Summer Wrap Up

I don't know about you, but ya'll, this summer has been a scorcher! I'm usually a knit all year kinda girl, but this oppressive summer heat really got to me. I had so many glorious projects planned, but once the temps broke 100 degrees, I couldn't bear the thought of sitting around with wool on my lap. I knocked out a few small projects, but between the heat, the kids being home, and crazy summer travel, none of my glorious projects came to fruition. So this summer has been...well...unproductive. Here's a quick roundup of what I finished this summer:

First up - dishcloths and hand towels. 

Hot sticky wool sounded miserable in the heat, so I pulled out some trusty cotton and worked on something a bit lighter. The yarn for these is just some random 100% cotton that I grabbed from the mill ends bin at the craft store. No need for fancy schmancy yarn when it's just getting used to scrub dishes. These were perfect little mindless projects while my kids were running around the splash pad or while we were road tripping (which we did A LOT of this summer.)

Next Up - Hemlock Rings Doily

After my hands just couldn't take anymore stiff kitchen cotton, I switched over to crochet thread. A light, lacy doily was just perfect during the heat. The yarn for this one was Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet cotton, on size 1.5 needles. I enjoyed the more mindful project after the dull dishcloths. But I'm really not thrilled with the final project. I gave this bad boy a thorough blocking, but it's still pretty saggy and the edges are flipping up. Truth be told, the imperfections are driving me crazy. I usually scour the Ravelry notes before starting any project, but I just dove right in on this one. Lesson learned. After I finished, I read the notes, and sagging seems to be a common problem with this pattern. It's still adorning my fireplace, but I'm going to give another go at blocking. And if it doesn't straighten out after that, then I'll have to try a different doily pattern. 

Third Project - Well, it's still a surprise! 

I can't actually tell you anything about the next project I did, because it's a Christmas gift for someone I know reads the blog. Yes, that's right - I said Christmas. I know it's summer, but I always get caught up in the Christmas rush, and this is going to a super special person, and I wanted plenty of time to give it the attention it deserves. It will have to remain a mystery for now, but I promise I'll do a reveal after it's been given to the recipient. But here's a sneak peek photo of the details. The yarn for this piece is Madelintosh Light in Composition Book gray. I love the recipient enough that I used Merino in 100 degree weather. 

And finally - Cardigan Pattern Design! 

While I was thinking up Christmas gifts for everyone, I had an idea of a cardigan I wanted to make for a friend. But after searching the endless library of Ravelry, I still couldn't find anything that was what I wanted. So, I sat down with my calculator and excel sheet, and decided to write one out. Let's just say that knitwear designers don't get nearly enough credit. I will never, ever, ever, complain about the price of a pattern again. Math is not my strong suit, and this cardigan pattern gave me fits for a month. The cardi below is for me, and I used it to work out some design flaws and double check my numbers. I've got a little more tweaking to do on the pattern, and then I'll publish this bad boy on Rav. 

That's it. Four projects in 3 months. That is all I was able to accomplish this summer. But Fall is almost here. The mornings are a bit cooler, there's a breeze in the air, and it won't be too long before pumpkin spice everything. And I for one, can not wait!