A Spring Flingy Thingy Update + The Next Art Diary Installment

Hello everyone and happy Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday! This week, in addition to the second installment in my art blogged adventure from last year, I'm also showing some updates on my current projects being made in conjunction with the Voie de Vie Spring Flingy Thingy in my Ravelry group. I do hope you'll join us, because in addition to wonderfully book + yarny prizes you could win at the end of May, you just never know when a surprise yarnie present might be awarded.

While others have made or are working on the Wright Fur Collar + Pin, the Markham Headband, and the Bomber-Inspired Hoodie Vest in the Leather, Lace, Grit & Grace a-long, I've been working on two of the cardigans in the book - the Definitely in Africa Cardigan as well as the Nichols Cardigan. My own Definitely in Africa cardi is coming along nicely: I'm  

One of the front pieces of my very own
Definitely in Africa cardigan. I'm farther along
now, since this photo was taken mid-week.

just about done with one of the sleeves as well as completed the first front piece. I've worked the pieces of this cardi in this slightly out-of-turn manner (at least for me) just to ensure I have enough of the yarn I'm using up from stash - I do, so it's full steam ahead.

My Nichols Cardigan had a slight re-tooling after I swatched the motif using two different yarns in stash. As you'll see below, it will now be cream on cream, which will be quite lovely. The motifs for this cardi go really fast, so while there's only one in the WIP photo, I'm almost done with half of the amount I need. The shrug on this piece takes a little longer, so I'm working rows as I can here and there.

The first few pieces of my
Nichols Cardigan. I do love this
cream-on-cream treatment.

It's definitely a springtime cardi frenzy for me, because over in my first public test I'm working a version of my Frosted Espresso Cardigan alongside my two current testers (and if anyone would like to test this pattern along with us, you're cordially invited). I thought I was going to use Berroco's Andean Mist for my version, but in my attempt to spring clean the stash, I opted instead for a yarny cocktail of LB Collection Silk Mohair in the wisp colorway and Lion Brand Sock-Ease in marshmallow. While I still need to purchase additional amounts of both of these yarns, I will at least use up the amounts I already in the stash. I love this.

My Frosted Espresso Cardigan swatch. These
two Lion Brand yarns play nicely together.

Now on to the second installment of my art diary from last year's LYS tour. This is from Day 2, and as you'll see, things didn't quite go as planned. Oh well, that's the nature of the tour here in the Pacific Northwest, especially when one is attempting to use public transportation as much as possible.

Have a great weekend, and I'll see you next week.

Day 2:

Spend the morning reworking the crawl game plan because I didn’t make it to all the locations I wanted/planned on yesterday. I am bummed that I will not be able to reach all the rest of the stops via public transportation due to store locations + timing of visits (1 store from Day 1’s botched itinerary isn’t accessible by public transportation at all and 2 others not accessible via bus on Sat/Sun). I am also just a little crawled out from yesterday’s marathon session, so decide to take it easy and stay close to home. Keep finding great, sticky North American-sourced wool, so buy the Jamieson’s for comparison. Also pick up some Noro. I simply cannot resist Kureyon’s siren call, even though it’s not technically new to me. That’s just the way the yarn wound today. Also got some HiyaHiya circular knitting needles (40” cable, size 10.5) that I need for a project, at a store owner’s recommendation that the HiyaHiya cable is very flexible. The day ends on a good note, but was definitely bumpy at the outset.