Funky Construction & A BBQ Drink

I'm having fun with this new project, the Star Crossed Cardigan. It's a knockoff of an Anthropologie sweater that I found on Ravelry a while back. I waited for a while to make it since I never had bulky yarn in the stash, but I was recently gifted an abandoned UFO sweater out of some lovely Jaeger Chamonix and am all frogged and ready.


Unfortunately, I'm not one to read through an entire pattern before I begin (because I insist on being stubborn and stupid, even after paying the price a number of times...) , so I was a little confused by these two guys and sent myself down a fun path.

Proof that a little information is a bad thing, I'd heard the sweater knits way tiny (the author has only published it in an XS so far) so I'd gone on, and armed with that tip and my spidey sense - I assumed they were two fronts. Two very small fronts. Kind of alarmingly small, in fact at about 3" ea. But, knowing I'd been forewarned, I added a whole bunch of extra ribs on my two "segments" and was resizing happily for a while. Messed with the cables this way and that, worked the ribs a few ways too. Frogged and restarted. Again, a few times. But at 26 stitches across, it's really easy to do, isn't it?


Turns out they're the front shoulders, which you connect onto the back rectangle at the shoulders and then knit down towards the waist. Funky, but brilliant. So I re frogged the frogged fronts and decided to follow directions somewhat. (I still added a few stitches and a K2 on the shoulder edges so it will seam up nicely.)

The sweater itself has a wide horizontal cabled collar, so you pick up around the inside of this shoulder/back piece and knit the collar horizontally on the body. Then once you finish the collar and have the entire width on the front, you'll pick up all stitches around the bottom and continue your way down -- or I assume, since, yep, even as I type how stubborn and stupid I am, I've only glanced down the coming pages...

But this is the beauty of bulky yarn. Even with a whole few sets of fits and starts, the stuff makes you look productive. I have honestly spent about 2 hours all weekend with needles - and this yarn just makes me look good. I may be hooked -- or I may just eat my words when the sweater's done and I put it on and finally remember why we don't actually wear bulky yarn. But this is sleeveless and a vest, (as opposed to the sleeved vests?) so I'm thinking it just might not pad me up. We'll see. Perhaps I will lose much weight this summer and need to knit up Twinkle's entire line?

Anyways, instead of knitting, we were entertaining around here - and that means BBQ ribs - which is good news for all of you, since this just might be the BEST drink I've ever made.

No really. The best. Mint and Melon. See those green bits?

Craig spent most of Sat afternoon on this (Mmmmmmm). I think Craig really wanted me to post that - he even turned the ribs so they would look their "best" for the camera.



Anyways, I was whipping up a test batch of something refreshing and cold and that uses the herbs in my new and exciting little herb garden - and I actually was so happy with it I ran across the street and made my neighbor try some. She's not a big drinker and she thinks I'm nuts anyways, but she obliged and gave me all the nods and encouragement I needed to whip up another batch. And when my company showed up (one of whom is an ex bartender) I was extra sure - this one's good.

I figure I needed a win after the Michealada, right? Anyways, recipe below.

Minty Melon Drink

you get about 4 , so plan accordingly!

one half honeydew melon, cut up in pieces
a good handful of mint leaves, also cut up in pieces
one 16 oz bottle of sprite
juice of one lime
white rum (1.5 oz per drink)
vodka (fill up that extra .5 oz)
6 or 7 ice cubes

it all goes in the blender. Keep a stirrer on hand, since it seperates in the glass.