1.5 FOs!

Yesterday I seamed up my Drops Jacket just in time for the 50 degree weather expected this week!

Pattern: Drops Jacket 103-1
Needles: Denise US 11
Yarn: Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky bought at Webs ~7.3 skeins
Mods: Three needle bind off at shoulders

Hubby is really busy this weekend but I got him to snap a few quick pictures of me modeling the jacket. I love this jacket so much! It is warm and cozy and so cute. I made the medium size and used just over 7 balls of the Berkshire Bulky yarn. The last 2+ I bought go into the stash and await future inspiration. I really like this yarn, it's soft and not at all itchy. I plan on wearing this jacket until the cold temperatures return so I'll be sure to report on how it wears. The pattern was confusing but easy enough to follow after reading it a few times. The only problem I had was that the sleeves turned out way too long. Maybe I didn't understand the directions well enough, or maybe I have short arms but they look cute folded back so that is how I'll be wearing it. This was a very fun knit and went pretty quick. If it had been my only project I doubt it would have taken more than a couple of weeks. I managed to get one sleeved done in two evenings for a time estimate. Seaming this wasn't too bad either but I am glad that my next sweater project won't have any seams to sew. I don't particularly mind seaming especially with selvage stitches but it definitely isn't my favorite part of a project. Weaving in the ends would be my least favorite part. The collar keeps my neck nice and warm but flipped down is a nice look too. Here is a close up that shows the buttons I picked up from JoAnn Fabrics on the way home from work Friday. I think they are glass.

After the jacket was done I finished the thumb on my right Bird in the Hand mitten and did the seaming and weaving in on that Saturday too.

I love this pattern too, very very cute. I used some embroidery floss I picked up for sewing buttons onto my winter coat and my Drops jacket to embroider the wing and eye and to sew up the picot hem. I of course forgot to embroider the beak on before I closed the top of the thumb is I decided to wait on that until the next one is done. The rest of the yarn necessary to finish the second one should hopefully arrive this week so I'll be starting the second one soon. I really hope I can finish these before it gets cold again. I was really wanting them when the temps were in single digits this week!. I'm thinking of making some less dense ones in pink and brown eventually, maybe in a DK weight yarn. We'll see, the worsted weight yarn on small needles hurts my hands and can be frustrating at times. It is probably a good thing I had so much sewing to do this weekend, it gave me a chance to rest my knitting muscles.

My Tangled Yoke cardigan has been growing quietly in the background all along. Today I finished the body and cast on for the first sleeve. Below is a crappy picture. I'm excited to devote more time to this, I think I will really enjoy the finished product. The next sweater will be the Tilted Duster, the project I bought the magazine for has been waiting patiently to be knit and I really want it as a spring coat. I'm trying to keep from swatching, having two sweaters on the go makes me a bit uneasy and I want to make sure I enjoy everything I knit this year. I guess it's kind of my resolution. That and to knit up everything I have already bought yarn for. I've been good about buying yarn with a project in mind but I've built up a queue that has me a bit intimidated and knitting for me should be a stress relief tool. So I'm going to be good this year and have fun. On the to do list for me is more colour work, felt something (on purpose :) ), and finish my print O'the wave stole for my friends wedding in June.