slowly but surely….

It was a weekend of slow, but sure, progress all around (even though the weekend seemed to go by in a blur, but that’s always the way….) First up: the body of the Madelinetosh Vintage sweater is finally done! And to show it off, I present this poor-quality-slightly-blurry-taken-at-night cell phone picture! (it’s the thought that counts.)

I love the fit and the tightness of the twist in the yarn – it ensures that the sweater will keep its fit and will wear well over the years. I prefer handknit items to be a little more close-fitting, because they will stretch with repeated wear. Of course, the sweater is also one of my favorite colors, not that you can tell exactly from this photo. Now it’s on to the sleeves, which hopefully won’t take long, as I’m itching to wear this sweater before the weather gets hot for good.
Now, my progress on the blue sweater hasn’t stopped me from casting on another project in the interim – my reputation for project polygymy is longstanding, and I can justify this one by saying that I don’t have a good subway/commuting project now that my Augusta shawl is done! I’ve cast on for the “Warren Jacket,” featuring the cool new Tahki Ripple yarn. It’s a 2 way jacket that can be worn “right side up” or “upside down” – here’s one shot from the latest Tahki design book:

The yarn is a thick and thin mercerized cotton that gives the fabric its distorted, uneven appearance that works up into a unique garment. The pattern calls for seed stitch throughout, but because I knit English (instead of Continental) and because this yarn creates such a heavily textured fabric, I’m going to knit stockinette because (1) you won’t tell the difference and (2) seed stitch takes me too long! Here’s the beginning of the sleeve (the construction is unusual – one “sleeve”, two “bottoms” and one “collar”…..you’ll just have to trust me on this one.)

And speaking of hot weather, slowly but surely the weather got gorgeous in NYC here yesterday, so much so that I had my inaugural yogurt shake at my favorite fro-yo place, Oko Yogurt in Forest Hills. I’m still not convinced of the health merits of a cappucino frozen yogurt shake, but at least I can tell myself it’s not an ice cream shake from Haagen-Dazs…….

Yesterday’s gorgeous sunny skies were a welcome change after Saturday’s torrential rain and wind, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying Book of Mormon musical (go see it nooow – you won’t be sorry, although you might be a bit shocked haha! The whole show was great – from the sets to the music and the singing.) and our Blue Smoke BBQ afterwards. Have you ever had “jalapeno marmalade” on your hush puppies? It was kind of a sweet, but spicy, dipping sauce and I think I might like it better than cocktail sauce with my hush puppies.
The great weather also provided the right opportunity for a photoshoot of the Augusta shawl on my gorgeous sister, and I’ll share some of the pics later this week (as well as an outtake or two – every good photoshoot has at least one hilarious blooper shot.) Happy Passover to those who celebrate, and Happy Easter Week to those who celebrate!

PS: Like that new banner photo? It’s Coco-approved!