Happy chilly Monday everyone!
It’s been a couple weeks and I have some things to share! This week I finish a crochet sweater, start a mystery knit, have my first LYS event, share some eats, and finish a book. Enjoy!
Finished Objects
My Thistleberry Sweater is finished! She turned out so beautiful. I just love the ruffle detail of the pretty garment by Coco Crochet Lee. The pattern isn’t quite out yet, but it should be soon! I will link it on my Ravelry project page as soon as it’s out.
My sweater came out a bit long for me to seam it all the way. I ended up leaving a long split hem, which looks cute for this tunic like sweater! It would be super easy to adjust this sweater to a length that’s right for you.
Overall, I’m just so proud of myself for all that I learned with this sweater. I know feel confident with post stitches and cables. I can say very confidently that I prefer wool to the acrylic that I chose for the garment- experience helps! The construction is quite simple, making this sweater great for intermediate crocheters who want to make their first garment.
I can’t wait to wear my sweater to all the holiday festivities in the months to come!
WIP’s- Focus Projects
My main project this week has been the Texture Time MKAL by Stephen West. Don’t worry! Only Clue 1 spoilers here. You can find the links to each yarn on my Ravelry project page.
My four colors plus my mohair look fabulous together {if I do say so myself}. I love that they are just melting into each other. My MC, Pinata from Stranded Dyeworks, dominated the first section. I’m so okay with that!
Like the Thistleberry Sweater, I feel like I’ve grown a lot with this project too. I’ve learned brioche decreases and increases, syncopated brioche, and to be chill with a bajillion ends {don’t know what the plan is for those yet, but I’m sure not weaving them in}. I’ve just started working on Clue 2 and it’s just as fun!
Something New
This weekend I had an event at McKinney Knittery in McKinney, Texas. This LYS recently moved to space quadruple the size of their previous store. The shop was gorgeous! Ginger and her team already carried one of the best yarn selections in our area, so you can imagine what they have with more space.
I was so honored to be at guest at McKinney Knittery! This was my first event showcasing my patterns. I took with me copies of my 40-Yard Dash and Classic Bottle Cozy patterns {both from the Fall Means Football- Subtle Fanwear Collection}. I also worked on the third and final pattern for the collection {this season} while I was there. It was so much fun meeting local knitters that were excited to knit my patterns. I can’t wait to do it again!
What God’s Teaching Me
There are many, many things going on in my life right now and God is apart of all them. He is teaching and guiding and loving and reminding me that I am His every day.
I want to share a sweet story about a blessed situation that happened to me this past week. To prepare for my McKinney Knittery event, I went to Staples to purchase printed color copies of my patterns. Our printer at home definitely wasn’t up to the job! I knew that copies would be pricey and my profit margin for the patterns would be next to none- but that was okay because I was excited just to get myself out there and meet knitters!
But wouldn’t you know that God is watching out for us, because He hears our innermost desires.
The copy center was mega-busy, so the manager was helping out. Lucky for me, I got paired with the manager! Through polite conversation, she found out that I was a teacher. “We’ve got to take care of our teachers!” she said. I explained that I was there printing for my side hustle, and she chuckled, saying that you gotta have one if you’re a teacher. {I gotta have knitting and crochet for my soul!}
Long story short, I walked up to the register with a receipt stating a dollar amount nowhere near the stack of papers I carried. Out of the goodness of this women’s heart, she changed my event from one where I could probably break even to one where I can financially benefit from my sales. I don’t think she even knew how much it would mean to me.
Thank you Lord for hearing the cry of my heart. Thank you for putting such giving people out in the world to bless your daughter.
What We’re Cooking
Kent and I have switched to a new cooking routine– he grocery shops and cooks one week, then I grocery shop and cook the next. I know… grocery shopping- ugh! Kent had been complaining that it was difficult to shop for specific things that the other person needed, so why not just shop the same week we’re responsible for cooking? Then we’d have a whole week “off”.
So far this plan has worked for us. I know that for me, I loathe shopping and cooking within the same day. So I’ve started to make grocery shopping a bit more pleasurable by going when there aren’t many patrons- getting a Starbucks drink also helps!
I’ve been using my new subscription to Eat at Home to shop as well. I don’t even need to make a grocery list now! I just download the meal plan from the member site to my iPad. I open the PDF in the same application I use for knitting patterns (GoodNotes) and use the pen tool to cross items off. It’s so nice and the meals are easy and tasty!
Here are a few things we’ve enjoyed in the last couple weeks!
Next week, all the meals I share will be from Eat at Home!
What I’m Reading
I finished The Hate U Give last week. I really enjoyed it! It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a book that makes me want to get in bed early to read at night. I liked reading a book that was so current too- from racial issues to pop culture references, this book was spot on. I’m eager to see the movie!
Usually I have my next book planned out, but it’s been so long since I’ve actually finished a book that I had nothing in my queue. So I just opened up my Overdrive app {an app to borrow digital media from your local library} and downloaded the first book I saw available- The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke.
This story is set in past and present Berlin… SPOILER- there’s time travel. Oh and magic. But that’s spelled out in the book description and you’ll find that out almost immediately. The main character, Ellie, gets to learn more than she bargained for about the dark history of the German city. It’s a cute book so far, easy to read, and it’s a series! Hopefully I’ll enjoy it enough to have a few more books to read as they release.