More Inspiration - Macaron cardigan

Since we've moved to the suburbs, venturing out into the city is considered "an outing" in our house. We all enjoy our little trips, and make an effort to keep things interesting. 

Before the start of school, we took the kids to one of Montreal's prettiest outdoor markets, "Atwater market". 

It is always such an enjoyable experience. Fresh produce everywhere, the smells and colours all delicious and tempting. My favourite spots is this little patisserie, tucked away in a corner. We always make a pit-stop there, to enjoy a cappuccino or hot chocolate and a macaron.

When I walked in this time, and saw their display, it hit me...this would be a perfect colour combination for a girl's cardigan. Inspiration is funny that way, it lurks in the strangest places.

My project is a girl cardigan called "Semis de printemps". It is another gift for my nieces. Their mom had asked for a simple go-to cardigan that can be used any-time, and this pattern is just that.

The yarn I chose to use for it is Noro Tayo Sock, in a colourway that perfectly suits my inspiration. 

If you recall, I just spoke about colour inspiration in my previous post. To me, it is such an important part of choosing a project to work on.

I'm wondering...what inspires you when you choose yarn for a project?

Celebrating

Milestones. The sign that one has accomplished something. It feels good to look back, and to be able to see how far you've come, what obstacles you've conquered, the way you've grown and changed.

This particular milestone, is my 10 year wedding anniversary. Ten years of laughter and joy, ten years in which we've watched each other become parents and learn immensely about ourselves, our life and our relationship.

I wondered for a long time what an appropriate gift would be. It's not an easy choice. I wanted something we'd both enjoy, and also something memorable. I scoured Etsy for ideas, and then I found this amazing little shop. 

The immensely talented Sabina makes these custom cartoon-style portraits. The likeness she was able to achieve is uncanny.

The gift was a hit, and I may just make this a recurring tradition. 

Inspired by Art

What I have noticed is, that in order to be perfectly happy with a knit, I seem to have to knit it twice, maybe even three times. I guess the perfectionist in me has a hard time feeling satisfied. Then again, isn’t that the very definition of a perfectionist?

Perhaps I need to learn to love, maybe even embrace, the imperfections that come with hand-made items. That is a long term goal for sure…Letting go is not something that comes easily to me. Still, improving on a knit must surely be a good thing. I have a great example. Only a few weeks ago, I knit my first version of Ruffaluffagus. While the result is adorable (blogged about it here), as soon as it was blocked and photographed I already had a mental checklist of changes put together. And since I have a niece the same size as my daughter, and it was all fresh in my mind, I immediately cast on for another one.

My improvements you ask? Here's a really brief summary. I cast on more stitches, to give it more of a tunic/dress shape, instead of the ruffles, I chose a simple lace pattern called "The Cluster stitch". To avoid my previous issue of the neck-opening being too tight, I started the back split earlier, and last but not least, I decided to make it a long sleeve top, simply to be able to prolong the wear. I am delighted with the end result. I cannot wait to see my niece wearing it.

And how about this colour combination? My mind immediately went to Monet’s works when I saw it. His series of Water-lilies paintings especially. 

And who does not love projects that only use one skein of yarn?