bloody mary

This morning, Thea Coleman released her latest design on BabyCocktails. It's called Bloody Mary and it's just in time for Halloween! I was one of the test knitters.

The sweater was an absolute joy to knit. In part, this was because of the yarn I chose. It's 100% Wisconsin-grown sheepswool, milled in Mt. Horeb at Blackberry Ridge Mill, and it's crunchy and soft and so very woolly all at once, nothing artificial about it.

Also, Thea's patterns are fun to knit. Her instructions are clear and she always includes lots of suggestions for making her design fit you just the way you want it without being too wordy. I didn't find any mistakes  in the instructions for my size, either, which was a bonus. Looking for mistakes is my job as a test knitter, and it is always nice when there aren't any glaring ones!

Now, we need to talk about my issues with photography. My husband took these photos with the good camera (we have a DSLR that we got when I was pregnant with Daniel, so they probably make 'em better and faster and lighter-weight now, but still, this one can take nice pictures) and I'm almost over my shyness at goofy poses in the back yard while the neighbors are raking leaves...

...but there are still a few problems. Below, for example, is a picture of me that isn't too bad. Let's ignore the fact that it's a little weird I'm reclining on a pile of leaves (it was either that or stand next to the big tree, which is what I always do). The big issue, though? Is the big fold in the front of my sweater. Did my husband/photographer point this out to me before taking the picture? No, he didn't. 

Lumpy around the waist.

Ah, this is better.

EXCEPT FOR THE LEAF STICKING TO MY ASS.

Here you just can't see the sweater very well.

The last few are a little better. I moved off the leaf pile and stood in front of a giant sheet drying on the line, so it looks like a formal back drop, but really, it's just a giant piece of wet flannel.

And if you're wondering about the dorky scarf around my neck, it's just because as much as I love my new sweater, the medium gray color really isn't so great next to my face.  I threw that on to help with the photo session, though I'm not sure it did.

I think I could use a fashion consultant.