Many Versions of Adriene

Make the most of yourself....for that is all there is of you. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have a deep dislike of unfinished things. This is why I almost never have two yarn projects on the go at the same time: it makes me anxious to know that I have one thing waiting to be worked on while working on another thing. In regular life, I am very much a multi-tasker - soup on the stove, scones in the oven, me chopping vegetables at the same time while I talk on the phone with my mom. But maybe that's just Kitchen Adriene. Yarn Adriene is a one-at-a-time kinda girl.

So it means that I was very pleased (and relieved) to finally fasten off my Mira Mandala. And after a couple of attempts, I stitched it onto a cushion cover, stuffed it within an inch of its life and put it on the chair next to the poinsettia planted I adopted from work... because Yarn Adriene is also Plant Adopter Adriene. The house is full of adopted plants brought home from work. But I digress:

The cushion is rectangular-shaped so it makes it quite hard to take photos of the full mandala, but in real life, it is beautifully symmetrical and textured and rich in colour. I am very glad that I used two different weights of cotton on this project. It's very much like a landscape of stitches, especially with the overlay crochet technique used in this pattern:

Meanwhile, I buckled down each evening to get more of my Aphasia vest done. I finished the fronts on Friday and decided I should block it before I sew up the sides and knit the shawl collar. I was very pleased with the size I was able to block it into. I am cautiously optimistic that it will be a very wearable piece, long and drapey and comfortable:

I'm currently on the second attempt at knitting the shawl collar, because 1) it's been so long since I picked up stitches on a vertical edge that I had to look up how to do it and 2) I realized I had to go up a couple of needle sizes to take into account the increased length I got from blocking out the lace. I'm currently trying to decide if I should work any decreases into the neckline to keep it from bunching up around the neck. This is why I will never be a pattern designer. There are just so many variables to take into account in these things. I am deeply in awe of pattern designers. They can juggle all of those variables AND put out patterns in multiple sizes. I think the chances of Pattern Designer Adriene coming into being are quite slim... but you never know.

We're expecting snow tonight. I am not looking forward to that prospect. If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you'll know how much I detest getting snow on Vancouver Island. It's wet and heavy and slippery and yucky. I plan on hunkering down and knitting my way through it...

... but first, I need to get the dinner on. Where's Kitchen Adriene? I'm getting hungry...

Have a great week!