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I decided today needed a longer title than your typical “Finished Object Friday” and the longer acronym for today stands for “Finally F$%^#*& Finished Object Friday”.
That orange sweater, folks, is finally off my needles for good!
After all that heartbreak and hassle (and fire), this sweater is finished and its beautiful.  I think the open front is going to take a little getting used to because all of my other cardigans (store-bought and hand-made) close in the front but I do love the way this one looks.
I love the color (I don’t know if I told you) and I love the lacy pattern and the solid rib edgings provide a good foundation for the rest of the pretty thing.
I did make quite a few mods:
made the size M with extra stitches that I had hoped would give me more front coverage – that didn’t quite work, I think my gauge swatch lied or something
I worked the front band ribbing before the sleeves because I was worried I’d run out of yarn (that didn’t even come close to happening, I have tons of yarn left)
I added more pattern repeats to the back to make sure it was long enough since it looked a tad short after my first attempt.
Have you finished anything lately?  Epic projects?  Quick knits? doesn’t it feel good to have things finished?!
FO Friday: The Complicated Sweater
July 25, 2014July 22, 2014 ~ Holly Priestley ~ 4 Comments
This one took a little while to figure out at the beginning (and the middle….and the end) but it’s done and I’m happy! (Granted…it didn’t take quite as long as that orange sweater that we’re not talking about…cough)
I used Elsbeth Lavold’s Silky Wool for this top even though the original design was knit in a chunkier weight.  I did this for a few reasons:
I wanted to have a lighter weight summer-y sweater, not something too heavy
I wanted it to have lots of movement and drape
I had plenty of the Silky Wool on hand
I did not match the color of this sweater to my other most-recently-finished sweater on purpose, that was an accident but I believe it shows that I’m consistent in some things.
This sweater was a test knit for Bo Balder (Boknits on Ravelry) and although it was complicated and there were many questions, Bo was a total champ at quickly and clearly answering them.  I really like ALL of the sample knits I’ve seen of this top!
One of the things that make this sweater so special (and challenging) is how many different and awesome textures are going on at the same time.
I did 6 short-rows at the bottom to ensure the back was longer than the front (it already was, because of the construction, but I wanted just a touch more length)
I worked the rib on the sleeves immediately after picking them back up with no rows of the big hole lace, I wanted shorter cap sleeves
What have you been knitting lately?  Have you tried any of Bo’s patterns?
FO Friday: Sandshore Cardigan
May 23, 2014May 19, 2014 ~ Holly Priestley ~ 7 Comments
This was one of the quickest sweaters I’ve knit up lately and one of the most enjoyable, easy-but-not-boring projects!
This is the Sandshore Cardigan soon-to-be-released by Alicia Plummer. Begun on the 7th and bound off and blocked on the 17th, this could have easily been finished within a week if that thing we call “Life” didn’t get in the way.
I knit the smallest size and used almost 5 skeins of Llamalini and when the cardi wasn’t fully dry from the blocking by the following morning, I threw it in the dryer for a little while (becauseIwanttowearitrightnowdammit) and the yarn definitely softened up, didn’t felt and was wearable the entire day!
I can tell this is going to be one of my go-to sweaters this summer and I’m excited to have another one to add to my collection!
What have you been knitting lately?
July 8, 2013July 7, 2013 ~ Holly Priestley ~ Leave a comment
Happy Monday!  I hope you all had a great weekend, we did!  Ours was packed with productivity and it was so rewarding to get some projects done, but I’ll share more about those later.
I wanted to remind everyone about a few classes I’m teaching this week and next here in New Mexico.
July 10th and 17th I’ll be teaching kids’ knitting – no tools, just hands and yarn!  Contact The Yarn Store at Nob Hill for more details
July 13th and 20th I’ll be teaching the Sweet Summer Rays Shawl at Yarn & Coffee
There will be quite a few more classes coming next month, so keep an ear out for that!  What classes have you taken at your LYS that you’ve enjoyed?  What classes would you like to see offered?
Pattern Release: Drift Cardigan
May 13, 2013May 10, 2013 ~ Holly Priestley ~ 1 Comment
Another seekrit revealed!  Today I’ve released the Drift Cardigan.
With an easy-to-memorize and fun-to-work lace motif being highlighted on the fronts and back, this is more than your basic raglan sweater.  Dropped stitch details accent the lace and keep the cardigan squarely in the Spring and Summer seasons.  The boat neck gives it a bit of extra sophistication and the shape gives a lot of options for ways to wear it!
This sweater is knit from the top down with raglan sleeves, so there are no seams to sew and just a few ends to weave in!
You can download it directly from Ravelry, Craftsy or Etsy and get started on your own version!
Pattern Release: Spring Crinkle
May 2, 2013May 1, 2013 ~ Holly Priestley ~ 1 Comment
I’ve been teasing you with pictures of this for a little while now, and I’m happy to say that today’s the day!  Emily from LMS Studio Arts and I have worked together in the past and she’s so much fun to collaborate with!
The Spring Crinkle Slouch was designed using some 50% Superwash Corriedale/50% Nylon yarn from LMS Studio Arts dyed in the Giddy Gherkin colorway.  I *love* this yarn.  I love this colorway.  I love that it’s mostly a solid with little tonal effects to it and specks of blue throughout.
I love that the stitches are so well defined on two fairly different needle sizes.  I love that it has some grip and won’t fall off my head from being too smooth.  I love that it shows off the ribbing and the lace texture equally beautifully.
The pattern is now available on Ravelry, Etsy and Craftsy.
June 21, 2012June 20, 2012 ~ Holly Priestley ~ Leave a comment
It’s been hot around these parts lately.  So hot that almost nothing can be done – when one goes to sleep in 86 degree weather and wakes up in 93 degree weather, even getting out of bed can be a chore (or perhaps I’m just a temperature wimp who doesn’t like it when it’s freezing b@lls or sweating t!ts, I like it somewhere in the middle).  Today, I’m going to focus on the bits of summer that I do enjoy – the sunshine, the long long long days, blue skies…
luscious greens and reds that pop
cold beverages – alcoholic or otherwise
roadtrips and fun-times with friends
What are your favorite parts of summer?
August 4, 2010August 4, 2010 ~ Holly Priestley ~ 3 Comments
I entered a giveaway on Facebook for a chance to win a beautiful, colorful skein of art yarn from Kitty Grrlz (join her Facebook Group here) and I was lucky enough to win!!!
When we got back from our trip out to VA for the wedding, this beautiful skein was waiting for me, and let me tell you, its so much more beautiful than I even expected!
It's ok to be jealous 😉
I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to make with this phenomenal yarn yet, I’m thinking a cowl or scarf…in a simple texture to show off the natural beauty of the yarn.
Hi! Holly here and this is my blog. I share my latest knitting projects and patterns, my adventures and copious photos of my dog. Sit down and have a beer with me!