Cable Knit Crop Top

It is such a warm December! I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I'm super stoked every time I don't have to scrape my windows to drive to work, but it makes me so sad on weekends to look out and still see green grass and raindrops. I'm going home in less than a week, and hoping some snow finds its way to Northern Minnesota while I'm there! 

I have some secret knitting I can't share with you yet, because it's that time of year. It was so nice to find the time to make some gifts, the first time in a long time that I've been able to! Of course, I should've started earlier -- isn't that always the case? Have you done any Christmas knitting or sewing? When do you start? (Next year, I need to start in September!)

I made this little sweater while binge watching Fargo last weekend. I knit it on size 15 needles with two strands of Knitpick's Bare Merino Style DK yarn. It's knit in the same style as my other tee sweaters, which I find myself really enjoying. They are fun to make, and I love combining the look of a t-shirt and the look of a sweater, especially with details like rib trim and big cables.

I'll try to be back with a couple more posts in the next few weeks, and hopefully a tutorial, too! Speaking of, I posted my cowl pattern/tutorial on Ravelry, so if you decide you want to try it, you can add it to your queue and stuff. Give it some love, and add me as a friend! :)

Also, this sweater is for sale HERE! Let me know if you are interested in something custom!

Alpaca Open-Front Cardigan with Pointelle Details

I read an article recently that talked about the mantra of "Done is better than perfect," and it really resonated with me. I often find myself absolutely paralyzed in my creativity, simply because I don't know where to begin. And yet, logically, I know that that's the crux of the problem: if I were just to start anything, I'd figure it out. But my fear of failure, my indecision, and the overwhelming possibilities of what I could do take over, and I ultimately find myself putting off or putting aside projects for that intangible "inspiration".

But done is better than perfect. I know my human understanding of "perfect" is actually far from it, and even my definition of perfection differs from others. I am not a perfectionist. I am Type A, I do want things done right, and I do take meticulous joy in small details. But I'm not capable of making anything to perfection.

Here's a little tidbit, though: neither is anyone else.

And making something that is imperfect can lead you to do even better. Those imperfections are learning opportunities for next time. That in and of itself could be the inspiration you are waiting for! I need to keep reminding myself that it's okay to accept imperfection, as long as I keep doing. This has helped me lately to keep on getting things done. Starting is better than waiting, done is better than perfect. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! What motivates you? How do you find your drive to create?

Yarn used is from Blue Sky Alpacas. Knit by machine and by hand.

Cable Knit Chunky Wool Tee

So you know how I told you I immediately made a sweater twice? Here is the second version. How great is this Marina color of Knitpick's Tuff Puff?! 

Absolutely nothing changed from the white version of the sweater. I love these back shaping decreases -- they define the waist a bit and add such luscious stitch texture. I want to add them to all sweaters, effective immediately.

It has been quite the Real Life week for me. I found blood in my cat's litterbox on Monday, and immediately took him to the vet to discover that he had bacteria and crystals in his bladder. It was really scary to know that he could have a blockage / ruptured bladder, and I almost had a full breakdown at work while worrying about him! But he has been a trooper through this course of antibiotics, and is doing much better now. He's up to all his old tricks of whining about getting wet food (at 4:30pm sharp, or else the world ends), trying to Conquer the Christmas Tree once and for all, and playing with only the noisiest of toys at 3:00am. And I love him for all of it! He also loves yarn as much as I do (though for very different reasons) and has enjoyed pouncing on all of my projects as of late.

Oh also! This sweater is for sale HERE! If you are interested in something custom, let me know!

Giant Knit Intarsia Cropped Sweater

GUYS. I cannot contain my excitement for this sweater. First of all: INTARSIA.

Freakin' over-the-shoulder intarsia. I love that knitting is fabric/textile/pattern design, color play, and garment creation, all in one. If you asked me what my favorite thing about sweaters was, it would be that. You aren't limited by anything except your imagination! It is so incredible to have that kind of control when you are making something!

I used KnitPick's roving for the blue, and the white was some roving I bought from this Etsy shop. Using the technique from my cowl tutorial, I spun the roving into yarn by hand. I made up the colorblocking as I went, and it was fun to see how it turned out along the way.

I really enjoyed making this, if you couldn't tell by my excitement. It was knit during the Packer game (punctuated by pauses for my yelling and cheering), knit during lunch breaks at work, and knit on a sunny Saturday morning. I had only knit intarsia on the machine before, but the concept is the same by hand, and it was really easy to figure out. Working with just two colors and one transition helped too, I would imagine intarsia is hard to transport when you have multiple balls of yarn hanging from it!

Hope your weekend is going well! I'm hoping to get some Christmas shopping done, and to work on my Christmas cards. My favorite part of Christmas shopping is picking out stocking stuffers for my family. We always start Christmas morning opening our stockings, drinking coffee, and listening to hymns and our favorite Christmas albums before opening presents and heading in to church. That slow start to the day, before it gets light out, is one of my favorite traditions, and one of the things I look forward to most! It's fun to find stocking stuffers that make my family smile, and to see the goodies in my own little stocking, too! What are your favorite traditions??

Oh also! This sweater is for sale HERE! If you are interested in something custom, let me know!