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Thursday, January 5, 2017

Happy New Year / West Coast Cardigan KAL



Happy New Year Knitters! 

I have to admit, 2016 kicked my butt. It was so full to the brim with work, life, and other adventures — by the end of the year I felt completely burnt out. What's funny is that a lot of people I talked to felt the same way. 

So to break into the new year, I've thrown myself into another Whole30 challenge (last year I did the same). It's a great way to shake things up and erase some of the bad choices I've made during the holiday season. After only 5 days I'm feeling so much better — I feel way less bloated (my weakness is bread — I make fresh sourdough, can you blame me for eating too much?) and way more energetic, which is really something considering I was feeling completely depleted the entire second half of last year! 




West Coast Cardigan KAL 

My other plan for the new year — a West Coast Cardigan knitalong! I've been dying to knit another WCC, wanna join me? The knitalong will be really flexible and fun, without hard and fast rules, just use any variation of the WCC pattern to participate!

Already cast-on? You can join in too! Or do you have the pattern but need motivation to jump in, now is your chance to do it with friends and support! Or maybe you're in the US and you're having trouble tracking down the Briggs and Little Country Roving used in the pattern. You're in luck — Firefly Fibers (one of the LYSes participating in the KAL) has 16 amazing colours to chose from and they'll even ship it for free if you spend 100 dollars (see their site for details)! Or maybe you've been eyeing the pattern or added it to your queue but it hasn't made it into your library yet. Now is the time because the West Coast Cardigan pattern will be 25% off from now until cast-on (January 10th), use code WCCKAL! So no excuses, let's knit this thing!!


Now my biggest hurdle will be deciding what direction to go. I've already knit 3 identical WCCs using the original pattern. The first was the pattern prototype (now Elsie's camping sweater), the second is currently on display at the Beehive in Victoria, and the third is on it's way to Art of Yarn in Kelowna (another participating yarn store)! I've been itching to get creative with the blank charts that are included in the pattern. I can't decide if I'd like to knit a more traditional sweater with three bands of colourwork (one main band between two smaller ones) using traditional Cowichan colours and motifs. Or do the opposite and use unconventional motifs and colours. I've created a Pinterest board for those of you who would like to freestyle it with me, to help us get inspired.

I've created a Ravelry group as a place for us to chat and share our projects. On Instagram and social media you can join in by tagging your projects #WCCKAL



Are you planning to knit the WCC? Will you use the pattern or freestyle it with the blank charts? Would you chose to take inspiration from traditional Cowichan sweaters or take a more unconventional approach? 



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Also, have any of you taken the Whole30 challenge before? Do you have any favourite meals or snacks (or tips in general!) for me?





WEST COAST CARDIGAN / Helpful Posts

If you are thinking of casting on your own WCC, feel free to post in the knit-along thread here — even though the official deadline has passed, it's a great way to share your project with other WCC knitters.

It's also become a wealth of information. I've compiled a list of all of the WCCKAL posts. Some of them break down the more involved portions of the pattern. They're a great resource if you're looking for more in depth instruction and visual tutorials!

WCCKAL POSTS : 






9 comments:

  1. Hi, I just bought the pattern as I have been looking at it for awhile. I am living in Sweden just now, can you recommend a yarn I can use that I could buy here to join the KAL.

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    1. Hi Gail! I'm so excited you've bought the pattern and I really hope you're able to find a suitable yarn to use so that you can join the KAL. It looks like this company carries the Briggs and Little and will ship worldwide : http://ramwools.com/country-roving-briggs-and-little.html

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  2. Ooh, so fun!! I love your Pinterest board, it will be so neat to see which way you go with your newest WCC. And I love sourdough, I would have eaten the whole loaf. Bread is my kryptonite.

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  3. Hello Jane
    I am going to join in your WCC but I can't until the end of the month. That's when my next paycheck is. Hope I am not to far, or tgat someone wants to knit 2 of them lol. Thanks for letting me join. TerryLee

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    1. Terry it's never too late to join! And they knit up SO quickly, I'm very tempted to knit another after I finish this one!!

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  4. I love this sweater! Does the sizing go as small as a child's size 4 or 5 by any chance?

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    1. I'm so glad you love the sweater! Unfortunately it only goes down to a size 30 at the moment! I'd love to grade it for little people when I have some time! It would look so adorable!

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  5. My husband and I just finished our first Whole 30! My weakness is bread (and cheese) as well. I didn't realize how bloated I was until a few weeks in! Our favorite recipe has been cauliflower florets roasted with nutritional yeast and paprika. We made it weekly!

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    1. Awesome! Congratulations you two! Isn't it amazing the difference you feel by just relieving the bloat!! And thanks for the recipe, I'm going to give it a try! I find having staples you love makes it so much easier.

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