w00t! sneaking in an FO under the wire. i gotta say i’m glad. i try not to judge things by numbers, but i have significantly fewer FO’s for 2012 than i have in many many years, and it’s been bumming me out. so i’ve been busting my butt trying to finish a few that were languishing just before the finish line. by a stroke of good luck (or bad, depending on how you look at it), i couldn’t sleep well last night, and ended up giving up on sleep and worked on finishing these instead.
kalin’s mitts <– ravelry project page
pattern: my own. i grabbed a few key numbers from pink sonata, but those ended up being more points of reference as my gauge was completely different.
yarn: koigu kpppm (lavender), and sandnes garn lanett (navy), less than a skein each.
needles: US size 2 (2.75 mm)
notes: cast on 56 sts, a few rows of stockinette for a rolled edge. corrugated rib, stitch pattern lifted from some fair isle mittens. if i were to do this again, i would leave a single column of the navy on each side of the thumb gusset, for a cleaner graphic quality.
the rectangles (for some embroidery) are 18 total wide (with one row of lavender edging), set five stitches from the thumb (could’ve pushed it another couple of stitches).
turned facing for the main portion of the hand. cast on more stitches than necessary for the thumb, as i’ve learned that i tend to knit thumbs a bit too tight. this worked nicely! ez’s sewn bind off for the thumbs.
i have some slipper socks reallllly close to being done, but sewing the soles on has been a trial and error process. i’m going to work on those some more today. cross your fingers for me, and i might have another FO for 2012! i’ll do my annual wrap up sometime in the next week.
if i don’t pop in for another post later today, have a great new years, you guys!
wearing everything all at once – a promise is a promise (loved those nails!)
my very own riot – pin-teresting
independence day – mint & mustard
a dud and (did i forget to finish my title? and never returned to fix it? yikers.) – london fog in the midwestern winter
going back through the years outfits, these are my favorites. quiet colors are always going to be my safe zone, but i’ve been branching out and allowing more color into my everyday wear, and i feel pretty good about that. i’ve actually gotten quite a bit more feminine this year. not necessarily in terms of frills and ruffles, but i’ve started painting my nails a lot more, and loving that as another way to explore color relationships. i use makeup with greater regularity (and i’ve been loving a bold lip!). i wear heels a little more frequently, partially because i’ve figured out what heels are comfortable for me (ie- below 3 inches. unless they are wedges. those feel more solid, for some reason?)
the nice thing about documenting my style is that i can go back through all of these pictures and i can really see what is working, and what isn’t. that’s kinda why i started doing this in the first place!
i love my booooots! the people i talk to on a daily basis are getting sick of hearing about it, so i’ll tell you folks. they are so warm! so comfy! so cute! i hope to have these for many decades to come. i bought some boots about four years ago in the hopes that they would last me a long time… they started falling apart during year two. so i have been on the lookout for my (hopefully) forever boots for a few years, and when i saw these shearling lined darlings, i fell in love. i also love this outfit. it’s my favorite palette, and i’m warm* and comfy and i feel cute. oh, wait, that’s basically what i just said about my boots. well, it’s true. whatcha gonna do?
* for the record, i’ve got wool blend tights under the leggings which is the most amazing insulator. cold in the winter? skip the bunchy long johns, go for wool blend tights. free advice from me!
thrifted grey herringbone coat – target cardigan & leggings – forever21 button down & tote – j. crew super tall grey socks – l.l. bean bean boots – handmade london fog cowl (handmade by me), & sierpinski’s beanie (by chronographia)
let’s talk about this cowl for a minute, shall we?
london fog cowl <–ravelry project page
pattern: stockholm cowl, by the talented julie of knitted bliss
yarn: actually is from a thrifted j. crew sweater that i pulled apart for yarn. it’s 100% lambswool, pretty close to dk weight, nice and soft, but also quite crisp, which is something i llllove in a yarn. yay for recycled yarn!
needles: US size 9 (5.5mm)
notes: i used a cable cast-on, my go-to cast-on (how many times have i talked this up? have i converted you yet? it’s really stable, has quite a bit of elasticity, you don’t have to eyeball how much yarn it will take and then either end up three stitches short or having a flippin’ yard of yarn hanging out at the end.) and ez’s sewn bind-off (again, strong, flexible, provides an attractive complement to the cable cast-on). this was the knit that i carried around with me throughout our trip to england, and then for a month or so after returning. i love this cowl. but it was always intended for someone else (merry xmas, mimi!), and my other stockholm cowl got gifted away as well, sooo…. i might have to make a third? oh well. worse things have happened!
do you have any knitting techniques that you are as passionate about? what should i keep my mind open to when i get a chance?
by some minor miracle, jill and i both had the same day off, and she had an errand to run. the errand was at the end of a two hour drive though, so it was a day-long errand, and she asked for some company, which i happily provided.
have you ever driven through milwaukee? if yes, skip the next set of pictures. if no, here, this is pretty much what it’s like:
i’ve always been fond of milwaukee. and driving through it. but that’s not where we were headed.
cedarburg, a formerly industry (woolen mill, primarily!) town a bit north of milwaukee. it’s a cute place, lots of older buildings turned into boutiques, restaurants, and antique shops. jill and i ran her errand, grabbed some lunch and poked around in various shops.
target yellow scarf, booties – thrifted silk blouse, silver sweater, jeans
this has been one of my go-to outfits more recently, and now i’ve finally documented it for the blog! many thrifty style bloggers love their silk blouses, so i’ve been keeping an eye out at thrift stores, and finally this guy popped out at me!
Source: make-living.blogspot.se via Eliza @ ifandany on Pinterest
Source: shelter-co.tumblr.com via Eliza @ ifandany on Pinterest
Source: dansedelune.tumblr.com via Eliza @ ifandany on Pinterest
Source: whiteforestpottery.com via Eliza @ ifandany on Pinterest
Source: tumblr.com via Eliza @ ifandany on Pinterest
Source: 25.media.tumblr.com via Eliza @ ifandany on Pinterest
Source: poppytalk.blogspot.com via Eliza @ ifandany on Pinterest
Source: flickr.com via Eliza @ ifandany on Pinterest
Source: adorablelife.tumblr.com via Eliza @ ifandany on Pinterest
today is supposed to be the first snowstorm of the season. i’m dreaming of a white christmas. i used the excuse to pull out my new winter boots (<3<3<3), and i don't mind how long the drive home takes me, just bring me a white christmas, will ya?
original sources:
1. kjerstislykke, a beautiful finnish blog, via make-living. i am currently *obsessed* with the all white crocheted blanket peeking into the picture on the left hand side. like, i want to learn to crochet IMMEDIATELY. we’ll see if anything comes of it.
2. have i mentioned that i kinda hate tumblr? it makes it near impossible to find original sources for images 
the furthest back i can trace this image is the (admittedly lovely) jaclynpaige tumblr. please let me know if you have more info. but here’s a lovely gif of snow for you.
3. yes please, i will take one of each! original source is lapin de lune.
4. from white forest pottery, in case you need some beautiful pottery in your life.
5. let me repeat #2, except i can’t even attribute this to a tumblr, as the link is broken
6. reflection (this is getting a little silly, internet)
7. poppytalk
8. ampato’s flickr
9. oh, kitteh! from lizi, via love meow
i say it everytime, but it’s still true: hats are my favesies. they are my idea of a good time. you can splurge a little when buying yarn for a hat, you don’t need that much.
[gin and tonic hat by knittedblissjc. worsted weight yarn on US size 6 (4mm) and US size 8 (5mm) needles.]
gin & tonic hat (free)
a pretty hat for a fun skein of yarn. good for multi-colored yarn, as the changing stitch will ensure it won’t pool.
[little scallops hat by missc. sport weight yarn on US size 2 1/2 (3.0mm)]
little scallops (free! scroll to the bottom of the post for the english translation)
i LOVE these hats. i became a little obsessed when i saw this. what an amazing stash busting opportunity for all those partial skeins! what a fun way to play with color combinations! make them in school colors for all your school spirit oriented peeps!
[bristol hat by savoryknitting. fingering yarn on US size 1 (2.25mm) and US size 3 (3.25mm).]
bristol hat pattern ($5USD)
i found this before visiting bristol, and i love it! chevrons, geometric patterns? what’s not to love. get on my needles, hat!
[pup tent hat by caterpillargreen. worsted weight yarn on US size 8 (5mm) needles.]
pup tent pattern (free!)
love this pretty textured gender neutral allover pattern.
[snowberry hat by ilukuduja. aran weight yarn on US size 7 (4.5mm) needles.]
if you need more ideas, visit last years quick knits-hats edition. of course, there always this free pattern i released earlier this year, as the leaves begin to fall, or chunkeanie is a free pattern that is pretty basic, nice and masculine, but with just enough knitterly details. last minute slouch (free!) has a great texture. if you’re feeling bobbles & cables, or if you know someone with a mad crush on andrew garfield, there’s always gwen stacy hat (free), noll (€2.90) if you want something a little more intricate. and if none of these work, give melissa labarre’s hats a perusal.
what’s your go-to, last minute, everybody loves it hat?
i’ve been thinking about this series for a little bit. influence never comes from a single source. i follow a lot of style blogs, and i cruise around pinterest looking for style tips, but i am also hugely influenced by the people around me. so i’m going to try to start documenting that. caitlin has been influencing my style for 16 years now (!!!!). she is a little girly, preppy, a little tomboy, and she’s got a little bit of edge. like a private school boy who likes pink and secretly listens to punk. not that all of that is going to be apparent in one outfit…
in this outfit, i loved the combination of the heather purple tee with the great green jacket and the flowery cowl. there’s a good texture play between the rougher jacket and the more softly feminine cowl.
she has also probably been the number one influence in my current obsession with my nails, and definitely the main supplier of a larger selection of polishes. hey, remember when i painted a spice rack for her nail polish? i always take note of her nails, and i always like them, but i super-dooper loved this particular look:
* this has been making the internet rounds, so if you’ve already seen/heard this, then… it’s probably time to watch/listen again.
SHA-MAZING. the little girl that is second from the left is my favorite.
* winterize that there monitor:
kris atomic posted some wintery computer backdrops! shove over, free cabin porn, it’s time for kris atomic to take over! (for a little bit. you know i’ll come back to you, free cabin porn…) but for real, light and moody and all those fun things!
* style crush: clarabelle
agh!!!! i love her cute preppy style. give it all to me!!!
* twelve letters that didn’t make the alphabet. history of the english language? don’t mind if i do! some of these i already knew, like the history of the ampersand (are you surprised?), or the long s (i remember reading an oooolld book and wondering what in the world a ‘bifhop’ was…), but yogh, eth, and ond were all new to me!
* why books we read at 12 might be the most important reading we ever do
i really enjoyed reading this article. when i was twelve? i started reading harry potter. where the red fern grows was probably the first book that broke my heart. tamora pierce, robin mckinley, karen cushman, little women, true confessions of charlotte doyle, dragon sword and wind child, ender’s game. these were some of my books. what are yours?
life has been busy. it always seems to be that way, i wonder when it’s going to stop being surprising to me! but i finally got to have a saturday with no obligations, and it was wonderful! i made chili, and we bought and decorated our christmas tree!
do any of you have pickles on your trees? i thought it was a fairly traditional thing, but i was teasing a friend about her lack of pickle ornament, and she had no idea what i was talking about.
we just picked up the big ben ornament! in bath, actually. ^_^
i’ve been plugging away on various projects. i bound off on the london fog cowl about a week ago, and sewed in the ends and blocked it. it’s still drying. FO shoot soon!
these are some mitts i’ve been working on. they are fun to knit, and i’m knitting two at once to not get caught by second-sock-syndrome. that having been said, i need to finish them before i’m allowed to cast on for *anything* else. which is making them a small specific variety of torture, as i’ve been feeling particularly inspired while searching for quick knits projects. on the other hand, it’s probably stopping me from casting on for a dozen new projects at once.
jake’s work holiday party was last week, and i used that as an excuse to try something i’ve wanted to for a while:
sally hensen salon effects, in glitz blitz! so sparkly! so gold! so festive! these are supposed to be super durable, but i am really rough on my nails. i have no doubt that someone who actually tried to maintain a manicure would get longer out of these. i got about five days. which for me is a minor miracle.
i’m also trying to make christmas cookies for the first time this year. it usually falls into the ‘well intentioned but always fails’ category for me, along with thank you notes and taking daily vitamins… so far so good! now i just need to not eat all of them myself!
homemade oreos shown above (there’s even a gluten-free version), and gluten-free peanut butter cookies below (on a frankenstein napkin left over from halloween).
these didn’t exactly rock my world. they are tasty enough, but they crumble to pieces as soon as you touch them… they seemed a little better after cooling, but i broke loads trying to transfer them to the cooling rack. i am still temtped by the nutella version and the chocolate chip & walnut version, though, so the i might give them another shot yet.
in case this post is feeling a little photo light to you, here’s a gratuitous kitty pic:
love her little white chin. how are you guys? anybody in the thick of hanukkah/chanukah? anybody else doing christmas prep/celebrating? or are you just counting down the days until the daylight stays around a little longer? i know i’ll be celebrating that!
[ashleybah‘s lovely cowl. around 350 yards of color A, and 90 for the color B, both dk weight yarn.]
lovely cowl (free!)
got a partial skein of some yarn that was too expensive to just get rid of? use it for color B in this cowl. this is my *favorite* kind of cowl to knit. knitting circularly, with a tiny bit of colorwork (this would be a good first project to give colorwork a try!) makes this zoom along! the provisional cast-on and kitchenered end make this project a little more tangy, but are easily subbed out for easier options, if you aren’t feeling up for it.
[knittingdropout‘s everett cowl. uses 400 yards of worsted weight.]
everett cowl ($5.00USD)
this pattern is lovely AND reversible! i always love melissa’s updated classic style. i like the longer version, but if you’re feeling pressed for time, there’s no reason you couldn’t cast on half the stitches and make a smaller cowl, like:
[carinaspencer‘s dovetail cowl. 200 yards worsted weight for the smaller version (shown). most longer versions seems to run just a little over 300 yards.]
dovetail cowl ($5.00USD)
i’ve had a major crush on this pattern since i first saw it (though i haven’t managed to cast on for it yet…). this cowl is a more gender neutral option, with it’s emphasis more on texture.
[ifandany‘s gap-tastic. i used 216 yards of bulky weight yarn.]
gap-tastic cowl (free!)
nothing like this good ole basic pattern! maybe you have some bulky stashed? maybe you have two skeins of the same yarn, different colorways? i really like the way it looks in two colors.
[veera‘s smooth edge. 360 yards of worsted weight yarn.]
smooth edge (€2.90)
another awesomely textured option!
need more suggestions? check last years quick knits cowl post! i also love triangle loop (free), tilted shadows cowl (free! and i especially love this one), or if you’re feeling the striped cowl, there’s also the… striped cowl (free!), and ships & seaside ($5.50USD, and so so so addictive, y’all). if you’re feeling another option for a textured cowl, cocoon me cowl ($6.00USD) or avery ($5.00USD). if you’re feeling lacey & ambitious, solaria ($6.00CAD) and rivendell smoke ring ($6.00USD) are both beautiful.
there’s an absolute deluge of fabulous cowl patterns out there. what’s your favorite?
ifandany 
