Write It Down, Get It Done

December is turning out to be the month of getting things done. I love it!

Quite a while ago, I began the sweater below. It's from a Rowan magazine, and it's a Martin Storey pattern. It appealed to me because I love anything with a cable, I loved the oversized aspect of the sweater, and too, I had yarn that would work. 

In progress. 

I finally finished the knitting!!! For those of you who knit, you know that the knitting is one thing, the putting it all together is another :/

The sweater is basically together, all I have to do is a bit of steaming, and then sew the cable to the hem. I have a pair of wool tights that I made using my own pattern, and a fabulous pair of over the knee boots. The boots look more gray in the picture. They are gray, but with a green undertone. I plan to get the piece finished up today, so pictures of me in the sweater will follow soon. 

The yarn I used as you can see in one of the above pictures is from Lorna's Laces. The warehouse is opened maybe 2 or 3 times a year, and small batches of mill end yarns are sold. I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase an entire bag of this yarn, so I had plenty for the sweater. While the ply and stitch count is the same as the Rowan yarn, this yarn is a little less drapey, so my collar doesn't come down as far on my shoulders, which I really like as it turns out, so all's well that ends well :)   
  

Quite a few years ago, I came across THIS pattern for knitted and felted clogs from Fiber Trends. They are so easy to knit, so I ended up knitting a boat load of them as gifts for friends and family. They LOVED them!!! In fact, all have been worn completely out, and all have been asking for more. 

My husband is one that has been asking for a new pair. I finally got a new pair done for his birthday. You should have seen the look on his face when he opened the gift :)

Even if you are a novice knitter, these are quite easy to make.
They are huge once the knitting is completed. 

You will need access to a regular agitating washing machine. The slippers are put in and allowed to agitate in hot water. It takes about 45 minutes. When they come out of the machine, they are fuzzy as you see below, but beautifully shaped. 

 A bit of a hair cut, and the slippers look fabulous. 

Now to get them off my husband's feet so I can sew on the leather soles. The leather soles are a must if you have tile, or hardwood floors. The slippers can be, well, quite slippery! You can find the leather soles HERE. 

When I finally get a project completed that I have allowed to languish, I always wonder why I didn't get to it sooner. A question I have yet to figure out. 
But, I will say this...
Back in January of this year, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2018. While there are things I have not accomplished, I have been amazed with all that I have. The trick was to make attainable goals. I listed things as small tasks that would end up as big projects being accomplished. 
Last year, I read the book, Write It Down, Make it Happen. It has had a profound affect on me. I highly recommend it to anyone who has dreams and goals that they would like to achieve, and yet has a difficult time making it all happen.

This year, I am adding a little something to my daily routine,

It's a simple daily task of recording what was important about your day. I love it! So often we have accomplishments that just become part of the fog of our past. Once I receive my book, I'll share a little more. Look for it on one of my book review videos :)

Have a wonderful day, and I hope it includes getting something done that will make you feel fabulous!

Rhonda  

Cables, Seeds, and a Sweater

A big thank you to all who have commented on the post I did yesterday. I love reading your thoughts :) 

Anna asked if I would post more info on the sweater I'm knitting. She said that she is looking for a new project to keep her hands busy while watching television. Since she asked, I thought that more might be wondering as well, so here's all the info:

The sweater is actually featured on the cover of the Rowan Magazine Number 46.

A number of things caught my eye. First of all, the cable around the hem of the tunic. 

You may remember the sweater I did a few years ago, I'm a nut for cables!!! 

I also loved the simplicity of the pattern. I think that the stitch throughout the tunic is a seed stitch. I always have to look up the names of stitches. Anyway, it's a very simple to do stitch and perfect for an easy knitting project that will also travel well. 

As you can see below, the design is by Martin Storey and it's called Halifax.   

And last but not least, I had the yarn. 

Lorna's Laces is based in Chicago. The owner is so very gracious about opening her warehouse and hosting an ends shopping day. She will usually do a wonderful presentation on her process of hand dying her yarns. Be warned though if you do attend one of her sales, it's quite tempting to walk out with bundles! 

I was actually fortunate enough to be able to purchase an entire bag of the yarn I'm using for the sweater. Below is all of the yarn info. The Rowan yarn that was used for the sweater is Cocoon. It's also a bulky yarn and has the same stitch per inch as the Lorna's Laces Sheperd Bulky. You can find other colors of the Lorna's Laces Sheperd Bulky HERE at Love Knitting. 

What attracted me to the yarn was the color combination and especially the addition of the teal blue. It's my favorite color :)

I wasn't sure how the color combination would knit up, but I'm quite happy with how it is turning out. I'm especially excited about getting to the point that I can add the neckline. I think it will come together quite nicely.

I'll keep you posted with my progress. 
Happy Knitting!
Rhonda