Definitely not cocktail knitting.

I started a project that I've been dying to start for a long time. Like, two weeks at least.

It's Elysium from the most recent Twist Collective, and it's tricksy. That bit of blue right there is the product of a cocktail-free, tv-less two hours. I suspect that the hard part is over, though, and hopefully it's smooth sailing from here on out.

Here's the completed pattern:

The pattern is a shawl made up of these beautiful flowery lace squares, but I'm way, way too young to be a shawl-type knitter, or so I like to think. Ok, I made one shawl, a year ago. But it was so that I could learn to knit lace better. So it's acceptable, as a learning experience. Anyway. Here's my plan to make this shawl not a shawl. I'm thinking that I'll knit several flower squares individually, then cleverly seam them together to make a lacey swimsuit cover up. It works out in my head. Here's hoping it works out in real life!

In which we once again do not measure.

Know what I suck at? Measuring. Also, remembering to blog. But really, measuring. You'd think it would be easy. Apply measuring device. Observe numbers. Move forward with life. But no. I am incapable of successfully using any type of measuring device. Case in point: my lovely lacey tank top that I've been dying to knit since the last issue of Vogue came out. I've been sort of haphazardly knitting it over the last few weeks- on planes, in lab meetings, at lunch, whilst sort of paying attention to movies- and I'm finally close to done. Cast off the back last night, started seaming, and oh. Clearly, I either did not measure at all (not true), or once again, failed at measuring. The back is not long enough, and the armholes are sort of extra-long. I was thinking I could steam block the hell out of it to make it fit, and that kind of worked, but really? Can I not just accurately use a tape measure? Seriously. But regardless of the measuring, I also think that it's just a weird pattern. The curve of the plain part in the front is a little wonky, and it was hard work to make the lacey part fit in there. I can't tell if this was negligent knitting on my part, or if the pattern was off, or what. I feel like I knitted this whole thing when I was in La La Land, so I have no idea if I even for sure followed the directions correctly. At least it's pretty. Or grandmotherly. I've heard both.

This is the back. There are ends to be woven in, and at least one more seam to do. I suspect that it's far, far too warm for this piece of pretty, even though it's a tank top. Might just wear it anyway and be hot. Holy first world problems, right?