Make Every Moment Count {Michael’s Scrapbook Challenge}

My local Michael’s store is practically my second home, so I was thrilled to be invited to participate in the Make Every Moment Count Scrapbook Challenge sponsored by Michael’s Arts & Crafts! I received a gift card for the store and spent several enjoyable hours roaming the aisles and making my selections. I was tempted by so many products, but…

as soon as I spotted the new Heidi Swapp Color Shine collection, that was all she wrote! I loved the trendy colors and the endless possibilities of this sparkling iridescent spritz.

I couldn’t resist several other items in the collection, including specialty cardstock, pretty flowers, and a portfolio album.

On the way to the register I spotted this stunning sequin trim for just $1 per roll! Of course I had to toss it into my cart as well. All these artsy goodies are destined for a mixed-media travel journal that I will share with you in another post. In the meantime, be sure to check out these inspiring tutorials at Michaels.com and make every moment count for your memories this May!

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]

Have you read?