An Afghan for a Graduation


Climbing into leggings and my favorite sweatshirt, I brewed hot chocolate in my red mug and tucked toes into cozy slippers. It's been a go go go kind of week, (and it's not going to slow down any time soon) but I had such a meditative Sabbath weekend that I feel as if I can tackle any mountain of papers, presentations, and take home finals.

classic dark grey knitted hourglass throw | by Lovely and Enough

The temperature dropped this weekend, and out of no where I felt like knitting. Now, I knew that I didn't knit in the summer and that I was more productive on the hat-and-blanket scale when days turned cold, but I didn't realize it was such a gut feeling. All of the sudden, I longed to snuggle into a chair and while away hours with Netlfix and bamboo needles. Good news for me: there was a project awaiting the return of my intrepid fingers that had been stranded the other side of summer. My sister's long-awaited afghan. I say long-awaited because I began working on it five months before her high school graduation, and she is now a sophomore in college. Better late than never, it arrived in her open arms over Thanksgiving.

classic dark grey knitted hourglass throw | by Lovely and Enough

classic dark grey knitted hourglass throw | by Lovely and Enough

I worked from Brooklyn Tweed's Hourglass Throw pattern, and I am thrilled with the results. In soft dark grey heathered yarn, it is a timeless pattern and style that will be an heirloom for future generations. Now if only I had the patience and time to make another for myself!

Have you pulled out any knitting projects as holidays loom?

classic dark grey knitted hourglass throw | by Lovely and Enough

Headbands and Heartthrobs

I am officially done with all projects except my quilt. Yay for finishing projects! Since I am home for Thanksgiving, my Mom and I headed out yarn shopping today but had no luck. We found two balls of a pretty and soft Merino wool, one in dark emerald and one in a ruby tone, that will make beautiful headbands. Unfortunately, not the carmel color I was seeking or yarn for Taylor or Mom's inifinity scarves. Ah well. After a day out and about, we settled down to eat Mancino's and watch The Avengers, which was surprisingly hilarious and full of attractive guys. When I mentioned this, Taylor, Mom, and I each said different characters simultaneously and then all laughed. I guess that's what happens when the heroes from all the movies end up on the same set.



This headband is made from soft and warm Berocco Ultra Alpaca wool from my first trip to the yarn store downtown Wheaton. The pattern is an XOXO cable pattern that I found on Ravelry.com. The two metal buttons to close it were sent by Mom from the vintage button box back home. It's perfect for when I have my hair up in a bun, which is almost always. 

Knitting Dates

This past weekend was full of lovely knitting dates. Susie and I hung out Friday night--me knitting i-cord around my afghan, her a thick and quick scarf. It was a cozy evening with the lights low, peering through the blinds at people with more exciting lifestyles. Fast forward through writing a paper, a treasure trove estate sale, a dance rehearsal, a baking adventure, and a pancake dinner party to the next lovely knitting date. Susie and I watched What to Expect When You're Expecting. The plot was alright, not as funny as the preview led me to believe but made completely worth it by the swoon-worthy Chace Crawford. And to top off the evening, I finished my afghan! All screaming and applause was held off until every last loose end was woven in, but then excitement broke loose! I began this afghan in January, intending for it to be twin-size and finished by May. The project, however, gained a mind of its own, becoming king-sized and extending itself into my summer and fall. I have been snuggling under since it was large enough to cover my lap, but now with the knitting needles finally unattached, I can burrow without fear of losing a stitch or an eye. The saga of my first afghan has finished, just in time for me to begin another :)




knit cable

fisherman's knot

lattice
The afghan was crocheted, except for the cables and the i-cord edge. The body of the blanket is a basket stitch. The green panels are crocheted in a lattice stitch. And the outer aqua panels are a fisherman's knot stitch that I borrowed from a child's sweater pattern. Between the panels, I crocheted and reverse crocheted several raised ribs to add definition. I welcome any questions.