baktus and sandal weather

edit: since so many asked, the sandals i'm wearing are gee'wawa maria fisherman in grey. 

another week gone by.  i really can't believe it's march already.  those couple months of being sick have made me feel like i missed a good portion of this winter, but oh well.  i'm just glad to be up and about!

i decided it was time for another garter stitch project and this simple baktus pattern was super quick and fun.  i would have finished it in one sitting instead of two had i not set the scarf down, picked it back up and started increasing every other row instead of every fourth row!  even though the sudden jut where i changed the increase rate caught my attention over and over, i kept knitting away until the halfway point when the decreasing instructions made me realize what i had done.  my lazy self considered leaving it, but i really wanted a less dramatic triangle than what i had made, so out it came.  even though i had to knit half the scarf twice, this pattern is still a new favorite.  and the cotton peaches and creme in faded denim really made this a perfect scarf for the quickly approaching spring.

oh man, it's friday?

i mean, t.g.i.f.  this week really went fast, which means something good - i'm slowly getting better and out of the house!  it's been so nice to slowly emerge back into the land of the living.  so nice in fact, i'm holding back on the exclamation points.  i'm getting the office whipped back into shape which means i crossed off number one on the new years goals list.  i also spent most of the week trying to wrap my brain around some difficult pattern drafting for my knitting machine which is also a goal for this year.  i'm breaking the last goal as we speak though by exercising, blogging and listening to music all at the same time.  i'm not aiming for perfection.

i know i said i'd have a couple knitting patterns to post on here, and i still plan on sharing them.  i tried working through editing them this morning, but have one too many knitting patterns floating around in my head right now.  soon, i promise!

small knitting

here are a couple small projects i've been working on - dishcloths, placemats, and my take on this hat and fingerless mittens from that beautiful article in the january issue of martha stewart living about knitting.  i've been living off easy knitting projects that only take a couple hours to complete, and in the process, have discovered the beauty of the garter stitch.

i hope to be posting an itty bitty pattern i wrote soon too!

matters of the heart

wow, thank you all for your kind and encouraging words.  thanks for listening.

i have good news to report.  this week has been slowly getting better!  on monday and tuesday, i thought i was relapsing again into... well... whatever's been going on (another infection?  ulcer?  i've never felt so out of touch with my body), but wednesday went much better than most days in the last couple weeks.  i actually got out of the house and spent a wonderful morning and afternoon with my valentine.  the fresh air, the sun, the snow... i could tell as soon as i stepped out the door that my relationship with the great outdoors has been a little strained.  you know i still love you, boo.

it's hard to ease back into to doing something, anything at all during the day.  it's been a little emotionally bumpy to try to figure out what i can handle.  underneath all the doing, what's buried deep in your heart - your motivations for doing things, your anger, your selfishness - rises to the surface in trying times and it's been hard to slow down and deal with it.  as painful and revealing it can be, being honest and vulnerable with the people around you is always the better choice.  maybe not everyone feels this, but i do.

blue

my recovery regime ::  loads of kusmi tea and chocolate sent by kind friends + comfy clothes (the top and camp socks from doug and bottoms from my sister jenah have kicked my usual "athletic huxtable" look up a notch) + plenty of knitting (why yes, i have taken up designing doll clothes in my spare time. and sometimes i talk to the dolls.  and they always understand me.) 

it's getting to be a challenge to not feel blue about still being sick.  a recent unexpected emergency room trip (that's dumb, when do you expect to go to the e.r.?) sent us into a spiral of more tests and no real answers yet.  everything was really starting to wear on all of us, and then some people stopped by unannounced to just sit and visit.  the house is in a constant state of mess, i'm usually far from presentable and i'm starting to really care less.  the most recent visitors did so much to lift my spirits.  their encouraging words gave me a burst of hope.  right after they left, i was listening to a podcast that mentioned that patients in hospitals who are told encouraging words actually have a much higher chance of recovering faster.  i believe it.

the emotional challenge of whatever is going on is hard, but i still feel so well cared for.  just when we need it, we'll get a call, a text, an email, a care package in the mail, or someone stopping by with dinner.  it's making me realize that the thoughtfulness and kindness behind what you do is just as sustaining as the physical act of taking care of others.

prison crafts

oh man, i've started in on the kid crafts.  i'm just a step away from making license plates in my spare time.  i think i need to get out of the house.

at least i had an instant use for this fun pastime - little thank you gifts for the caring friends who have made my family meals while i've been sick.  people have been so thoughtful, showing up at our door with delicious food right when we need it.

the last of the last

it feels good to be sold out!  i forgot anything was even left in my shop.  thank you customers, you sure are the best.  how refreshing to start 2012 off with a clean slate!

valen-tiny

i finished another hand knit cardigan for a little friend's first birthday modifying this great pattern just slightly so that i could make the body completely seamless. notice the use of the contrasting white again? baby sweaters are a perfect way to use up leftover yarn. i had just enough wool-ease in both the rose and natural heather. 

but i'm afraid it's not going to fit and wish i could figure out if it will without ruining the surprise. i tried to dig through the baby clothes to see if i could compare it to anything i had on hand, but couldn't find a sweater, small jacket or sweatshirt in this size. anyone know of a chart online that would tell you such things?

garment house cardigan :: two

this was the first cardigan i ever tried to tackle on my knitting machine and i'm still amazed at how it fits because of two specific reasons.  one is that it's completely my own pattern.  two, and get ready to be surprised, my ideas for how i wanted this sweater to fit was really unstructured and it was a bit of an experiment just getting through the whole thing.  i jotted down very loose guidelines to follow as i knit, but didn't take the time to copy down my notes along the way.  that's why i made another right after (previous post), with the hopes of remembering what i did and drafting an official pattern that i could use again.  funny thing is, i like the fit of the first better!

for those of you who asked what type of knitting machine i use, i'm lucky to say that i have a couple!  everything i've posted about so far has been made on a standard gauge machine without a ribber, and that's mainly what i use.  it's a very basic model which in my opinion is the best to start with.  if you're considering getting into machine knitting, i'd highly suggest finding a local m.k. group, sitting in on some meetings and seeing a machine in action!  it's a much better way to approach machine knitting instead of making a $600 investment and having NO IDEA where to start. machine knitters are very passionate about what they do and it's infectious to be around if you are truly interested.  had it not been for a kind dealer who answered every single one of my questions, helped me figure out what type of machine i was looking for, invited me to meetings, and patiently took the time to walk me through the bumps in the road of learning, i would have never stuck with it.  it's now more exciting than it is frustrating to me, and geek alert!  the click of a knitting machine now gives me goosebumps.  i love it that much!

garment house cardigan

i was saving this design for one of my upcoming collections, but that's not happening any time soon.  i said i'd share my machine knit projects i've been working on, and this cardigan is my most recent.  it was finished back in november and i wore it all over new york on our last visit.  it's been worn quite a few times since, so please excuse the pills and wrinkles.