On My Needles Monday

Hello, lovelies!

I thought it would be fun to share what's on my needles with you on a weekly basis. That's how "On My Needles Monday" was born!

Since it's the first installment, I couldn't begin this process without introducing you to my Work In Progres (WIP) basket.


Thank goodness for the Smith and Hawken aisle at Target, because this is the perfect basket for all of the yarn I have collected. And, as you can see, it is brimming with goodness!

Hopefully this basket won't overflow, and you'll be able to see my progress every Monday.

Enjoy, and as always, happy knitting!
I've enabled a feature which will allow you to follow this blog. Don't forget to sign up on the right side of my page!

xo,
J.

To-Do

I am a fan of making to-do lists. I will even write on my to-do list that I have to write a to-do list. I'm crazy like that.

I figured it was time to post my knitting to-do list so that I stop continuing to buy new yarn until I start crossing off items on my list. This is hard for me, because that means I actually have to admit ALL of the work that I have to do. Take a deep breath and breathe with me, people.

1) Finish seaming my dress. Really, it can't be that complicated.


2) Finish seaming my tunic. Yes, I finished this tunic last September. And yes, I am still not wearing it.



3) Special Project #1 - sneaky, sneaky! I plan on devoting a few posts to this one when I am finished!

4) Kim Hargreaves sweater. I just HAD to have this discontinued yarn and spent hours last summer tracking it down. Aaaaand, it's still waiting for me.


5) Blue Sky Alpaca Sweater. Love. this. one.


6) Holiday stocking (hangs head in shame). Maybe it'll be ready for next year?


7) Rowan Milkshake - as if the name didin't entice me enough, I fell in love with this one. My most recent purchase and great for those breezy summer evenings!

8) Debbie Bliss Sara - when I first started knitting, I saw this sweater and hoped that one day, I would be able to tackle it.


Breathe in. Exhale. Repeat three times.
Don't let me add anything else to this list unless I've crossed something off, ok? If my debit card somehow manages to purchase more, I'm blaming you. Totally out of my hands right now.


Knit, knit, knit!
xo,
J.

Making progress...

I am not so good with finishing my projects. I'm realizing that it's not so much about having to stitch everything by hand. It's knowing that another new project is justaroundthecorner. I can't handle that excitement. Kind of like the other day - it was gloomy outside and I was in a serious need of a pick me up. Lo and behold, *NSYNC's classic* song, Tearin' Up My Heart came on the radio and then the clouds parted and there was a rainbow and everything was okay. Yeah, kind of like that.

*Your definition and my definition of classic may differ. ;)

Anyway, my dress is almost finished. Just in time for next fall! I just need to add some sleeves and sew a hem and voila! I'll be done.

Happy knitting to you!
xo,
J.

Snow Days!

I have mixed feelings about snow. 10% of me thinks it's beautiful. 90% of me dislikes (hates) it. Because really, who likes to drive in snow?

But...100% of me LOVED the snow this week. That's because Blizzard 2011 visited the Chicagoland area and that meant I got to spend 2 days at home. And you know what that means...

...knitting! And hot cocoa.

I'm pleased to say I've made some progress on my dress:



All I need to do is sew the pieces together and cross my fingers that it fits. I'm pretty sure I can cross my fingers...it's the sewing part that might just cause a problem.

And can I just say that I couldn't have done this without my knitting partner (Mom). I give her full credit for blocking, and fixing my mistakes, and helping me measure...and I swear, I made this dress. I swear.

Hopefully you have made the most of this wintry weather. I can't wait to post a picture soon of my very new sewn-together dress!

(I can't resist putting up a picture of Ellie - who probably loved the Snow Days just as much as I did!)

xo,
J.

Block Party

I received a free giant cable scarf pattern from Nina, and couldn't resist to knit one as a Christmas gift. The only problem is that one quickly turned into 3, and it kept me busy for the month of December.


First of all, let me just say that Twinkle knits Chunky is the absolute best yarn to work with. It is super soft and comfy. After these scarfs were lined up and blocked, I chuckled because it was a Block Party. Get it? BLOCK party? I promise that won't be the last time you hear that from me.


Here's a closeup of the finished products. I really love this giant cable - it was so fun to do!


I also made this cowl for my sister (aaaand ok, one for me, too!) and believe me when I say that it is the ultimate in keeping my neck warm in this horrid weather.

As a finishing touch, my mom and I found these tags at Nina. (You can find yours here):


So cute, right? I tied on coordinating yarn and on the back:


I wrote care instructions. Clever! I've got to give my mom credit with this one. It's such a nice finishing touch to any piece.

So that's what kept me busy this December. What kept you moving this month? :)

xo,
J.

This blog is like magic

So, here's a gift I received this Christmas:



Looks familiar, doesn't it? That's because I posted about it a few months back. I guess that makes this blog magic. Whenever I say that I want something, it winds up in my hands, beautifully wrapped.

If that's the case, then I hereby declare that I want a European vacation, a new car, and a pony. Definitely a pony.

xo,
J.

I'm baaaaack!

Hello, lovelies! I'm back after a longer than anticipated break. December was a busy month -- but now I can say that I have my Masters degree (don't hold back applause), and I feel rested and ready to start a new year.

At about this time last year, I made a list of things that I wanted to accomplish before the year's end. At that time, I had been knitting for nearly a year. Two of the things on this list said, "Knit a gift for someone" and "Knit a gift for yourself." I'm pleased to say that I was able to accomplish both of those goals, and I have great hope for a healthy, happy, and knitful (just made that up - has a nice ring, doesn't it?) new year. The same goes to you, friends!

I made sure to make good use of yarn this year to add a little vintage flair to my gifts -- my favorites were the pom poms. Who doesn't love a pom pom?



Stop by later today for a Christmas roundup!
Happy knitting!
xo,
J.