Vogue Knitting Cover Patterns & Casting Call

First off, so glad it is finally Friday. Even though it was a short week and I was working from home with a feverish princess for one of those days...it felt like one of the longest weeks ever. So much stress and too little sleep. But the weekend has arrived and time to leave all of that behind at the office. A hug and a smile from Jules at the end of the day along with "That will feel you better mama" also helped!

And as an end of the week treat, I was thrilled to find a link with the beautiful Debbie Bliss Silver Belle pattern which I've now seen a few bloggers working on. The design is gorgeous (as is the Cashmerino wool it calls for) and although the pattern looks far more complex than anything I've tackled so far, I might just be up for the challenge if I have this lovely sweater to look forward to at the end. And best of all, the download is free along with several other cover patterns appearing as part of Vogue Knitting's 25th Anniversay series. Click here to download Silver Belle and several other VK Cover patterns!

After pushing myself for an extra couple of hours last night (thanks to my Saintly husband who took over Jules' bath and bedtime ritual) I was able to finally finish the first piece of Foxtail (sleeves and upper back and front panels). I was very excited to have finally reached what I thought was a half-way mark. Emotions quickly shifted to shock when I saw that the pattern calls for 272 stitches to be cast-on for the second piece (lower body). In retrospect, this was a bit of a "Well - duh?!?" moment considering that this piece does actually have to fit AROUND my body (at some point in the near-future when I am no longer hosting the very welcome on-board passenger in my belly). You have to realize though, that this is the first time I've actually made a sweater for ME and it was a bit intimidating when I started calculating 272 stitches times about 100 more rows. That's...that's...that's a LOT of knitting. And of course I will enjoy the knitting but I have to admit to being a bit crest-fallen when I realized that my Lily Chin yarn and Minimalist Cardigan pattern will be calling to me from the stash basket for a little while longer (possibly QUITE a bit longer).

And this is probably what drives people to work on multiple projects at one time. We'll see how progress goes over the next few weeks though. And in the meantime I have the joy of continuing the search for the perfect pin to adorn this sweater when I proudly reach the end.