Yep, there's knitting going on...
All that sewing was a blast! I made all sorts of mistakes, I learned lots of new techniques and I even made a few wearable dresses. Along the way, I've somehow amassed a sewing pattern and fabric stash. (Did you know that Simplicity sells Built by Wendy patterns on sale and with free shipping?! Did you know that Purl Patchwork has beautiful fabrics? Oh wait, you knew that).
But now that it's Fall, I'm back to knitting. And I finally found the Perfect Fall Pattern: James Coviello's Ruffled Jacket #44 from this Fall's Vogue Knitting. It's made in heavy worsted yarn, so it's nice and warm, but it has very feminine details like cute cables and frilly edges. I swatched with Malabrigo (oh, Malabrigo!), and wouldn't you know, I got gauge! Well, almost... After an exhaustive online search for 7 skeins in the same dye lot (apparently I am not alone in my love of Malabrigo, 1426 Ravelers have stashed it), I finally made my purchase (in the color American Beauty) from More Than Yarn. I had never heard of them, and was hesitant to hand over a chunk of cash to an unknown company. They totally came through: not only is most of their stock on sale, but they also included a nail file with sheep printed on it, and teeny tiny knitting needles. Oh, and since they're in Jersey, I got my package in 2 days. (My only gripe is that my Addi lace needles were shipped separately and have disappeared, but they are responding to my emails). 
At 15 st per 4", I've whizzed through the sleeves, the back and one front. Unfortunately, this cardi has not one, but TWO edges. Sure, casting on 300+ stitches will not be fun, but I've convinced myself that it will be worth it. Right? Right. --Please remind me in about a week when I'm moaning and groaning about it.--
What's that? You want to see more of the back cables? It's true that you can barely see them in the postage stamp sized photo in VK... And that the chart in the magazine is wrong. 
(If this picture is not enough, you can check out the other Ruffled Jackets on Ravelry).
Finally, to prove that it's Fall (even though it's ~80 F), I baked a cake. Not just any cake, a Fig & Plum cake! I drooled when I saw the ADD knitter's pictures, so when my friend Liisa gave me figs from her fig tree (A fig tree! In NYC!), there was only one thing to do. My roommate and the blue scarf recipient approved. 
Labels: fig and plum cake, Ruffled Jacket
