It's The Small Things That Matter ...

I have to admit, since going through the "Stash Spring Cleaning" along with Mom, I am having completely opposite feelings than Mom is about adding to my stash...

Mom: "If I even look like I'm about to buy more yarn, hit me or something...."

Me: * laughing * "Okay..."

Mom: "No, really, I mean it this time..."

Me: * laughing harder * "Okay..."

* DING * Moms email alert on her phone goes off

Mom: "Oh shit. It's an email from Village Wools. They're having a sale..."

Me: * more laughing because I know we're going to be there come Tuesday afternoon *

TUESDAY AFTERNOON @ VILLAGE WOOLS 4:00pm

Mom: * standing in front of the Wooly Wonka Lace display * "Ah, shit. I'm going to do it aren't I?"

Betty: "You don't have anything in that color at all. Fuck it..."

Mom: * laughing at Betty *

Me: "Oh yeah, you should totally get that. She's right. You don't have anything in that color!"

Mom: * looks at us both then turns and walks towards the register with a gorgeous skein of 875 yds    of soft green Wooly Wonka lace weight deliciousness *

It went something like that. Me? I have no guilt at all. My goal is to add to my stash and watch it grow. Mom is at the point where she can open her own store. I'm not there yet but that's what I'm striving for. My Mom is such an incredible role model for all knitters and yarn enthusiasts. This is what I cam home with...

This is some Malabrigo sock yarn in the colorway Velvet Grapes. If you're thinking about this colorway, just do it. Its more incredible in your hands than on the computer screen. It is a reddish purple and I had nothing like it in my stash or knitted up and needed it. I guess it didn't help much that I happened to be wearing this color when I picked it up. When I got home that evening I proudly put it in a Ziploc bag and put it in it's correct newly organized-by-color plastic bin. I was so happy that I finally had everything organized to the point where I knew exactly which bin to put it in so I would know exactly where to find it later when I wanted it. Spring Cleaning was successful! I cant be sure what Mom did with her lace weight when we got home. For all I know she's in denial and that skein's still sitting in the back of the car.

I know that in my last post I shared with you that I had started the wee sweater. Well, its done. I took pictures along the way so you could see it all in progress. It is the cutest little thing I tell you. It is a pattern by Carina Spencer and it is brilliantly written. Being new to knitting garments its nice to pick up bits of information from different patterns so you know what liberties you can take and when & where you can or should take them. For this pattern, the ease under the arms was brilliant. She has you CO 5 stitches using the backward loop and later when you go back to work the sleeves you pick this stitches up so easily because of how they were CO. You also pick up a stitch on either side of it too. One of the things I learned when I started knitting socks a few years ago & again when I taught myself how to knit fingerless mitts this past Holiday Season (then I knit 14 pairs of them or something. That was a trip. If you weren't with me then go back and read those posts!) was when you are picking these stitches up, knit them through the back loop so that stitch makes a little cross. It leaves a lot less obvious space there to deal with later. I had no spaces to deal with later on this little sweet sweater. I knit it in six days. If I can do it than anyone can. I started with this...

 There is nothing bad I can say about this yarn. It is wonderful and the reviews on the Knit Picks website were fabulous too. It wears well, doesn't pill and can go into the washer and dryer. I started with a gauge swatch. Yes, I hate them too but since this cute lil' thing is for someone very special I didn't want to risk it not coming out exactly as planned. I got gauge on the first try...

I couldn't wait to start watching the slip stitch detail unfold & it started right away with the yoke...

By the end of the next night it looked like this...

I couldn't stop knitting it because it just got cuter and cuter and you could see the shape coming to life almost instantly. Then over the course of 6 days it came to life...

 See that wonderful slip stitch detail?

 Every new element I came to I got excited all over again. The button band was so simple and cute! Just adding those YO, k2tog to make the buttonholes made me all giggly inside...

 I laid the buttons there just for the picture but I swear I almost sewed them on right then and there. For no other reason than I could. I decided to wait and let that be the last thing to do...that finishing touch that would breathe life into all those stitches...

At this point I ran into a little issue. Not because of the pattern...its because I was a dumb ass. I was knitting along last night at Jason's Deli not realizing I was screwing up. The finish the sleeves it calls for 7 rows in garter which would make 4 garter ridges. I was not used to knitting in garter in the round. I purled 4 rounds and then it hit me...crap. I waited till I got home to back 3 rows out and actually knit in garter rather than reverse stockinette. Once that was fixed I just continued on...

I spent the day with Dilshani making sure she was okay and I finished the sweater at her place...

Small Things Sweater by Carina Spencer knit with Knit Picks Shine Worsted in Creme on US Size 8 circulars

Tah dah! Is this not the cutest little sweater you've ever seen?! I made the 3 month old size so the wee one will grow into it and hopefully get some good wear out of it. You all may remember the sweater I made for the big sister to be, Savannah. If not, you can read about it here. Savannah's sweater had little Celtic heart buttons on it. In keeping with that theme I put little Celtic buttons on this one too...

 
 Now Savannah and the baby will have something that ties them both together handmade from Aunt Claudia. Last month I was given a pretty cool birthday present. I was asked to be the "Fairy" Godmother of this new wee one on the way. The baby's Mom and Dad are not religious but they are spiritual. The liked to refer to a Fairy Godmother rather than just a Godmother. At any rate, they asked me to hold this special position for their wee one and I was so touched I cried. I am so excited for the arrival of this baby, can you tell?!!

I am looking forward to the start of my next shawl project which I'll probably start this week or weekend. It will be another collaboration and this time with Crave Yarn of Santa Fe. I met the lovely Amor who is the name behind this beautiful yarn not long ago. You can read about that trip to Santa Fe here. There was a colorway she had that I instantly fell in love with called "High Tea With Elizabeth" so I think this shawl will likely have a very English theme to it. I am really looking forward to starting it. Mom is working with her yarn right now and she is in love with it. She's knitting Big Damn Heroes and is absolutely loving everything about the yarn and the pattern together.

I hope you are all having a good week and are enjoying the first of Spring. The weather has been very nice here lately...in the 70's. I will keep you all posted on the new shawl project as I start getting that underway. Have a wonderful evening! Until next time...Knit On!