Gimmesanity

It’s been kinda crazy and stressful at Chez Gimmesanity. We’re moving in a week…I hope. If everything goes as planned, Alan and I will be making our way to Minneapolis on Sunday. By this time next week, we’ll be chilling in Chicago for the evening. Fingers and toes crossed for us, please and thank you.

Through the madness, I’ve managed to finish up this gorgeous sweater. It’s a bit late to rock it right now, but at least now I have something to look forward to wearing this fall, right?

Pattern: Vaila by Gundrun Johnston
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Olive, just shy of 5 skeins. Rock on.
Needles: US 7 and 8, and 10.5 to bind off the bottom

Fist off, I wanna say that I LOVE this sweater. Such a perfect match of yarn + pattern. This is such a soft, delicious yarn, but I’m a little worried about how much pilling I’ll have to deal with. Also, the colors of Malabrigo are so rich and gorgeous. Seriously, how can you go wrong?

For the mods, the biggest one was that I did this top-down. I wanted it pretty fitted. After seeing Nessa’s top-down version, I knew that I had to be a total copycat and make one for myself. My gauge was a bit off, but it didn’t make too much of a difference. I had a swatch and my measurements, and just worked from there. The more I knit, the more confident I’m getting with altering patterns to make them fit me the way I want them to fit. It’s a good feeling to know that I’m learning how to take charge of my knitting. I continued the reverse-fake-seam down the sides and along the arms. It helped break up all of that purling. Oh, and just a tip, when you do a gauge swatch, make sure you purl it. Duh.

I have some other things on the needles…maybe they’ll be done before I head out for training. I start June 9th…eep!! Deep, cleansing breaths.

We got home this past Friday. Oy, it was a rough flight, time-wise. We arrived at 2:30 in the morning. Thankfully, Bean was a total angel on the flight. I told Alan that he owes her a shiny new Camaro when she turns 16. We’ve spent the weekend keeping busy, trying to find the pattern to our lives again.

On Saturday, Mami and I took the girls to the zoo for the local fleece festival.
Monkey got to try out some weaving. I want a loom so badly. But, I’ve been restraining myself. Maybe I can try to be good and hope that Santa brings me one…

Sunday was my birfday.
Thanks to everyone for your well-wishes. I chillaxed with my mom, hung out at her place and napped with Bean in the afternoon, then we had dinner, cake, and, of course, wine.

On Sunday, I also managed to head out and find buttons for a little sweater that I finished while in Colombia. It was my mindless go-to project when I needed a way to release some anxious energy. This little sweater knitted up quickly and with few problems.

I couldn’t find any buttons that I actually liked, though. Maybe it was all that yellow - cuz, this sweater is totally “OHAI, I AM YELLOW!” when you see it in person. So, I decided that the best (and easiest) thing would be to mix up the buttons a bit to add some more color.

I think it worked.

I like it. a lot.

Deets:
Pattern: Riverstone
Yarn: The Fibre Company Savannah DK Organic in Marigold, 2 skeins exactly. I had lint leftover, that’s about it.
Needles: US5
Rav’d

Mods: I worked the sleeves in the round, worked the yoke flat, then went back to working in the round for other sleeve.
My gauge was way off, so I used the pattern as a recipe and just measured and tried it on Bean as I went along. If I was to make this again, I’d make the neck not as wide. I know babies have huge noggins, but, dang, they don’t need that much space. I sewed up one side of the neck and put a button on the other side.

This was my first time working with this yarn, and, OMG, I wanna eat it. It washes up so nicely and gets soft and delicious. I’m totally going to make myself something out of this stuff.

One last picture of the Bean just because she’s so darn cute.

Bean approves of her new sweater.

You know how parents are always telling their kids that they love all their kids the same? Yeah, that’s not true when it comes to my knitting. Because, this one, this gorgeousness that will be wrapped around my neck every day from now on, is my absolute favorite project evah’.

Deets: Ishbel by Ysolda
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Tiziano Red
Needles: US5
Rav’d

Malabrigo lace has to be the most delicious lace yarn ever. The color has so much depth to it (the first picture is the most accurate color-wise.) The finished shawl has a beautiful sheen and drape to it. Ack, I wanna eat it…I mean, you know, if I didn’t want to wrap it around my neck and all.

Ysolda’s patterns are so clear and well-written. She’s certainly outdone herself with this shawl. In an effort to use up as much of this gorgeous yarn as possible, I made the stockinette portion for the largest size, but I followed the pattern repeats for the smallest size. In the end, I think I had enough yarn leftover to make the largest size. It would’ve been close, though.

I got the whole Whimsical Little Knits Collection, so stay tuned for a few more Ysolda originals popping up here and there.

I’m off to go fondle my shawl again.

It started with a quiet breakfast, just me and my thoughts as the Bean took her morning nap.

Picking up a new skill for a potential new project. It’s not perfect, but I’m getting there. In the meantime, I have a new coaster.

Sharing a post-nap banana with this toothy beauty…

…before going out to meet a new friend.

Internets, meet beautiful baby Jacob.
I’m honored that he’ll be coming home in this.
Also, I wanted to keep him, but his mom said no.

Then, it was off to pick up Monkey from school, hang out as a family, and then knead some pizza dough for dinner. There’s something so cathartic about making dough from scratch.

This became one veggie pizza and one pesto, chicken, and ’shroom pie. Yum.

Now, the babies are asleep, the apartment has been picked up…mostly. It’s time for some knitting, a movie, and a few snuggles with my Alan on the sofa.

Hi, I am an impossible color to photograph accurately.

Hope your day was fabulous, too.