I feel a little guilty. I just took a quick look back and realized I haven't really talked about knitting in a long time. It appears as though I've abandoned my first, true love.

The unfortunate reality is that so much of my knitting is work-related, and I don't like spoiling the excitement of new releases. But, occasionally I do get to cast on for a personal project. And the one currently on my needles is Carrie Bostick-Hoge's Uniform Cardigan.

To give you an idea of the pace at which I'm going, I bought the yarn, Quince's Owl (totally amazing), in early February at Knit Wit when I made the trip to Portland, Maine.

And, this is how far I've gotten:

It was my first trip to Portland and I was completely smitten. Not only did I get a chance to meet Bristol (Ivy) after months of e-mailing, IMs and texts, but I was reunited with my original BT buddy Leila (Raabe) again and got to hang out at the Brooklyn Tweed Warehouse. Glamorous, I tell you!

Bristol was kind enough to set up a lunch so I could meet some Portland-based designers. Carrie, Clara Parkes, Hannah Fettig, Jerusha Robinson and Cecily Glowik were all there. I mean... c'mon. I could barely eat. I felt like a squib at a Ravenclaw's table. I tried staying calm which meant I kept stuffing my face with food so I wouldn't say anything stupid. I hope I succeeded. Now they just think I'm a quiet little piglet. And what made the trip the ultimate dream was that we ran into Pam Allen when we were done. I'm pretty sure i just stood there and smiled, dumbly. Oh, and I may have "run into" (stalked) Clara at the local coffee shop and got to hang with (stare at) her for a bit. But, now I'm just bragging. Back to the Uniform Cardigan.

I mean... seriously? Could she have gotten it any more perfect?

After purchasing the pattern, it took me a good long while to figure out the combination I wanted to make. There are several options:

The length - long or short?

The fit - A-line, straight or shaped waist?

Pockets - inset, patch or none?

Collar - straight or shawl?

Sleeves - straight/fitted or bell?

The pattern is loaded up with photos of all the different combinations and I hemmed and hawed until I settled on something super simple. Long, straight, inset pockets, straight collar, straight fitted sleeves. I figure if I wanna get fancy, I can always do another one. (Yeah, right.)

This Owl yarn is to die for. It's like buttah. The alpaca makes it really smooth and glossy, but the wool gives it the oomph and body. I swatched on a few needles, and liked them all - from 5's through 8's. Luxurious and rustic all at the same time.

Soon, very soon, I'll be announcing some new knitting pattern releases. Until then, I intend on unleashing my senseless torture upon you with more of my adventures in sewing. Stay tuned!

Kneglected Knitting