I swear it was due to the sugar high. That’s right. I’ll blame it on the cupcakes. I wouldn’t have made such a stash down slip up if it weren’t for the delicious sugary nom nomz I consumed only a half hour earlier. But alas, it can’t be undone.
The Endless Knitted Cardi Shawl was casually hanging on the back of the door at My Sister’s Knits on Walden Parkway where the second half of this plot took place. I liked the shape and color but couldn’t find a pattern tag on it. Oh well, I thought, I’ll just search on Ravelry to add it to my favorites. I don’t need another project and I don’t need to buy any more yarn. I have enough to work with.
As my friends and I walked through the store, we didn’t see much and were gathering near the door. At that point, A headed back into the depths of the store to look at something. For some reason, I followed and asked the store owner what the mysterious cardigan’s name was. Here’s where it all went down hill. The pattern is thrust in my hand where it has time to linger. M suggests I try it on so we can see how it works. Everyone else compliments how nice the sweater looks on me, and oh isn’t it convenient that I’m trying on the right size for me.
I continue to have my doubts, since the ingenious nature of the Endless Knitted Cardi Shawl is the multiple ways it can be worn: right side up, upside down, backwards, shawl, cardigan with a cowl, cardigan with a floppy collar and more. I’m thinking to myself, “There’s no way this thing is going to look good every which way.” Well, I was wrong. Dead wrong. And I couldn’t walk away.
It didn’t help that the colorway of the yarn the cardi was knit up in was also in stock at the store. The stage was set for a purchase.
These little incidents where I tempt fate with my stashing restraint have gone well up until now. This year I have only bought yarn four other times: some yarn for a group project, some yarn bought while in Indianapolis to remember the trip that I used right away to make Ishbel, another bulk purchase for a bunch of gift projects I have planned (plus some sock yarn for me to reach the $50 free shipping cart total) and some yarn for existing projects that needed a little more yardage. That’s not bad considering how many times I have tempted myself during Cupcakes & Yarn outings—where we’ve created the tradition of sampling delicious cupcakes and perusing a new yarn store.
Luckily I can’t feel too guilty about my purchase; I’ve already cast it on and knit up about three inches on it. That’s pretty impressive since each row has about 391 stitches and the piece is knit as a long rectangle that becomes 90 inches long. I’m also loving the baby alpaca, enjoying the knit and looking forward to finishing the project. Let’s hope this enthusiasm remains.
Kind Words, Big Results
“I worked with Kate during my time as a community manager at Lightspan Digital while Kate was my direct manager. Kate’s communication practices really taught me how to navigate the sometimes complicated agency world. As an account manger, Kate smoothly orchestrated 10+ accounts at one time as well as help me manage and prioritize tasks in my role. Kate was a role model during my first few years in the professional world and continues to be so to this day.”
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“One of the best things I've ever done in my career is work with Kate Hamilton. Her enthusiasm for all things editorial, not to mention her energy and passion for any project she's involved with, is contagious. In addition to being a natural born leader, she's also a creative type, a thinker, a stickler for details, and someone with incredible vision and the drive to get things done. I always marvel at how she is constantly teaching herself new things. She always seems to be ahead of the curve on anything related to social media, and she also has an eye for design. This lady rocks! And she continues to be a mentor to me and others in journalism and communications.”
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“Kate will be an instant asset for any company she joins. Her unique understanding of how the digital landscape and content play nicely together is second to none. Kate has the ability to jump into any conversation about digital strategy or tacos and feel at ease. I've enjoyed working with her in various roles and she creates and designs THE BEST presentations, regardless of the subject. As a team member or leader within an organization, Kate gets my highest recommendation. ”
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“I had the pleasure of working with Kate for just over a year and watching her in action. Kate is an immensely talented digital marketer, account manager and processes guru who balances a keen eye for detail with an almost intuitive grasp of the big picture. Her deep wells of industry knowledge allow her to bring a depth of expertise and professionalism to almost any task she sets her mind to. During her time at IntraLink Global, she was instrumental in implementing many integral processes that set a framework for how we operate. I learned a lot from working with Kate, and her guidance and mentorship was invaluable in my professional development. ”
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“I met Kate through the Association of Women Journalists (AWJ) and immediately was impressed (and inspired) by her creativity, drive, work ethic and use of social media. Her passion for journalism, digital media and communications overall is evident in the projects she takes on, including LoganSquarist, an online news outlet that she founded that uses social media to socialize the neighborhood. What I admire about Kate is her vitality as well as her desire to keep learning and growing personally and professionally. Kate is a modern-day renaissance woman who is multitalented (ask about her travel, knitting and marathon exploits!) and who brings instant value to any team or organization.”
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“Kate is a natural leader and I can easily say the best boss I ever had. Kate hired me as the Director of Video Production at the agency Imagination where she was the VP of Digital. On top of Video Production, she also had reports from Audio, SEO, Analytics and Web Development divisions as well. She would consistently champion people she thought needed to be seen in leadership and client meetings where they sometimes might have been overlooked. Kate takes time to listen wisely and is always buzzing with ideas on how to make things more effective. Her energy is contagious and I’d work with her again any day.”