The sweater blues

I am not happy with my sweater progress. The color jogs are far too noticeable for me to accept. It looks messy :( I guess I shouldn't expect my first sweater to be perfect, but I was a little bummed when I tried it on last night. It seems like the sleeves might also turn out too baggy. I suppose I should just continue (I've come this far) and see what happens. At the very least, it will have been a learning experience and who doesn't need a sweater to wear around the house, right?

In the spirit of the season

The sweater is coming along. I am having slight issues with the color jog in the front (argh), but hey, it's a first sweater. Practice makes perfect, yeah? I sure hope so. I'm already thinking about what I want to do for my next sweater!

In other craft news, this weekend was full of fall fun. Saturday I went to my mom's house where we carved jack o' lanterns and had a big dinner. It was really lovely.

Jamie went old school and free-handed his pumpkin; I did the ghost/tombstone/tree:

Jamie also sucked up a bit and added a message to the back of his (Hunter creeped in for the photo op):

Cuuute!

Going to my mom's house always inspires me to make my house more home-y. Her house is always decorated for the season and smells great with tons of candles. It's very inviting and cozy. My house - not so much. So when I got home, I immediately lit a pumpkin spice candle and put up the (very, very few) fall decorations that I have. I also made a wreath for the front door.

Just a small one, but I like it. I think I'll also make a winter wreath when those holidays roll around.

Speaking of home decor, I want to start making my house nicer year-round. I'm going to start with the bedroom and living room, simply because those are my two favorite rooms. Yesterday I bought new bedding as a first step to a lush bedroom. It's a bit Marie Antoinette, but hey, it was on sale. Next I'll need matching nightstands and window treatments.

Don't mind the mess in the corner, or the bag of yarn hanging off the side of the bed. I guess you can tell which side is mine, haha. See - I really do need a nightstand. One step at a time.

More progress!

I am working away on the Essential Stripe sweater - my Ravenclaw-esque version. I've finally passed the point where I join in the round - thank goodness! I much prefer stockinette in the round. I plan on knitting away tonight and seeing how far I can get.

I'm slightly concerned about stripes in the round, and the whole "jog" issue...but we'll see if I can avoid it by using the tip included with the pattern. *fingers crossed*

It's about time!

For me to start my first sweater, that is. I finally broke down and picked a pattern and the yarn for my first attempt. I chose a top-down raglan because I just do not enjoy seaming, and I want my first sweater to be as painless as possible.

I didn't purposely choose navy and gray for this to be a Ravenclaw-esque sweater; it was a fortunate accident. I happen to like the colors, and I happen to like Ravenclaw, so it all works out.

Here's my progress so far. I can't tell if it's the right size, but I'm almost finished the raglan increases, and soon I'll join in the round and I'll be able to do some rough measuring.


I know it looks extra small right now, but that's just because the stitches are squished on a 24" circular (I hope).