on for the second and made the adjustements so in the end I lengthened the straight rows about an inch and a half.  I was also a hair under gauge but I went with my knit instincts that told me that this yarn was going to give, and it has.

I cannot be more stoked about how this top worked out!  I felt guilty about putting down some other knitting to devote to this and  I actually worked on this So much that I got a cramp in my left hand from knitting on the size 2s! I would not be deterred though so I did physical therapy by knitting those scarves.

So now that that's done I guess I should get to cleaning up my apartment ;-)