Athlesiure

Way back in March of 2015 I made a pair of sweat pants to wear in a martial arts class I was taking at the time. I've always thought of them as my Bagua Pants. I'm not doing the bagua class anymore, but I have worn the sweat pants quite a bit. So often, in fact, that they've gotten pretty beat up. I've been meaning to make another pair for a while now, so the last time I was poking around at Hart's I bought myself a couple hunks of jersey and I made two at once.

The pattern is Burdastyle 03/2014 #112 (Workout Pants). They're supposed to be drawstring pants, but I know by now that drawstrings don't work for me. I just used some 1/2 inch elastic instead.

They come up to my waist, even though they look lower in the picture above. That's partly because I have my hands in the (very nice) pockets and partly because I like my elastic loose.

Closeup of very nice pockets

Besides good pockets, these pants have an ankle cuff. The sweatpants of my youth had elastic at the ankles. As someone with sturdy, peasant ankles I always found that elastic kind of annoying. These cuffs are snug enough to keep out drafts but loose enough to be very comfortable. They're also just right to keep my pant leg pulled up out of bicycle-chain reach when I'm out for a bike ride.

I'm really ridiculously happy with these pants. The jersey is just substantial enough to make them ideal for a chilly morning. Considering how quick and easy they are to make, I have no idea why it took me so long.

I may be just fooling myself, but I think they're a little more presentable than your basic Mervyn's sweats. Not that I'd wear them out to dinner and a movie, though in Santa Cruz the dress code would certainly allow it. I think they're fine for gyming and grocery shopping, and for lounging around the house. Since I'm now retired, those happen to be my primary activities. Wardrobe sorted!

My original pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Daybreak

My friend, Janet, gifted me with a beautiful skein of Shalimar DK yarn in a color called Sea Glass. For some months I kept it stashed with my other single skeins of fingering weight yarn, periodically taking it out to pet and admire.

I just loved the color, but what to do with it? Socks were a possibility with that yardage, but I hated to hide that sea blue inside a pair of shoes.

Then, while trolling around Ravelry late one night, I fell into the rabbit hole which is westknits. That guy! He has more fun with color than practically anyone. And so many of his patterns are just perfect for mixing a bunch of lovely one-skein fingering weight yarns. Of which I have a pretty hefty collection, on account of I can't resist them.

His Daybreak pattern looked like a good bet for someone who is dipping a toe into playing with colors. You can go crazy, as have many of the 6986 knitters who have posted their Daybreaks on Ravelry. Or you can timidly use just two colors and see where it takes you. Like me.

I used a skein of Madeline Tosh Sock in the color Whiskey Barrel for my contrast. It's hard to see from the photos but this brown has flashes of blue winking in and out.

I thought I'd be able to knock out a size Large, but I didn't have quite enough of the Whiskey Barrel. But the size Medium is plenty big enough for me.

I'm new to shawl knitting. This one starts small at the back of the neck and grows exponentially as you knit your way out. Gee, those last rows seem to go on forever. Maybe a bit boring, but also soothing. This is a great project for social knitting, or TV watching.

I'm also new to shawl wearing. I think this is a nice shape and size. Those long corners keep the thing put when you drape them over your shoulders, and the fingering weight means the shawl is light enough to scrunch up at the collar of your jacket if you're wearing it out on a blustery day.

I might need to rest up a bit before I dive into another shawl, but it will be fun to review my sock yarn stash and play with some colors for another Daybreak. Or, if I'm brave enough, maybe a Rockefeller.

My Ravelry project notes are here.