Catching Up

Back in June, I accepted a position that changed everything about the way I live day to day. No more full kitchen to cook/bake in. No more yarn stash to pull from whenever the mood strikes. My life is now in storage in eastern WA while I'm on the road in various cities across the US. Living out of a suitcase and cooking in a hotel room (with sometimes only a mini coffee pot or microwave on hand) has taken some getting used to. It has gotten easier as time goes on. The up side? I get to travel and see places I'd probably never get to see otherwise... and it's on someone else's dime! =) I haven't been knitting as much as I'd like, but it is a great way to pass the time in an airport waiting for the next flight. It has been fun discovering new yarn shops wherever I am as well.

These were one of my last projects before heading out on the road. They were a gift for my mom for her birthday back in April. These knit up SO quickly, holding three strands of worsted weight yarn together and working on size 13 needles and only require minimal seaming. The pattern can be found for free here.


After hitting the road, I took a little break from knitting. Not sure why since I definitely had the time! But I finally got inspired to pick up the needles when I came across this pattern for a water bottle carrier. I started on it while in Milwaukee, WI, worked on it in the airport in Indy and completed it in Yonkers, New York! Quite the traveler, that yarn. Works great for transporting a bottle to and from offices and the cotton keeps any condensation from ruining paperwork! I mostly followed the free pattern here (scroll down to the bottom for the link), but instead of knitting the odd rows, I repeated the row 1 instructions over and over. Oh, and I added a few rows of 2x2 ribbing at the top for stability.


Version two is a bit larger and has a shorter strap (discovered the long strap actually gets in the way). Again, I added the extra ribbing, but otherwise followed the actual directions for this one. I actually prefer this one to the first. I got a lot of comments on these when in use. If only people knew how quick and easy they are to make!


I miss having my stash accessible. My mom offered up her stash, but I have to admit I'm a bit of a yarn snob. I just can't imagine too many projects I'd want to use pure acrylic on. Acrylics certainly have their place, but that place is rarely on my needles... I'm now working in the Seattle area and went in search of a LYS Friday in order to begin a new project. Luckily, The Knittery is just up the road from my current hotel. Just waiting to complete a tiny project and then I'll cast on my yummy new baby alpaca! =)