The Sweatshop of Lovers Blog

Because my birthday is on New Years Eve (today, y’all!), I put a lot of pressure on establishing goals for myself based on both starting the next year of my life and starting the next calendar year. It is so easy for me to keep track of my goals this way that I can’t even imagine having any other birthday. Plus, even if New Years Eve is on a Thursday, there is still a ridiculously huge party on every street corner all over the world.

Partying Like It's 1999

When the clock struck 2000 I was turning 16. I had a sleep over with all my friends in my basement. I spent hours cutting my own confetti. We had hats and noise makers and fake champagne.

Yikes!

I remember only one 16 year old Allyson goal, and that was to get out of Allendale. Two years after this party I was off to college and away from home forever. Mission accomplished.

So here I am, 10 years later, acne free and 50 pounds thinner, thank you very much. It is almost 2010, and I’m turning 26. I wonder what 16 year old Allyson thought she would be doing at 26. I’m pretty sure she would be pumped about the way things turned out. Soon to be 26 year old Allyson is far away from a basement in Allendale, MI. 16 year old Allyson didn’t even know how to knit.

Hopefully on the brink of 2020 I’m not looking back on pictures to be taken tonight, my 26th birthday, with the same cringe I’m feeling looking at these!

In 2010 I want to learn to spin. I want to get a pattern I write published somewhere other than on this blog (No disrespect, blog. You know I love you.) I want to not need a part time job to support me, but be able to survive off The Sweatshop alone. That last one might be a lofty goal. But that is the point, right? We look on a new year as a clean slate. 2010, my 26th year, could hold anything.

And based on what I’ve accomplished since 2000, we are on a fast train to seriously awesome. So hey, 2010. I’m excited to meet you!

I had to leave Pudge Rodriguez and Velma in Chicago while I went to Michigan for Christmas because they are both spoiled and hate other people/animals. Especially Velma. I left the house in tip top shape.

Yarn and Puke

More Yarn and Puke

Six days later, not so much.

My apartment has five rooms. Four of them were covered in yarn and three of them had puke in them.

Three balls of yarn got it bad, and one rug.

I love them but they are menaces. I blame Pudge for the yarn and Velma for the puke. They were both looking seriously guilty for hours after I got home and Velma avoided me for the rest of the day.

New Pillows!

My mom made me these pillows for Christmas! She knit them with strips of fleece, then used them to cover pillow forms. And, looking at my futon, she made almost everything on it! That quilt, the other pillows behind the new ones. Everything but the knitted shawl over the back. That was my first knitting project!

Which brings me to my random facts! Anne at fANNEtastic food gave me the Beautiful Blogger Award! How sweet is that? It is funny when you are reading someone’s blog and then come across yourself. I recently found Anne’s food blog and have been really enjoying it. She is fun and genuine and a really engaging writer. Thanks, Anne!

So the deal is I’ve got to share 7 random facts about myself, then choose 7 people to pass it on to.

1. My first knitting project was that gigantic shawl on the back of my futon. I learned to knit when I was a senior in high school, and my knitting teacher found the pattern and just told me to go for it. The pattern ran out but I just kept going, figuring it out along the way. It’s too big to wear, but makes an amazing blanket! It taught me to never worry about trying to do something you don’t know how to do, in knitting and in life. Try it, figure it out, make it happen.

2. I was bitten by a dog when I was little. I’ve got a big scar on the left side of my forehead and my hair doesn’t grow very well on that side, so I’ve got to have a right side part to cover it up so I don’t look like I’m bald, or scare small children. I call it my Harry Potter scar. I’ve got cuts around my nose from it, too, but they kind of look like freckles, so they are actually just enhancing the cute.

3. But I still love dogs! I get super irritated when people go on and on about how they got bit by a dog when they were little, so they are scared of them. Buck up, dude. You can’t live your life scared.

4. I really, really, really, really love baseball and football. I joke around about it on the blog and in person, but in a list of people/things that I love, baseball and football would be in the top ten. I read about it excessively, I get depressed and happy depending on how my team is doing. I even cry about it. It’s sick. I love it and it never loves me back. I hate it, but I love love love it.

5. I used to be an ugo fatty. I was a dessert vegetarian for years before I got it together. I stopped eating red meat when I was in 5th grade, and replaced protein with sugar. I weighed 180 pounds at 5′ 6″. I made up for it by being funny. When I was 21 I started taking care of myself, working out and eating better, lost 50 pounds, and now I’m a hottie. I’m still not used to it. Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and don’t even recognize myself.

6. I don’t do fancy. I’d much rather buy fancy ingredients and make a meal at home than go out to a fancy restaurant. I gauge the worth of food in terms of burrito prices – if I’m spending $20 dollars on a meal I better want that meal more than I would want 6 burritos. And can you really want anything more than you would want 6 burritos?

7. And I don’t like jewelry. I never got my ears pierced. I wear bracelets sometimes but not really. I can’t remember the last time I put on a necklace. I always joke that if someone wants to propose to me they better bring me an engagement couch or put a down payment on an engagement house, because if you spend a million dollars on an engagement ring I’ll return it and buy myself a room full of engagement yarn.

And now for the people I’m choosing:

1. Noel and Joelle at The Owls are Not What They Seem, for having super style with a hit of crafty diy love.

2. Jeanna at I Didn’t Hit You, I Just High-Fived Your Face, for always being funny, no matter what crappy things might be going down.

3. PT at Acme Valley, who needs a little blogging motivation.

4. Sarah at Brainphreak, for her ability to just jump into things! Figuring out patterns herself and being a ridiculously fearless crafter.

5. Beth at El Dugan, for being an amazing and seriously funny writer.

6. Nick at NICK HAUS. EVERY post makes me happy.

7. Julie at Knitted Bliss, for always knitting the most beautiful and the most silly patterns out there.

So again, Anne, thanks so much for the blogger award! I hope y’all have as much fun with it as I did.

A Head Start

So I got a little head start on my Sweater a Month Challenge. A 13 day head start, to be exact. But I couldn’t help it! I was done with my holiday knitting, this yarn had been staring at me since October 27th. I’m not a very patient person to begin with! I couldn’t not start it.

Moss Stitch, Kinda

The Minimalist Cardigan, by Ruthie Nussbaum, is a hugely popular pattern on Ravelry. It was originally in the Fall 2007 issue of Interweave, and it is kind of hard to believe I’ve waited over 2 years to finally make this sweater happen.

Mods: Where do I start? The pattern calls for worsted weight, I used Knit Picks Gloss, fingering weight. When I saw this sweater the first time I thought it was a light weight little summer sweater, and I was kind of shocked to find out it wasn’t. And when I saw the Woodland Sage I knew I needed this sweater in this merino silk blended yarn.

The yarn gauged small, no surprise, but with the same size 7 needles the pattern called for it only sized about an inch off. I picked the 39 1/2 size. I wanted to knit a little more to make sure it wasn’t too loose, that it kept the integrity of the stitches, and it looks lovely. It’s a light weight sweater, right?

I hate lots of pieces so I cast on 191 for both sides and back. That single moss stitch would kill me so I modified it to a two stitch moss, with a K2P2 rib repeated for two rows then switched for two rows.

I’m so in love with the color of this sweater it is almost disgusting.

So Pretty!

Surprisingly I haven’t wanted to poke my own eyes out with these circular needles yet! I think because I’m loving how the stitch is looking, how the yarn is working, how the ribbing turned out, how the front panels are laying.

I’m like a love sick school girl for this sweater. If I keep up this knitting rate I’ll have it done before January even starts.

There is still time to get in on the Sweater a Month Challenge! Email me at allyson@thesweatshopoflove.com to get on the mailing list! The first official Sweater a Month Challenge post will be January 4th.

Cute Boy

It seems like years ago when I started knitting PT’s Modified Cambridge Jacket. It kind of was! My first update about this sweater was on September 6th.

I just reread that post hoping to know what I was wearing while knitting it. Probably a tank and a skirt. I miss you, September.

By September 12th I had it cast on and the rewrite was on.

Because I only worked on it while PT was at work and if he went out and left me home it was another month before I had any real progress on the thing.

And another month after that, November 12th to be exact, before I was finished with the body and stupid sleeves, which I was terrified were going to be too long. I added buttons on December 9th, boxed it, and put it under the tree.

No Monkey Sleeves?

It fits! It fits and looks good. The sleeves aren’t ridiculously long, the buttons look good, the sides look seriously great. I’m some kind of boy sweater knitting genius!

Good for Napping

It is also functional! PT was very happy and kept kissing it throughout the day. Overkill? Yes. But I was surprisingly self conscious about this gift! If he didn’t like it, it would be a huge failure, December 23rd, and no present. And what does that say about me? I don’t know what kind of knitwear my own boyfriend would like? I look through Interweave Knits and name students who would love each sweater!

It was a lot of pressure. I can see validity in this sweater curse, for real. So if you are going to knit a sweater for any boy, knit one for PT, because he was the perfect hand knit sweater recipient.

Now I just have to wait for him to dump me.

The Lot

Top Row, Left to Right:

1. Wine Cozy for PT’s Mom

2. Elephants for Grandma, three total

3. Three Pairs of Granny Square Slippers, one for Tara, Grandma, and Mom

4. Three Cabled Jar Covers for Rachel

Middle Row, Left to Right:

1. Crocheted Bib Necklace for Tara, my Sweatshop Secret Santa

2. Knitting Needle Knitting Bag for Mom

3. Lace Hand Warmers for Rachel

4. U of M Toilet Lid Cover for my brother Adam

Bottom Row, Left to Right:

1. Eric Man-Beanie for my brother Matthew

2. Glorified Necklace for Mom

3. Eric Man-Stocking Cap for Dad

Not Pictured:

1. Knitting Needle Knitting Bag for my friend Colleen, already gifted

2. PT’s Modified Cambridge Jacket, wrapped and under the tree

3. Two Slouchy Berets for Blog Giveaway Winners, in Green and Pink, shipped off

I don’t know whether to think that is a lot or a little. I have been knitting since September for the holidays. I did knit myself a sweater in there somewhere, too. And wrote a few patterns. And taught a lot of classes.

But with it all laid out there like that, it is weird to think I did all that in just over three months.

Just Pudge being Pudge

I wrapped it all up, no thanks to Pudge Rodriguez,  and most of it is ready for the trip up to Michigan.

I hope you got all your holiday knitting done in time! Is there something you will be giving half finished?

Why knit a sweater a month, you ask?

Honestly, I have no idea. Because I can? Because I want to be a good example for knitters everywhere afraid to take the plunge into knitting sweaters? Because I want 12 new sweaters?

Yeah. I think the best answer is because I can. I can knit a sweater a month for a year, and so can you. It just takes a little dedication, motivation, and creativity.

I’ve started planning out my sweaters for the year in my Ravelry queue. I see a sweater I love and change my queue up constantly. I’m trying to pick sweaters that fit the season each month, which is forcing me to answer the existential question, What is a sweater?

(I’m also planning on alternating between intense knits and easier knits so I don’t get burnt out and so I get to knit other things between these sweaters. Foresight!)

Want to join me in this challenge? I’ll be posting Sweater a Month updates every Tuesday all year with my own thoughts and progress and links to the other participating knitter’s sweaters they are working on monthly, too.

Sound fun?! Send me an email at allyson@thesweatshopoflove.com to get on my Sweater a Month email list. I’ll be emailing sweater pattern and yarn ideas, answering questions, and sending little motivational tid-bits to help you stay on track and get your sweaters finished.

And if I’m the only one on board with this crazy scheme, that is ok. It sounds like a lot. Maybe after I knock a couple out, by May you will want to try it yourself.

Last night was A Sweatshop Holiday Party and we had a blast!

Lori, Ana, Laura, and Lucinda

I’m always so torn about using a flash. I hate the flash, but clearly everyone’s blurry heads should have indicated that I need to use the flash while in the bar. Ohh, Allyson.

Cayo's New Hat!

Cayo is much more handsome than this blurry picture indicates. He is showing off the hat Lucinda made him!

Lots of Yarn and Presents!

The party was part yarn swap, part secret Santa knitting gift exchange, and mostly a bunch of people causing a ruckus at Streetside.

Lucinda and Brijeet

Yarn is hilarious!

Gil Grabbing Swap Yarn

Gil with her fast hands!

Tara Rockin her Bib

Look familiar? Tara wore the crocheted bib necklace for the rest of the night so I’m taking that as a good sign! And it’s official: I seriously need one of my own.

Thanks to everyone who came out last night and made A Sweatshop Holiday Party a huge success.

Live in the Chicago area and want to get in on the fun? Be sure to email me at allyson@thesweatshopoflove.com to get on my mailing list.

So I started knitting a sweater. You knew I couldn’t hold off until January. I knew I couldn’t hold off until January. It was bound to happen.

King of Confidence

I started this sweater from the new winter 2009 knitty. The idea behind the sweater was to use yarn you spun yourself in a sweater without having to spin yarn for an entire sweater. I’ve never spun before, but it did make me think of that Kitchen Sink Dyeworks yarn I won a few months ago that I haven’t used yet.

Kitchen Sink, Patons

I bought a bunch of Paton’s Merino when it was on sale around Thanksgiving that I’ve got on my mind grapes for a sweater, so I thought if I knit the sweater in the red and used the yellow around the yoke it would be a great way to use that fancy yarn on something I would wear all the time, having only one skeins worth.

About 7 Inches

But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t get McDonald’s out of my head. Yellow and red? I would kill someone if I knit a sweater and got a McDonald’s comment. And I was bored. The sweater felt bulky, I pictured it looking bulky on me, and it had no wow factor.

So I ripped it out.

Ball Winder+Swift=Happiness

To make myself feel better I opened my new swift, attached it, along with my ball winder, to my work table, and balled all the yarn I had laying around. It was kind of awesome. Look how cool my table looks with a freaking swift attached to it! And it took about 30 minutes to ball that Knit Picks Gloss, where before I wanted to kill something even thinking about balling them by hand.

… yeah. I said Knit Picks Gloss. I might have something in mind. I might be a big fat cheater who can’t wait until January to start the Sweater a Month 2010 Challenge.

Yeah, that totally sounds like me.

Slouchy Beret, Try #2

Words can not describe how happy I am to be finished knitting this hat.

It probably has some ill will knit into it, along with the few kitty hairs, but it is done and cute, if I do say so myself.

It took three whole days to dry without the help of the radiator. I kept this little guy very far away from any heat after the disaster last time.

But, it is in the mail to Heather, completing my blog giveaway knitting and my holiday knitting at the same time!

No Burning!

I’m not frantically knitting at all hours of the night to finish anything. So, August 1st is a completely acceptable time to start your holiday knitting.

Maybe it is because all the snow that fell in Chicago last week has melted, and it is about 40 degrees out, but I am not reveling in this accomplishment because I don’t feel like Christmas is next week. I’m sitting about 2 feet away from my Christmas tree, sure, but that is the only evidence I’ve got that Christmas is looming.

Cookies!

Not even the baking I’m doing is triggering Christmasy feelings, since I kind of bake a lot.

Cookie Logs

You know when you see a recipe that combines two things you don’t think should go together, dismiss, but then can’t get out of your mind?

Ok, yes, that sounds a little extreme. But if I said that about a pair of shoes it might not sound so wacky. And cookie baking is a much less expensive thing to get obsessive about.

Ready to Bake!

I saw the recipe for Earl Grey Cookies on Food Loves Writing and Kate in the Kitchen before I was sold. I love cookies. I love Earl Grey. But together?

Together they work. These cookies are light and buttery. I followed the recipe almost exactly, too, which never happens. I traded oranges for tangerines, and I wish I would have given it a squeeze into the batter before I ate it because a little more citrus would be welcome.

Roasted Eggplant Pasta

I love to eat them after meals like this; roasted eggplant, broccoli, and carrot pasta with white wine sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Roast the veggies in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes, meanwhile cook the pasta as directed, heat garlic and seasonings in oil, add white wine, add drained pasta and veggies, toss. Cover in cheese. Eat.

How fancy do I sound? Following up a meal like that with Earl Grey cookies. This is one fancy girl over here. One with no more presents to knit and a whole house full of yarn.

Look out.

My only real goal this past weekend was to finish my second Slouchy Beret for the Heather, the second blog giveaway winner. I mailed the first one out Saturday morning, well ahead of schedule, so I was confident I could knock the other one out.

I got some Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick N Quick and knit it all afternoon. I blocked it on a plate, put it on the radiator so it would dry faster, and in the morning I had a cute pink hat!

Pink Slouchy Beret

Or, that was how it was supposed to go. Sunday morning I checked on it and about died.

BURNED!

It got torched on the radiator!

My Poor Hat!

I have put projects on the radiator to dry since the beginning of time and this has never happened before! I throw my wet mittens, socks, hats, and scarves on the radiator when I come in from a snow storm. So what the hell happened?!

I told my mom, who said, ‘Oh man, the woman you are sending it to is going to be so disappointed to see that.’

New Hat

Don’t think I didn’t think of it! But of course I can’t send someone a hat that looks like I used it to clean up cat puke. The second hat, however, is going a little slower. Once you finish a project it is hard to get the motivation to start the same exact thing over again.

Have you ever had a similar knitting disaster?

But I’ll finish it this afternoon, NOT block it on the radiator, and hopefully it will be dry by Thursday.

Breakfast Makes it Better

I always turn to pancakes when I’m feeling sad/sick/like I want to kill someone, and these pancakes with my mom’s apple  butter and potatoes made me feel better.

Homemade Tuna Helper

So does Homemade Tuna Helper. I don’t know what it is about shell shaped pasta. It just makes me feel so good. And I love when my food pictures have yarn in them.

Cabled Belt

The yarn next to dinner is from the Cabled Belt from the 2008 Winter issue of Vogue Knitting.

Picture in the Magazine

I have been lazily knitting it because I don’t plan on wearing it until New Years Eve. How fun is it to plan an outfit around a belt?!

The only people on Ravelry to knit it have used gold or grey yarn, but when I saw the picture I knew it had to be in a bright color. The cable pattern is very intuitive and it is knitting up quickly despite the size 5 needles I’m using.

And yes, I’m keeping this belt as far away from the radiator as I possibly can!