FO - Coo & Coy Test Knit

Whenever I get the chance to test knit for Anna of Mochimochiland I jump at it, and this time was no exception! Her patterns are not only simple and easy to knit, but so adorable!!! I just cannot resist the cuteness, what can I say?

I really enjoy using leftover yarn for most of my Mochimochiland toys. Both of these yarns were from projects I made my niece, and I'm glad to finally use them again! The lavender is Lorna's Laces Shepard Worsted, and the grey is Berroco something or other, hehe. I went down to size 4 needles (pattern calls for US sz5,) one because I couldn't find my 5's and two because I tend to stuff the crap out of my toys, and tighter stitches are better for that.

The bodies knitted up super quickly, but I found the smaller pieces were much tougher on my fingers (could've been the tiny 4" wood needles I was using, too!) Also, I didn't use safety eyes, but I just don't love them on all toys. For my eyes, I used black yarn and simply embroidered them on. I rather like the effect, what do you think?

They were a bit difficult to pose, but I was expecting that. Aren't they cute together though? I really enjoyed knitting this pattern, and I love my finished lovebirds! Hahaha!

Project Specs... see them on Ravelry!

• Pattern: Coo & Coy by Anna Hrachovic of Mochimochiland
• Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepard Worsted in Lilac for MC, Berroco mystery yarn for CC
• Needles: Us sz 5 3.5mm Knit Picks Harmony wood 4" DPN's
• Cast on: January 5th, 2011
• Cast off: January 15th, 2011
• Completed: January 16th, 2011

Some More Cupcake Pops! (and Poops! Ack, can I say poop in a title?)

I decided to make these cute cupcake pops for myself and Dear Sis, and I just happened to find the cutest pastel confetti candy melts for the tops! Aren't they so much fun?

This particular batch of cake pops started as a devious idea in my head for these - cake poops! 

My DH is going through a rough patch, and my grandmother recently passed away... so it kinda went from just a tongue in cheek joke, to a "I may have to laugh at these or I may cry..." kind of moment... 

At least they're cute, or funny - depending on your sense of humor...

FO Fri - Lagoon Hemlock Ring Blanket

I can hardly believe how fast this project finished up (that is, except for the blocking part!) I was complaining last time, saying it would take forever, and then the edges sucked up all that end yarn! Hehe.

Oh, and then it took me forever to block it, because I'm a lazy procrastinator! I wish I'd added the garter ridge on this blanket, but I started it before the other one. Ah well, just another reason to knit one more for myself! :)



Specs - see this blanket on Ravelry!

• Yarn: Malabrigo Silky Merino in Turquoise - 435 (8.75 skeins)
• Pattern: Hemlock Ring Blanket by Jared Flood
• Needles: Knit Picks Nickel Plated Interchangeable needles, US size 9, 5.5mm
• Cast on: October 15th, 2009
• Cast off: June 1, 2010
• Completed: July 5th, 2010
  

FO - Cliff Diving @ La Push Cowl

After I'd finished my Solitude scarf, I wanted to work with another single ball of Malabrigo Lace yarn. It's so yummy soft, and very enjoyable to work with - but I wanted to design something for myself, not follow a set pattern.

So, I went to my stitch dictionaries and found this pretty Fishtail Lace pattern; and knew instantly that it would be perfect with the yarn colorway I chose, Whale's Road. Blues and indigo with hints of green and purple, this particular colorway really captured my attention - even over the internet! (I love Eat.Sleep.Knit for Malabrigo Lace.) The color is more accurate in the first photo, but I wanted to post a closeup of the lace pattern, too.

I picked a cowl shape because really, they're all the rage right now, and I've knit a butt-load of scarves with ends already and I wanted something new! I started with a provisional cast on, so I could use Kitchener stitch  to graft the ends together when I (almost) ran out of yarn. That meant I could make a long cowl, capable of doubling or tripling to a warm, cuddly neck-warmer. God knows, we still need them here in Chicago - it's cold again this week!

Specs - see this cowl on Ravelry!

• Pattern: my own based on Fishtail Lace pattern (found in Harmony Lace & Eyelets Stitch Dictionary)
• Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Whale's Road - 247 (one skein 50gr)
• Needles: Knit Picks Zephyr Interchangeables US sz 5 3.75mm
• Cast on: March 10th, 2010
• Cast off: April 4th, 2010
• Completed: April 5th, 2010

Soft Chains - Cashmere I-cord Chain Link Bracelet

I've been thinking of using super soft materials for chains well, for a while... I guess basically since the spring fashion shows. I die for these Chanel's temporary tatoo chains, but they're also 75$ - so you know, I have to be content to covet and not own these, I fear. I wish I had the cash, though!

So anyhoosals - my brain was kicking around the thought of using soft and otherwise relatively unsuitable materials to create a series of chains this month. Leather, suede and even cashmere, I find the textures delectable, and because I used some leftover Handmaiden 4-ply Cashmere for this one - even the colors are yummy! Yeay!

This is just a basic I-cord chain link*, but I've got designs in the works for much more complex pieces. I just have to get working, and find out what actually works for me (and what fails miserably, as any good artist knows!) If anyone's interested, I'm toying with the thought of making this into a pdf. Please let me know if you'd like that, and thanks for stopping by! *Here's a link to the Ravelry page for it!

Quick Craft - Suede "Chain" Bracelet

nother cute project on Craft:'s blog, I knew I had to make one for myself. The only question was, leather or suede? And then, what color??? I have bunches of scraps in some very delicious colors, so the choices were tough.

After it was all said and done, the magenta pig suede was the winner. I had a bunch of small pieces of it, and in suede - it was an experiment to see if this would even work! The real issue is, that the original links in the pattern are 3" long, but I knew I wanted something smaller; I wanted to make a bracelet, and I have freakishly tiny wrists. So, I re-sized the links to 2" long total (meaning they'd be 1" after folding.)



At first, they seemed much too floppy to hold up. Not nearly enough structure for this project, I thought. So, I put it down for a few weeks. And then, I had the thought that after folding they should have more structure than they seem to! And I was right! A few links later I was finished, and that makes this one of the easiest jewelry pieces I've made in a long time! I used a doll-sized belt buckle to anchor the top, and it finished much prettier looking than the bottom (with no anchor.)



It was mentioned one can finish this project in one evening, but I'll give you this caveat; if you're using really sharp shears, like Gingher's - that I did - you'll probably want to space this one out a little more. I have a death grip on mine for some strange reason, and so I can only cut so much before my right thumb gets a dent in it from the scissor handle, and hurts - alot!

I love easy and quick projects, so I'm going to try and showcase more of the ones that inspire me the most! I'm also planning on more leather chain projects, this was so fun & easy I couldn't stop at one! Haha! Stay tuned in April for more of this same project, as well as a few of my own twists on it!

What are your favorite easy projects? They can be just fun or functional, and if they're both, I'll swoon. I love when form marries function!

*Fancy lettering from Daily Drop Cap - so fun & addictive!

FO Friday - Yet Another Hemlock Ring Blanket

I can't believe I've got another Hemlock Ring to show off this week, as I wasn't planning on posting this one til next week, but such is life!

I really, really enjoyed knitting this blanket, both because I added the traditional garter ridge found in the feather & fan pattern (not found on the original Hemlock pattern,) and because this yarn was like butter to knit with! So soft, and just the right amount of stretch to it. I almost wish I'd made it bigger, but I hate blocking these buggers when they're done - it's always such a chore!

Specs - see this blanket on Ravelry!

• Yarn: Adrienne Vittadini Martina in Sand x8 400grams (actually purchased at Webs)
• Pattern: Hemlock Ring Blanket by Jared Flood
• Needles: Knit Picks Nickel Plated Interchangeable needles, US size 8, 5.mm
• Cast on: December 1st, 2009
• Cast off: February 2010 (blocked at the end of Feb.)

FO Friday - Caribeño Clapotis

When I saw this yarn on sale at WEBS, I knew I had to have it. 51/49 silk & merino means it's super soft, and the colors are just gorgeous! It transferred just a bit of blue dye to my fingers while I was knitting it, but not excessively so.

So, normally, the yarn this pattern calls for would cost you 120$ (maybe more plus shipping...) I KNEW I didn't want to spend that much, even though I love the Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb. So, I waited. And waited some more... A few years later, this wonderful substitute comes onto the market, with even more colors than the recommended yarn. Yeay! So, I bought 5 balls - for a grand total of 45$ and I got the shipping free (because of course I had to order more yarn than THAT! Hahaha!)

I was hoping to have it done in two weeks instead of three, but sometimes you just don't feel like a smurf. Hehe. It was fun to knit, though; and even though I'm onto more complicated projects now - I wish I still had something simpler like this one, going at the same time.



The only changes I made to the pattern were adding one extra width repeat, and 5 extra length repeats. The third ball striped really nicely through the middle, but all of the other ones flashed and pooled like I expected a hand-painted yarn would. Huh?! I like it, though - and that's all that matters!

Specs: see it on Ravelry!

• Pattern: Clapotis by Kate Gilbert, Knitty Fall '04
• Yarn: Malabrigo Silky Merino in Caribeño - 474 (5 balls, Xgr)
• Needles: sz 7 Knit Picks Interchangeable (metal tips)
• Cast on: Friday, July 24th 09
• Cast off: Friday, August 7th 09
• Completed: Monday, August 10th 09

S'mores at Home!

My husband was coming home from a long business trip on Friday, so I thought I'd whip up something quick and tasty we could enjoy, both as desserts and snacks! We both love s'mores, but we don't camp very often anymore, so I thought I'd try these at home, and see how they came out.

First, line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, and layer the bottom with graham crackers (approximately 18,) just like my sister's Peanut Butter Chocolate Bark. Then, melt 8oz of milk chocolate and spread over the graham crackers, taking care to cover them as evenly as possible.

Next, cut a whole bag's worth of marshmallows in half, either length or width-wise. (This is just so there's not super too much marshmallow in each bite, your tastes may vary!) Place the marshmallows evenly across the top of the chocolate, covering the whole surface. (You may need an extra bag, just sayin'!)

Broil the whole pan in the oven, on high for about 3 minutes. Alternatively, you could use a butane torch to toast the 'mallows. Place top halves of graham crackers on top, and break the bottoms as evenly as possible. Go ahead and try and stop yourself from eating one during the process. I dare you. Grin.

That's it! I didn't even think I needed pics to show the whole process, but if you'd like - I can go back and make another batch to add them! :)

FO Friday - Solitude Scarf

... aka Yet Another Malabrigo Montego Bay Scarf, this time with fringe! (Here's the first MalaMontego Bay I made, for my MIL!)

For the last bunch of months this yarn was half of a Flutter Scarf, but I just wasn't feeling the ruffle end out of this yarn - 100% merino wool. The ruffles demand a drapier fiber content, something like silk, bamboo or alpaca; and to be truthful, they looked a little awkward. They just hung there, instead of draping nicely; so I never finished the second half.

The reason I picked Solitude for the name was two-fold. First, my husband and I'd just received a Peter Lik photo of the same name* we'd bought for his new home office, and the colors are to-die-for gorgeous! Secondly, I've been a fan of Nina Simone for a very long time, and the song Solitude seemed to really fit with what I felt at the time I knit it.

When I started this scarf, I was really hoping to get the job at Lorna's Laces. It didn't work out for me this time, and so I decided it was okay to be selfish, and knit something just for myself. (I have a bunch of gift knits going right now.)

And then, the Ravelympics hit me, or rather I got obsessive and couldn't hold myself back from them. Fast forward a couple weeks, and here I am now - with a finished scarf and a blanket that's a quarter done. Hahaha...  
That's how I roll, folks - always unpredictable, even to myself!

Specifications - see this scarf on Ravelry!

• Pattern: Montego Bay Scarf by Amy Singer (from Interweave Knits Summer 07)
• Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Brisa (one skein, including fringe)
• Needles: Knit Picks Interchangeable Zephyr needles, US size 5 (3.75mm)
• Date started: Thursday, January 28th 2010
• Date cast off: Tuesday, February 23rd 2010
• Date completed: Thursday, February 25th 2010

*To see Solitude on Peter Lik's site, you'll need to visit the horizontal panoramic gallery (linked above and here - and click on the piece 5th from the left and all the way at the bottom (Wg197 Solitude) - be careful! His photos are a total time suck, even more so in person! Don't say I didn't warn you when you end up finding an amazing photo you totally love! LOL

WIP - Bauhaus Throw Blanket

When I caught the Ravelympic bug, I knew I wanted to pick a large project... and I'd been kicking around this idea for a beach-ey, by-the-sea version of this Bauhaus blanket for a couple of weeks. So, I decided I was going to knit a whole blanket, 4 pieces with seaming and all, in 16 days. 

I know, you're sitting there saying to yourself, "Kari, why on Earth would you think of such a thing?"

It's because I'm a masochist, or at least that's as close I've been able to come to an answer on that one! Theoretically speaking, it would have been accomplish-able... that is, until I decided to dye my yarn, and didn't bother getting around to it until halfway through the Games - whoops!

Ok, so now I'm going to try a new approach - I'm going to keep posting about this one until it's finished, and hopefully I'll want the damn thing done so bad that'll be enough! Haha! It is an easy enough project, I just need to keep at it, and I hope my fellow bloggers can help keep me motivated!

Right now, I'm a quarter done with it... only knit one square. I really hope I have more to show off next week! Cross your fingers for me!

Recipe - Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark

My sister was recently kind enough to bring over a bit of her (now famous!) chocolate peanut butter bark. Let me tell you folks, this snack might be the best sweet treat ever - but I'll let you try it out, and then tell me I'm right! LOL Anyhow, it may be one of the easiest food crafts I've ever tried, plus it has the added benefit of being both beautiful and super tasty! It's almost too pretty to eat. Almost...

Ingredients -

• Graham crackers (appx. 14, depending on baking sheet size)
  
• 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I like chips, as they're easier to measure and melt)
  
• 3 oz white chocolate
• 1/2 tsp real vanilla extract* (I added this myself, as I add vanilla to all desserts!)

Tools - 9x13 baking sheet, foil, microwaveable bowl, offset spatula, mini squeeze bottle

(Prepare tools & ingredients before assembling! As it finishes faster than a freight train, and you'll want everything right at hand.)

Line a  9x13 baking sheet with foil, making sure to cover handles. Layer grahams onto sheet, covering as much space as possible. I found that they fit really well this way, but your container may be a different size. (Yes, I cheesed and was one graham cracker short for my photos, please don't hold it against me!!! They taste just as good, I promise!)

Melt semi-sweet chocolate and peanut butter, and stir til smooth (and spreadable.) Add vanilla, stir in and spread over grahams with an offset spatula, making sure to cover as evenly as possible.



Meanwhile, melt white chocolate into a small squeeze bottle (usually in the candy melt section of the craft stores,) but be sure to keep it quite warm! Chocolate can "set" in these bottles, making it impossible to squeeze; melt with the lid off, and take care to keep the spout open (I like a toothpick for this task!) You can really decorate the tops any way you like, but I prefer toothpick marbling - and here's how I do it.

With the squeeze bottle, make vertical lines on the chocolate bark. They don't have to be perfect, but I like them better slightly closer together, for the marbling effect.

Squeeze as much out of the bottle as you can, trust me it makes clean up easier! Be careful not to fart too much air out onto the bark though, as it makes terrible little pits in the semi-sweet! LOL

Once you've got the squeeze bottle mostly empty, take a toothpick, and run it horizontally against the vertical lines; alternating first down, and then up - to create this pretty marbled effect.

It's so easy to do, and yet it looks so complex! Love it!

Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Cut into pieces either before or after chilling, your preference. My sister likes to keep hers in the fridge, I leave mine out on the counter. It only lasts a few days, but with chocolate and peanut butter, I dare my husband (or anyone else's, for that matter!!!) to resist... Muahahaha!

Alternatively, you could use the squeeze bottle to decorate your bark any way you like! Write your family's names onto it, draw flowers, a checkerboard - or anything you can come up with! Crafts like these really lend themselves to people's unique creativity, I think; and I hope you'd agree!

FO - Pretty Cashmere Cowl Thing

knew the instant I saw the Yarn Harlot's Pretty Thing cowl pattern, just which yarn I'd use for it. 

I had one skein left of Handmaiden's luscious 4-ply cashmere in Glacier, a wonderful blend of arctic icey blues, beiges and soft greys. Love it! Couldn't help but buy it on a trip out with my sister, a year ago or more! Haha!

Anyhoo, I didn't bother swatching for this, and yet miraculously I've ended up with a cowl that fits beautifully! Yeay! It flares more at the bottom, so I've flipped it upside down, but that's just personal taste. I even added a repeat in between the purl ridges at the center, and still had over 10 grams left of this yummy yarn!

It's a super fun knit, even though it's only charted (not written out.) I stumbled a couple times with it, but I would imagine I could knit another in a couple of hours; now that I'm more familiar with the pattern. It looks to be a great gift pattern, too - as it takes a mere one ball of yarn, and is a super cute accessory!

Specifications: see it on Ravelry!

• Pattern: Pretty Thing by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
• Yarn: Handmaiden 4-ply Cashmere in Glacier 40gr apprx.
• Needles: size6 4mm (cast on with sz7 4.5mm & cast off with sz8 5mm)
• Cast on: Friday, October 9th, 2009
• Cast off: Monday, October 12th, 2009
• Completed: Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
  

*Fancy lettering from Daily Drop Cap - so fun!

FO Friday - Clementine Shawlette

Wowsers! I let this UFO sit so long! No reason, really - except I'm not a huge fan of grafting! Hehehe. I was going to use Lucy Neatby's method, which I found via Ruthless Knitting. This blogger's Clementine pictures helped a ton too, I'm really a visual learner. (Unfortunately I got super lazy, and just used a 3-needle BO.) Before blocking, the two halves measured 26" long by 7 3/4" wide. Post wet blocking it grew to 28" long by 10" wide (that is, before I grafted the two pieces together.)



I consider this my first real lace, because it was my first time working with a chart. I'm so happy I didn't let the fear of the unknown stop me from knitting this, it was really fun to knit, and I'm thrilled with the finished object.

(With the small exception of the small black spot, which my ball winder inflicted as I carelessly wound the skein into a center pull ball. It got less noticeable after I wet blocked it.) Another beautiful Clementine to drool over is Octopus Knits'. It's actually my inspiration, because she used 2 skeins of the same yarn I had on hand. And it's teal. Grin. Aren't the ties so unique? I love them!

Project Specifications - see it on Ravelry!

• Pattern: Clementine Shawlette by Michele Rose Orne, Interweave Knits Spring 07
• Yarn: Bristol Yarn Buckingham in Natural, 80% baby alpaca 20% silk 218yds (x2 skeins)
• Needles: Size 4 Knit Picks Interchangeable circulars (24" cable)
• Started: January '08
  
• Finished: July 14th '08 (wove the ends in on May 31st, '09!)
  

FO Friday - Raspberry Delight Scarf

Ooops! I'm late to post this, but i guess better late than never, eh? Hehe.

You know, it should be called the "Lazy Ribbon Scarf," because it's so easy - and I've done the repeats so many times now, I could do the 24 row chart in my sleep with one arm tied behind my back… (well, not really! But, you get my point!)

It's easy. Really. I promise, once you "get it" - it's like riding a bike. Lace may be scary at first because it looks so complex and impressive; but it's not impossible to manage! Especially if you're knitting with Malabrigo! It's yummy in a way only a knitter can understand!

So, admittedly this one took me longer than anticipated to finish. I wanted it done by the end of February and it's June now. I know, (please don't remind me!) But, to be fair, it's only because I procrastinated it until the absolute last minute, for no other reason than I'd done this pattern a bunch of times already! Ha - and Oy - both!

This was the first time I'd done this pattern in a variegated colorway though, so that was a lot of fun. I'm almost sad to gift this one away I like it so much! (I have enough of these Lace Ribbon things, though! Hahahah!)

Specs: see it on Ravelry!

• Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf by Veronik Avery Spring 08 Knitty, + 4 extra horizontal repeats
  
• Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Little Lovely, 470yds x2 skeins, 100% Baby Merino wool
• Needles: Knit Picks Harmony Interchangeables, sz4 - 24" cable
  
• Started: January 24th, 2009
• Finished: May 23rd, 2009
• Size: 11"wide x 60" long appx. - (unblocked)
  

Finishing Frenzy! (W/O Pics - Sorry!)

Yesterday, I went on a fanatical finishing frenzy on my knitting. Four FO's got their ends woven in; and I took a much more honest inventory of the WIP's I still have going. Some I'll finish knitting, but others need to be ripped back, or out entirely. It's the nature of the universe, I guess - that you can't get everything right all of the time.

I wish I could share more pictures today, but so many are gifts; and I want them to reach their recipients first - before I post pictures. And, to be honest, a few of them are SUPER EARLY - so I was super sure not to be late finishing them. (A fate more than one of my gifts have suffered from. And, one I want to avoid as much as possible! Hahaha!)

It feels good to have them really, finally finished - and wearable. But, if I'm really feeling honest, some have waited nearly a YEAR to have their ends woven in. Poor FO's!

Oh yeah, and how the hell is it June already? I know time marches on, but DAMN man! This year it's feeling a little ridiculous. Rant over.

Quickie Check-in!

aka - what I'm up to!

I wish I'd gotten around to organizing all of my pictures into a pretty blog post, but I just haven't been able to get to it, unfortunately. 2+ weeks of dirty laundry is a lot to get through, not to mention I haven't had a stitch of good food in my house all week. So, why the post? I wanted to update all of you, my good blog buddies, briefly, with what's up with me!

• Planning a paper tutorial that'll be super fun and relatively easy! (The biggest secret to cutting thicker paper is a very sharp knife... more on that later.)
• Redesigning my blog and logo - yeay! But also, kinda (very) scarey!!! Think more refined, but not too traditional - like mid century modern furniture!
  
• Designing a whole new career for myself, and I'm so lucky and proud to be working with a very good friend on it! OMG, so not ready to spill on this one yet!
• Shelving the book plans for now, I'm still trying to collect projects and patterns, but I don't have the right contacts to pull it off in the high quality style that I'd really like to. Maybe later...
• Working my way through the 700+ rss posts in my feed, I have to apologize that I haven't been able to comment on as many as I'd like yet!
• Finding all of my old high school friends through Facebook. This I have to admit, I find both super cool and a little creepy - all at the same time. Huh.

What's new with you guys? I'm totally thinking about another contest to bring you lurkers out of the woodwork again! What kind of prize or contest really makes you comment? I must confess, I always feel like I have such a small chance on the big blogs, I don't really bother trying anymore!

Feature Friday - Baggu Bags

When I read about these Baggu bags on Not Martha's blog, I wanted to try them out for myself. I've been wanting to buy a set of reusable bags for quite some time, and the fact that I could pick from such a wide range of colors really sealed it for me. Plus, I got a fun storage sack, too!

They really can hold 2-3 times what a regular plastic bag would, and didn't even snap a thread when I stuffed 2 2L pops (I know, hcfs sucks - that's for another day!) plus 51L bottles of water in one bag! I'm seriously impressed, they hold up superbly, look great; and I thought it was pretty easy to fold them back up to put them in in their boxy pouches.

All in all, I have to give these a glowing review. Except for the fact that the bagger looked at me like I was crazy for having such large reusables; I just thought to myself," if you put things in, in the right way - they stand up on their own just fine!"

Rip It... Rip It Good!

These days I find myself needing to rip back large portions of a knitting project, for one reason or another; and I thought I'd share what I've learned (so you don't have to spend hours untangling an unholy mess of one ply lace weight wool. ugh.)

I'm not even done ripping yet... I'm going all the way back to the armholes!

I use this technique when I'm mid-project, and don't want to rip the whole piece out, just a large enough section that would undoubtedly tangle, were I not to utilize this simple method. In fact, it's just a piece of card stock (letter sized, 8.5"x11"",) rolled into a tube and taped shut. I place a cut on one end to hold the end that's closest to the ball, that's not being ripped, to hold the yarn in place.

Then, I just rip back and wind the loose yarn onto the tube, being careful to pull tight enough to slightly pull the curl out, but not so tight that it actually constricts the tube. I try and start at the end of the tube closest to the ball. I work my way towards the other end of the tube as I go, so when I knit it back together, I can just pull a few loops off the tube at a time. Jeez, I hope that made sense! If you have any questions, or just want to call me wordy - feel free! And wish me luck while you're at it, I still have a ton left to rip out!

WIP Wednesday - Tiffany & Co. Empire

I must admit - I was so hurried to start this project, I actually bought the wrong yarn for it! Haha! For some strange reason (that still escapes me, because I questioned the needle size,) I thought this project called for Lorna's Laces Shepard Worsted, instead of Shepard Sport - which is in fact, the real recommended yarn.

So, needless to say I was pretty upset with myself when I realized that even though the yarn had arrived, I couldn't cast on for this delicious little knit t-shirt. I spent a little while feeling sorry for myself, and then I wondered if I had anything on hand that would fit the bill. Surprise, surprise - I did!

I bought 8 balls of Sirdar Snuggly last summer, when the Stargazer Kimono pullover came out in MagKnits*. I knit both of the sleeves up fairly quickly, but then realized I didn't like the side-ways knit construction of the top. My sleeve edges were too tight to function as a bodice top, and so I let it all sit in a bin for over a year. When I realized that the Snuggly might work for this, I dug it out and swatched immediately. Another huge surprise - I actually got gauge with the reccommended needle sizes! I almost always have to go up, and so I was a little shocked when I checked it and then double checked. Hehehe.

I was a little worried that my cast on was a bit too tight, and it probably is. Next time, I'd go up a needle size for the long tail cast on, then go back down to continue knitting. I'm not sure if I'll add the ruffle at the neckline or not; but I am planning on lengthening the sleeves to just above elbow length. I may add the ruffles to the sleeve edges, too. We'll see...

Now I'm thinking it's too big, but the tricky bit is, there's no size in between small and medium, and I'm a 32" (under) bust. Ugh. It means I'll have to rip back to just below the armholes, and start decreasing. I should do some math so I know just how many stitches I'll have to get rid of. The I-cord empire waist should be 16" (for me,) and this one measures 19" laid flat right now. Oy.

*Yes, unfortunately they're closed now, and they didn't even keep an archive up. Ravelry is a good resource for finding old Magknits patterns, otherwise the best method for obtaining unavailable patterns is to contact the author (if you know their name.)