Mixed-Media Travel Journal {Michael’s Scrapbook Challenge}

As promised, here’s the mixed-media travel journal I created for the Make Every Moment Count Scrapbook Challenge sponsored by Michael’s. I had so much fun playing with the Heidi Swapp Color Shine collection! I was very impressed with the Color shine sprays. The colors are so saturated and very glitzy. Lots of glimmer and sparkle with just a few quick spritzes. The bottles never clogged, which I’ve found to be an issue with other similar products, and I was even able to layer the colors easily. I love the subtle hint of gold on the chevron resist cardstock and I think the flowers are gorgeous! I added a bit of gold sequin trim for an extra bit of sparkle, and a Polaroid-style frame from Heidi Swapp is the perfect finishing touch.

I discovered these fun canvas stickers at Michael’s and thought they would be perfect to spritz with some Color Shine! I used the gold for the banner under the photo on the travel journal. I have a feeling I will be spritzing everything in sight with this fun product! Many thanks to Michael’s for sponsoring this challenge! Be sure to check out michaels.com for more inspiration and ideas!

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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