Coffee Swap

Since I'm doing the joining thing and playing along with the Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap, we have a weekly topic. This week's topic is: This morning I sit here sipping a fresh cup with a bit of cream and some sweetener . . . . and the first sip makes the morning seem just a bit better than it was before. I love the smell, the warm feel of the cup in my hand, the taste - just everything! What is it that you love about your first cup of the day? Are you a daily drinker? How do you take yours? Tell us how you love to enjoy your first cup!

The last time I bought coffee, I bought whole bean. That meant I had to go buy a coffee grinder. So, while my morning are generally rushed - getting JB out the door with dog woofing all around me - dumping some beans into the grinder. Taking just a few seconds to stop, slow down and grind the beans. The smell is wonderful.

My first cup of coffee is poured by JB when he pours his go cup. I then walk him outside as he heads off and I get dog food. So my first cup is generally cooled and it means that the house has slowed for a minute. JB is gone to work, the dogs have been fed and are laying on their beds quietly, I have the laptop and I'm surfing blogs. It's all good. However you do it - enjoy your first warm beverage of the day.

Almost Wearable

Last weekend I got the green twin set cut. This weekend I sat down to work on it. Both pieces were remarkably easy. The sleeveless shell is KS 2948 (and yes, I probably will wear it inside the skirt). I have made both the turtleneck and the cardi from this pattern before. While I love the sleeveless turtleneck shell - I don't love the cardi in this pattern. The front really wants to stretch out of shape when the bands are applied. Also, I think the actual turtleneck is short - so I always lengthen it as much as I have room for. This time I added 4" to the pattern piece. In the first photo it is unfolded. I almost always wear a turtleneck unfolded and just scrunched about my neck. I like them that way :) The cardigan I used is a new pattern. It's the L.J. Designs Tortilla Jacket from her A La Mode line. I bought several of her patterns at the Sewing & Stitchery Expo several years ago. One skirt I made and wore to death, another skirt didn't work at all. I made the Margarita Shirt at the retreat (and you all haven't seen it yet) and then I just used this jacket pattern for the cardi to this twin set. While I don't have a large bust, to me, it appears that this could use a bust dart - just to take out some of the extra fabric under the arms. I thought the armholes were really low when I tried it on. Why is it almost wearable you ask? Well because I don't have any green wooly nylon and I don't feel like getting dressed to leave the house. I was dressed once today - I walked the dogs to the latte stand with JB, then I went out and took photos of the trees in our neighborhood. But then I was cold, so I took a shower and now I'm wearing flannel pants. I don't know about you - but I don't leave the house in flannel pants. So, the hems are pressed, the armholes turned and tomorrow on my home I'll stop and pick up green wooly nylon so I can finish these pieces up and move them to a closet upstairs. In the meantime, I think I'll make another quick top - or maybe a dog bed.

Knitting Guilty

Sometime early last year, I was reading one of the knitting magazines and saw this Plymouth Twin Set. I fell in love with it. I had to have it and I had to knit it - now! So, I called around to find out which of the 3 yarns stores within reasonable driving distance (all about 10 miles or less from my home) carried Plymouth yarns and could get the pattern. Great Yarns was able to order it. When it came in - JB and were running errands and we stopped to pick up the pattern and pick out yarn. I chose Otto in chocolate and a deeper raspberry than the pink in the pattern. I already have a fabulous plaid to make a skirt to wear with this twin set. I took the yarn and pattern with me when we went to Arizona last year. I completed the body of the shell while we were on vacation. I just need to pick up the brown trim around the neckline. It's not even around the armholes. But something wasn't right. But, being who I am am, I went ahead and started the back of the cardigan. I really thought I had more of the cardigan finished when this got set aside. Apparently not, I'm not even as far as the armhole shaping on the back - and that's all I have done. Anyway, I took the pieces to Great Yarns when I got back from vacation. We all decided that the neckline shaping was weird. And it is - seriously! So, I ripped one side back to the armhole shaping. The owner of Great Yarns was going to help me reshape the armholes and neckline. To date - this pieces have been sitting in a basket in my living room and nothing has changed.

I even bought this tilli tomas pattern because I like the neckline. The pattern is designed for a thinner yarn and I haven't felt like doing the math to figure out the numbers to work with the Otto. So, why is this guilty knitting? Because I purchased all the yarn for this sweater more than a year ago. It wasn't inexpensive and it's just sitting there. UGH! I need to get this knit into something wearable and tell the guilt to go away.