Something for myself ... finally

I started knitting over a year ago, and I've been sewing since Everett was a baby.  In all of that time, I have made myself one thing: a tiny purse that was made solely to practice a pattern I was using on a gift for someone else.  But last fall (I know, right?) I finally started something for myself: a knit vest.  I kept seeing tan knit vests on Pinterest looking just so cute and trendy, and I decided to make one for myself.  Being cheap and somewhat afraid of patterns, I decided on a this free pattern from Caron, which for some reason I thought would be easy and quick.

Shockingly, not so much.  I'm afraid of patterns for a reason (namely that I always screw them up), and I should've known better than to think it would be quick when I was trying to complete birthday, Christmas, and baby gifts at the same time.  Oh, and prepare to move halfway across the country to start a new job.  Needless to say, it got put on the back burner for a bit.  I finally finished it, though, and I absolutely love it.

I tried to get my 7-year-old to take a picture.
You can probably imagine how that turned out.

It may have taken me almost six months, and it may be full of mistakes (some of which I can honestly blame on weirdly written instructions, but plenty of which are probably completely my fault), and I may have had to get more than a little creative to cover up mistakes I was too lazy to frog and fix, but ... it's done.  Whew!  Now ... maybe if I start working on the scarf I promised my husband a year ago, it might actually be done in time for winter!

Front

Back

Baby Knits

Whenever I learn that a friend is expecting a baby, I immediately start thinking of all of the wonderful and adorable things I'm going to knit and/or sew for that lovely little bundle of slobber and poop.  But I'm a little busy and a horrible procrastinator, so I almost never actually even start anything.  There are exceptions, though, for my most favoritest friends.  This is a set I made last fall:

The full set.

Of course I am way too cool to use the traditional baby blues and yellows, so I went with charcoal, ivory, and like a dark teal-ish color (Caron calls the color pagoda for reasons unknown to me).  One of these days, maybe I'll learn to take a decent picture.  Or perhaps not.

Moss Stitch Hat (link to Ravelry project and pattern)

Ribbed Baby Jacket - this is probably my favorite piece

Raglan Sweater

Baby Socks - these are easy, adorable, and took no time to make

 

All wrapped up!

New Year, New Job, New Home.

I started this blog post exactly five months ago, which brings procrastination to a whole new level.  Even for me.  Considering I only got as far as the title, I don't even remember what exactly I hoped to write.  It probably went something like this, though: this is a new year.  I have a new job.  I have moved.

So I am no longer overeducated and underemployed; I'm (for now) appropriately educated and appropriately employed.  For this change in circumstances to take place, I had to uproot my family and drag them halfway across the country to a state I had never considered as a possible home: Kansas.

Did you know these were separate states? I didn't.

Goodbye big city; hello small farming community.  Goodbye diversity, for sure.  Goodbye friends and family.  But hello to a new way of life, a place full of people happy to be where they are, better schools, pretty scenery, and (perhaps most importantly) great beers and a living wage.

It's been an adjustment, certainly.  I haven't had much time for sewing, or knitting, or reading.  I'm hoping to post some new (and not-so-new) stuff soon, though, so stay tuned.  Or, ya know, don't.  Whichever.