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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Celebrating Spring by Knitting Along

Guys! It's spring!! The entire sky is blue today and I can smell freshly mowed grass (and hear lawn mowers) on the breeze coming through the open windows. The sun is shining, the garden is blooming, the birds are singing, and my dog is shedding puffballs everywhere. How shall I celebrate spring?

Shannon of luvinthemommyhood is hosting her Tops, Tanks, and Tees Knitalong again this year, and I have decided that I must participate. I've had summer knitting on the brain lately. I desperately want to buy some linen and make a top, but I have a lovely stash and it gets first dibs on my attention. I might buckle under the pressure of my own consumerist desires and buy the linen anyway, but I'm trying not to. Instead - this!

It's Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace, and it's beautiful. I bought it to knit the Evenstar shawl (one of my crafty goals this year) but when I pulled it out to cast on, I realized I didn't have enough yardage! I don't know how this happened. I'm always careful about yardage. I'm obsessive even. Where was my brain? Muddled by yarn fumes, I guess - I find the laceweight section of one of my local yarn stores a bit heady. The gorgeous yarn was still calling to me, so I set about looking for patterns.
It's mesmerizing! I can't help being a little dizzy when this stuff is in my hands.
Eventually I settled on Floating, by Cecily Glowik MacDonald. I love her patterns but she designs for a different shape than mine (if I button a cardi solely at the top, I look like an upside-down balloon). Lately, though, I've been thinking more about sweater modification, and as my confidence has increased, so has my ability to see patterns in ways that suit my prodigious, bottom heavy shape.
Look how pretty she is! I'm jealous of the top-button-cardi look. It's precious.
Furthermore, I have internally declared 2013 to be the year of occasionally dressing like a girl. In a dress. You've heard it here first folks - I wore a dress and I liked it. This has literally never ever happened to me. I even felt like an (effing gorgeous) impostor in my wedding dress. And now, I want more. So naturally I need cute cardigans to go with. Right? Nod yes - indulge me. I need that linen yarn too, right? Right??
Look at those precious little lace details! I love this cardigan. I'm off to swatch now, wish me luck!

 

8 comments:

  1. hurrah!! i'm so excited to see your progress! you've got me seriously thinking about my lace yarn i have (same as yours!) i might pull it out for the NEXT knit along. we'll see. as for this one? gah, i'm still undecided on a pattern. at least i have the yarn ready!
    happy knitting! xoxo

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    Replies
    1. I can't wait to see what you decide on! They're all so pretty :D

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  2. Replies
    1. I'm pretty excited :) and my swatch is all dry so I'm ready to go!

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  3. i wore a dress last saturday and for the entire day i couldn't stop skipping and giggling!! it's spring for sure, i tell ya, when dresses and skirts happen..

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    Replies
    1. I'm worried I'm turning into a girl or am sick or something :/

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  4. Hey Em,

    The "Tanks, Tops, etc" link doesn't go anywhere but a blank page. Argh.

    cheers
    Ursa

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