Inspiration, WIP, Food and News

1. Inspiration

One of the things I like the most when I surf knitting blogs/forums/communities/websites is seeing a finished object picture of a pattern I've already seen. Sometimes, someone's picture manage to make me want to knit something from a pattern who did nothing from me with the original picture.

Example:

Many of you own the first Stitch and Bitch book. I think the Pin-Up Queen sweater (the one on the left) is cute, but I never really thought about knitting it.

That is, until a very talented girl posted her version in the Knitting Livejournal Community. Great sweater and it looks fantastic on her. Now I really want to add it to my "to knit next" list (as if I needed something else added there). ;)

2. WIP

I've been working on the blue cardigan quite a bit lately, and I'm happy to say that the back and the two sleeves are done. I'm now working on the left panel. Thank God it has a little cable; I was getting tired of all the stockinette.



3. Food

A little while ago, I posted a picture of an apple bread that I made. Someone asked for the recipe in the comment. Unfortunately, I can't copy it here as it comes from a cookbook and I'm pretty sure it would go against copyright laws.

I will, however, suggest another apple-based recipe that I've tried and liked even more than the bread. Apple Squares!

4. News

After years of working on Sunday, I had finally made new arrangements at work so that I could work Monday-Friday like most people. That made me happy in part because it would allow me to go to most Sunday knitting meetings. But after two weeks of that schedule, I was offered a new job with another company... working Sunday-Thursday! I accepted because the new job sounds exciting and the pay is very good, but I'm a little bummed that Sunday knitting meetings are out of question again. I may be able to make it on Wednesday in NDG or on Thursday on the Plateau sometimes, but not always, that's for sure.

I'll be able to attend this Wednesday meeting though, since I have this week off. :)

Why are there so many talented and creative people in the world?

Designers, I love you all, but you're making my life difficult.

As I'm happily continuing to work on the simple cardigan from a FCEK magazine, I'm daydreaming about what kind of sweater I want to make next. My "things I want to make someday" list is getting quite long, but for the next project, I had narrowed it down to two:

Simple Knitted Bodice

AND

Central Park Hoodie

But then someone posted a link to this:

Lucy in the Sky.

Awwww. It's so pretty! I want it!

So please, designers of the world, take a (well-deserved) break*. I have too much to knit already and I need to catch up without being distracted by new beautiful patterns.

* I'm just kidding of course. I surf pattern sites like others surf porn.

Happy Head

It's getting quite cold in Montreal so it was the perfect timing to finish a new hat!




(I swear I'm not stoned on that picture. My eyes have been itchy since yesterday).

Pattern is Véronik Avery's Short row hat (Pattern in pdf format).

I used the recommended yarn, Faith, by Ami-Ami, colour A-48. The yarn is very soft and the hat is warm. Let's just hope I won't lose this one!

Last Friday was Stitch N' Bitch night at a new yarn store, Effiloché. Some people from the Montreal Knits group were there, as well as a bunch of other people I had never met before. The evening was nice and I got to touch a lot of beautiful yarn. I also got to see the original Clapotis as well as the original Union Square Market Pullover (Kate Gilbert, the designer, teaches knitting classes at Effiloché).

I was very good and I only bought two things. I got a skein of Austermann Step sock yarn. The yarn has Aloe Vera and Jojoba oil in it, which makes it so incredibly soft. I can't stop fondling it since I got it back home. The colour I got is the one used for the fingerless mitts on this page (I'm not affialiated with this site at all, I just found it when I googled the yarn's name).

I also bought the fall 2006 issue of Knitscene (finally, there's a place in Montreal where we can buy this magazine!). I got it only because of this pattern. It's so beautiful. It's so me. I must knit it.

I will leave you guys with the preview for the next Interweave Knits magazine. I like a lot of the patterns but my favourite one is the cardigan for Arwen, though I would personally make it a bit longer.

Hmmm, Fall!

Fall is my favourite season. This past weekend was so perfect. It was sunny, and just cold enough to wear a scarf and a sweater. My boyfriend and I decided to rent a car, get a hotel room and go to Quebec City for the weekend.

I knitted for part of the trip, so I could finally progress on the Jaywalkers:



I'm getting close to the toe on the first sock. I'm loving the colours.



How could anyone not LOVE fall? The leaves were so beautiful in Quebec all weekend, I could have taken thousands of pictures.



Fall is also apple season. So we went apple picking in L'Île d'Orléans.





We brought back a huge bag of apples. What will we do with all of this?, you ask.


Apple bread. It's delicious.

Socktober 1st

Socktoberfest has officially begun!

I was hoping to post a pic of my Jaywalkers-in-progress today, but I just realised I left it at my boyfriend's.

So instead, I'm going to talk about all the socks I've made in my knitting career. Don't worry, it won't take too much time.

My first socks were made of Bernat Hot Sox. Yes, acrylic. I don't wear them often (they are way too big), but surprisingly, when I do, they don't make my feet sweat. I was extremely proud of them when I made them. I used a simple pattern from the Lion Brand website.

I then discovered the wonders that are self-striping yarns and made these simple socks. I think I used the same pattern, but smaller needles.

Then, a secret pal was wonderful enough to send me some Fleece Artist sock yarn. I instantly fell in love with it. And I made a pair of feather and fan socks from Socks Socks Socks. I think they're my favourite socks to date.

For Christmas 2005, I decided to give socks as a gift. My mom's boyfriend got these, my little sister got these and my mom got the Go with the flow socks from a past issue of Interweave Knits.

That same Christmas, I gave my godfather some simple ribbed grey socks (pictured with the other Christmas socks).

I got a little sick of socks after that, but I got right back into them for the Knitting Olympics. I made the Embossed Leaves socks, designed by the lovely Mona for Interweave Knits, as well as a pair of simple blue socks. Sadly, I didn't finish them in time to win the Olympics.

The last pair I made are these, using no pattern at all, for the first time. I started them while I was on a business trip to Paris (I love to say that).

So that's it. Next post will (hopefully) have a picture of my sock WIP.