Erika's Red Cabled Sweater

Below are the pictures of the red cabled sweater I made for my niece Erika last weekend. Due to chunky yarn and a child size sweater I was able to finish this sweater in about 2 days.

I can't really claim it's my own design as it was really simple - seed stitch and cables.

My yarn shopping for this sweater was limited to Jo-Ann's so it's made with Lion Brand Yarn. The sweater may not wear well or last long but at a child size 6 combined with a growing niece - it should wear well for as long as it may fit.

I had enough leftover yarn to make a matching hat which was very cute over Erika's ringlets. Unfortunately, Erika ran off wearing the hat before I could take a picture of it.

The sweater flat on a table:



The sweater of a chair (trying to show more detail):

Disappointments

We found out today that Zoey isn't pregant. She's a trooper and took many needle proddings today at the vet. We'll try artificial insemination again sometime in the future. I was really looking forward to seeing a room full of puppies...

Another disappointment, much less impacting than Zoey's news is that I have to frog part of the Tempting II sweater I made my sister a few months ago. The top of the sweater didn't fit right - it was way too big. Some of the best Portland knitters have sent their advice and I will reattempt the top of the sweater yet again.

On a better note, I managed to knit an entire child's cabled sweater last weekend with a matching hat for my niece Erika. When I arrive home this weekend, I will transfer the photos and post to my blog. She was very intrigued with the yarn and knew the sweater was for her. More exciting was the tape measure as it proved to be the best toy of the weekend. Every so often, she would put the tape measure over the sweater and tell me that it was too big. So cute.

New Addictions

1. The Food Network
2. Iron Chef
3. Jimmy Johns
4. Bobby Flay
5. Paula from the food network
6. Atkins
7. Breve lattes
9. Barbie Dolls
10. Latch Hook

I actually had a dream last night that I was on Iron Chef and that the secret ingredient was pop tarts. For anyone unfamiliar with Iron Chef the concept takes a top chef and pairs them against an "Iron Chef" (Bobby Flay, Mario Batelli, Cat Cora or a Japanese chef whose name I cannot recall without googling). There's a secret ingredient and within an hour 5 dishes featuring the secret ingredient must be prepared.

Pop tarts has always been an addiction and my conscious may have been trying to protest the monday morning diet kick.

I found a great knitting book last week that features patterns for Barbie dolls - having a very cute two year old niece I couldn't pass it up. The best part is that a Barbie sweater can be completed in a matter of hours.

I'm on my second latch hook project after loving the first one. It's a tie dye swirl - very bright and colorful. These projects are addictive and I'm just loving it.

Anyone unfamiliar with Jimmy John's will just have to go there and have one of their sandwiches. I highly recommend the gargantuan, club lulu's or the vegetarian sandwich. And definitely don't forget the oatmeal raisin cookie. I think I ate Jimmy John's three times this weekend. Just blogging about it makes me hungry. The best part of Jimmy John's is that they deliver until 2am.

I'm back into the swing of things after spending a week laying on my couch with a back out of whack.

I haven't been knitting much but have many projects that are more than half way done. For my motivational purposes, I'm listing my projects that are in progress and need to be finished before the holiday season. I'm in over my head with unrealistic expectations that I can finish the following list in the next 5 months but it's eye opening just to realize how many items I have on needles:

1) Purple Lopi Sweater - 3/4 of the back left and finishing
2) Black Big Rowan sweater - 1/2 of the fronts (making both at the same time) and the sleeves - plus finishing left
3) Top down hoodie sweater - one sleeve and hood left
4) Black Shrug - just needs finishing
5) Thick N Quick Blanket - 1/4 done
6) Alien Illusion Scarves - one 1/2 done, other 1/3 done
7) Quick Knit Sweater - just needs finishing
8) Chunky Vest - 1/2 done
9) Polar Sweater - 1/3 done
10) Bear Rug - 1/5 done
11) Koigu Socks - 2nd sock is ready to turn the heal
12) Pouch purse - needs finishing and felting
13) Another purple sweater - back almost finished but needs everything else
14) Branching Out Scarf - 1/4 done (definitely a gift for someone else - i am enjoying making it but it is so not my style)

You would think the list of unfinished items would deter me from buying yarn but it doesn't. This weekend, I used a gift certificate towards the purchase of some wonderful karabella aurora teal yarn. I'm mixing it with some karabella copper yarn and a bit of gray to make an argyle vest.

I'm also guilty of giving into and purchasing some hand dyed teal yarn from the Iowa Sheep and Wool festival.

Something about teal lately has caught my eye. My purple phase may be coming to an end but I'm still a believer that all roads lead to orange.

Last night I bought the Knits for Barbie doll book and fell in love with almost every pattern. Maybe it's because I never had a barbie doll growing up but I'm planning on making most of the patterns and buying dolls for my favorite 2 year old niece, Erika.

If only there were more hours in the day or less hours needed for working or sleeping.