Has anyone out there noticed the gorgeous sweater on the movie "The Holiday?" Cameron Diaz wears this beautiful cabled almost shawl collared, white wrap style cardigan. I must have it....or to say...I must knit it. For some reason, it intrigues me. It appears to alpaca or some silky cashmere blend. I want to knit it in a sumptuous halo of alpaca in cream or soft gray.

Not only do I adore the interlocking cables, but I am most fascinated with the design of the back. The designer, whoever the genius is, used the center of the back for the shaping, creating a yoke or double v if you may. It sets off the cables as they almost merge in the center then veer off to each shoulder.

I tried googling the sweater and came up with nothing. However, I desire it enough that I might just have to design a pattern for it.

A Sweater for Heidi

So Heidi had a birthday coming and she had been hinting for quite some time that she would love a knitted sweater to wear. I had several project ideas but it was when Isabella from Knitty.com came out that I knew I had a winner. It's the perfect style for my aunt. In addition, Heidi is allergic to all things wool, so cotton was definitely in order.

Pattern: Isabella

Needle size: #3

Yarn: 5 balls of Lara from Elann.com in Brick

Modifications: added 1.5 inches to the overall length by adding 1 inch between the second and third row of eyelets and half of an inch to the upper bodice.

Heidi is about 5'10" and even after the addition in length, I wish I had added just abit more. The pictures do not do the color of the yarn justice. The color is almost terracotta, and reminds me of the soft red you would see on a gerbera daisy or in the desert. It also has a nice sheen to it.

But all said and done, Isabella is a winner, Heidi loves her summer sweater.

All good things come...

This year so far has been trying. We have had more trials then I wish to recount. And after months and months of searching for a job that not only would provide for us financially but also give me more time with Martin, weeks of interviews with different companies, rejections of offers that taxed my brain (I think that was more fear of what if this is the best I am ever offered.) I have received an offer worth noting. A little bit of negotiation and viola, I am now a coordinator for Groome Transportation. Or at least I think that is what my title is. So better pay, better opportunity, a chance to use my brain. To say that I am excited is an understatement. I am thrilled to be given the chance and challenge. I start in less than a week.

In addition, I am leaving on excellent terms. My recruiter told me that I had some of the best references and highest praises she had ever heard on a potential employee. I also have it on a reliable source that there is a surprise party in the works for me on Friday.

The only thing that I am apprehensive about is the daunting task of putting a department in order that I no nothing about yet. And I am only apprehensive because I know they dismissed the last coordinator. However, I don't doubt my own ability so I see this as a first of many good things to come.

Today we lost our puppy Annie. We had her for such a very short time but we loved her a lifetime's worth.

Knitting Therapy

As of late, my needles have been my therapy. It's been a tough run these last 2 months....hellish even. In spite of everything I know that I am blessed. And while I have not made the time to upload photos...just seems so hard to do at the moment....I have let the stix fly. It clears my head and evens me out, it slows my breathing to deep purposeful breaths. I can even at times make each stitch a prayer.

We thought we were losing Annie this weekend. Thought that this weekend was it. Thursday night around 11PM, Annie started having severe difficulty breathing. It sounded as if she was breathing through water. This was followed by vomiting. By the time we got to the puppy ER, her lungs were clear and her breathing easy. But she was still in obvious discomfort.

On Friday, she went to my parents while I was at work. My mom called around 5PM to tell me that Annie was having trouble walking. By the time I got her home, she could not even walk at all, her back right leg swollen and hanging limply. My brother and I used a blanket to carry her inside the house. Annie laid on her dog bed the rest of the night. I tried to adjust her position, which was next to impossible given her swollen abdomen. We carried her outside to her favorite spot to pee with no luck. It looked so very grime. I cried in the kitchen while I debated what to do. My mom came over to my house today to help with Annie while I went to work. She was going to give Annie a catheter. But Annie got up on her own! And for the first time in 10 hours did her business.

I am thankful for small miracles. I am thankful for helping family and friends. I am thankful for little blessings everywhere.

2 Weeks...

Somehow, I lost 2 weeks. I don't know where they went exactly... I think it is the rotating shifts getting to me again. Annie, the puppy seems stable for the moment but she is still retaining about 15 pounds of water in her abdominal cavity. It's so hard to see, yet she still has her spirit about her. I can't wait to see her chase her favorite ball again or wrestle the Forrest dog! We have hope again.

I found a homeopathic vet in Lynchburg VA who also practices standard veterinarian care. Given that Annie is a liver patient, there is very limited knowledge of treatment and available medications. Right now she is on a blood pressure medication that is supposed to have a diuretic affect. It has not really helped and causes her electrolytes to be out of whack. I have done countless hours of research online and in medical journals and wish that I knew half this info when we first found out about her condition in December.

We have an appointment with Dr. Sydney on Monday morning. I believe he is really going to work with us. So I am excited and have not lost hope.

As far as knitting news. I wore my Wicked sweater on January 19th to my Mom's birthday. She loved it so much that I am now going to make her one...after I finish a second one for me. I also still have Arisaig on the needles and just ordered yarn to make Tino an argyle vest. He's so excited about it. It took me forever to find just the right pattern. It had to be modern, able to cross in the realms of punk/metal...to be worn with his favorite band tees one day and dress pants the next. And after many runners up the winner is Hyland Argyle Vest by Tara Jon Manning.

January is off with a bANg!

So January is almost over, and in spite of the craziness, I got so much knitting done. Wicked is complete...pictures and details coming. Arisaig in in works...and somewhere in the middle I completed the baby blanket for my future nephew. Good thing, cause the shower is tomorrow.

But honestly, knitting has been my sanity this month. With Annie, the puppy, being sick...knitting has let me get some stress out on my stix. I hate animal illnesses and children illnesses....illnesses in general. It's hard to see her struggle but through it all she is still my happy girl!

Casting on...In January!

I am so excited with my progress on the Wicked pattern from Zepher Style. I cast on January 9th, and I am just flying through the pattern and am considering doing a second. I chose Rowan Kid Classic in a beautiful heather gray. It's soft and cool to the touch and as well as beautiful drape.

I have also casted on for Arisaig from Knitty Fall 2005. It's an adorable wrap cardigan. Martin bought me the merino yarn for it as a Christmas present. I am using Jaeger Matchmaker 4ply in Heather - a soft grape color with the contrast band in Indigo - dark and inky blue. It's progressing slowly, the size 3 needles might have something to do with that.

I have also started a baby blanket for my future nephew who is due in March. My bet is on the middle of February. I chose Sidar Snuggly for this project. Its a super soft acrylic/nylon DK. The main factor in choosing this yarn is that it is machine washable and dryable. My sister n law is not going to hand wash anything, and who has time with a newborn anyway. I am creating the pattern myself. The color is stone, which looks like an antique white, I plan to run a satin blue ribbon in the border.

Getting Organized

Over the weekend while nursing our sick puppy Annie back to health, I took the time to organize my stash and knit items. I have a beautiful cedar wardrobe that was handed down to me from my grandparents.

I remember as a child, sitting and hiding in it from my brothers. My grandparents house was the perfect setting for a good game of hide and seek. This weekend, while reminiscing, I wrapped different knit pieces in tissue paper and put the in their cedar home. I came across this shawl that I completed in October and thought I should share it.

My brother, Benjamin, was married this past October to Laura who is precious in every sense of the word. They had a beautiful and elegant black and white wedding. The bridesmaid's dresses were black satin. My dress was a halter style, all of the dresses had an open back. I wanted a beautiful wrap to wear with the dress for the reception. Especially since the wedding was in October, so I scoured patterns until I came across the Vogue Knitting Accessorize Summer shawl pattern. The original pattern calls for a DK cotton.

Given the occasion, I chose Rowan Kidsilk Haze in night. The results are spectacular and the pictures in no way do the shawl justice. Every little move or turn you make, you shimmer! It's light as air and something I will enjoy for years to come.

The entire night, people commented on the beauty of the shawl, asked to see it and try it on. Of course I obliged them.

Endpaper Mitts!

Just before the weekend and in hopes of needing a pair of hand warmers. Actually these are merely one more example of my addiction to fingerless gloves. ME LOVES THEM SO! Fingerless gloves are what made me pick the needles up again. Trying to type at 3AM in my tiny dispatch office shivering and fingers numb. I actually have no idea when this building was built...but I would dare say that our office would be located in the "historical district." Fingerless gloves brought me back full circle to the art my grandmother had first introduced me to. And this particular pattern is stellar!

Bask in or warm your digits to the Endpaper Mitts. Knit in Little Plymouth Baby Alpaca DK. Yes I substituted. I had some sock weight yarn....but it was too low on the fuzz factor. I wanted dreamy! I kept the pattern the same except at the end, I only repeated half of Chart A or 5 rows. This was the second time I worked with 2 colors at once. The first was a hat from Knitty. The wave pattern on that one turned out perfect...but I dunno I think my technique was off. The hat was way too tight for hubbie which I have never had happen before; so the hat went to my nephew (yeah was really that tight while using the counts for extra large). My resolution was adding an extra wave repeat and it worked out fine. But these, well I had no problems at all.

Def..def...definitely a good time.

Christmas Knits

Christmas knits were a hit on both accounts. Both mums seemed to really love their gifts. Martin's mom had been hinting for some time that she wanted something knitted for herself. She was always seeing my mom receive hand knitted gifts. But I was skeptical at first because many times when she asks for something, she doesn't really want it.



I chose the lacy Elizabeth I pattern from Knitpicks for Maureen. It turned out so gorgeous. I used Crystal Palace Kid Mohair blend in red and a red multi, alternating the two colors every two rows. The effect is beautiful. The first picture is before blocking, followed by pictures of the final results.



For my mom, Maggie, I knit a scarf from Vogue Accessorize. I promised no knit sweaters for anyone this year, last year i was still piecing a sweater together Christmas day. Her scarf is in a perfect pale petal pink, also Crystal Palace Kid Mohair blend, purchased from Yarn Market.