Tag Archives: tidal

Yarn Along :: On + Off the Needles

From Ginny: ~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. 

I may be reading the same book this week (and still very much enjoying it, I might add), but I have cast on a new knitting project!  This is some delicious yarn in a shade somewhat risky for a baby knit.  But it’s sophisticated and mysterious and beautiful, just right for the intended family.  I’m quite excited to be knitting the baby version of an adult sweater I have long admired.  How fun to get to try out the techniques on a small-scale before committing to an adult size?  The perfect strategy for a newbie sweater knitter, I daresay.

That coral pile in the background is my finished Tidal cardigan.  It’s all over except for the matter of buttons, which I hope to find this week.  My button collection is still packed up from the move, and besides I don’t think I have enough of any one kind for this sweater.  And the baby cardigan will also need buttons, so I suppose a-button shopping I must go!

What is on your nightstand and in your project bag this week?

Sidenote: We’re gearing up for a fall sweater knit-along over at Stash, and Liz has cooked up a great series of blog posts to help get ready.  Check it out, subscribe if you like, and say hello if you’d like to join in; all are welcome!.  We’re having a nice discussion over in the Stash Ravelry group, too.

Yarn Along:: On Fire!

Yarn Along ~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? 

In my knitting basket

I’ve been knitting like wildfire on my new Tidal cardigan.  This cardigan is one I know I’ll get tons of wear out of, but isn’t the most exciting to knit.  That’s also why it was perfect for autopilot vacation knitting last week!  I took just one project with me, and knit 8 out of 11 inches for the body.  Not bad for a week’s work!  There might be something to this monogamous knitting thing… I am loving the yarn: Knitted Wit’s zesty DK Polwarth/Silk blend.  It’s soft and shiny, and has subtle hue variations from her dying process that really make the stitches sing.

On my nightstand

As a solo business woman, I often look for outside inspiration to stay motivated and innovative.  We can only do so much by ourselves, right?  To that end, I’ve recently been enjoying The Firestarter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte. Full of juicy insights and encouragement, this book is literally setting me free from some of my old thoughts and patterns.  Some gems:

Procrastination can be divine…what seems like avoidance may be a deeper inkling of wrong timing.  Hesitation can be a form of wisdom. Motivations become clearer; new motivation shows up.

~ Danielle LaPorte

And:

If you try to keep your most sacred ambitions off of your weekly calendar and your most genuine traits off of your resume, then you’re missing out on the power of real integrity.

~ Danielle LaPorte

Another business and life tool I’m utilizing right now is Marie Forleo’s amazing Rich Happy and Hot B-School e-course.  I have been following her website and enjoying her free business videos for months; when the opportunity came up to take this class, it was a no brainer.  It’s the first week, and I’ve already had a few great new ideas for my business, how to manage my family and work calendar with less overwhelm, and am generally feeling more motivated and inspired.

What’s on your nightstand and in your project basket this week?

***

Today’s post is full of enlivened women who inspire me by doing business in a way that they’re passionate about and excellent at.

Who inspires you?  Are you doing something that makes you excited to get out of bed each day?  If not, what tiny step could you take today to move toward living your dream?

FO:: Goodale

I don’t know what happened here, but I excitedly finished and started wearing this little cardigan about 3 weeks ago and promptly forgot to blog about it.  That’s life, for you: sometimes it seems to move so slowly and we’re able to take in every moment, other times it’s Monday and you could swear it was just the weekend.  Wasn’t it, though?

This was a very nice pattern to knit.  I’ve often admired Cecily Glowick MacDonald’s designs, but haven’t been able to get to as many as I would have liked.  Goodale is the perfect project when you want to knit a simple yet interesting small sweater.  For the most part it’s made up of swathes of soothing stockinette, and yet there’s just enough going on with the attached icord edging and increases to keep you paying attention.  There is a fair bit of finishing at the end when you have to fold over and attach pockets, knit an icord closure, and pick up stitches around the neck, but those are the very details that make this top so special.  Well worth it.

Also worth it is this sumptuous yarn from Pigeonroof Studios.  Cashmere.  Silk. Merino.  All good things to knit with, and I swear cashmere blends knit faster than anything else!

Immediately after finishing this, I started stalking other cardigan patterns by CGM (as I lovingly refer to her).  The top contender right now is Tidal, coincidentally also knit in Cassiopeia DK!  I may try making a substitution from my personal stash, but there is also a lovely dusky purple in said yarn just sitting in a cubby at Stash, waiting for a good home…

What patterns/designers are you stalking this week?