FO Friday: Oops I Forgot!

I had a craft fair about a week ago and though I don’t normally do custom orders around Christmas….I got suckered into one. The customer filled out the request sheet and I filed it into my purse….and promptly forgot!

I feel awful. I whipped out my needles and knit like my life depended on it. I did these two quick cowls in one evening. They are now safely in the mail to their recipients. And I now I can move on towards Christmas!

These are one of Soulemama’s Wavy Weather Cowls. Its a great easy pattern that is very well written. Perfect for a last minute Christmas gift!!

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Abalone Update

I’m onto the second skein on my Abalone! This simple knit has been going to work with me every day and getting some serious lunch time knitting.

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Being a stockinette body…I had to use the clips to keep it from curling so I could take photo, lol! Don’t worry, it will get a garter stitch border to sort out all the nasty curling. This Knit Picks Brava Bulky has been a dream to knit with. I just love the feel of the wool/acrylic blend. And the color is divine, even in stockinette!

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This is sort of a present and needs to be done in January. This will probably be my Christmas traveling knitting so I can be done with it by my deadline.

How are your deadlines coming?

WIP Wednesday: Sophisticate

Remember this cozy cardigan from long ago? Yep, it’s finally getting some knitting time since it fell to the bottom of my WIPs back in November.

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I finished the waist shaping and bottom hem in no time back in October/November. Then it fell to the bottom of my priorities. I know exactly why,. I like my sweaters to go past my waste. But I didn’t measure carefully enough when I was working the stockinette body section. I switched to garter and was several rows in when I realized it was short. Instead of ripping back I worked 3 inches of the garter border at hem instead of the pattern written 2 inches. I made the sleeve to match so all in all I don’t mind the deviation. And at least it won’t make me look like a short torso freak.

I picked it back up these past few days and I finished one sleeve and started the other. I’m making modifications from the original pattern. It is written for a totally tapered sleeve. Which is fine for a garment you don’t intend to wear anything but foundation garments under. But I want to wear this as more of outer sweater/jacket. So I’m omitting some of the decreases around the elbow.

You can see in the photo sort of what I did. I worked the first four decreases, then worked four repeats without, and finally worked the last four decreases. These makes it loose fitting on my arms and bell out slightly at the cuff. This way I can fold up the cuffs I’m working or cooking. I’m praying to the knitting gods I can make the second sleeve match (I took notes, fingers crossed).

I hope to finish this one by the end of the year, but if I don’t oh well. It’s my sweater so who cares? This is Stashbustin’ #38 for the year if you are keeping score.

Happy Knitting!

A Step Forward in My Career

I’ve been at my current job for five years and it’s been one hell of an adventure. No two days are the same, both good and bad! But there isn’t a lot of room for advancement and there are some inherent problems with the structure in my department. So I struck out and interviewed for a dream job….which I was promptly denied.

And I’d like to point out that I was valedictorian of my high school class with a 4.0, I graduated summa cum laude with BA in Spanish, Business, and Accounting from undergrad, I graduated summa cum laude with a Masters in Business Administration from a nationally recognized university, and I have five years working experience as an accountant. I say this not to brag but to point out how ridiculously qualified I am for most jobs. It’s just that even now there are 20 qualified applicants for every job, especially the good ones. Now I don’t want to complain too much because I am currently employed and earn a fair wage. I’m just not happy, and on some level you should be happy(ish) to go to work every day!

So I decided to study for and sit for the Certified Management Accountants’s exam. It’s a step below the CPA and give you knowledge across a WIDE range of accounting topic and not just the banking industry I currently work in. That being said this process is a HUGE time suck. I need to be studying 10-15 hours a week to be on track to take the first test in February 2014. This has put a huge dent into my knitting time.

I guess this is my long way around of saying that for the next couple of months my knitting posts may not be as frequent or as detailed as I have become accustomed to writing. Please bear with me and I promise to keep knitting along the way! How else am I going to stay sane, lol?

Happy Knitting (and studying)!

Wine and Cardigans

I fell in love with a photo for a pattern on Ravelry. One of those kismet situations where I was instantly hooked. Take a look, it’s Abalone by Beata Jezek…

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(Photo is from the Ravlery page and all credit due to beatka’s flickr photo, it is amazing!)

I’ts a open front short sleeve worsted weight cardigan. It would be amazing over a long sleeve tee or even a simple tank top. I just HAD to make this. It’s even a free pattern. Only one problem, it’s only written for size small and I need a slightly bigger cardigan. Not to worry I perused the completed projects section on the pattern page and checked out other knitters modifications. The author included percentages for each section so you can back into your number stitches based on swatching and doing the math.

Based on my scribbles, I am going to cast on 80 stitches instead of 54. And I will work to 149 total stitches instead of 98. As swatch as my witness, I hope this works. I just love the color and the yarn! I am using Knit Picks Brava Worsted in Wine.

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Now I’m off to grab my needles and cast on, Happy Monday!

FO Friday: Honey Cowl

Tah Dah! My Honey Cowl is done!!

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I cast on the intermediate size, or 160 stitches. And I used Patons Silk Bamboo blend on my new Knit Picks Options Interchangeable circular needles.

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The honey cowl is one of my go-to/easy cowls. It’s always beautiful and immensely easy to memorize. Great movie and tv knitting. I used size 8 US needles. I used 102 yards of each color and my FO weighs 130 grams. The finished cowl is 34 inches in circumference by 7 inches tall.

The silk blend has a lovely drape and sheen to it. It’s just baby butt soft against my neck. And the two colors blend well together. Even the WS has a unique beauty to it. This is Stashbustin’ Project #43 for anyone keeping score.

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I can just barely double it and wear it around my neck. This would not be a cowl for when I don’t want to mess up my hair. But on a blustery day this would certainly keep out the chill. I apologies for the model-less indoor photos. It’s winter and I’m at work during the daylight. So this is what I got, lol.

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TGIF and Happy Knitting!

I Love Organization!

My biggest OCD trait is organization. Clutter makes me grumpy and I like for items to be stored neatly. This includes my knitting.

My mom knows this, so she dropped a little surprise in the mail this week. A new circ needle organizer! Made by the talented hands of my mother….

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It’s made of up-cycled jeans, leftover quilt scraps, and some netting. There are eight….count’em eight pockets!

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I pulled together all my plastic and wooden fixed circulars and loaded them in. Short circs in the inside pockets, wood on one side and metal on the other. And the longer circs live in the outside pockets, again wood on one side and metal on the other.

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The case folds easily and the velcro is holding closed for now. I might be inclined to slip a rubber band around it, just to be sure. But I’m very happy that my circs are no longer stuffed into my straight needle case.

How do you store your circs?

WIP Wednesday: Honey Cowl

Honey Cowl update!!

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I’m almost there! I have just enough yarn to do a couple more color repeats then the rolled stockinette edge. This silk/bamboo blend is soooooo soft. I can’t wait to wear it!!!

The needles are also very nice. A little slippery for this project and my tension is a bit different. But it’s working so I’m rolling with it. All in all I love them….provided I use them for the right project and I swatch for gauge, lol!

Happy Wednesday!!!

Customer Service: It’s Important!!!

Remember my goodies from yesterday? Well, there is an interesting story about how those goodies got from Knit Picks to me.

I had them shipped to my work address because I dislike packages sitting on my doorstep out in the open, especially at the holidays. So the package was supposed to arrive on Monday but it got there on Saturday. Well, we don’t accept deliveries on Saturday so it went back to the post office. On Monday, I went in search of package. Online tracking told me to contact my local post office, just a block away from my work. So I stopped by at closing time and asked for my package. They looked and couldn’t locate it, sigh.

I went home and called Knit Picks. They could see the same info I could, the package was sent back to my local post office but they couldn’t tell which one, double sigh. But what came next surprised me. The Knit Picks representative told me no problem, we’ll ship you a replacement right now. No questions asked, no haggling, no arguing, no foisting me off on the United Postal Service. The rep was pleasant and apologetic about a problem that wasn’t even their fault. I hung up a very happy customer.

I did have an ace in my pocket. I have an Aunt who is a long time postal employee in another city. I asked her for advice to find the original package. With her help and the internet I thought I found my package and asked for re-delivery. Easy peasy! So I hopped on the phone and called Knit Picks and cancelled my re-shipment. Again they were pleasant and grateful that I had called back in a timely manner and canceled my order. Again, I was very impressed. They even left notes on my order in case I couldn’t locate my package and really did need a replacement.

Now, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses from here. The post office called me the next day and told me they couldn’t find my package per my internet request. So I went in person to my local office first thing they opened and inquired about my package. I am a frequent visitor to this office and strive to be pleasant to all the employees. They have a hard job and I appreciate what they do…even when they are grumpy. They took my info (again) and told me they would keep looking and call me on my cell. In less than 2 hours they had found my package, put it on a truck for delivery, and personally called me to update me. They were nothing but courteous and helpful. The package simply got shuffled.

This time of year can lead to flaring tempers and harsh words. This just goes to show that a pleasant attitude and perseverance can go a long way. I tip my hat to both Knit Picks and to the USPS this holiday season.

I’m off to leave feedback with both companies about the wonderful customer experience I received while resolving my wayward package.

Happy Holidays and Happy Knitting!