Who's your Valentine?

Who? Who?

Pattern: Owls by Kate Davies
Yarn: Cascade Ecological Wool in 8095 (2 skeins)
Needles: US 8 and US 9

I actually knit this one twice. Once assuming that this color of Eco Wool would behave like the color I used for my Garter Yoke Cardi, which it didn't. This color, for some reason, did not bloom as much in the wash and the sweater turned out about 2 sizes too small. The second time, I deconstructed the pattern and redid the math for my gauge in this wool. This seems to be a theme for me lately - I'm never knitting a pattern. I'm using the general shape and design elements and doing my own math. This incarnation is a 39" bust and has 26 (!) owls. I love, love, love the way it fits. It's a bit longer than any other sweaters I've knit and I really like it that way. No risk of that dreaded gap between your pants and top when you bend over (and as I spend much of my day lifting and hauling, this is an actual risk.) The other big mod I made was to do regular waist shaping instead of the very fitted darts in the back of the original pattern. I really wasn't sure I liked that, and I knew I was going to have to move them up the sweater, because the narrowest part of my body is NOT my waist, and I didn't feel like an added headache.

I ADORE this sweater. It is truly one of the best fitting sweaters I've ever made, probably because it's based on Anais which is now the second best fitting sweater I've ever made. Wearing it is like a giant hug, perfect for celebrating this day of love.

You know, on past Valentine's Days, I've gotten myself all worked up and grumpy about what I've viewed as a pointless, exclusionary holiday, but this year, I'm embracing it. I'm taking today as an excuse to treat myself exceptionally well. A new sweater, a box of chocolates (which I'm not going to tell you how many I've eaten already, because that would be embarrassing). Later today I'm going to rent a movie or two and make myself a heart-shaped pizza and some chocolate and peanut bars from the most recent Vegetarian Times. Yes, a heart-shaped pizza is super cheessy (literally and figuratively) but last year my grandma bought me a heart-shaped pan, and if you're not going to use it on Valentine's, when are you? There may also be a pedicure in my future....

And on another note, I completely missed my second Blogiversary which was the 12th. I only realized because Kristy and I share a Blogiversary, and she didn't forget hers. So Happy Blogiversary to me!

Treat yourself today. You deserve it.