Wciked FO and Kim's Book (finally!)

Yesterday, the temp actually dropped into the low '70s, low enough for me to wear wool, believe it or not. Of course, it doesn't hurt that little icicles grow on my nose at my office because of the A/C. Naturally, no one was around to take pictures, and I was running late, so I grabbed this horrible photo, but it at least gives you an idea:



Pattern: Wicked, by Zephyrstyle
Size: 38" bust
Yarn: Four Play by Brooks Farm, 3 hanks, don't know the color number or name
Needles: Size 7 Addi Turbos

I am really happy with the way this turned out. I thought it might be too short, but I don't think it is. I didn't find myself tugging on it all day or anything. In fact, it was SO comfortable. I LOVED wearing it. On my way home from work, though, I stopped at the butcher to get some ground chuck and put it under my arm to grab something. It turns out that a chunk of meet got stuck on the sweater. Ick. I got it off, but do you think I have to wash it already? Thoughts?

Yesterday, I was so excited to see thumbnails of the new designs in Kim Hargreaves new book, Heartfelt. I absolutely have to have this book. I'm so relieved that she's foregoing the kits in favor of a design book. It's so kind of her to make her wonderful designs accessible to those of us on the other side of the pond. Here are a few of my favorites:

Amory:


Darcy:


This one is my absolute favorite:

Erin


If anybody knows where this book can be purchased stateside, please let me know.

FO's, new projects, and...swatches?

It always feels so good to finish a project. Finishing a sweater feels particularly good. It means that the project will never become a UFO. It will never become a source of guilt or shame. Not to mention that you get a new sweater out of it!

Meet Wicked:



It's still blocking. Before blocking, it was snug and a little shorter than I'd like. Once it got wet, it grew several inches in width - I'm not sure exactly how many because I didn't measure before it got wet - I can just tell by how it fit me. I tried it on before I blocked it and it was really cute, so I'm excited to wear it when it's dry. Considering it's going to be almost 90 degrees on Wednesday, I'm thinking its debut will not be this week.

I also finished another long-standing UFO that I'll blog about later in the week. It's over at my parents' house blocking as we speak. It's got some issues that I hope come out in the blocking - otherwise it will need some tweaking. Oh, I've said enough already! You'll see soon enough!

Anyway, finishing up this old UFO was the deal I made with myself to cast on for the Central Park Hoodie, which I've been chomping at the bit to cast on for weeks.

Seeing as I never, ever swatch for a project (swatches are more dishonest than politicians), what's this?



Well (sheepishly), I guess it's a swatch. But, but, but, I've never used this yarn before! I even washed my swatch! The size I choose to make depends upon the outcome of this swatch, so it's actually kind of important - IF it doesn't lie through its teeth.