Say it Ain't So...

I was able to get some knitting done!!!  Thanks to a warm Chinook, my hands are feeling a bit better, so I made the most of it and had a date with my needles. 

First up, I had some really pretty purple bulky yarn that I got at our Secret Santa Party.  I knew right away that I wanted to make some sort of cowl with it, and sure enough, that's what I did.  I used the Holland Cowl pattern, and I really like it.  It has a nice cabley lace effect, and the cast on edge has a pretty scallop to it. 

I used about half a skein of Filtes King Van Dyck for it, and it took me less than 2 hours to make.  Though I don't do car knitting, this would be a perfect project for a road trip.

Next, I splurged and bought some yarn while we were on vacation in the mountains this past weekend.  It wasn't much of a splurge since I bought some pretty common yarn (Cascade 220), but considering that it wasn't yarn from a box store, it was a big purchase for me.  I also need to say that I was a good girl and I didn't buy any yarn at the Jacques Cartier store in Lake Louise like I wanted...so there!!

I purchased two skeins of Cascade 220 Heathers in the garnet colorway.  I wasn't sure what to make with them, I just liked the color and knew that the yarn was pretty common, so there had to be some patterns out there that I could do.  After searching and searching, I decided to make a top for Hannah.  I wanted something that could be layered, but not necessarily add a lot of bulk. 

I found the Maxi Top / Dress pattern on Ravelry and I knew it had potential...I just needed to tweak it a bit.  I made the 3-4 size, and followed the directions up until the increases.  Instead, I went up a needle size and left the stitch count consistent.  It made for a nice shape without flaring too much.  Also, I didn't want the ruffle or garter bottom, so I went back to the same 1x1 rib that was used in the mock turtleneck portion.  Finally, I decided to go with one color instead of two. 

All in all, I LOVE it!!!  So does Hannah!!!  For the first time, she was really excited about one of the garments I made her.  I really like the fact that it took me about two days and only one skein to make.  I think this is one of my favorite projects to date, and I plan on making more of these (in different lengths) in the future!!!  By the looks of Hannah in the photo, I think she's okay with that plan too!!!

Cheers!

Sharon