I managed to make it through my weekend. I was so glad to see that many of you agree with me about staying in other people’s houses – nice to know that I’m not the only one! One Saturday we drove to IKEA, since we don’t have one in Louisville, and since traffic was so awful I got to work on my drawstring chemise. Well… mostly I got to redo a whole bunch of rows several times, but once I got past the first pattern repeat I had the lace pattern down. The key, I think, is making sure that you’re on track every time you reach the center stitch. That way you catch mistakes pretty quickly and don’t have to go back very far. I’m now into the stockinette portion. My gauge has loosened a little, from 6st/in to 5.75 st/in. Fortunately, I don’t mind it being a tiny bit bigger since I was worried about the size anyway. I love this color, although the lace pattern doesn’t show as clearly as it would in a lighter shade. I’m enjoying this one, and the best part is realizing that I don’t have to make any sleeves!
Unlike Joy, where I have to knit everything longer to account for the shrinkage. But this cardigan has 3/4 length sleeves anyway. I’ve now reached the point where I’m supposed to bind off for the armholes, but I’m not sure that it’s long enough – it’s really hard to measure this pattern because of the bumpiness. I also think that it will be rather short after shrinking, but maybe that’s the style of the cardigan? It’s hard to tell from the photos in the book.
I love knitting this – because it’s always changing you never get bored, even though you are essentially knitting stockinette with a few eyelet rows thrown in.
I finally got my yarn for the Printed Silk cardigan today as well – I’m being a total copycat of Lolly’s, but I adore this color!
When everyone was complaining about the colors in the spring issue I didn’t quite get it – as a redhead corals are great on me, though I can understand why they would be hard to wear. I do get the yellow hate though -I look just fine in yellow, but it’s a color I’ve never liked, even as a paint color. My last house had a yellow kitchen and I hated it – so cheery when I was stumbling towards my coffee in the morning. Actually, I’m never sure what color to paint a kitchen. I painted our kitchen green, but I find the color a little bright and would certainly not choose it again. I’m hoping that potential buyers don’t see the lime green kitchen and run away, but I am not painting that thing again. It took 3 coats and lots of standing on countertops.
I haven’t swatched yet, but I can tell the yarn is nice. It has a little sheen from the silk, and the yardage is great – 155 yards a skein! This will be my next knit after I finish one of my current WIPs.
We’re approaching summer now, which is a good time for me. I get 4 weeks off from teaching in the summer, and my choir goes on summer break as well, both of which greatly reduce my overall stress level (and increase knitting time!)
Green apples - Stitchywitch Creates 
I love the coral yarn and the green kitchen! It’s yellows i have to avoid. Being a very pale blonde, yellow is not kind to me. I’d use that coral in a heartbeat!
Corals, at least according to Stacey and Clinton (hehe) are actually really flattering on almost everyone. It’s odd.
It’s funny that you hate yellows; I think a lot of people do. I, for some reason, love them. I’ve always had a yellow bedroom (at least when living somewhere that I can paint), and I’ve actually just settled on yellow as my wedding color. Maybe I’m an oddball! Love the silk, though; it’s a fantastic color.
Love the look of that Frog Tree silk yarn!
I do like coral colours as well. I always find that yellows, purples and greens can be a little bit difficult to flatter everyone.
I have “Joy” otn too, in ecru!!! undoubtedly yours will be finished before mine, looking forward to seeing how it turns out:-)
Yayyyyy for 4 weeks holiday too!!!!
Love the color you chose for the drawstring chemise – it is so rich and so gorgeous…can’t believe you drove to Ikea on a weekend….I avoid Ikea on the weekends like the plague…I had to go this past weekend, unfortunately, and I am still recovering from it…line-ups, crowds, children bowling you over, crying because their mean parents won’t buy them ice cream!
Lime green sounds perfect for a kitchen, nice and cheery. Mine is a bright blue, had lots of comments on that but I like it and I have to live with it. Yellow isn’t my thing either after living in a house in all different shades of yellow for two years I was done with it 😉
Beautiful! Love the way the chemise is coming along, and the cardigan is such a lovely vibrant shade of blue. Wonderful work!
I love bright colors for the kitchen. Lime green sounds great. Or white walls, but paint the cabinets red (love a bright fire engine red!).
Me, I’d stencil bats all over them too, but come to think of it, that would make the place harder to sell…
I love that coral yarn, too! I never comment on blogs, but I just stumbled across yours and I love it. I adore that pale green bedjacket you made. I’ve found about 5 things I want to make here!
Incidentally, I’m also a choir director and piano teacher (I’m inferring that what’s you do) who loves to craft, although I’m really a novice….looking forward to summer vacation in about 2 weeks so I can craft all day long! Happy summer to you.
Katie