It is SO GOOD to be home... and to have some FOs.

Well, at this time yesterday I was living here.

Now, after 14 hours of driving straight through the night, I'm back home.

(View from the roof deck and my couch/favorite piece of furniture ever)

I'm never, ever, ever leaving again. Ever. This is the first time in 6 years that I have lived at an address longer than one year and it's given me the opportunity to decorate how I want. Of course, once I got it the way I liked it, I left for Delaware and left my pretty pretty apartment to my boyfriend to live in alone. Not fair.

In any case, I am back and inspired to make this place even more like home. I am totally inspired by one of my favorite blogs, Green Apples. I want to paint my office now, more than ever, and in a wildly romantic colors like she has chosen. We live in a condo building that was formerly a spaghetti factory. The timber loft can be so cozy and warm, I'd like to get ride of just one of the white walls. To me, they just don't go with how well the brick and the woodwork play together. To demonstrate: My dad eating cereal this morning at the kitchen table.

Unfortunately, every wall is white except for one... and on that wall the landlords did something, uh, interesting?

It's a real library ladder - it moves and everything. Unfortunately, the books that you see are wall paper. I want nothing more than to knock out that wall and make it into an actual book shelf. As a result of us both enduring law school (he did it 7 years before me, however), boyfriend and I have TONS of very cool looking (but now useless) books that need a good home. Right now they are shoved into an Ikea book case. It's just not right.

Anyway, an FO! Here is the Mrs. Darcy sweater (ravelry link), in all of her glory.

Mrs. Darcy Sweater
Published in: Ramblings of a Knitting Obsessive

Yarn weight: Aran / Worsted

Gauge: 16 stitches and 20 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Needle size: US 9 / 5.5 mm

Fiber: 3 skeins (645.0 yards) Berroco Ultra Alpaca
Size: SMALL.

Okay, so what did I learn this time.... TO ALWAYS SWATCH AND CHECK YOUR GAUGE. The pattern actually calls for about 900 yards. As you can see, I made mine out of just under 650 yards. Not good. Thankfully it fits, but I'm uncomfortable with the fact that the V-neck is so wide. I think I am going to attach a wider ribbed neck band and continue down for the buttons. It's also too short - and I am probably a world record holder for short torsos. I will likely pick up and cast on in order to make it longer. I haven't decided yet if I am going to do a ripped bottom or not, but I think it might be too much next to the twisted rib.

I love love LOVE the idea of this pattern, I only wish I had executed it better. If only I did a swatch! But I'm already learning from my mistake! I am going to do a swatch of my bro-in-law's holiday present sweater even though I've already cast on. I'd rather tear the whole thing out than make him a sweater he can't wear.

Speaking of WIPs, I started Clapotis by Kate Gilbert last week. It is a genius pattern that I will certainly discuss when I am finished and have some sweet photos to show off to you. In the mean time, here is the big bad WIP Pic:

By the way... I am probably the last known knitter to have cast this on. Ravelry shows that this pattern has been made 7007 times. I think that is pretty effing amazing.

Well, I am tired, hungry and have 20, no 19 minutes to get ready for my best girlfriend's house warming party. (I am so excited to have her close... she moved 6 blocks from me and now we can walk to school together...**nerds**). Wish me luck.