Let's talk about crafts again

Usually when I decide to knit a sweater, it's the beginning of fall, and by the time I actually get around to finishing it, it's spring, and sweater season is pretty much over. This time I've somehow managed to start a sweater before summer hits. I hope I can count on it being ready by the fall, though right now I'm really motivated to get it done sooner. I'm excited about it. Perhaps it's the yarn, or my new knitting corner, or the need to keep my hands busy when they're otherwise tempted to pour a glass of wine, but let's run with it. Here are the elements.

The yarn: I must start with the yarn because I picked up something really special in Amsterdam, and it was what led me to find a pattern that would really highlight it well. The shop from whence it came was called Stephen and Penelope, named partly after Stephen West of westknits. [For those of you who don't read knitting blogs or listen to knitting podcasts or follow knitters on social media the way obsessive hobbyists like me do, Stephen West has been making waves for a few years now. He uses wild colors and bold geometric designs, sets up elaborate, makeup-heavy photo shoots to show off his patterns, and he makes knitting more weird and fun than it ever has been before, in my opinion. (Check out his blog.) Turns out he now lives in Amsterdam though he was born in Oklahoma.]

I bought a skein of this Hedgehog Fibers Skinny Singles in a colorway called Potluck 2. It's a variegated yarn, meaning that features multiple colors in one skein, and as I've seen in many of West's patterns, also features a really fun confetti speckle throughout.

The second color is MadelineTosh's Faded Parka, which I purchased after I got home having landed on a pattern. When I purchased the MadelineTosh yarn at Paradise Fibers, I had brought the Hedgehog yarn with me for color comparison, all the store clerks crowded around me when word got out that I had a skein in my possession so they could see it for themselves. I felt like they just found out I was related to a celebrity or something. #nerdville

The pattern: Breathing Space. This is an asymmetrical sweater which I'm nervous but excited to try. It involves alternating stripes of a solid color with the variegated colors, which is a great way to showcase all the different colors of my Hedgehog skein without overwhelming the eye.

Over the winter we worked and worked on my Kraft Zimmer re-do (or craft room, for those of you who don't come up with clever names for everyday rooms). I've since started decorating it just the way I like, and piece by piece, it's slowly coming together. I have my piano, my sewing desk, and a new chair with pouf ottoman. There are azaleas out one window (and the neighbor's trash), and a nice view of our front walkway and porch out the other window. It's a perfect space and I'm having fun with it.

(Flowers were not actually in the Kraft Zimmer, but they're going with the color theme)

So now that we've talked about crafts again, it's time to talk about cats again. Specifically, this one.