I finished! sort of ....

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.

--Scott Adams

I finished my sweater .... sort of! i still have to weave in all the loose ends and then find that perfect piece of ribbon to run down the front placket. But the most important thing is ... it's finished and i actually still LIKE it!

I also did something rather grown up and mature - - i did a SWATCH ... checked my gauge AND then made appropriate (and CORRECT) adjustments to the pattern! and voila ... it actually fits!

so .... for all those years i rolled my eyes and just jumped in .... i guess i have to apologize ... at least a little bit! I changed the yarn the original pattern called for but i did the swatch thing, adjusted my needle size to get it to the drape i wanted ... and i'm actually rather pleased ...

i made mistakes ... i ripped them out ... i recalculated .... and although it's nothing fancy, today i'm pleased with my golden cotton ART sweater!

New Stitch Knitch

i don't know if it's the excitement in knowing that i'm heading to atlanta in the morning for my 1st official Stitches South .... or just the eagerness to try some new stitches .... but i found myself this week wanting to step out, just a bit, of my comfort zone and expirement with some new and fun options .....



i've had my eye on this sweater pattern that i 1st saw in Knitscene's Winter 07/Spring 08 issue. funny how something gets stuck in your mind ... and eventually might just come to fruition! (what's even MORE impressive is that i actually could remember where i put the magazine!) i found this awesome Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Maize. The problem/challenge is that the yarn i am using is NOT what the pattern calls for ... but the answer, i'm praying, is in doing a SWATCH! There... I Said it! and ... i DID it! i swatched and counted rows and stitches and actually did some MATH ... then laid down and waited for the headache to subside! :)

Based on my swatches and counting i cast on 154 stitches and started the Seed Stitch borders and have managed to get 2.5" knit in just a day! it's going fast and i'm hoping that the simplicity of the knitting will fill in the bus ride time .... did i mention that i'm going to Stitches South tomorrow! Rows and Rows and Rows of yarn and needles and patterns and yarn and needles and like minded friends shopping and comparing all their yarn and needles ...... oh my soul!!!!! i can't wait!!!!

I also am in the midst of rehearsals for our school spring musical and with that much rehearsal time comes 'opportunities' to sit and knit in between songs and while they run their lines so .... i found some new stitch patterns that i tried this week as well! New washcloths for an upcoming wedding shower provided a perfect opportunity for an awesome variation on the basketweave pattern and also to try a variation of the Seed Stitch (like i'm using on my sweater) called the Moss Stitch. Click here for the instructions for both of these washcloths .... Look under the New Stitch Knitch tab.

This has been a week where time has flown by ... and then it stood still ..... but regardless of the pace of the moment, i have found that knitting provides me with VALUE to fill each moment. I want to be a good steward of the gifts that God has given me and when i reach into my knitting bag and pull out the yarn and needles i find that it's not long before someone is asking what i'm working on .... and to be able to say that i'm a part of a special group of women who knit because they love the Lord and each other .. and inspire and share burdens and giggles and memories and knitted gifts ...... That, my friend is the Knitch i always want to be a part of!