Be Yourself, Together with Target Wedding

Target is one of my favorite destinations, so I was so happy to be invited to share in their “Be Yourself, Together” registry program. It’s no secret that opposites attract, especially when it comes to personal style in a relationship! My challenge was to select an item from the Target Wedding Registry, pair it up with a very different item, and then create a story that harmoniously blends the two.

When I saw the SwissGear luggage in the registry, a whole storyline popped into my head about a couple I call Max & Finley. Max {The Adventurer} is a photographer who loves to travel the world capturing images of exotic locales. Finley {The Nester} is a city girl whose idea of exotic is takeout from the local Thai restaurant down the block.

Finley works in an office all day, so when she comes home she likes to relax in comfort. She loves to set the mood with soft music, comfortable throws and cushions, and she especially loves scented candles. Max feels at home anywhere, but now that Finley will be accompanying him on many of his journeys, how can The Adventurer and The Nester bring a bit of home comfort with them?

With battery operated candles of course! When I went shopping at Target for the second item to go with the luggage, I thought about candles as the perfect registry item for The Nester. But regular candles aren’t always travel-friendly. As I explored the candle aisle, I was thrilled to find flameless versions that can be easily tucked into the side pocket of a carry on bag for safe transport.

Now the happy couple can have the romance of candlelight whether they’re nesting together at home, or camping in a tent in the wilderness! Best wishes to The Nester & The Adventurer, and many thanks to Target for sponsoring this post. Be sure to follow along with the Be Yourself, Together theme with #TargetWedding.

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target.

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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