FO: Secret Santa Yoga Bag

I made this cute yoga mat bag for Calley, my secret santa through the Sweatshop of Love Secret Santa Swap. I had never meet Calley before but through some internet creeping I was able to discover that she was studying to be a yoga instructor. I thought this gift would be both adorable and practical- my favorite combination! It was  breeze to knit up and the construction was interesting. I did make a few mistakes on the lace pattern but luckily it's still just as useful.

It's so cute I feel like I just might need to make one for myself! Although it's going to have to take a place at the back of a very very long list.

ALSO today, my design sneak peak was featured over at Holla Knits. Check it out and see what's going on with this exciting and new project. 

Sunday Snapshot

Just working on a Secret Santa Project. Hopefully my person will be very excited about receiving this super cute (and functional!) yoga bag as a gift. I'm hoping it knits up quickly as my deadline is fast approaching. The yarn is Knit Picks Cotlin in Creme Brulee. It might look familiar because I used it in this sweater (and still had a few skeins in my stash).

Recently I've decided to frog it (rip it all out) and re-knit it. As my first sweater there are a few things I want to change and definitely a lot I've learned since I first made it. It has been sitting on my shelf unworn for almost a year. I can't bear to part with it (it is my first sweater!) but I'm tired of not wearing it. So, here's to a second chances and lots and lots of knitting.

That Girl!

Cap Sleves! Buttons! Oh My!

Here's the finished product of my That Girl Knit Along. This pattern comes together really quickly and is a breeze to make. It was my first experience with top down sweater construction- which I loved because you can actually try it on as you go and gauge where you are and if you should make changes. It makes sizing a snap because you stop your increases when ever you've reached the length you desire. In addition Nikol Lohr made this so it's very easy to customize and modify to your preferences.

I choose the planetarium color in CotLin (again), a lovely light weight cotton linen blend- perfect for a summer or spring knit. The original version has a collar that I decide to nix and originally hangs open with one button up top. I instead put buttons all the way down so I can close it easily and instead of doing a three quarter large puffy sleeve I went with a condensed puff sleeve version. Very cute and light for summer.

I got this great blue fabric in a quilting square pack and decided to use it for fabric covered buttons. I love the way the white and lighter blue pop out against the dark blue of the yarn. I already have plans to make another That Girl, probably with a wool based yarn for a warmer winter wear. Although I like the breath ability of the CotLin it does knit up a little looser than I prefer, I really do like a little more structure to my knits so I'm hoping that a wool will give me a little more body. I also plan on decreasing under the arms for the cap sleeves and switching to a smaller needle size for the seed stitch band on the bottom of the arms. They are a little loose for my taste.

Over all this was a very quick knit, a great sweater for beginning or seasoned knitters alike, this would make a great first (or in my case- second) sweater and I would definitely recommend it. I love all the ways you can make it your own and fit it to your tastes. I predicit that I will be wearing it quite a bit, it's the perfect thing to toss on before you leave the house no matter if you're dressed up or down. A great idea for summer evenings or any where you know its going to be air conditioned.

My First Sweater!!

I finally managed to get some pictures of my FIRST sweater, the dollar and a half cardigan by Veronik Avery
A beautiful cardigan with lace sections alternated with reverse stockinette stitch (the purl/bumpy sides out) and a giant cable running the length of of the right side.

I love how cozy the CotLin yarn is. It's nice and light weight and will be great to wear in the fall and spring. It is shedding just a little bit but I think that when I wash it it should break in and soften really nicely. I love the way the fabric buttons look! They are a great and easy way to personalize your project. I got a ton on sale at Joanns a couple weeks ago so I'm sure they will be on lots of projects in the future.

So cute! The fabric I choose has little squirrels and foxes on it frolicking through autumn colored leaves. Perfect for fall!

When it starts to get cooler I know that this sweater will be seeing a lot of wear. It's such a creamy buttery yellow that looks great with gray- my favorite color. Overall I'm glad to be done with my first sweater and I can't wait to keep knitting more.

That Girl Update, odds and ends

I've been plugging away on my That Girl summer jacket. I've made a few modifications using this post. I decided to do the collarless version, with buttons all the way down the front and the cap sleeve variation.

The Cotton Linen blend yarn that I'm using is really nice and light. I think it will be a joy to wear for the rest of the summer. The stitches are on the loose side with the size 7 needles I'm using so I would probably use a 5 or 6 next time. I like my knits just a little more structured and tight. I found some great blue fabric for the buttons and can't wait to get this all put together and put on.

I also got a knit picks order in this week. Lots of exciting things for Christmas projects and a few things for myself. Ever since I've made that cowl from a few weeks ago I've been dreaming up cowl patterns to make for myself. I've got some beautiful sweet potato orange yarn that I can't wait to get my needles on.

Mostly I've just been working on all my knitting and watching the sunlight through my living room windows. Not such a bad view, I could do this for awhile.