a caffeinated yarn

Off the needles:

Pattern: Autumn Leaves, by Nikki Van De Car
Yarn: RYC Cashsoft DK, 1.5 skeins
Needles: Clover US 4 bamboo circs

Notes: The yoke is so cute and fun to knit! I made the seed stitch button bands 4 stitches wide. The shaping of the body is a bit odd. I looked at versions on Ravelry and decided to cut down on the post-sleeve body increases. The pattern doesn't call for any extra stitches to be cast on after the sleeves are put on waste yarn, so the body seems narrow. And the sleeves seem very big! I think it will actually be a very cute almost puffed-sleeve effect. It might work out a bit better to do as one Raveler did and switch to basically a February Baby Sweater at the sleeve divide.
I spent 99 cents total for all 6 of these buttons at JoAnn. They're pretty much perfect, in that they're machine washable and they have a shank, which is always easier for me to sew onto handknits.

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And then there were two...
Another Packers hat, this time for my brother-in-law, who's turning 30 this weekend.

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Speaking of Wisconsin, I'm about to hit the road for a weekend in Madison and Milwaukee. Beer on the Union Terrace, browsing the farmers' market, coffee and knitting at Lakeside Fibers, a family picnic, a Brewers game... should be great fun.

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I picked up this cute little hand-embroidered pouch from Tiny Happy's etsy shop, and I wasn't quite sure what to do with it at first. I couldn't resist, since the embroidery reminded me so much of my grandmother, an inveterate crafter who had a penchant for bedecking projects with little brown-eyed Susans and daisies. Anyway, the pouch turned out to be just perfect for packing jewelry for my trips this summer. I put the little individual boxes and bags within.