When I was a kid and we would go on family road trips, my mom would always have my brother, sister and I pack our own “things to do” bags, the contents of which were to keep us occupied for the duration of the trip. I think it was genius of her to have us each pack our own bag, to meet our own interests and so that it was our own fault if we got bored. Sometimes she would save up little treats – booklets of crosswords or puzzles, magnetic board games, etc. – and hand them to us that morning before we all piled into the car; something extra to add to our own stashes.
This whole concept has carried over into adulthood for me. I never go anywhere without my “things to do” bag which includes at the bare minimum my …

I FINISHED something! Yippeeee!

My monster laptop bag is finally done. I especially like the teeth. I’m still looking for the perfect pair of monster eye buttons, but other than that, it’s finished. I think maybe I’ll name it Norman.
Now that I’ve completed Norman, I’ve cast on a pair of Comfy ribbed fingerless gloves.

For a pattern titled “Easy Wristwarmers”, these have been a bit challenging. This is my very first time a.) knitting ribbing, b.) knitting two at a time, c.) knitting Magic Loop (except for pulling out the cable a bit when my hats got small at the top, but this is a whole different ball game). It’s really been a group effort. Kerin taught me the magic trick behind Magic Loop. Christy showed me the cast on and coached me through knitting two at a time. Melissa …

I finished my sister’s birthday sweater vest!

(Shhh…just ignore the fact that her birthday was in August. She didn’t need it until it got cold out anyway!)

I can’t say enough good things about Andean Treasure – it knit up like a dream, and it cooperated nicely while I blocked it long and lean for my smaller-than-me sis. The finished vest has a slight fuzziness that’s inviting instead of itchy, and Embers Heather is a really rich, complex color that’ll look great with her fall wardrobe.

The honeycomb stitch pattern is super stretchy, so I had to plan for a significant amount of negative ease. The size I made allowed for 6″ of negative ease, and I could have even made it smaller for a more fitted look. The twisted rib on the bottom band …

I’m a fairly new knitter still, just hats and scarves so far, so I’m still learning a lot. My latest learning is the difference between self-striping yarn and variegated or hand painted yarn. I finished my scarf out of Felici Dakota and guess what…it’s self stripes! I’ve had everyone from my Dad to the receptionist at the dermatologist ask me “how does it do that?”
Felici, of course, is a sock yarn, but I’m not up to socks yet—I think my scarf shows off the beauty of Felici nicely. Let me also swoon about how soft Felici is—I’ll put it this way, it is soft enough that I’m making a scarf out of it for myself that I’ll actually wear around my bare neck. At 75% Superwash Merino and 25% Nylon, it’s a perfect combination of luxury and practicality.
The …

Just in time for the cold weather…

I finished up my cardigan-length version of Norah Gaughan’s Serpentine Coat from Knitting Nature. I really like how the variation in the kettle dyed yarn makes the pattern look a little more rustic and earthy. I’m also pretty pleased with the buttons, since I usually have trouble finding ones that I like that aren’t too expensive. These were just cheap-o buttons from Joann’s Fabrics, but when the light catches them they kind of glow.

I haven’t done a lot of stranded colorwork, and it was nice to do a project with thick, worsted weight yarn so I could see what I’m doing and make sure that my pattern is correct. It’s also the first time that I properly caught my floats on the backside of my work – the color repeats between the …

Lately, Sheldon’s had plenty of opportunities to show off his new sense of style by tagging along with members of our staff when they travel. He’s been to Alaska, California, and even as far as China and Japan! He’s really racking up the frequent flyer miles and making a lot of new friends! I think he’s picked up some germs along the way too. I can sympathize, I always get sick when I travel.

Now that he’s back for awhile, we made a slideshow of his trip. See what he’s been up to here.
What’s the farthest your Sheldon has traveled? <