Spurs and Scarves

I realize that it is a little early for Christmas talk, but this year I really want to plan ahead and give some nice knitted items as gifts this year. It seems like every year I intend to make something nice but I wait until it is too late to get anything done in time. I am making a nice scarf for the boyfriend and am almost done. It is difficult to find a scarf pattern that is cozy and manly enough for my boyfriend's tastes, but the blog Cotton and Cloud had a great pattern that was free.

It is a little bit challenging of a stitch, but not bad once you get the hang of it. I was a little frustrated at first because the yarn she used has been discontinued, but I used Shepherd's Wool from Stonehedge Fiber Mill (color: Berries) and it is quite soft and beautiful.

I learned a new way to cast on (tubular cast on) and I really like it. I will probably use this more often when I am doing pieces with ribbing.

In other news, I finally went to the doctor yesterday to figure out why my right heel has been hurting so much lately. It turns out I have a bone spur that is pushing into the tendon, and I may have to have surgery to get it removed. That means I would have to wear a full leg cast for at least 6 weeks. Ughh! This also makes my job search a little more difficult, since most places do not need someone in a full leg cast to work for them. I won't know anything for sure until Tuesday, but until then I have brainstormed a list of jobs in which spurs would be useful:

Cowgirl

Basketball player and/or Cheerleader (but only for this team, of course)

A professional sheep rider (tempting, I know)

Or, Wonderwoman (where does one acquire a Lasso of Truth?)

Either way, I am sure things will get figured out, and if I get surgery soon, I could have a sweet mummy costume for Halloween :)

Jcrew Inspiration

The weather has finally started to show hints of cooling off, and I am excited. Fall is my favorite season not only for the changing leaves and the perfect weather, but also for the great outfits I get to wear. I love layering and knits, and this is the perfect time for them. During a recent shopping trip, I found a gorgeous fisherman's sweater at Jcrew. Unfortunately, it did not fit my body or my budget, so it was time for a backup plan: I will make one myself. I found a pattern on knitty.com that was pretty similar to the Jcrew sweater, but will fit better and be more cost-effective to make (depending on the yarn I choose). I think I will make it in purple, and I am still eyeing a skirt at Jcrew to go with it.

Here is the original sweater:

Here is the sweater pattern that I found:

I might make it a little longer than the pattern calls for, but I would say it is pretty close. Hopefully I can get it done quickly so I get a chance to wear it :)

And, how great would it look with this skirt: