Quick and Easy

I love a fast FO.



I've had this cute dress on my pattern radar for a while, but recently going through my fabric stash I came across this beautiful fabric. I had just the perfect color of Cotton-Ease to match, so I decided to take a break from never-ending shawl knitting to whip out this bad boy.



It came out totally big for her (note to self: start swatching), but with the straps tied up in the back it was wearable. She loved it and only took it off at bath time. This is a girl who LOVES clothes and goes for at least one costume change a day.

I've already started another one in yellow to go with some really cute citrus-print seersucker I have in the stash. Maybe the apron-style top.

A Sweater Story

I have nothing to show today. I'm still knitting the crap out of my Icarus shawl. The rows are getting l o n g e r. I just started chart no. 2. I should have this complete in a week or so (I'm hoping). The mermaid sweater is getting a row here and there. I have only just completed the first gusset. This might be the hardest pattern I've done to date. It occurred to me recently that my very first sweater, knit over two years ago, is still in use. The Christmas after I started knitting my mother-in-law gave me yarn, pattern, and needles for a sweater for The Girl. I laugh now remembering the story of how she went into the yarn store and requested materials for a cashmere sweater for a one-year-old. The salesperson talked her down from her cashmere fantasy and sold her some washable yarn and a pattern easy enough for a beginner.

It took me three months to knit that beginner sweater. I was knitting it when I first started going to my (awesome) knitting group. It was a little long for the girl then.



But it's just the perfect thing to wear on chilly spring mornings now.



(yes, I bribed her with yogurt to stand still for the photo)

Lush and Lacy

Remember all that birthday stuff I mentioned in the last post? Well I neglected to mention that I also received a couple of patterns that were in my queue. One of which was a love-at-first-sight pattern for me, the Lush and Lacy cardigan. Once I had the pattern (thanks again guys) I started searching the Internets for the perfect yarn. Of course I saw the Lush that the pattern called for, but not at a price I liked. Subs were investigated, options were weighed. Then I realized that I live pretty close to the Classic Elite factory store, and lo and behold, they had a ton of Lush in this gorgeous color for $6.50 a skein. Yippee! A few short weeks later:



I love the lace and the peplum sleeves. I'm kind of a girly-girl sometimes.

Details:
Pattern: Lush and Lacy Cardigan, size 36-1/2" (1.5 inches negative ease)
Yarn: Classic Elite Lush, Grassland -- 6 skeins
Started: Wednesday, April 23
Finished: Wednesday, May 7 (okay, I finished the buttons on the 8th)
Mods: I did button tabs instead of a crochet loop to catch the button. I admit, not an original idea, but cute.


Princess Diana pose:



I really don't seem to know what to do with my hands.



Check out the button tabs:



I'm happy with this one.