Knitting & Crochet Blog Week: Day 1 & 2

So I totally forgot that this week was Knitting & Crochet blog week, so I dropped the ball yesterday (whoops), so I just figured that today I would combine the two.

Day 1: Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.


I haven't been knitting really all that long compared to a lot of people. Combine that with the fact that I'm cheap, and it's no surprise that I have yet to try most of the yarns many people probably blogged about during day 1. So far, one of my favorite yarns to use is Malabrigo - and I love it all. Lace, worsted, silk - it's just amazing. And the colors? Don't get me started.

{lavender haruni}

{hooded scarf}

And while I love yummy, out-of-my-budget yarns, I must admit I also love Knit Picks. Gorgeous yarns at a more-in-my-budget price? Who could say no? I have yet to meet a Knit Picks yarn that I don't love.

{spring swallowtail}

{pumpkin spice handwarmers}

Day 2: Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet (can you crochet cable stitches now where you didn’t even know such things existed last year? Have you recently put a foot in the tiled world of entrelac? Had you even picked up a pair of needles or crochet hook this time last year?

This time last year, I had just started working a Girasole blanket for my Grandparents, which was a huge undertaking (literally! it ended up being over 8 feet!).

{love & comfort}

I feel that this is the year I've improved the most - both in techniques and knowledge of craft. I made my first sweater, tried my hand at stranded colorwork, and knitted my first socks.

{comfy cozy socks}

{between green and grey}

{oatmeal pullover}

If there's one thing I've really realized the past few months it's that I've been knitting in my comfort zone, and it's time to step out. 2011 will hold many things for me, knitting-wise, and I'm so excited about it.

a week of ups and downs

Well the past week has been a roller coaster here in the Sadler household. Last Wednesday night, I woke up around 1:30 am with severe pain in my abdomen and spent the next 2 or 3 hours either hugging the toilet or curled up in pain. This happened to me once before in mid-June, so I knew there was something wrong. After a trip to the cleanest, quickest and nicest urgent care I've ever been to (seriously - for once in my life I'm not being sarcastic), they sent me to get an ultrasound and scheduled me an appointment for this past Tuesday to follow up. Needless to say, those 4 days crept by. I've never actually wished for the weekend to be over, but in this case, it was all I could think about.

Anyway, long story short - I have gallstones. And I have to have surgery next Friday to have my gallbladder out. And, as every doctor I've seen has told me, I'm not a typical candiate for gallstones, so this is a strange occurance. Apparently, most people that have gallstones are fat and in their forties, which I am neither.

So as a person who has been really healthy for the almost 27 years I've been alive, I'm totally nervous. I don't like the idea of being cut open (although the surgery is lapriscopic, so does it really count as being cut open?), I don't like the idea of going through a few hours of my life and literally not being able to remember any of it. I mean, if I liked that, I'd be a heavy drinker. Really, I just don't like the idea of any of it. Besides being able to lay in bed and be waited on hand and foot for a couple of days. That sounds pretty nice.

So after I scheduled surgery with my surgeon today, I left feeling pretty crappy. So you can imagine how happy I was to receive an email telling me some great news....

I'm going to be published!


My victorian lace fingerless glove pattern has been accepted into the Independent Designer Program on Knit Picks! I'm seriously so excited. The pattern won't immediately go up on the website - we're still working out some of the details (pictures and whatnot), but I was just too excited to hold it in! The pattern will also still be available immediately on Ravelry, or on the Knit Picks website (probably sometime in the next few weeks). I really feel like this is a great first step for me in terms of getting my designs out there and it also lets me know that other people like what I'm doing!