FO: Leafy Lacy Cardi

A nice start to the long holiday weekend - an FO!

Yarn: Rowan Cotton Glace, color 809, 8 1/2 balls. Bought on sale while on vacation in Los Angeles for $30/bag.

Pattern: Leafy Lace Cardigan by Susan.

Modifications: I made the ribbing longer and knit the body until it was 13.5" inches long. I also did the eyelet row a little differently. Instead of working the garter ridges, I just did a simple k2tog, yo row. I also made the sleeves a little bit shorter so I can wear it in the summer.

I have to say, I'm really pleased with how this turned out. Susan wrote a wonderful pattern that was easy to follow and perfect for this yarn. Lacy knits are the perfect summer knitting for me. They are tolerable in the heat and can have really nice results. So look for some more lacy knits from me this summer!

Enjoy your weekend!

100th Post Contest!

It's been almost 2 years since I started this ol' blog, and here I am at my 100th post. I've been doing some spring cleaning, and I have a few books and yarns that I am willing to part with.

Left to right: A Treasury of Rowan Knits, 1000 Sweaters, Knitted Shawls, Stoles and Scarves.

Gedifra Topas. This is a discontinued yarn that I started a sweater with a few summers ago. I frogged what I had used and haven't thought of using it since. I'd rather the yarn be loved by someone who will knit with it! There are about 8 balls here. Ravelry link.

Lion Brand Incredible. I got this two summers ago to make a tank top, but I used 2 balls and then frogged it. There are about 5 balls here. Ravelry link.

Instead of giving all this to one person, I think it will be fun to have 5 winners. So, if you want to enter, just leave a comment and tell me which prizes you want to be considered for. If you don't specify, I'll put your name in all 5 hats. You must comment by Friday, May 2 at 10PM EST.

Now, if you came here to see some knitting . . .

The Leafy Lacy Cardi is coming along splendidly. I am almost finished the 2nd sleeve and hope to do some seaming this weekend. I can't wait to wear this!!!

I've also been working on the Seamless Hybrid for Bill. I'm using Rowan 4ply Tweed, so this is probably going to take a very long time to knit, but it's looking very nice. I got a contrasting color for the underside of the folded hem and am almost ready to turn the hem.

Enjoy your weekend!

Spring Fever

Hi! I hope you all are still with me. I know I've been really bad about blogging lately. I do have lots to show and tell, so I should get started.

Good news - knitting mojo has returned! I've been clearing through my stash and starting lots of new projects. The only one worth showing photos of today is the Leafy Lacy Cardi, by Susan:

I'm knitting this with Cotton Glace that I picked up on sale at Black Sheep Knittery in Hollywood during my vacation out west last year. I like the pattern and it's fool-proof for me. I usually screw up lace patterns, but this is really easy to follow and is going really fast.

I also started another Orangina and Seamless Hybrid for Bill, but I won't bore you with photos here. They're on Ravelry if you're interested, but I've really just started them.

Yesterday we enjoyed the great weather with a much needed day off from work and traveled to Washington DC to see the cherry blossoms in bloom. I've lived in Baltimore my whole life (almost) and had never seen these trees in the springtime. They're beautiful!

This is near the FDR memorial.

Walking along the Tidal Basin.

We also visited the National Botanic Gardens which had a stunning orchid exhibit. I love orchids and really want to try having one of my own.

I know back in November I showed you all of the before pictures of our two upstairs bathrooms before we had them redone. Believe it or not, they have been finished since mid-January! I finally found a shower curtain and some cool prints from Ikea that I loved, so it's now really all put together.

My bathroom. Mostly neutral with splashes of green and dark browns.

Bill's bathroom - not a peach nightmare anymore!

Ah, that felt good. The fact that I have not been blogging or catching up on my blog reading is really stressing me out! The Cape Collar Jacket is finished, so I hope to get pictures and an FO post soon. Hope you're all enjoying the first days of spring!