Have you heard...

...about the Valentine Tea and Yarn Package? It is extra special for the month of February!

I am introducing a new yarn to my line up and you'll be the first to get it! But that is only half of it; you get 2 skeins (at a discounted price)!

I'm dyeing the yarn in coordinating colorways, so you can use them together in a project or if that doesn't suit your fancy, you get to make two projects! It's not the typical fingering weight either. It's a very special yarn with 8 plies, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's a bulky weight! It's not that either.

The Tea is extra scrumptious, it has to be since it's a Valentine's package right??  It is called Wonder-Berry Chocolate Truffle -- that just sounds wonderfully delicious! I know, I've tried it several times.

There will be sweet extras in your package as well. After all it's Valentine's day!

When the perfect pattern...

...doesn't exist, you must be daring and create your own. At least this is what I did. After endless shopping in stores and online for the perfect color purple shirt, I gave up. I didn't care what style it was after a while, I just need a shirt for my daughters skirt! This was about 3 weeks before our trip to Chicago and I decided to design my own. I was crazy, but felt confident that I could execute! Just that I did.

The Yarn: Sumptuosity Fingering Yes it was the most luxurious yarn in my line up for a 6 year old, but it was the perfect color, not to be found anywhere else. I know! It was a 2 of a kind. I had a little dye left over from two other batches and stuck them in the pot together and this is what I got. I had no idea at the time I would be the one using them. It was really perfect and meant to be!

The Pattern: I started two other patterns, hating them both. I couldn't find a feminine vest with a decently written pattern, so thus the reason I designed my own. I'm not sure if I'm going to write this one up or not...I'm just not very good at it. I suppose I could hire someone to do it for me, but then that's not really the same.

I decided I didn't want a full sweater, but a vest would do very well and I only had two skeins. I didn't want to use them as fingering, as it would take too long and I needed the vest to have more body anyway so I doubled them up getting a DK weight. It was perfect!

I took Katya's measurements and starting knitting. I love this yarn and knitting with it is pure luxury! It was going so well, the lace pattern was perfect and I was very confident that I was on the right track.

I finished in under two weeks, with plenty of time to spare before our trip and I was very much pleased with the finished vest! It barely fits her now, but we both look forward to Victoria wearing it.

I love that she is so proud to wear her Mama's hand knits! David on the other hand will only wear green. His vest will be next and yes of course it's green, John Deere Green...kind of, at least he thinks so!

A New Year's....

...resolution: More Blogging! Enough said, I'll get on with it! I was inspired by a few of my blog readers at an event that I attended to get back here, Thank you Ladies!

I've been knitting up a storm since October, the last time I checked in here...shame on me :( 

In October we traveled to Chicago for a dear friend's wedding and I needed something that was easy to knit for the trip, but not so boring when I got home to finish it. I found the perfect piece! 

The Pattern: Scabiosa Top.

I loved it from the moment I saw it and had to make it. Boring stockinette for the long car ride to and from and beautiful, but not to complicated lace to finish it up when I got home. 

I had the perfect yarn, but I had not the time to dye it before we left. So, I thought I can just dye it when it's done. 

The Yarn: Vivacity Fingering, a Superwash Merino, Silk, Nylon blend with 2% Silver Sparkle. I wanted this top to have that extra special touch of sparkle, a perfect top for my Holiday parties. Now, the pattern calls for DK weight for the bottom portion and fingering for the top. I did NOT want my sweater 2 different colors, no way. I wanted it a classic piece I can wear anytime, with anything, dress it up or down. So, I used the yarn double on the bottom portion and single for the lace. My gauge was spot on -- I was very pleased.

I knit on happily to and from Chicago, 7 hours each way with 3 little munchkins in the car. We had great trips both ways. We had a blast at the wedding and our 4 day stay was a great little vacation.

When we got home I finished up the body and then started the lace portion. It was so fun to knit and the pattern was easy to catch on. I did rip a few times, but I blame that on late night knitting :)

Knitting with white always seems so boring for me, but this wasn't too bad. I guess the sparkle kept me interested and then well, lace, it speaks for itself.

I dyed it, my intention was Kiss Me Pink, but something went wrong and it came out darker, still it was good, I liked it.

It was perfect....or so I thought...just a bit too short to wear with pants....I just wasn't going to wear it much. I had to redo it. I will be happier I thought. Only problem was, I forgot to dye some extra yarn with the sweater....NOT GOOD. I had planned on it, but with my excitement to see it done and dyed I forgot.

I ripped out the bottom and because it was knit from the bottom up I had to cut it and then unravel and put the stitches on my needle very carefully! Sweater Surgery...it brought back memories of working in Neuro Surgery. Very tedious work for those surgeon's a lot of the time.

I dyed up 1 skein, WAY to dark, I did another and it was better, until I started knitting, still too dark. I had to dye the entire sweater again to even out the colors...what a mess I thought, I sure did learn my lesson!

In the end it was a success -- it's almost perfect (nothing is ever really perfect) and it is very wearable and I wore it to all of my Holiday parties and it's a great piece to have in my wardrobe. I am considering another in Kiss Me Pink of course, maybe 100% silk this time around. I have another sweater with sleeves in fingering weight yarn on the needles, just started a pair of baby legs yesterday and I'm swatching for a baby sweater. Haha ~ It might be a while.

So, here is the finished sweater. I am very pleased and love wearing it!

Detail shots (before surgery):