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.

Minnesota Love

You might know that you have the bestest best friend in the world when she goes home to visit and sends you this as a suprise care package...
1.The Best Casserole Cookbook...ever
2. A Minnesota shaped cookie cutter

Man does that lady know what I love. I can't wait to crack open the casserole cook book and get cracking on some goulash asap. We did just have a hot dish night last month

What up tater tot??...and there were rumblings about another. I'm sure I can find some sweet puppy to impress even the most discerning casserole critic.

In other news, knitting related, I have FINISHED (!!!) my first sweater ever, I've just got to sew on my buttons and it will be gracing these sweet pages soon enough. I'm also about half way though my That Girl sweater and as soon as I get off my casserole obsessed butt to take some photos I will be updating about it in here as well.

Inside Out Cowl

Even though its the  middle of summer and over 90 almost everyday here in Chicago I know that in no time at all it will be crisp and cool. I've kind of become obsessed with the cowl in the past year so this pattern has been on my list for a few months now. The original is knit in a soft baby alpaca yarn and it has a wonderful drape and hang to it. When I was in Joanns a few days ago I stumbled upon a wonderful shade of blue in an eco wool (made partly out of post consumer recycle materials). When I came home I decided to get cracking on this:

The pattern calls for you to purl for ten rows and then knit two but I'm too lazy to purl for that many so I knit it inside out. As I was working on it I realized, hey I could wear this either way.

Inside!

or out!

and in the case of windy weather, it will make a great hood. 

serious business. seriously. 

I have a sneaking suspicion that as cute as this is it may make its way onto someones holiday gift list. That decision might also be influenced by two skeins of a beautiful light blue I also bought and really, I could use an even longer hood, this is Chicago after all.

That Girl Knit Along

I was in knitting class the other night when one of my compatriots had a copy of this pattern from Craftzine. Once I saw the cuteness of That Girl Jacket I knew I was hooked, the fact that it was knit with knit picks CotLin just sweetened the deal. When I saw they were doing it as a knit along I knew I was IN.  I picked up a lovely dark blue color, planetarium to be exact and got started.

 It looks like its going to be a quick knit and I can't wait to be wearing this sweet puppy around town.

I heart packages

With the arrival of my knit picks package last week I now have quite a few projects ready to get started on. Let's take a look!

I picked this sassy teal:

For the Traverse City Tube Top by The Sweat Shop of Love

I can see myself lounging pool side in this beautiful pattern in no time at all.

I also picked up some adorable pink yarn for these ruffled knit toe up socks.

Twin Cities Socks

Also an original Sweat Shop of Love design. I just can't stand the cuteness of these. They are going to look so great peaking out of my shoes in the fall. The deal is just sweetened that they are named after the twin cities. One of my true loves, Minneapolis.

Both of these come from the Sweat Shop of Loves Summer Tour Ebook. It's a steel at $18 for 10 patterns each one more adorable than the last. I'm really looking forward to sporting all my sweet designs.

I've love the way that both of the teal and the pink compliment each other.

I realized that I've made a very similar purchase reccently.

Such cute colors! Such cute glasses!

I also got some great sock yarn for a Christmas present.

I'm starting to check things off my list already! It feels great to be so productive.

Blankets Galore!

Continuing with my blanket trend I've been working on my husbands blanket as well. I originally started it as a blanket for my mom but when he gave me the pouty face and told me I never make him anything it quickly morphed into a blanket for our house.

Originally I just started with the teal and green squares

my mamas power colors.

but when I realized it would reside in our house I knew it needed a little something more so I added the red and yellow squares to alternate with.

much more exciting.

I decided to add the white borders to allow the colors to really pop out more and I'll use the white to connect them all together as well. I'm very excitted with how its looking so far and I only have a two or three more rows to go before I start putting it all together. 

Again, I know I'm going to feel like killing myself when I have to weave in all those ends but I'm always in such a rush to start the next one. Not too shabby for learning to crochet a month ago.

Nautical Nights

I just couldn't help myself and started on a new project already. My sweater is still sitting snugly in the corner just waiting for me to pick up and start it again. Unfortunately I think I've knit the sleeves too long. So I'm getting a second opinion tonight and we'll see if I have to frog a few inches. Either way I've got a great new project taking up some space in my mind.

My mother in law is a huge fan of light houses. So much so that when she took a trip to main with my husband when he was 14 they took a light house tour of the state. This lead my husband to hate lighthouses- even the mention of them and continued to fuel my mother in laws love of their nautical presence. Combining her love of the nautical with her love of home furnishings I've decided to make her a crocheted blanket for Christmas.

I have to admit I gave myself a little pat on the back for starting my Christmas list so early this year. Hopefully there will be very little last minuet frantic knitting on my behalf. A stark contrast to last year as I knit 4 hats in the airport during our 6 hour delay on Christmas Eve. But, this year- it's a whole new ball game. I've got lists and charts and all kinds of motivation. It is going to be spectacular.

I know that I'm going to hate myself for not weaving in all those ends as I go but for now I'm riding the wave of my out of school, sunshine, summer motivation. Here's hoping that I can translate that to my dollar and a half cardigan and finish it by next week.