Something Blue & Wedding-y

All photographs by Paul & Emma 

A few weeks ago, my friends, Alex & Joe, went all out and got married! It was a bit sudden, sorta shot-gun style, wedding-at-the-courthouse, and all hands were on deck. I offered Alex any help she might require, and replied, "Hand knits, plz?"

I was happy to oblige, and she requested this teal-blue version of Something Lacey by Vera Sanon. It's knit with Knit Picks Shine Worsted in Reef.

All photographs by Paul & Emma 

It turned out seriously adorable!

After this request, Alex came to me the week before the wedding and requested some mustache cake-toppers. I used my mustache brooch pattern, and made a simple, but cute, blue and pink cake topper. Lots of cute photos followed:

All photographs by Paul & Emma 

Sometimes crafting for other can be tedious, but I have to say, it's my favorite way to contribute to a wedding. Having something I've made be part of the party's ensemble, or making cake toppers, is pretty special. And low-stress, usually - my part is over before the fun begins!

Cowl Swappin'

I love the internet. At the end of August, Andi, Iz and I got into a discussion (via Twitter) about knitting for other knitters. It came out that we had all either a. Never knit something for another knitter; or b. Never received anything knit by another knitter. We all tended to knit for ourselves or other non-knitters! 

The cowl Izabelle made for me. Detail shots here. 

And with that, a swap was born. We decided to knit cowls for each other, and Izabelle knit me this beautiful, teal, cabled cowl. I'm excited, because the temperature has finally started to drop so I can wear it!

Here's what I made for Andi:

A huge, double-knit, be-triangled (yes, I just made up that term) cowl. 

I love the way it came out - and it looks much better on Andi, just like it should! 

It's completely reversible, being double-knit, and knit from (surprisingly lovely) Sheepish Yarn on size 11 needles. 

And yes, I'm working on the pattern. I just need to make up the triangle chart, so it should be available at the beginning of November! 

Ps. Look at what Andi made for Iz, too! 

Finished: Holla Back Tank

The Holla Knits KAL is just about wrapped up, and I have this gorgeous Holla Back Tank to show for it: 

I love the finished project - it will definitely be worn during this Indian Summer we're having in Southern California. I used Knit Picks Stroll Sock in Everglade Heather, which makes a surprisingly wearable sweater. You wouldn't think a yarn described as "sock" would be so lovely on the body. 

The design itself is great - I made no changes except to knit a size smaller than normal to account for my gauge being off. As some knitters have noticed, that neckline is low. If you're modest about the cleavage, I'd shorten the straps a bit. And the bottom band will not take an hour, like you suppose. It will take 3, so plan accordingly. 

But overall, it's a success. And I've got 9 other ladies sharing their FO's along with me, so lookie here.

Adventure Time: Birthday Getaway

Wine & Chicken & Waffles/Beer & Pretzels

For my birthday this year, Chris whisked me away to a long weekend stay in Ojai, CA. We stayed in a little bed and breakfast, and made side trips to wineries, mountains, beaches in Ventura and Santa Barbara, and ate a lot of delicious food. It was a lovely little trip, and only an hour and a half away! 

A pair of socks and Flickr weirdos

I finished these socks awhile ago, and I think they're my most successful to date. Just like my striped socks, they were knit two at a time, toe-up. These are from my Knit Picks Sock Kit, and knit with Stroll Sock.

But here's what I really wanted to talk about: Putting these photos up on Flickr made me a bit nervous.

I rarely get weird comments on this blog, or Twitter, or Instagram, but the weirdos love me on Flickr. Apparently, posting a picture of yourself in a sweater is an invitation to get that photo added to an unsavory-type group. And by "unsavory," I mean nudity. Why does a picture of me in a sweater appeal to those who are moderating porn groups?!

So yes, I'm a bit worried about the fate of these pictures of my feet. Let's just try to appreciate the knitting, and not sexualize it, ok? 

Recently Read: Matched by Ally Condie

I was pretty excited when Blogher offered Matched by Ally Condie as a Blogher Book Club book. I’m a huge fan of distopian futuristic fiction and YA fiction, so this one has been on my list since it’s launch. 

The novel follows Cassia Reyes, a member of “The Society” in the future. It reminded me a lot of the setting of the Giver, which is, unsurprisingly, one of my favorite childhood books. It’s a scrubbed-clean society where everyone carries anti-anxiety medication; people are cited for things like running in the street; and everyone is assigned to their spouse and job at age 17. It’s with Cassia’s Matching that throws everything else off in Cassia’s world. When she’s shown her match, she also sees another boy, and things spiral from there. 

Although most of the book centers on the love triangle and feelings, toward the end it does take a more interesting political turn. The book clearly draws inspiration from the latest YA bestsellers (The Hunger Games and Twilight), and Condie is following suit with two sequels. 

In fact, in reviewing this book, it’s hard not to draw comparisons between Matched and those two. While not being as well-crafted as The Hunger Games, Condie has written a promising first book. Cassia Reyes seems to be an accurately portrayed 17-year-old: she’s sweet, kind, frustrated and doesn’t know what she wants. Overall it’s fluffy, fun and enjoyable for a SciFi geek like me, and I hope the  other two books continue to explore the corners of “The Society,” while further developing Cassia’s character. 

This review is compensated as part of Blogher Book Reviews, but all opinions expressed are my own.