Pink Powder Perfection

I never thought I'd say this...

THE PINK POWDER JACKET IS FINISHED!!!!!

So often I think knitters hit a point in their project where they'd rather poke their needles in their eyes than face knitting another stitch on a project that feels like it won't end. But, all those feelings quickly disappear when you weave in the very last stitch and all you have is one beautiful finished object that you can't help but be incredibly proud of.

Pattern: (Rav link) 20 Powder Jacket from Rebecca Magazine #31

Yarn: Berrocco Cotton Twist in Pink

Needles: US size 8

Notes: The yarn was splitty and I cursed and cursed it, but I will give it this, it has a gorgeous sheen and it blocked out like an angel. The crochet portion of the pattern is vague-- but with enough determination and enough sleuthing, I managed to pull it off!

Just look at that crochet!! I'm so happy with it! How did I conquer the crochet devil? A very kind crochet-er on Ravelry (madonnaearth) took pity on me and posted very detailed instructions for me on her blog. Without her quick and kind help I would have still been scratching my head and wondering how I was going to finish this project! This year the kindness of the "fiber community" has never been more evident to me and I'm so proud to be apart of a group of people who want to help each other and see each other succeed. THANK YOU madonnaearth... without you this would not have been possible!

I can practically hear my mother squealing from Regina... so mom, without further ado- here are the photos of me wearing it!!

My only small complaint (and someday I might just suck it up and fix it, but for now I just want to revel in the project being complete), is that the picot trim on the sides doesn't want to lie flat, it wants to turn in... but with the rest of the result being so awesome I don't let this bother me right now!

It feels so, so, SOOO good to have this project off the needles and out of the que... but what's next on the horizon? A short little project. A friend of mine at work is moving to L.A. (*insert comment about extreme jealousy here*) She is flying out there at the end of the month with her doggies- one who's just a wee little thing. She's afraid he's going to freeze on the airplane. It's a good think she's friends with a knitter!

Say hello to the beginnings of Dexter's doggy sweater.

This is the neck portion just finished up last night. Dexter will be nice and warm his new turtleneck-- and hopefully we can convince my office buddy to snap some shots when he's all suited up. This is going to look SO cute-- can't wait to see it off the needles!

Off to revel in the joy of the finished sweater! Aren't you glad you never have to hear about my knitting this again!?

Crochet is the Devil and Other Heartwarming Stories

With my humble apologies to crochet-ers everywhere, I am floundering. I am a knitter. I knit. Apparently when you put a hook in my hand my ability to be crafty compeltely flies out the window in protest.

The pink sweater is almost done. I am so close I can literally envision myself wearing the garmet along the beach while I'm in Cuba next week. (It's a cotton sweater to wear over my bathing suit, before you decide to send me letters about my idiocy in thinking I'll need a sweater in the tropics.)


Except I could have modeled a finished project 2 days ago, if it wasn't for the crochet edge on the neckline and sleeves.

GAH! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING! (Behold the start of a crochet edge that is most likely wrong!)

I managed to find a lovely tutorial online to do the picot stitch and I picot'd the bottom of the sweater in one evening. Is it perfect? No. But it's good enough that only a seasoned crochet-er is going to look at it and go "you did it wrong". However the pattern gets a little vague with the crochet border and I'm left going HUH? I've even involved the incredibly friendly and helpful crocheters on Ravelry in the hopes that they can help me. There seems to be some advice this evening that might be able to propel me forward in my endevour. I am so close to finishing this sweater I can taste it!! I am SO. READY to be on to bigger and better things! Do you realize that I've been talking about knitting this sweater for almost a year!? YEESH. I'm sure we're all ready to just move on already!

So- in the interest of keeping you somewhat awake there has also been slow progress on other slogs....

The Zig Zag Sock... half done, now it just needs a twin!

The hat progress... continues at snail pace, but at least it continues!

Also on the blog today? A little heart warming story about knitters...

Those of you who have read the blog for awhile will recall that a very nice woman back around Mother's day sent me some much needed yarn (as I ran out and couldn't finish a project) for free. It wasn't cheap yarn, and she didn't have to be so nice about it- but she was and her kindness and generosity stayed with me. Just this last week I was given the unique opportunity to pass her kindness on.

Eerily similar, a knitter on Ravelry emailed me this week- needing a yarn I had in my stash to finish a project. She asked me what I'd like for my left over Misti Cotton. (OH the joys of over-ordering for yarn.) Realizing it was my turn to pay the favor forward I sent her the hanks of yarn for free and just asked that she do the same should she find herself in the same situation. It's heartwarming for my "3-sizes-too-small" cold heart to know that an informal chain of giving and sharing has started from one person's kindness. It's, well.... nice. (Oh the descriptive words!)

And now... back to screaming out in agony as I continue to try and fail miserably at crochet!