Wednesday, February 15, 2012

two day sweater


at a surf contest you might:


see lots of people on the beach and in the water



do a lot of watching and waiting


and knitting



you'll apply sunscreen. often.


and pay close attention to the color jersey your favorite surfer is wearing (it changes with each heat)


so you'll be able to find him (or her) in the ocean



then you'll want to cheer on your favorite surfer too


you'll visit with friends


and their babies  :)


and if your a small boy whose granpa is in the contest, you'll sit right near the judges tent, so you won't miss a thing (travis is in the plaid shirt on the right).


you'll be there so long, the tide will go in and then back out, giving opportunity to tide pool and beach comb






not quite a two day sweater, but it was close! we spent the entire weekend at the beach for chucks surf contest, he thanks you for the kindest words. he ended up finishing third in his division. i am so proud of him for getting this recognition on saturday, the wave of the day!

knowing just how long we would be out on the sand, it seemed like a good idea to bring a project that could be done without concentration, or even too much attention (i was in charge of those grands!). shopping in my stash i chose some lovely grey wool by quince and the annabel cardigan pattern to bring along. it's a fun easy knit, all done in my favorite garter stitch. i've finished the sleeves (can you see the dpn's sticking out of one in this photo? ), i made them bracelet length instead of the three quarter it called for. and there is one more thing i wanted to add before it's done, i'll share soon. rav notes here.

p.s. that is a squirrel painted on the tree! it's at the entrance to a charming seaside home (where a famous author and artist lives), where i wish i could take a peek inside. 

joining with

69 comments:

  1. You are just awesome Lori! Two days?!!! I can't even get one done in two weeks!
    Congratulations to your Chuck, he is pretty awesome too.
    I love the squirrel and think I will borrow that idea for a few trees here.
    I wish you the best of day's and hope you enjoy every minute of it!

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    1. oh but tracey, it was made using size 10 1/2 needles! made with a bulky wool too. it's a very simple knit. it really does come together quickly (i'm not a fast knitter at all). you'll get yours made!

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  2. A two-day sweater, WOW. You don't have far to go at all so I say it counts as two days! Bravo. It's adorable.

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  3. You live an amazing life Lori! So inspiring... Do you have a secret? I'll keep on reading to find out!

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  4. I bow my head in wonder at the two of you! Chuck is such an incredible surfer, I am full of admiration. And your knitting skills are beyond anything. A whole sweater with sleeves will take me weeks! The doll clothes cost me a lot of sweat already! But you look so calm and happy, it is always a joy to come to your blog, Lori! And Travis sure has picked his hero. He is already such a heartbrekare, wait till he gets ten years older!
    When I see your sunlit faces, I am envious. We are still so cold!!

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  5. What a stunning weekend! How lovely to spend all this time at the beach. Congratulations to Chuck, how wonderful! Your sweater is gorgeous Lori and I love the colourway.
    Wishing you a peaceful week:)
    xo xo
    Linda

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  6. what a great way to spend the weekend! and i think i may have to knit that sweater now that i see it on you...just love it.

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  7. Knitting on the beach sounds both wonderful and terrifying at the same time!

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  8. Lori, You are some speed knitter!! I have to stay pretty concentrated so following a surf contest would get me about 2 inches of a project. Love the squirrel painting and I hope you kept the heart rock. So nice to see your projects again.

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  9. What are you all like sitting on a beach wearing summer clothes, and applying sunscreen! Seriously - it looks like and amazing weekend - and well done to your lovely husband.
    The sweater is lovely - i really am drawn to greys just now. Enjoy the rest of your week xxx

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  10. Is there anything better than knitting at the beach? You are so lucky, and the sweater looks great so far.

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  11. How wonderful to be knitting on the beach, I'm reading your lovely post with two pairs of socks, my very thick cardi and bunny slippers, brrrrrrrrrr........it's cold here.

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  12. Wow, what a great way to spend the weekend ... love it, love it all x

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  13. Oh, I wish I was on a warm sunny beach...
    Love that painted squirrel - I had to look twice before I saw it was oainted.

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  14. Wow surfing and watching surfing look like great fun. Can't believe you made a jumper that quick!! I took my crocheting to Italy last weekend and worked on it in front of the hotel fire; my husband was horrified that I was doing 'IT' in public!!
    Travis looks so absorbed in watching the contest!
    Well done Chuck, What a star!!

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    1. that is so funny emma, i have known that look too in my life. crocheting in front of a hotel fire in italy. sigh.

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  15. Hi Lori! Beautiful beach and sea photos!
    Your sweater is going to be wonderful! I have made one similar and I like but it's brown and I would like to make an other colour.
    What a sweet thing to see the quirrel in the tree!
    x Teje

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  16. Love the photos (as always) and your happiness just bursts forth from my computer screen!! Love the sweater and the color!! Congrats to Chuck!!!

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  17. Joy, joy, joy! Your two days are diametrically opposed to our two days which makes me smile and gasp in equal measure.

    I was pondering making the annabel cardigan. Yours looks splendidly promising.

    Congratulations to your husband!

    Stephanie

    Today is my son's eighth birthday. I am emotional and proud.

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    1. happy birthday to your son stephanie, and to you too mama!

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  18. Looks like a great time sitting on the beach...so sweet your grandson who is sitting near the judges tent...and your knitting...amazing, Lori! ♥

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  19. That sweater looks so very, very lovely,and you in it, even better! And those days at the beach, reading your post feels like having been on a holiday...

    On your post on colorworks in January, I said I would never be patient enough to start knitting colors myself, but you did get me working and I gave it a chance this week, and I love it Lori. Thanks so much for your inspiration!

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    1. i'm so happy to know that, thank you so much for telling me, you can do it!

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  20. It looks like you are having better 'summer' weather than us!! I love that little cardi, and the colour is lovely. What a great way to spend your weekend. Sun surf and grand children. Congrats to Chuck.

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  21. I do so love the simplicity and beauty of garter stitch. I have had that sweater in my queue, but keep changing my mind. Yours is perfect. And your husband - very nice finish indeed. You should be proud. Last year we visited CA during the competition. We only saw a little bit. Now when we visit I will pay closer attention!

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  22. That looks like an idyllic weekend

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  23. What a wonderful weekend, and so different to the grey skies and winter blues we have here in the UK. And I'm so pleased for Chuck! Isn't that Quince & Co yarn just the most perfect stuff ... I have some here that I haven't decided what to do with yet.

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  24. Watch the sand with your camera ;-) Great photos :-)

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  25. Yeah for third place, that is brilliant! What a wonderful weekend. You can never go wrong with a garter stitch project and your cardigan is looking great.
    Beautiful pictures!

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  26. Congratulations to Chuck that's amazing.


    I love your little garter stitch cardigan it's a really pretty colour and two days...wow. How lovely to be able to wear short sleeves...it looks like you had an awesome weekend...

    Oh and I love the flat topped trees in the top photo...

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  27. Way to go for Chuck. Whoa. Super amazing and impressive! :)

    And I'm so loving your photos. You're really good! LOVE the one with the heart. Awww. :)

    Hugs

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  28. First of all, congrats to Chuck - what a great achievement!!

    And seeing your photos makes me miss that easy California living. There is something special about the west coast, isn't there?! We loved it while we lived there!

    And I love the cardigan you are knitting and immediately bought and downloaded the pattern! I need a new cardigan and this one looks beautiful!!

    Hugs, Silke

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  29. Congrats to chuck and you too for the lovely sweater. Put me on your calendar for around june 14th or so. Graduation of my niece, painting workshop in arroyo grande and meeting up with you. yea! Hope it comes together this time

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    1. it's on mim! maybe i could take the workshop with you :)

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  30. LOL I had to do a double take with that squirrel! And congrats to Chuck for placing third - that's awesome :)

    Your sweater is adorable too!

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  31. super pictures lori! you really capture the best moments. love your sweater - can't wait to see it done with the buttons!

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  32. Between the knitting and the beach combing (and occasional watching of surfing), I don't think you'd want to put me in charge of watching the grandkids...too many distractions. :) The Annabel looks wonderful so far - I'm interested in finding out what more you'll do to it.

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  33. WOW, well done! Congratulations to Chuck. That is mighty impressive. And your sweater is adorable! I love the gray. That squirrel is amazing and so much fun to discover on a tree. But I think I really love that heart rock. It's so big!

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  34. Wow, I'm so jealous of the idea of knitting in the sand! It make me really grateful that I'm going to Florida next week!

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  35. What a generous lady you are to take us along with you to the beach! It's been grand having this view of the surfing competition, the sunscreen application (definitely a good thing,) and to see that your large needle cardi is almost done. I loved the portrait with those dp's just visible on the sleeve.

    Cheers!

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  36. Lori -- I giggled when I saw you with your in progress sweater on! At first I was trying to figure out if you were dribbling your yarn ball then I saw it was still attached. LOL!

    Congrats to Chuck! That is great! It all looks so wonderful out there.

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  37. Absolutely lovely. One day soon you and Soulemama will give me enough courage to knit at the beach!
    xo

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  38. It's lovely. Your grandson is gorgeous. I see those DPNs!

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  39. It's a great way to spend a day. On the beach, surfing and knitting. Fantastic! xxx

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  40. Lori,

    Surfing and knitting, what could be better? Except for surfing and painting :-). Congrats to Chuck. xoxo

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  41. I am jealous, in the best way of course! The sweater looks great! Congrats to Chuck!

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  42. Thanks! I needed a little vacation! Congrats to the hub! xox

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  43. Lori, you are the quintessential California girl with your golden hair and carefree,easy attitude. What a perfect way to pass the time -- seaside watching the one you love do what he loves - and so very well. To top it off you put your idle hands to work to create another cosy masterpiece. I love your style. I hope your heart is lighter and sunnier. You have lots to look forward to (Africa) and I will have lots to look forward to - your pics! xxoo

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  44. What a wonderful way to spend the weekend; your photos made me feel like I was there--thanks for sharing them with us! Congrats to your hubby!

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  45. Oh!!! Beach knitting...I love the thought. Gorgeous photos too.
    xo

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  46. My goodness: SUN!!!!!! Something we have been sadly lacking for a year or two... photos, as always are just gorgeous. YOu have made me long to take a trip somewhere warm and with a beach!!!

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  47. Congratulations to Chuck.
    What a gorgeous beach with heart shaped rocks and squirrels painted on trees ♥ Your sweater looks fabulous!
    After you posted your French Knitting doll, I started looking for one. I'd never heard of them before. Found a little French Knitting "bee" (heavy plastic) at Walmart & I'm hooked :-)

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  48. Wow, what a fabulous weekend. It looks so warm!!!
    A great way to spend two days, I'd say - and you really make me want to cast on for one of those too now!

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  49. Yay Chuck!
    I just looked at Barnaby's list of writes.
    I'm going to pick something from there and add it to my reads for this year.
    All the pictures are so full of atmosphere and anticipation.
    Love the hue of that grey sweater too.
    xx
    julie

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  50. Love that squirrel and the heart-shaped rock. What a lovely two days with all that sun!

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  51. We have snow and very cold winter here (Lithuania);/ Your sunny and very positive photos remind me that summer is just around the corner. I think I must start thinking about summer knitting:)

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  52. Wow! What a sweater and to finish in almost 2 days!! I thought 2 weeks was fast for a sweater....;)
    Lovely photos... make me yearn for some warm sand beneath my feet.

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  53. What a wonderful post....with sun, surf, sand, beautiful people and gorgeous knitting! I so enjoyed reading this...it is all so interesting, and very different from the UK just now! What an amazing knitter you are, Lori.
    Have a great weekend.
    Helen x

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  54. Oh, these photos just capture evrything I love about a day at the beach (well minus the surfing as there's very little of it at the nearest beach here) Gorgeous family happy times...and those waves have me wanting to jump right in!
    Congrats on the proud accomplishments too..a sweater and a surfing recognition! Yay!! :)x

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  55. Lori your sweater is beautiful and congrats to your husband. Your post makes me think how fasinating it would be if everyone in the yarn along posted a picture of where they knit. I'm sure yours would always take the cake.

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  56. Those beach pictures make me so envious...would you like to trade for a bit of snow? Congrats to you husband, I would love to try surfing....it looks really hard.

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  57. What a way to spend a weekend! Sounds as if all went smashingly well. :) The sweater looks divine and I can't wait to see your secret addition!

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  58. Such a beautiful day, you get a wonderful feeling of calm and peace, and I think I can hear the rolling waves. Congratulations on all the surfing successes, I imagine the competition is huge. What a lovely family day, and finished off so nicely with shots of your beautiful cardigan, which looks fabulous on you Lori, it really does. And I love the colour. Love Vanessa xxx

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  59. Ahhh (big sigh...), I just love your beach photos. They relax me just looking at them. Your love of the beach is contagious and it helps me realize how much I will miss it. Your nearly two day sweater is lovely...And congrats again to Chuck, that wave of the day photo is absolutely awesome...
    xo

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  60. you look nineteen years old, sf!

    there is something about travis sitting and watching that is so touching. these are moments that will influence his life and dreams for all time.

    a sweater in two days? i can see in all these many comments how inspirational you are. for me, a non knitter, too.


    kj

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  61. I always feel after looking at your photos as if I was standing or sitting right next to you when you took them.Thank you for always inviting me along and congrtas to hubby and I love the color of your super sweet sweater!!Hugs,Cat

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  62. What a wonderful weekend of knitting, sport, and ocean-watching! Beautiful pictures.

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  63. I'm reading things all out of order here, but anyway -- YOU KNIT IT AT THE BEACH. This makes me smile. How can beach knitting *not* get a person smiling? You rock!

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xoxo lori