Summer Break - but for Whom?

Huch, it's been a while since I posted last! And it's not because I have nothing to say but rather because it has been a very busy time - summer break.

Well, it's not my summer break but my kid's long summer school break - 2 1/2 months! Which means, I am going to be super busy keeping the kids entertained and occupied while still trying to get work done and some knitting. Or so supermom thinks... :)

Just as the summer break began, did I receive the happy news that Knit Picks' IDP (Intependent Designer Program) accepted a design of mine. Yippee! I just really enjoy working with them and their yarns. My other design for a Downhill Skier cap has been doing pretty well.

Within a week or two the yarn (Comfy Worsted) arrived and I got started with swatching and knitting my items. 

Little teaser - all I can show for now

The yarn was a dream to work with, really soft and pleasant on the skin and the colors were popping.

Everything hummed along nicely when I hit a snag: my idea for a special technique that I was trying to use didn't quite turn out as clean and smooth as I liked it to be... hm... cotton ... not as springy as wool... doesn't even out stitches as much... is it just me being too picky and trying to be a perfectionist or is it really an issue?

After continuing on for a while, with the little devil sitting on my shoulder, I eventually called it quits and ripped everything back out. Nope, this would not do because I know from experience that it will irks me that I didn't go back and fix it. It's just not worth it to save that little bit of time now and then be bothered by it for the lifetime of the garment...

Back to the drawing board... after many (and I mean many) mini swatching sessions I finally came up with, what I think, a pretty neat and elegant solution to my problem. It not only solved my issue but added some very cute detailing to the design. Unfortunately, I won't be able to go into more details here until the pattern is up for sale. But now you will have quite a few choices to create your own combination of designs. :)

BTW, the Comfy Worsted yarn held up great during the many swatching and unraveling sessions. It didn't pill at all, I was really impressed.

Relieved, I was doing good time and was getting back on track... - ...and then my summer fell apart and my knitting time disappeared. My husband got unexpectedly super busy and had to go on many road trips so that I had my hands full with work, household and kids. Then I missed my planned photo shoot window and my models were off on their summer vacation trips... and then our schedules just didn't want to cooperate so that my summer designs had to go in hibernation until further notice... :(

But, even though I have seem to have missed the current summer knitting season, I will be finishing the pattern and pictures because there is summer always somewhere else in the world, right? And the designs really look cool. :)