Skip to main content

30 Day Sweater Wrap-up

I haven't gotten a chance to properly wrap up my 30 Day Sweater Challenge experience from last month, so now that I've had plenty of time to collect my thoughts, I thought I'd take today to finally blog about it.

I have been wearing my 30 Day Sweater pretty much every day since I finished it (it's already pilling a little!). October was such an inspiring month for me because of this KAL - I can't say enough good things. I was even inspired enough to take the pieces of a sweater that I'd knit in August and September of this year and finally finished it the weekend after the 30 Day Sweater challenge ended, so now I have TWO wearable sweaters for this fall.

On a professional level, I worked with Johnny and Lacie to connect them with prize donors and morning show guests from my client base. They were so great about mentioning the sponsors and telling folks to thank them and share the love, which I think is win-win for everyone. Through my correspondence with them and by watching the morning show, I felt like I got to know the Yarn Nation crew; I don't think you can find a group of people who are more excited about knitting!

I've knitted several sweaters over the years, but I've never made an adult-sized sweater one month. The 30 Day Sweater framework broke everything down into manageable daily tasks, which I think was key in completing my sweater on time. Another factor which helped immensely was the community of fellow KAL-ers: I'm kind of a competitive person, so I wanted to keep up with the challenge, and knowing that I was sharing my progress online (which was then shared on the morning show) held me accountable and gave me that little extra push to keep going. Being able to see others' progress was also helpful; there were some really amazing sweaters being created with the 30 Day framework.

One more aspect I'd like to single out is the level of support that was available along the way - during every morning show and virtual knit night, Johnny and Lacie would set aside some time to answer questions from participants; if there was something that couldn't be addressed in the time allowed, they would help troubleshoot via email or their Ravelry group.

Now that the KAL is over, I am kicking my holiday gift-making into high gear, but I am already planning my next 30 Day Sweater. This time, I'll be using the framework to design it myself! Johnny and Lacie very kindly sent me my very own 30 Day Sweater tote bag; I've put the yarn for my next 30 Day Sweater in it (which I'll be designing with the framework) so that it's ready for whenever I finish my holiday gift-making!

You can start your very own 30 Day Sweater any time; click here to download a free sweater-planning guide which includes a discount code for 25% off your purchase of the 30 Day Sweater Workbook!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b
Post a Comment
Read more

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a
1 comment
Read more

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels?  I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n
3 comments
Read more