Fancie Pants Knits

Pin It! . . . and a backpack

2011-04-28T22:49:00.002-04:00

Thanks for the nice comments on my appliqued cardi. I wish I could respond to you all by email. About half of my comment notifications have your email for reply, but most don't. Boo.

Anyway, I made a backpack! Realizing that Ellie is growing like a weed, I wanted to get started on this project before she was too old for a toddler backpack. Surprisingly, this was a really quick (probably about 3-4 hours) project to throw together.
Pattern: Toddler Backpack, from Made By Rae
Materials: Alexander Henry Kleo fabric, from my stash; I selected a burgundy zipper and piping, but had trouble finding the right colored strap and strap adjuster (thanks, Joann's for continuing to have a crappy, limited selection). Thanks to Strapworks, I found exactly what I needed for only $4, which included shipping. Score!

The only modification I made was to line it. Having the wrong side of the fabric and seams showing inside seemed unfinished to me. The lining fabric is leftover from my Birdie Sling and was relatively easy to do. Ellie has never let me put hats or headbands on her, but seemed to like her new backpack. Now she can carry her "essentials" to my mom's house on my work days.

Can we go outside??

Pleeeeease??

Have you heard of Pinterest? I read about it a month or so ago and IMMEDIATELY requested an invite.

Basically, Pinterest allows you to create an organized place for images you see on the interwebs, with links included. Before Pinterest, when I saw a great tutorial or a fun idea or inspiration project, I would drag the link to my bookmarks folder called "Crafty Stuff". This was a pretty bad way of keeping ideas organized because what I saw was the link's name, not the photo of what I thought was cool, so I would forget about things I saw a while ago . Pinterest has allowed me to delete my bookmarks and now keeps things organized in one place. You can find my boards here. The only rub is that you need to have a Facebook or Twitter account to join, but I suspect as it grows, it will open up to anyone, much like how Ravelry was in the beginning.

Felted Dahlia Appliqued Cardigan

2011-04-19T14:38:00.000-04:00

My latest cardigan-makeover was a fun take on the tutorial posted here by Megan Reardon of Not Martha. It's called a "Mother's Day Corsage", so it's seasonally appropriate.

I went to Joann's and picked up a bunch of felt rectangles (sold in 8" x 11" sizes for about $0.30 each. Often they are on sale for 4/$1). I then cut them up into little squares per the tutorial. The only change I made was to not do the largest sized square. I did about 14 of the 1.25" size and 20 or so of the 1" squares. Then put the 14 larger petals around the circle and filled in two overlapping rows of the smaller petals.

I like the combination of bright, jewel tones with the muted camels and browns. I also like that there are 8 that don't match perfectly but complement each other, and I can take off some or use 1 or 2 on another sweater or jacket.

There's no "before" photo of the cardigan. It's just a simple cotton cardi I picked up at Ann Taylor Loft many, many years ago.

A close up.

Though this project does require a hot glue gun, I think anyone, crafty or not, should own one. I used it last week to repair a pair of shoes and one of Ellie's wood toy hammers that broke in half. They are SO handy.

All in all, this project cost me about $3 for 8 pins: felt, hot glue refills, pin findings (sold for about $1 for a 10 pack) and an empty cereal box (free).

Flower Power

2011-03-30T16:04:00.000-04:00

I'm just dying for spring these days. To try and help welcome spring with open arms, I recently starting making flower necklaces. I mostly used the tutorial posted here by Little Miss Momma.

These necklaces are super easy and super CHEAP. I used about 3" cuttings of the inexpensive ($3.99/yard) cotton at Joann's and some of the 72" by the yard felt for the backing. The chain and clasps were also in my jewelry making stash, but you could pick up a bag of chain and clasps for just a few bucks. The ribbon are just spools of grey and cream double-sided satin for $2.99/spool, which were purchased with 40% coupons. I did fold under the ends of the ribbons and sewed the edges in a box shape to keep it from fraying. I have lots of ribbon leftover and plan to use them to do more embellishing of cardigans.

Here are what they look like on. Super fun and definitely statement pieces, especially the cream one with those 7 flowers. For probably less than $5 per necklace, you can't complain. This tutorial could be used to make any kind of necklace, really, with any kind of flower, or cluster of buttons, or pins or whatever you like. You could even use scraps of old t-shirts or printed fabrics instead of buying pieces like I did. Now, bring on the warmer weather!

Felted Lei Cardigan Knock-Off

2011-03-17T10:05:00.001-04:00

Last year I saw this cardigan by Field Flower at Anthropologie and completely fell in love. Then I looked at the price tag: $118. I do have a small pile of beautiful sweaters from Anthro that I've purchased (all on sale!) over the years, but this sweater looked like one I could try to create myself.

What's a girl to do? Well, I managed to make my knock-off, though it did take some shopping and perseverence.

As luck would have it, I headed over to Ann Taylor Loft and found this lonely sweater on the sale rack for $19.99. It was a medium petite, which is not my normal size, but I had to make it work. It had most of the details of the Field Flower cardigan: long sleeve, slightly cropped, concealed buttons and a ribbon running along the inside of the button band.

First thing to replicate was the color. I bought a box of Rit Dye in Teal and got to work. I followed the directions exactly and only used a teeeeeeeny bit of dye, maybe a teaspoon. I still had most of the dye still in the box. The sweater turned a lovely shade of pale, minty green. Now, I was in business.

Next I had to find some cream color felt to cut out flowers. I headed over to Goodwill and picked up a men's wool sweater from Abercrombie and took it home and felted the crap out of it. I used a template I found online to cut out what I counted on the original sweater as 14 flowers.

Last item was to replicate the green trim that runs up and down the sweater. This was the hardest part. Joann's had nothing that worked. I went to a great local fabric store and found a roll of chiffon in a not-too-dark green and bought a yard (which ended up being WAY too much). I cut strips of the fabric, folded them in half length wise and sewed up the side. Then I turned it right side out, turned in the bottoms to make a long, finished piece. Then I attached it to the sweater while pleating and bunching along the way. Using the Field Flower sweater photo as a guideline, I sewed two strips on the sweater. Then I attached the felt flowers I had cut with some different colored buttons and a bright yellow thread. The original flowers were attached with some embroidery thread and other small pieces of fabric, but the buttons seemed to work well for me.

I wore it last Mother's day for the first time and love it. It's a totally fun addition to my wardrobe!!

The demise of the knit blog?

2011-03-14T14:41:00.000-04:00

When Ravelry was brilliantly created back in 2006 (I think that was the year), many knitters probably began to wonder what additional value their knit blogs would contribute that couldn't be encompassed on their Ravelry project pages. I know I did. I've noticed over the years that many bloggers I used to follow no longer publish and the ones that still do publish are doing so less frequently. It's not that we aren't interested in seeing everyone's WIPs and reading about their stash additions. It's that we can get it instantaneously on Ravelry. I love that. But, at the same time, it is sad to see this era of knitting start to dissolve. It is the blog, after all, that partly inspired Jess and Casey to create Ravelry.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that. It's something I've been thinking about and noticing: that the "successful" bloggers out there are the ones who have sponsors and ads and have enough interesting content that they are able to post multiple times per week. I know I don't have that much stuff to show you to keep you coming back. BUT! I have been doing lots of crafty stuff over the past few months and I plan to make this knit blog thing evolve into more of a craft journal for me. I have a monthly craft night with 2 of my best friends and they have encouraged me to document all the stuff I am doing. So, this is where I will do that. I've been embellishing sweaters, making flower necklaces and sewing some things. Fun stuff. Hip stuff (I think).

I have also been knitting, a little. I have to admit I've realized that I only need so many sweaters and that so many of the ones I have knit I don't really wear. Here's a summary of my knitting progress since the fall. It's not much, but it is something!

Sock Giraffe, for our friend's baby who is due to arrive in May. The construction of this little fellow is very smart. No seaming, and stuff as you knit. I learned how to do a Turkish Cast On and a new way to knit short rows. There is a Hippo and Pig variation, but if you got creative you could make any animal with this pattern. I am going to try a cow. MOO.

I started the Blackberry Cabled Cardigan in the fall. It's coming along, but I won't finish in time to wear it this season. That's OK.

A pair of white Gansey Gloves. I started these in the fall of 2008. Seriously. Over two years to make a pair of gloves? Well, yes, and that's OK. I finally finished them, they fit and they keep my hands warm. Hoorah.

I've already taken photos of at least 5 other craft (NOT knitting) projects I've finished. I will show you the oldest (and probably my favorite) one this week. It is my knock-off of this Anthropologie sweater that I swooned over last year.

I also can't leave without showing you how my little girl is growing . . . so FAST. She's 19 months old today, and she loves whole grain Goldfish. YUM.

FO: Allure

2010-10-19T11:34:00.000-04:00

Holy moly, knitters, I finished this lovely knit back in APRIL and am now just getting around to taking photos. Oops. Well, Allure sat in my dresser all summer and now that it's finally cool enough to wear it, I thought it time to blog it.

Pattern: Allure, by Kim Hargreaves [Ravelry Link]
Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Haze, color Bebe (#586), 4.25 skeins

I love this sweater. Ever since I learned how to knit, I wanted to make a soft, lofty, pretty, lacey, mohair-y sweater. I tried working with Kidsilk Haze back in 2006 but failed miserably. I wasn't until I learned how to "read" my knitting that I was able to tackle this project (and churning out some other lace projects helped, too).


Playing ring-around-the-rosie

I didn't make any modifications to the sweater, except that I knit a size in between the given XS/S and S/M. This was easy to do, just followed stitch counts in between the two sizes and shaping instructions for the smaller size. I did have to work the cowl neck end twice - casting off VERY loosely should be emphasized more as my head didn't fit through the first time.

Meanwhile, more babies are appearing. Good friends recently welcomed little Sophia Rose, so I got down to business.

Pattern: Little coffee bean cardigan, made with longer sleeves. [Ravelry Link]
Yarn: About 1 skein each of stash yarn(!): Rowan handknit cotton for the 2 pinks and Berroco Touche for the purple. Perfectly matching buttons found at Joann's.

Hooray for fall knits!

Fall Sweater Fest

2010-09-19T13:17:00.000-04:00

It's been chilly here in the mid-Atlantic recently which means cozy weekend mornings with my fall knitting and pumpkin spice coffee creamer added to my morning cup. Love it.

No baby knits here today, folks. I've been downright selfish with my knitting choices as of late. I've cast on for three new sweaters and purchased the pattern and yarn for a fourth. Wanna see?

This is the Venezia sweater, knit in two colors, which has been done often by other Ravelers. I'm using Valley Yarns Huntington in grey and cream. I had a hard time finding the right yarn for this project. I wanted something that would be soft next to my skin and I think the Huntington is going to provide that. It's a splitty yarn but I am using Knitpicks' yarn thimble (that little purple thingie in the picture) which helps with that and also evened out my tension tremendously.

Next up is the Delancey Cardigan. I'm being totally unoriginal here and knitting it in colors similar to the model. I'm using another Valley Yarns: Northfield. It's a blend of merino, alpaca and silk. It works up very nicely and I hope the silk helps with the drape of this unusually constructed garment. It's been a lot of fun to knit and I can't wait to see how the rest of the shaping works.

The third project to show you is the February Fitted Pullover. I ended up casting on for this on a whim since I had stash yarn that worked perfectly. I'm using Rowan Cashsoft DK. I ended up making some modifications and I'm not sure that they have worked, and the sweater GREW a lot in blocking so I am a little unmotivated to finish this one, but we'll see.

So that's where I'm at. We also squeezed in one last week of summer at Virginia Beach where the weather was great and the beach was not crowded.

Hooray for the beach!!

One

2010-08-23T13:40:00.004-04:00

I can't believe a whole year has gone by already. How fun it has been.

More baby knits to share. This is the last of them for a little while. I've actually cast on for two new fall sweaters for me, bought the yarn and pattern for another one and ordered yarn and the pattern for a fourth. Excessive? Probably, but these are all great sweaters and I'm excited to have such a burst of mojo back.

Pattern: Jasper Diamond Hoodie, from Vintage Baby Knits [Ravelry Link]
Yarn: 3 plus a little of a 4th skein of Knitpicks Simply Cotton Organic Sport

I love, Love, LOVE this sweater. The pattern is fabulous and I made not one modification. The fit is perfect for 12-18 months and the short rows on the hoodie make that adorable little 'elf' look.

I also love this yarn. For the price, you cannot beat it. The quality is great and it was wonderful to knit with. I have yet to wash it, but I expect it to wear well. Definitely the BEST baby knit I have made for Ellie to date in terms of cuteness, wear-ability and longevity of use!

I also recently knit up a little sweater for someone at work who is expecting a baby boy in September.

model: Ellie B.

Pattern: Baby Sophisticate [Ravelry Link]
Yarn: I was hoping this would be more of a stash buster, but I really just have lots of odd skeins of yarn around, so I ended up purchasing a skein of Vanna's Choice (the lighter green) and using leftover Knitpicks Swish (yellow) and Valley Yarns Superwash (dark green). For the price, I really like the quality and handling of Vanna's yarn. I ended up using every last yard of it, too!

I cast on 38 stitches since many Ravelers noted that it was sized kind of small. Now, I'm a little concerned that it's too wide and the sleeves are too short, but bigger is always better for baby knits, right?! The recipient is a short gal, so maybe she'll have a baby with short arms? Yes?

Hope everyone is enjoying the last weeks of summer. Can we have some fall weather, please? I can't wait to show you all what I've been working on.

PS. A new comment system has been activated on my blog and I don't know how to respond to you all by email, so I apologize that I have not answered you. Please know that I appreciate every note you drop! I hope to figure it out soon. Has anyone else who used to have Haloscan for comments figured this out?

The heat is on

2010-07-14T13:29:00.004-04:00

Happy summer, everyone. It's pretty much hot everywhere, no? After many years of knitting adorable little summery knits, and after subsequent years of said knits sitting in my closet because the humidity is unbearable or it's just too warm for a short sleeve sweater in a worsted gauge, I have hung up the towel on summer knitting. Fortunately, with the wee one crawling (and now standing, cruising, but not walking independently yet) and many peers with wee ones on the way, summer time leaves plenty of time for small knits.

A dear friend, mom to a 12 and 6 year old boy decided to go for a third baby at the age of 40. After a miscarriage, she became pregnant with twins. Certain of her fate as a mom to 4 boys, she decided to let the twins' sex be a surprise. The whole pregnancy she said they were boys, prepared herself for boys . . . you get where this is going? She then delivered two adorable little girls and I squealed with excitement to knit them something cute.

I wanted something practical for summer but something that would also potentially go into the autumn.

Pattern: Confection Baby Shrugs [Ravelry Link]
Yarn: Stash busting of leftovers/frogged yarn

This pattern knit up very quickly. Ellie was about 9 months when these photos were taken, so I am confident that the twins will get some wear out of them through the fall months, too.

I also spent the late spring knitting up a little bolero for Ellie.

Pattern: Debbie Bliss Bow-Tied Bolero, free [Ravelry Link]
Yarn: Valley Yarns Longmeadow, about 3 skeins

This yarn is a winner for kid knits. It's machine washable, soft and holds up very nicely. A great pick for the price and color selection.

I also started what was supposed to be Ellie's summer jacket but will likely be her fall jacket, the Jasper Diamond Hoodie from Vintage Baby Knits. This book was at my local library and has many cute patterns, and I love the vintage style to them.

And, rounding up the little knits - I just started this cardigan today. It's for a friend at work who is expecting a little boy in September. It's the Baby Sophisticate pattern. I'm using up stash yarn by making it striped. I like the Charlie Brown feel to it.

I've also purchased a pattern and new yarn (!!) for my annual get-me-in-the-mood-for-fall sweater. Previous fall sweaters for which I purchased yarn in the summer include the September Sweater, Ribbon Trim Cardigan and Juno. All winners, and all were worn this past winter. What are you excited about knitting this fall, or are you just enjoying the summer? Hope everyone is staying cool!!

Knit in Action

2010-04-27T15:35:00.005-04:00

Howdy!

I owe a much better post than this, but wanted to share a few recent photos. Ellie is now 8 1/2 months old and she enjoyed her first Easter.

Check out the Leafy Lacy Cardi in action.

We also went on a trip to Charleston and Savannah. Our little Yosemite Sam really enjoyed the baby swings!

On the crafting front, Allure has been finished for a long while now, and I've knit up a few little baby items. I'll show you those and thoughts on summer knitting very soon. Promise!

FO: Starlight, Starbright

2010-01-14T16:39:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable holiday season. Ellie enjoyed her first Christmas as much as she enjoys everything else right now. It was fun getting her dressed up and telling her Santa was coming (even though she was more excited to see her cereal spoon on Christmas morning). Anywho, I've finished Starlight, Starbright and couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

Pattern: Starlight, Starbright test-knit for Kirsten Jensen, Raveled Here. Pattern to be released very soon!
Yarn: Knitpicks Palette in Mai Tai Heather, Sky and Green Tea Heather. 1 skein each. Buttons found where else? Joanns.

This is a really delightful little pattern. At a gauge of 8 sts to 1", it's not a quick knit, but seeing the finished product, I would choose to knit one of these instead of 3 or 4 quick-o baby knits. I had some serious knitting-brain-farts when starting this, but if you're familiar with Norwegian style knitting, it will be a piece o' cake.

I made a few mods to the pattern, but the main one was knitting the sleeves in the round with steek stitches and then separating them after securing the steeks. Why haven't I thought of this before? I avoid DPNs at. all. costs. I don't even know why I own them, except for the occasional i-cord, I suppose.

I know it's mid-January and all, but I didn't get a chance to show you all lady Eleanor's Christmas stocking I churned out the week before Christmas. I couldn't let my first born have no stocking hanging on the fireplace on Christmas Eve, even if she didn't notice. Besides, my outdoor lights are still up (yup, we're those people).

For deets, follow the link above. I made up my own chart for the snowflake and snowman to fit the number of stitches I needed for the repeats.

I'm ready for a break from fair-isle now. I'm getting back to Allure, which I started way back in July. My goal is to finish by Super Bowl (in which I hope, but don't expect, to see my Ravens). Hope you're all staying warm and toasty during this dead-of-winter period with your yarn and needles!

FO: September

2009-12-12T16:36:00.006-05:00

Finally! Today was a great day, if a little cold, to take some photos of my finished September sweater. I started this project back in, uh, September, and finished it shortly after returning to work at the beginning of November. I'll remember it as my maternity leave sweater.

Pattern: September [Raveled Here], loosely based off the pattern notes from eyeloveit. I used her general construction and cable charts for the sleeves and yoke of this sweater. For the body section I selected two cable charts out of Cables & Arans to repeat around.

Yarn: Ah, there's always a yarn saga, isn't there? 15 balls of Jaeger Extrafine Merino DK in Cream. I had purchased a bag of 10 balls from Cucumberpatch last year on clearance for like $40. That's 1370 yards, which I thought would be plenty for this project. Once I had gone through half of it and hadn't even finished the top section, I knew I was in trouble. There were a few Ravelers who had some of the yarn stashed in the same dyelot, but none were up for trade and all had intentions to use it for a project. On a whim, I emailed Cucumberpatch to see if they happened to have any left. As luck would have it, they did, so I ordered 5 more balls. While working the rest of the sweater, I decided to use up of all the yarn.

How the sweater is constructed: The top section is cast on at one sleeve, worked up to the armpit, then stitches are cast on at the bust, worked across and back down the other sleeve. Then, stitches are picked up under the bust and the rest of the sweater is knit down to the hem. The only seaming were the sleeves and the short section at the sides. I decided to knit until I had 3 balls of yarn left and then cast off at the bottom. I then picked up stitches for the button bands and collar and knit each piece with 1 ball of yarn. This way, I had no leftovers.

I also opted for snaps since I didn't know as I was knitting it how many buttons I wanted to put on it. There was quite a bit of math involved in this one, and I will post the details on Ravelry for those interested.

I really love how this turned out. It's a versatile color and quite cozy. The yarn has a slight stretch to it, but I plan to hand wash it and see if I can give it a quick spin in the dryer on low heat to restore its shape over time. But right now, it's great. And, it was a new construction for me, which is always fun.

Now I'm trying to make progress on Starlight, Starbright. I've finished the body and started the sleeves. I secured my steeks with a sewing machine and cut. So far, so good. I am a little nervous about my steeks coming apart, but I'm probably needlessly worrying.

Hope you all are enjoying the holiday season!

A Fair Isle Fall

2009-11-29T10:29:00.006-05:00

Hope everyone is having a the kind of Sunday-after-Thanksgiving (for US readers) or last Sunday in November (for all readers) you'd like to enjoy. This past weekend has been full of family, friends and food. And of course, the knitting.

I finished Ellie's first winter hat. This is a fantastic stash-user, even scrap-user, easy and fun.

Pattern: Giacomo's Hat by the purlbee. [Web Link] [Raveled Here]

Yarn: Main color: Joann Tesoro leftover from Ellie's Seamless Kimono; Flower: Joann Tesoro in Lilac; Background: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Cloud; Pink detail: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease. For all of these yarns, I used very small amounts, and the slightly differing weights still resulted in a nice fair isle look.

All of my knitting attention is now being paid to finishing my test-knit for Kirsten's Starlight, Starbright pattern in Knitpicks Palette. I had several ditzy moments in the beginning and learned about Norwegian knitting before I got the pattern to work correctly for me, but now it's smooth sailing. I've never done steeks before, either, so this pattern is a real learning experience for me.

My September sweater is not only finished, but I've even worn it several times. I am hoping to get Bill and the camera outside today for some photos. Darn these shorter days! Hope you all have a great week, with lots of leftover turkey sandwiches.

FO: Seamless Kimono and Flower Clip

2009-11-03T12:19:00.004-05:00

I went back to work yesterday, so maternity leave is officially over. But, I'm only back at reduced hours, so I still have some quality time with little E a few days a week. Knitting has been moving along at a nice pace. Here's a little faux-wrap sweater that fits now and hopefully will get us through winter:

Pattern: Seamless Kimono Sweater [Raveled Here]
Yarn: Joann Sensations Tesoro, 2.5 skeins
This yarn was a clearance buy for $2.37/skein a few years ago. After blocking with a little Woolite, it softened very nicely. I used some leftover yellow Knitpicks Swish for the i-cord and flowers.

I cast on fewer stitches since my gauge was larger than the pattern and adjusted the raglan shaping accordingly. I also used a lace edging instead of garter stitch, just in case it wasn't girly enough.

I also made this little pacifier clip for the car seat, and it only took about a day. Not too much sewing on this one.

Pattern: Flower Clip, in Itty Bitty Nursery [Raveled Here]
Yarn: All leftovers of Rowan Handknit Cotton in Sugar for the petals and Valley Yarns Longmeadow in Lettuce and Mango for the edging and stem.

My September sweater is nearly finished - I just need to knit the button bands and get some buttons. I'm really excited about this one, folks! And, I've been asked to test knit one of Skandi's soon to be released patterns, Starlight, Starbright. I am using some stash yarn for this and will post some deets on it next time. It's an adorable little fair-isle baby sweater great for a boy or girl.

FO Parade!

2009-10-14T17:29:00.014-04:00

I promised I have been knitting during my maternity leave and am finally delivering the proof. Let's not waste time; here are the goods. First up:

Pattern: Cloud Bolero by Ysolda, [Raveled Here]
Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic in color 3214, 5 skeins

Mods: Cast on 74 sts and worked raglan increases for the medium size. Made the sleeves longer and body longer. Added a garter stitch button band as I went along. I like how this came out. Perfect for these cooler days. The big buttons (found at Joann's) cause the button bands to gape a little in the front, but it adds interest, I guess. Overall, a success!

Next up:

Pattern: Baby Sweater on Two Needles, [Raveled Here]
Yarn: Rowan Handknit Cotton, 2 1/2 skeins

I've made this pattern twice before, once with the same exact yarn. You can't go wrong with this tried and true pattern. It's a little big on Ellie now but she'll grow into it quickly, I'm sure.

Pattern: Berry Baby Hat, [Raveled Here]
Yarn: Di Ve Zenith, less than a skein of orange and green.

I made this an October-themed hat for Halloween. Totally cute! I only wish the change over to the green "stem" was further down closer to the ears. It's a pretty skimpy looking stem, in my opinion.

Pattern: Pea Pod Baby Sweater, [Raveled Here]
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Merino DK in teal
You've seen this one before, but now that it has buttons, it's WAY cuter. It's too big on Ellie for a modeled shot right now.

Lastly, I had to show you all this.

This is a sweater, hat and booties knit by my grandmother for my mother. So that makes it over 60 years old. The gauge on this is ridiculously small - about 9 sts to 1 inch. My mom found a box of these vintage hand knits and I plan to share more of them with you as I go through them and as Miss E fits into them.

September sweater progress

2009-09-28T11:00:00.004-04:00

Thank you all for the wonderful comments about my daughter! I can't believe 6 weeks have gone by and that I only have 5 weeks of maternity leave left. Where does the time go? Well, despite my absence from blogging, I have been finding more time to knit than I thought I would. Here's some proof:

This is the September sweater by eyeloveit. There isn't a formal pattern for this project, but instead guidelines for its construction and the cable patterns. It's worked from one wrist to the other, increasing and decreasing stitches along the way to create the yoke. It's required some math to figure out my gauge and whatnot, but it was actually pretty easy. I'm working on the right sleeve now. Once the top part is done, I'll pick up stitches around the bust and work straight down to the bottom. Then buttonbands and a collar are worked last. I've never constructed a sweater like this before and am enjoying something different. I'm using Jaeger Extrafine Merino DK, which is now discontinued, and it's a lovely, soft yarn. I can't wait until this one is finished!

I've also been queing up LOTS of baby girl patterns. I've started a February Baby Sweater, which is almost complete, and plan to make a matching hat. And, I've got two FO's done and waiting for pictures, so stay tuned for those next! In the meantime, here's some cuteness to keep you entertained.

It's a girl!!

2009-08-17T14:24:00.004-04:00

After an amazingly (but frighteningly!) quick 8 1/2 hours of labor, including a middle of the night race to the hospital, Baby E was born on Friday, August 14th at 11:57 am. She weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long.

We are all home now and adjusting to our new lives. The first (OK, well maybe not the first) step is to figure out how to nurse and knit at the same time. Now I can get to all of the girly projects I had queued up!!

Thanks to all for your words of encouragement before her arrival and tricks to induce labor. Not sure what worked (I had my mom's homemade Polish Golumpki the night before) but she's here now :-)

FO: Trellis

2009-08-04T12:16:00.007-04:00

One week to go! Well, at least until my due date, but who knows when baby will really come out. In the meantime, I've been crafting.

Pattern: Trellis, Knitty Spring 2005
Yarn: Di Ve Zenith in dark brown, 2.5 balls from stash

Mods: I knit this pretty much according to the instructions. Back and fronts were knit separately, and then I joined the shoulders using a 3-needle bind off. Then, instead of knitting the sleeves separately, I picked up stitches evenly across the armhole opening and worked the sleeve from the top down. The cable pattern looks the same upside down as right side up, so this worked well. For baby knits, I will probably use this technique again. I did have to sew the side and sleeve seams. For the collar, I used short rows instead, which didn't produce the rolled collar that I hoped it would - I should have done more short rows - but it turned out just fine. I think baby might outgrow this before he/she gets to wear it anyway!

Last week on Etsy I saw some really cute wipes cases that had been covered and embellished with fabrics. I was tempted to buy a couple to match my Amy Butler Diaper Bag and Birdie Sling, but I decided to try to make them myself with my leftover fabric.

I picked up pink and blue plastic wipes case from Babies R Us for $2.49 a piece and cut out some leftover batting and fabric pieces to size (photos above are the top, and photo below is the bottom), plus a little extra to wrap around. I then picked up some trim on clearance from Joann's for $0.99/yard. I bought 2 yards for each case.

I pulled out the hot glue gun and attached the batting to the top and bottom, then cut it even with the edges. Then I glued the fabric to one side and pulled tight and glued to the other side. The short sides were glued similarly, and the corners were wrapped like you were wrapping a gift box. No need to worry about frayed edges - that's what the trim is for. Then I glued the trim all the way around to hide the edges and give it the finished look. Not bad for about $5 in supplies each and 30 minutes of sitting on the couch with a glue gun! These would be a fun addition to any baby shower gift.

Now that I'm 39 weeks, I'm ready for baby to come out. Anyone have suggestions for getting labor going? I haven't tried anything yet . . .

Baby Countdown: 2 weeks!

2009-07-28T14:41:00.010-04:00

My due date is 2 weeks from today, and I've told the baby that whenever he/she is ready, so am I! But while we wait, I am crafting as much as I can. I've been making progress a long-sleeved version of the Cloud Bolero.

I'm using some stashed Tahki Cotton Classic. I've run out of yarn on the sleeves, so thanks to the miracle of Ravelry, I was able to find someone (thanks Moirae) with another skein in the same color and dyelot. I now should have enough to finish with elbow or 3/4 length sleeves. Phew!

I also bought some Kidsilk Haze from Joan on Ravelry and have started a pattern I've had queued for a while: Allure. This is a pattern in Kim Hargreaves' book Amber. There are some really lovely patterns in the book, so for me it was worth the money. I've just started it, but it's moving pretty quickly on size 6 needles, and the lace pattern is easy to memorize.

My co-workers threw a shower for me at work last week. There are 2 gals in the office whom I taught to knit a few years ago. In addition to them, there are 3 other gals who either knit or crochet. Well, the 5 of them got together and surprised me with this:

That's me on the left, if you couldn't tell!

3 of the 5 gals who put this together for me (if you click on the photo, you can really see the details and stitch patterns)

I was so touched that they would take the time to do this. They each knit or crocheted 4 squares and then got together to sew them. One of them took the blanket and crocheted the border and added the fringe.

Another co-worker made me this adorable fleece blanket. I've seen this no-sew pattern before, but never tried it. It's two large pieces of fleece layered on top of each other with little cuts made all the way around the edges, and then the pieces are tied together. It is so soft!

But, my friends, the craftiness of my co-workers didn't stop there. Another group of gals pitched in a bought the supplies for 2 of them to make this amazing diaper cake.
It was full of diapers, onesies, bodysuits, receiving blankets, a teething ring, pacifiers, bottles, a stuffed monkey (who's wearing a little pair of shoes) and two rubber duckies. It was such a great gift and something I would definitely try to put together for another friend as a shower gift.

The Interweave Fall Preview is up! I know it's still July, but is anyone else thinking of fall projects to start?

Baby countdown: 5 weeks to go!

2009-07-06T20:07:00.008-04:00

With just 5 weeks left until baby's expected arrival, I am trying to keep my crafting goals realistic. I started Trellis on July 4 in some stashed di Ve Zenith in a chocolate brown. The last gender-neutral project! I've finished the back already, so this looks to be a quick little project. I've knit one before and the cable pattern is coming back to me.

We also (nearly) finished up the nursery this weekend! Here are some photos:

Wall colors are Crystal Aqua and Betsy's Linen, both by Valspar. We put up the chair rail ourselves, which was easier than I expected. Crib ordered online at Amazon (which always seems to win the online-price wars), chair we've had for several years, nightstand was painted and refinished - it was part of my mother's childhood bedroom set. Dinosaur prints were a find at Home Goods for $14.99 a piece!

Changing area: dresser from Ikea, outfitted with removable changing pad. Prints are by Yuko Lau, found unexpectedly at Target.

One of the wall shelves we put up: Peter Rabbit was a gift from a good friend, and the little antique plate was a shower gift from another good friend. Now, all we need is the baby!

Little Baby Knits!

2009-06-19T14:14:00.006-04:00

I've finished up two sweaters for baby (who is due to arrive in about 8 weeks!).

Pattern: Sheep Yoke Baby Cardigan [Ravelry]
Yarn: I used up stash yarn: Debbie Bliss Wool/Cotton (2 skeins), di Ve Zenith in St. David's Blue (< 1 ball), Valley Yarns Superwash in Green #600 (< 1 ball).

This little sweater came out very nice, though I probably would have gotten better results if I had used yarns in the same gauge. The Superwash is a little heavier than the Wool/Cotton, so the yoke section seems to gather a bit, but once there's baby spit up on it, it won't matter anyway!

Pattern: Debbie Bliss Duffle Coat [Ravelry]
Yarn: Valley Yarns Williamstown, 4.5 skeins

I made several mods to this sweater: Used seed stitch instead of garter, kept stitches for the back and fronts on holders instead of binding off, used these stitches to knit the hood. It came out pretty nice, though it looks a little big, but we'll see how it turns out once baby is here (and bigger) to model it.

At this point, I'm a little tired of the gender-neutral knits. I'm still happy that we don't know if I've got a boy or girl swimming around in my belly, but I think I'll be more motivated to do kid knits once I can pick something really girly or really boyish.

With that, I decided to start something for moi! I've seen some really nice finished Liesls around lately and decided to pull out the Cloud Bolero pattern I made last summer and do a longer-sleeved version.

I'm using some stashed Tahki Cotton Classic and am putting buttons all the way down.

My friend Jen (who taught me how to knit) gave me these little guys as a gift. They are crocheted and boy are they cute! I love the look of the little hand-made toys.

And, lastly, I thought I would share some nice fall sweaters I saw in the recent WEBS catalog. I've never knit their patterns, so I can't say how well they are written, but for $1.99 each, that's a pretty good deal. I loved the Buttoned Raglan and the Lace Coat.

Birdie Sling! 30 Weeks!

2009-06-03T15:50:00.004-04:00

I finished the Amy Butler Birdie Sling!

I used prints from Amy's Midwest Modern line: Fuschia Fresh Poppies, Fuschia Martini and Ivory Floating Buds. A lot of people who have made this bag have commented on how large it is. I was afraid I was going to get something like a weekend travel bag, but this bag is perfect for work. It does hold my laptop - but makes it pretty heavy - so I usually just put my usual stuff (wallet, phone, keys, lunch, 2 pouches with computer accessories and pens/make-up, etc). The inside pockets are great for keeping stuff organized.

I love the pleats!

The pattern was not difficult to make, compared to other bags I've made. I did make one small adjustment: I made the strap less wide. When cut as specified, the strap is pretty wide and didn't sit in the "nook" of my shoulder just so. Making it a little thinner overall made this better. I also used less interfacing on the strap but doubled up the interfacing on the exterior panels.

I needed something girly in the midst of all my baby-gender-neutral projects! The photos above also show a sneak peak at the nursery, which is completed except for accessories, curtains, etc.

Since last post's baby bump photo wasn't so great, I thought I'd share a better one. I've hit 30 weeks - just 10 to go! I am hoping for a less-humid-than-usual summer here in the mid-Atlantic :)

FO: Amy Butler Crib Quilt

2009-05-19T17:07:00.003-04:00

I finished the crib quilt (my first adventure in quilting!)

Pattern: Patchwork Crib Quilt from Amy Butler's Little Stitches
Fabric: Mostly prints from Amy's Midwest Modern line; some coordinating quilting fabrics from Joann's for the back, binding and yellow print in the quilt pattern.

I'm really happy with how this turned out. I definitely learned a lot while working on this. Little things like: beware of bunching on the underside while quilting, be careful when machine stitching the edging on the binding, stitching in the ditch doesn't really mean *in* the seam, but really right next to it, etc.

On the nursery front, we've selected our colors and hope to get to painting this weekend (don't worry, I won't actually be painting or in the room while it's wet and smelly). Upcoming sewing projects include curtains (once I select fabric), 2 maternity skirts, a nursing cover and the Amy Butler Birdie Sling.

I've been really bad about taking photos of my growing belly, but at 28 weeks, we finally managed to snap a few. I plan to make the photo-taking a weekly event, so stay tuned for more photos as I get bigger and bigger!

FO: Amy Butler Everything Bag & Elijah

2009-04-21T13:02:00.007-04:00

Hello! I know my blogging is spacing further apart, but I am crafting. Here's proof:

Pattern: Amy Butler Everything Bag from Little Stitches
Fabric: Morning Glory from her Lotus Line
I also made the changing pad from Little Stitches to go with the bag. I think I plan on using this as a diaper bag, though it doesn't have any waterproof linings. I guess that's what zip locks are for?

All in all, this pattern wasn't too bad. The cutting and interfacing attachment took the longest. The actual sewing part was (partly) a breeze. I had a tricky time attaching the lining bottom to the divider panel, and I re-did the top stitching a few times, but all in all, it was worth taking my time on this one. I'd say I spent 15 hours or so putting this together.
Mods: I made the straps a little longer and spaced them further apart than the pattern says. I tried it on a few times while pinned to make sure it sat over my shoulder the way I wanted. Also, there is a HUGE error in the interfacing instructions. I contacted someone at Amy Butler and they confirmed the error and said they would send me two free patterns for pointing it out. Whoo hoo! (Well, I should say that was over a month ago and I still don't have my free patterns . . . )

Here's a full view of the changing pad.

I also finished Elijah, my first baby knit.

I didn't love knitting with the double pointed needles, but the construction of this little guy was so brilliant. I feel like all knitted toys should be made this way!

I've also almost finished my version of the Pea Pod Baby Sweater. The pattern is no longer available online, so I used a free top-down sweater generator (there are several available on Ravelry) to make the basic shape and pulled out my copy of Rusted Root for the lace pattern (I think they're the same, or they at least look it!). I used some old Debbie Bliss Merino DK in a color that I hope suits either a boy or girl - we don't know what we're having. I think I'll pick out buttons after the little one arrives in August.

Other plans now include finishing Lush & Lacy and starting a few other baby items. I've also started a crib quilt, which I hope to get assembled soon so we can use it to help pick out a paint color for the nursery. I'm at 24 weeks now - only 16 to go!

Coming Clean

2009-03-10T12:28:00.009-04:00

Some of you may have noticed my diminished productivity over the past few months. No big winter sweaters or other knitting projects. I'm finally coming clean! I actually started a new WIP back in November and it got the best of me for a while.

This is from early February at 13 weeks. I am now almost 18 weeks and due in August! Bill and I are thrilled. It's been a great journey so far. From December through most of January, I barely knit a stitch. I was unmotivated and just exhausted most nights after work. My energy has been back for about a month and I've been working on some new things.

With the spring weather teases, I've put all winter projects into hibernation and started my likely last me-sized sweater for a while: Lush & Lacy. I loved how Veronique's version looked on her adorable preggo body and thought it would be a great little sweater for spring around here. I am using some Ella Rae Silkience from my stash.

I've finished the back and done a few inches of the left front. My goal is to finish this by Easter.

I've also started my first baby project: Elijah. I got the yarn for this pattern a long time ago, knowing that I would knit one for someone's baby eventually. I'm using Di Ve Zenith, which is a soft, washable yarn.

Elijah still needs another arm, leg and a pair of ears, but he's pretty cute already!

I've also started some baby-related sewing projects. Springtime always gets me into sewing mode with all the fresh, happy fabrics. I bought a copy of Amy Butler's Little Stitches and have decided to make two projects to start.

The "Everything Bag", which I plan to use as a diaper bag/carryall. I'm using her Morning Glory print from the Lotus line for the exterior.

Here's my progress so far. I've completed one inside lining piece and attached it to the inside divider.

The other project I plan to make is this little crib quilt. I have a mix of Amy Butler prints and a few prints from Joann's. We don't plan on finding out the baby's sex, but these colors are my inspiration for the nursery (I've read babies sleep better in blue or green rooms). Happy almost-Springtime!

Charity Knitting

2009-02-19T10:06:00.006-05:00

Thanks for all the nice comments about the Ribbon Trim Cardigan and the welcome back wishes. It's nice to be blogging regularly again!

I realized in the 5 or 6 years that I have been knitting that I have never knit anything for charity. When a co-worker asked me to knit some stuff for her to sell to raise money for her breast cancer walk in May, I thought it would be a good time to make something for a good cause. So far I have completed two cute little projects.

Pattern: I didn't follow a specific pattern, but it is loosely based on the schematic and decrease instructions from Kim's Hats in Last Minute Knitted Gifts.
Yarn: Leftovers (whoo hoo) of Knit Picks Swish Worsted.

Pattern: iPod cozy [Ravelry Link] [Web Link]
Yarn: Leftovers (whoo hoo again!) of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Fern and Winter Night.
Mods: None - I used size 10 needles and knit this as written. Tossed in with Bill's laundry and it felted very nicely. It fits an iPhone perfectly to size.

What else is in the WIP pile? I started Wicked recently but have not worked on it much. I also started Henley Perfected and am of couse following Jatta's modifications and making it into a cardigan. I am about 2/3 of the way through the back. My only gripe so far is that the folded hem is really curling a lot. Hope blocking solves this.

That's all I've got for now, but I hope to finish up some more litle projects in the WIP pile soon.

I'm still here!

2009-02-02T12:11:00.006-05:00

Hello out there! Apologies for my recent disappearance. The holidays were busy, I was sick and then the January workload set in. Anywho, you're all here for knitting, right?

Before the holidays, I finished up a pair of mittens for my friend Jen.

Pattern: Druid Mittens, Vogue Knitting Fall 2008
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine, less than 1 skein

Here was Jen's reaction when she opened her gift.

I think she liked them! She's a knitter, too, and appreciated the work (and love) that went into making them.

I also knit up some Baltimore Ravens hats for my brother and my dad. I didn't really follow a pattern; I just measured their heads and used that and my gauge to figure out how many stitches to cast on. I found cool iron-on patches on eBay and just pressed them on the finished hats. I used about 1 1/2 balls of Valley Yarns Superwash in black for each hat.

And, last but not least, I finally finished my Ribbon Trim Cardigan.

Pattern: Ribbon Trim Cardigan, for Blue Sky Alpacas.
Yarn: Blue Sky Melange, in Relish. About 13 1/2 skeins.

The actual knitting part of this was finished in early December, but I had a hard time picking out a ribbon that I liked. I ended up going with a pattern called Flora Earth by Patty Young. I then matched it up with a lace ribbon from Joann's for the edging. The sewing on of the ribbon was tedious, but worth the effort. With all the cold temps we've had this winter, getting outside on a sunny day has been a challenge, too!

I really love this sweater. It's really cozy, and the alpaca is stretchy for comfort, but retains its shape. I would definitely use this yarn again. Besides the ribbon, the snap band was time consuming and tricky, but I am really happy with how that came out, too.

I have started some new projects, and will get some photos and share those with all of you soon. A lot of spring patterns are out, which is giving me major spring fever. I don't know about you, but I'm hoping the Ol' Groundhog got it wrong today!

Holiday knitting!

2008-12-16T11:38:00.006-05:00

Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on Gavyn. I hope that it works out for anyone who knits it!

It's December, 9 days until Christmas, in fact, and my holiday gift knitting is about 60% done. But, before December even got here, I finished my Christmas stockings for me and Bill.

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes and Bare Worsted. Colors: Fern, Evergreen, Winter Night. I bought 2 skeins of each Wool of the Andes and ended up using about 1 1/2 of each for the two stockings. I also used some leftover Classic AL in Aged Wine.

Pattern: Cascade Christmas Stocking [Ravelry] [Web Link]

Mods: I ended up knitting the heel with the decreases every round instead of every other round. Otherwise, it was too big and floppy. I also went back at the end, snipped a stitch and ripped out the top. I decided that knitting our names into the top would make the nicest looking finished result. I searched on Ravelry for a free letter chart and found this. I modified it a little to accommodate the size of my stockings, and I think it turned out great, if I do say so! I also did a ribbed edge at the top instead of a rolled one.

I also have done a little Christmas shopping for, eh, . . . myself. The latest issue of Interweave Knits featured a page on some lovely knitting accessories. I bought these:

4" x 4" and 1" x 1" gauge squares by KaratStix. They arrived in a lovely package and are just darling. They definitely beat my crappy tape measure I've been using!

Knit Klips [Website] With all the sweaters I knit and sew together, I thought these would be a great. I've already used them to seam together my Ribbon Trim Cardigan, and I didn't have to rip out the seam because of mismatched edges.

Hope you all are having a stress-free December. I got my Christmas cards done, and holiday baking is next. Anyone have a good recipe for oatmeal cookies? Happy Holidays!

Gavyn

2008-12-04T18:30:00.003-05:00

Over the summer, I spent some time on Ravelry looking for a pattern for a one-year old boy. I didn't want anything cabled or fancy, and since I hadn't learned fair isle yet, I didn't want any of that. Oh yeah, and it had to free. There are TONS of patterns on Ravelry, but I had a hard time finding something with interest. Some of the great kid patterns like Trellis were too interesting and others like the Placket Neck Sweater were not interesting enough.

So....what to do, but make it up myself! I knit Beau for Bill before by winging the pattern, so I figured I'd just do the same thing, but shrink it down to kiddo size. The result: my first actually-written-up pattern, Gavyn, named after its recipient.

Pattern: Available on Ravelry as a free PDF download [HERE]. If you are not on Ravelry, please email me at fpknits at yahoo dot com and I will send it to you.

Sizes: 0-6 m, 6-12 m, 1-2 y, 2-4 y, 4-6 y

Yarn: During my journey to WEBS this summer, I picked up some Valley Yarns Superwash in Hunter Green (color 600). Since it's a kid sweater, it's gotta be washable. Pictured is the 1-2 year size and I used just over 3 balls of yarn.

Disclaimers: I did not test knit every size. I calculated the stitches based on the pattern (stripes and squares) and gauge. I did consult other kid patterns to see what the width, length, armhole opening, etc. should be. If you knit it, please let me know how it works out.

In my next post, I have lots of goodies to show you: new books, yarn and knitting accessories and some Christmas knits, too. Hope everyone is getting in the holiday spirit!

And then there were eight

2008-11-11T12:52:00.006-05:00

This is a knitting first for me: I have EIGHT projects on the needles right now. Here are the 4 I cast on for in the past week.

Top Left: With all of the neckwarmers and cowls floating around Ravelry, I have to join in the trend. This is based on the Cashmere Neckwarmer, but I am knitting it with the stitch from the Herringbone Neckwarmer.
Top Right: My Christmas stocking! Bill's is finished, except for the loop for hanging and I need to add his name. Any suggestions on how the heck to do this? I tried embroidering it on, but it looked like crap.
Bottom Left: The popular Green Autumn mittens by Jared at brooklyntweed. I know I swore off Vogue patterns, but hey, it's Jared! It's the first pattern of his that I've knit, but his patterns seem to be generally well received by other knitters. These are for my good friend Jen who will experience her first Wisconsin winter this year.
Bottom Right: Cream gloves, to match my Irish Hiking Scarf. I started these on election night (but got distracted by all the excitement, and champagne...)

As if those aren't enough, I am working on a baby sweater for my friend's baby's first birthday. This is an "original" pattern. Once I get it done, I will give you more deets.

The other three WIPs are my Ribbon Trim Cardi, the Seamless Hybrid and Bill's stocking, which are progressing nicely. I also plan to make hats for my dad and brother for Christmas, so who knows, I may have TEN projects on the needles next time I check in.

FO: Grannie Smith Cardi

2008-10-27T13:11:00.012-04:00

Slowly but surely was the name of the game in getting the Grannie Smith Cardi done. Technically, this WIP had been in the works since summer 2006, so over 2 years later, I'm glad it's done!

Pattern: Grannie Smith Cardigan, by Melissa Wehrle [Ravelry] [Web Link]
Yarn: 10 balls (with not an inch to spare) Elann Baby Silk in Cedar

Modifications: I wanted long sleeves on this, so I cast on fewer stitches and worked even increases up to the sleeve cap.

Verdict: The sleeves came out a little short after blocking, and I ended up knitting one of the sleeves twice, but I really love this little sweater. It's light and airy and not your typical handknit. I also realized that the trick (for me) to this pattern was to learn how to read my knitting. I started this project initially in Kid Silk Haze and ended up frogging it because I couldn't get the pattern right. After working some easier lace patterns (like the Leafy Lacy Cardi), I learned how to tell what to do on the next row by what my knitting looked like on the row below.

Since I finished this a few weeks ago, I've been working on the Ribbon Trim Cardigan, my exciting fall project. I've got the back and 1/2 of one sleeve complete.

I also bought 2 different ribbons. Not sure which I like better. The green lacy one is pretty and would result in a monochromatic look. The other ribbon is textured and detailed and I would probably put a cream lace ribbon underneath of it the way they do in the pattern photo.

Decisions, decisions!

Fair Isle: Check!

2008-10-08T13:43:00.007-04:00

When I made my knitting-new-year's resolutions in January 2007, learning fair isle was on it. Almost 2 years later, I can finally check that one off my list. Better late than never, right?

I started this last week and seriously sat down with two colors in hand on Friday night. After some groaning and You-Tubing I finally found a method that works for me. I am a continental knitter and wanted to try holding both colors in my left hand. No dice. The yarn got tangled (hence the groaning, and some screaming). I settled for knitting the main/background color continental-style and the foreground color in my right hand using the English method. It became quite addicting, and actually since I took this photo, I have almost finished the stocking.
Deets: It's the Cascade Christmas Stocking pattern (FREE), and I love it. It's kind of a choose your own adventure.

I also finished My So-Called Scarf.

Pattern: My So-Called Scarf [Ravelry] [Web Link]
Yarn: 2 skeins of Manos Del Uruguay in Wildflowers (color 113). I didn't alternate skeins while knitting, and although they are slightly different, you can't really tell when it's worn. The colors are fun and I really liked the stitch pattern.
Mods: I just slipped the first and last stitch of each RS row to keep the edges neat.

Since I last blogged, I was given two awards. Claudia graciously gave this ol' blog a blue ribbon:

And Angie gave me a Brilliante Web blog award:

Thank you! You both made my day.

FO: Red Lace Top, Christmas Stocking

2008-09-19T10:50:00.004-04:00

A summer top and a Christmas stocking finished together? Yep, that's right. It's almost the last official day of summer, so what better time to debut the Red Lace Top, which was actually finished weeks ago.

Pattern: The contruction of this top was pretty simple. Susan was kind enough to send me a copy of the lace chart, and I basically knit up a gauge swatch, figured out how big I wanted it to be and calculated how many stitches to cast on. I knit 2 rectangles (no arm shaping) until it was the desired length. Then I joined together about 17 sts on each shoulder side using a 3-needle bind off. The stitches in the middle I put on a 16" circular and knit 1 round of 1x1 rib and the bound off. I sewed the sides seams and then picked up stitches around the armhole with a 16" circular and knit 2x2 rib for about 6 rounds. Made an i-cord, and that was it!

Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport in Cherry, about 6 skeins.
Verdict: Pretty good. I wish I had 1" more of ease (I thought this sucker would stretch, but nope). This was a fun knit and could easily be adapted into any stitch pattern.

I also finished my first official piece of knitted footwear that's not intended to be worn.

Pattern: Striped Christmas Stocking from Holiday Knits
Yarn: Leftovers of Elsebeth Classic AL in red and white, di Ve Zenith in green.

It was fun to make a giant sock and learn the basic construction of footwear. Regular readers will know that this is my first piece of knitted footwear!! I think this one is going to be the doggies' stocking. I have had "Learn Colorwork Dammit" on my to-knit list for a very long time, so I plan to attempt to make some more interesting stockings for me and Bill. I found a great free pattern on Ravelry and have ordered some cheapo yarn in different holiday colors. I haven't cast on yet but plan to soon. First I have to learn how to do colorwork. Right!

In other WIP news, I am nearly done the 2-year in progress Grannie Smith Cardigan and a My So-Called Scarf, just in time for chilly weather. Enjoy the weekend!

Maine Trip Report

2008-08-30T14:09:00.009-04:00

The state motto of Maine is "The way life should be" and after visiting, I can see why. We started our trip in Bar Harbor, which is located on Mt. Desert Island. The primary attraction here is Acadia National Park, which for me was the highlight of the trip (besides WEBS, duh).
On our first day in Bar Harbor, it rained. We spent most of the day relaxing and wandering around town, and around 4PM the rained started to clear. We strolled along the shore path in downtown Bar Harbor.

That night we went up to the top of Cadillac Mountain to see the sunset. It was beautiful but very chilly!

Attempting the self-portrait.

Sunset atop the mountain.

The next day we spent in Acadia. It was truly stunning...the blue waters, green trees and rocks made for many great pictures.

One of many lookout spots. We got better at taking pictures of ourselves as the trip went on.

Sand beach within the park. The water was quite cold!

We took a slight detour out of the park and explored Seal Harbor.

We then went back into the park and walked the trail around Jordan Pond.

After leaving Bar Harbor, we spent 3 more relaxing days in Camden. The highlights of Camden were some off the beaten path lobster pounds we found. I think I ate lobster at least once a day for the entire trip. Yum!

Hello. I am your dinner.

It was a wonderful week and we had beautiful weather. This weekend I'm getting ready to head back to work, knitting and visiting with family. Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend as well.

Summer Vacay in Maine: Yarn

2008-08-27T15:53:00.006-04:00

Bill and I just returned last night from our trip to Maine. We had a wonderful time! I will post some pictures and show you what we did in my next post, but I couldn't wait to fill you in with the yarn-related parts of our trip. I did only visit 2 stores while away, but they were goodies.

First was Heavenly Socks in Belfast, Maine.

It was an unexpected but cute little store that we happened to park in front of. We chatted with the owner and learned a lot about the area and I walked away with 2 skeins of Manos del Uruguay 100% wool. The colors are beautiful and I have a My So-Called Scarf in mind.

We spent the last 2 nights of vacation in Boston with a friend and although it was about an hour of of the way, Bill happily agreed to hit WEBS on the way back to Baltimore.

Aacck! I'm at WEBS!!!

I had in mind what I wanted to get, and luckily they had everything in stock! I got me some Rowan Felted Tweed (no project in mind yet) and 14 beautiful, soft skeins of Blue Sky Melange for the Ribbon Trimmed Cardigan.

The store is amazing and everything you'd expect it to be. It looks like a regular yarn store at first but then there is this entrance in the back to a huge warehouse with aisles and aisles and boxes and stacks and rows of yarn. They must also hide more yarn in another back section because an employee had to dig out the 14 skeins of Melange for me from the back (don't always believe their web site inventories, I suppose. It said they only had 11 and she said they had 30).

We had a wonderful time and I have spent today doing laundry, grocery shopping and re-organizing my yarn stash - and winding the Manos and Blue Sky....can't wait to dive into the fall knits. I did make a good dent in my WIPs while away and will update you on all that soon. But next in a day or so is a post on our trip itself - we saw some beautiful sites and ate lots of lobster!

FO: Clover Lace Cardigan

2008-08-11T11:22:00.004-04:00

Here is my finished Clover Lace Cardigan:

Pattern: My own, heavily adapted from the Leafy Lace Cardi. I posted all of the details about how I made this on my Ravelry page.
Yarn: 7 1/2 balls of Rowan Cotton Glace in Candy Floss. 8 buttons and ribbon from Joann's.
Comments: I created this pattern assuming that my gauge would be relatively similar to the gauge I got for the Leafy Lace Cardi. Wrong! After starting the clover lace pattern, my gauge was much looser, so I ended up incorporating a lot of decreases for waist shaping. The change in gauge between ribbing and lace causes a slight "poof" effect at the waist, which is why I am not sure whether I prefer this cardigan with the ribbon at the waist or not.

The above photo and these are with the ribbon:

And here we are without the ribbon:

I feel that I can pull the sweater down for a leaner look without the ribbon, but I really do like the effect the ribbon gives at the waist. Comments? Preferences? I have blocked it but am thinking that I could block the ribbing out even more to help alleviate the poof factor at the waist. As I look at these photos, the poof factor doesn't seem that bad anymore, actually.

Anyway, this was a fun knit, but I am really anxious to get back to wools. The Red Lace Top is almost finished - my last cotton project! I chose not to formally compete in the Ravelympics this year because we are leaving for vacation this weekend and I didn't want to feel compelled to knit too much. If I had competed, I would probably have entered the WIP Wrestling, as I plan to dig up two projects that have been hibernating for quite a while and take only those with me on vacation.

We are going to Maine, by the way. Staying in Bar Harbor and Camden. Suggestions from anyone who's been there on what to see/where to eat? We plan to hike through Acadia while in Bar Harbor but have no other concrete plans.

This week in my knitting world

2008-08-02T18:47:00.007-04:00

Happy Saturday! Thanks for all the nice comments on Orangina. Although the lace projects around here have been turning out well, I am getting close to needing a hiatus from lace patterns. I'm ready for some wool and cables....
But, before I can dive into fall knitting, here's what's going on in my knitting world.

The knitting for the Clover Lace Cardi is completed finished - yay! Now I just need to finish seaming. I actually don't mind this part at all and like how it's coming out so far. I hope to have this in the FO category this week.

I told you all last time that I started knitting Christmas stockings. I am using the striped Christmas stockings pattern from Holiday Knits. You may have noticed that I have never knit socks before and this is my first official piece of footwear. Wish me luck! I read through the pattern and it seems pretty straightforward. I am using leftovers from some sweaters of the past to make this, so it's a great stashbuster.

The last summer knit I have in the WIP category is the Red Lace Top. I haven't really given this much attention at all and would like to finish it this month. September is still warm and will allow me to wear it, but I am a little tired of cotton and lace right now.

Last week I did something I thought I would never do. I joined Facebook. I only did this to play the games on there with Bill (we are addicted to WordTwist), but I've found it less of a popularity contest than I thought it would be. I actually caught up with some old friends from college that I haven't talked to in a long time. But, Facebook also made me apprectate Ravelry even more and what a lovely, friendly, helpful and small (relative to Facebook) community of knitters we are.

FO: Orangina

2008-07-23T12:42:00.003-04:00

Pattern: Orangina, by Stefanie Japel.
Yarn: Elann Lara in black, 5 skeins.
Modifications: None. I knit this exactly as written for the XS size. I added maybe an inch or so to the overall length.

Strange occurrences: My gauge really changed while knitting this. For the first piece, I was worried that it was going to be too small. I blocked it out while it was on a holder and it seemed OK. Then as I was knitting the second piece, it was turning out 2" wider than the first! What?? It was either a) the yarn, b) my gauge relaxed as I progressed, or c) both. In the end, it turned out OK because I blocked the second piece to match the first. Now they are only 1/2" different and it's not noticeable.

Verdict: I'm really enjoying wearing this sweater. It's much dressier than anything else I've knit and it goes with a lot. I had to buy a stick of that clear gel deodorant though, because the regular stuff really does show - yuck!

Silly face!

I've washed this in the machine and it held up really well and actually cleaned it up a bit. The yarn was leaving black fuzzies on my camisole underneath, but the washing helped with that.
In other knitting news, I am one sleeve away from finishing the Clover Lace cardi, and I started a pair of Christmas stockings. Yup, that's right. Christmas stockings. Last year, the holiday arrived so fast I didn't have time to think about knitting Christmas things. This year I'd like to have our stockings finished and hanging by the fireplace by December. I'll show you all that stuff next time.

Thong, thong, thong, ....

2008-07-11T10:00:00.007-04:00

This post is reminding me of that silly "Thong Song" that was so popular about 8 years ago. I can't remember who sang it, but here's why it's in my head.

Pattern: Frecklegirl Thong, found on, where else, Ravelry.
Yarn: Less than 1 skein of Elann Lara in black. This was leftover from my now completed Orangina (sorry, I don't have pics of that just yet. It need a washing first). The ribbon I found at Joann Fabrics for $0.98/yard.
Verdict: Fun! This is for one of my best friend's bridal shower next month. I am a bridesmaid and couldn't resist the opportunity to make something small and sexy for her to open up in front of her guests. I'll probably go get her something else to go with it (no knitted bras here) in addition to her real gift (from her registry). This actually turned out nicer than I thought and has more coverage than the average thong!

Here's a shot of the back.

What the heck else have I been up to? Well, I've been working on the Clover Lace Cardigan. I've got the back, one front and 1/2 of the other front completed. I've had to rip and redo a little bit because I'm being particular about how the decreases work, but this has been a pretty quick moving pattern. I knit one entire front last Sunday while watching the 7 1/2 hour Wimbledon men's final. What a great match that was.

Believe it or not, I've been thinking a lot about fall knitting. Already? I know, I know. After seeing some wonderful FO's pop up around, I've been inspired. I'm excited to start Wicked (yes, I am the last knitter to actually make this pattern) with some stashed red tweed, and after seeing Jatta's beautiful Henley Perfected, I know what my stashed Baby Cashmerino will become. I hadn't even given this pattern a second look, but after seeing her cardiganized version, I want one!!

Anyone else thinking about fall knits yet?

FO: Cloud Bolero

2008-06-20T10:57:00.004-04:00

Coming in at just under 3 weeks, Cloud Bolero is finished.

Pattern: Cloud Bolero, by Ysolda.
Yarn: Rowan Summer Tweed, color 541 Blossom, 3 1/2 skeins.
Modifications: I knit the small size and did the extra set of increases before casting off the sleeves. I only cast on 4 sts under the armhole, which brought me up to the number of stitches required for the small. From there, I just knit until it was long enough and added buttonholes every 10 rows or so. I opted for a garter stitch border at the bottom instead of the picot bind-off. The big wood buttons are from my button stash, originally purchased at Joann's, my favorite button source.

Ta da!

Verdict: I am very pleased with the length and overall style of this. If I were to do it differently, I would do something with the big armholes. They are OK, but when I wear this, the sleeve caps tend to ride up and give the top a sleeveless look. This is OK, but not my favorite. I hated knitting with the summer tweed, but I really like the look of it. Blocking it in water helped soften it up, but I've tossed in the hamper and will give it a real wash with soap and fabric softener.

I've also started two new projects. I've been so smitten with my Leafy Lace Cardi and have worn it so much that I decided I wanted another one. I scoured the internet and found some more Cotton Glace on eBay. I'm going to knit it up in the same basic shape, but I'm using a clover lace pattern and making a few other changes.

I also swatched for this red lace top that Susan made. She was kind enough to share her pattern notes and lace chart. I'm using Shine Sport in Cherry red. More details as this project develops . . .

Sneak Peek & A Meme

2008-06-04T12:59:00.006-04:00

Thank you all for your lovely comments on the Leafy Lace Cardi. I've worn it twice so far and love it!

The knitting for the Cloud Bolero is done. It's drying right now, and all it needs are buttons sewn on and ends woven in. Here's a sneak peek:

I've also been making some progress on Orangina. I made a couple of mistakes and have had to rip out some rows, but I've got about 12" of one side done. It's slow going mainly because of the yarn. I'm using Elann Lara, and although the fabric is very nice, it's the splittiest yarn I've ever worked with.

Claudia recently tagged me to fill out this meme. It's a fun one, so if you're interested in knowing more about me, here goes.

1) What was I doing 10 years ago? I had just returned home to my parents' house after my freshman year of college. I spent the summer working at Talbots, where I had started working three years earlier in 1995. I was finally allowed to ring customers on the register, but my main job was to fold sweaters, clean up the fitting rooms, re-stock the shelves and answer phones. I learned a lot about what a mix of nice and not-so-nice shoppers are out there!

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today? Besides work-related stuff: 1) Go to the gym, 2) Go to the grocery store (may not happen), 3) Watch 2 more episodes of 'The Wire' from Netflix, 4) Upload pictures from my vacation last year to be printed out, 5) Clean my bathroom.

3) Snacks I enjoy: Little cheese square crackers from Trader Joe's, cashews, any kind of cheese, peanut butter cookies, snowballs with marshmallow from my favorite local snowball stand.

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Buy Bill a new car, pay off our house, pay off my parents' and in-laws' houses, take a few extravagant vacations, and donate a good chunk to two causes important to me: cancer research and animal welfare. I've always been a supporter of adopting pets instead of purchasing them. If you missed Oprah's eye-opening episode on puppy mills, try and catch it in a rebroadcast and see why.

5) Places I have lived: I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD; During my college years, I spent time living in Boston, MA, Villanova, PA, and London, England. I am now back in Baltimore.

6) Jobs I have had: I told you about Talbots; I also spent a summer selling Cutco knives, and another summer as a temp at Blue Cross Insurance. Once I was in graduate school, I worked as a tutor and statistical consultant before I started my "real" job as a biostatistician five years ago.

7) Bloggers I am tagging who you will enjoy getting to know better: The meme has been around for a while, so if you'd like to participate, consider yourself tagged!

FO: Leafy Lacy Cardi

2008-05-23T17:21:00.004-04:00

A nice start to the long holiday weekend - an FO!

Yarn: Rowan Cotton Glace, color 809, 8 1/2 balls. Bought on sale while on vacation in Los Angeles for $30/bag.

Pattern: Leafy Lace Cardigan by Susan.

Modifications: I made the ribbing longer and knit the body until it was 13.5" inches long. I also did the eyelet row a little differently. Instead of working the garter ridges, I just did a simple k2tog, yo row. I also made the sleeves a little bit shorter so I can wear it in the summer.

I have to say, I'm really pleased with how this turned out. Susan wrote a wonderful pattern that was easy to follow and perfect for this yarn. Lacy knits are the perfect summer knitting for me. They are tolerable in the heat and can have really nice results. So look for some more lacy knits from me this summer!

Enjoy your weekend!

MD Sheep & Wool Report

2008-05-15T14:23:00.007-04:00

I've started a new project with some Rowan Summer Tweed I picked up 50% off at Maryland Sheep & Wool. It's the Cloud Bolero, and it's knitting up very fast!

I really like the color and texture of the Summer Tweed, although it's not the easiest to knit with. It sticks to the needles a bit.

I also picked up some Cashmerino Chunky 50% off:

and some Brooks Farms Solo:

I stopped into the Brooks Farms tent on my way out of the festival, and I spotted frecklegirl Jess, aka Mama Ravelry. I felt like I was a fan approaching a celebrity, but I had to say hello and thank her for creating Ravelry. I did have my camera, but I felt like a nerd asking for a picture, so I didn't. After seeing how much fun everyone had at MDS&W, I think I'll have to participate in the Ravelry events next year. It would be fun to meet everyone!

When I bought my yarn and found my group - Bill, my knitter friend Elizabeth and her husband and kids - they could not believe I had met Jess. Of course the husbands know about Ravelry, and even they thought it was totally cool!

Besides buying yarn, I've also added to my stash in the form of frogging. I had knit a sweater a few years ago using Colinette Skye. It's great yarn and beautifully dyed, but I just never wore it. I've got close to 1000 yards here and no idea what to do with it. For now, it's just going to sit on my Ravelry trade page!

PS. Leafy Lacy is finished and fabulous! FO post coming soon.

Post #101: The Winners

2008-05-05T12:44:00.007-04:00

Thanks to all for entering my 100th post contest. It was nice to see some new names in the comments! Sorry I didn't personally respond to you all this time - there were just too many.

Here are our big winners (to whom I've already sent emails):

1000 Sweaters Book: Tanya of Turtles Lake Knitting
Rowan Treasury Book: Jackie (non-blogger)
Knitted Scarves... Book: Christy of Having a Hissyknit
Gedifra Topas: Andi of Wound Too Tight
Lion Brand Incredible: Heatherly of Yarn Yenta

I went to MD Sheep & Wool yesterday and got some goodies. I'll show you that and some knitting progress soon; there were two big set backs last week - one with the Leafy Lacy Cardi and the other with the Seamless Hybrid. The Leafy Lacy Cardi is back on track, but the Seamless Hybrid had to be completely frogged!

100th Post Contest!

2008-04-25T18:21:00.006-04:00

It's been almost 2 years since I started this ol' blog, and here I am at my 100th post. I've been doing some spring cleaning, and I have a few books and yarns that I am willing to part with.

Left to right: A Treasury of Rowan Knits, 1000 Sweaters, Knitted Shawls, Stoles and Scarves.

Gedifra Topas. This is a discontinued yarn that I started a sweater with a few summers ago. I frogged what I had used and haven't thought of using it since. I'd rather the yarn be loved by someone who will knit with it! There are about 8 balls here. Ravelry link.

Lion Brand Incredible. I got this two summers ago to make a tank top, but I used 2 balls and then frogged it. There are about 5 balls here. Ravelry link.

Instead of giving all this to one person, I think it will be fun to have 5 winners. So, if you want to enter, just leave a comment and tell me which prizes you want to be considered for. If you don't specify, I'll put your name in all 5 hats. You must comment by Friday, May 2 at 10PM EST.

Now, if you came here to see some knitting . . .

The Leafy Lacy Cardi is coming along splendidly. I am almost finished the 2nd sleeve and hope to do some seaming this weekend. I can't wait to wear this!!!

I've also been working on the Seamless Hybrid for Bill. I'm using Rowan 4ply Tweed, so this is probably going to take a very long time to knit, but it's looking very nice. I got a contrasting color for the underside of the folded hem and am almost ready to turn the hem.

Enjoy your weekend!

FO: Cape Collar Jacket

2008-04-08T11:38:00.004-04:00

This sweater was quite a saga for me, and may be the reason why I was unmotivated to knit new things in February and March. But, it's done, and here are the details.

Pattern: Cape Collar Jacket, Vogue Knitting, Winter 2007/08. Pattern #16.
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Classic AL. Aged Wine, color 05. 14 1/2 skeins.

Modifications: Too many for my liking! To spare those who aren't interested in the details, I'm posting my mods at the bottom of this post.

Verdict: Considering how much aggravation went into deciphering the pattern and figuring out all the errors, I am actually pleased with how this turned out. I'm not super crazy about the way it buttons. Because of the collar, it needs to stay buttoned for the jacket to maintain its shape, otherwise it just flops open. The collar has trouble staying put, so I might also tack it down with a few stitches. I didn't bother with the collar support, mainly because it didn't make sense to me and at that point, I was done with trying to figure out the pattern instructions.

The irony of this sweater is that it was supposed to save Vogue and make me want to renew my subscription. It expires this year, and when I received this winter issue, I realized that I hadn't even queued anything from the stack of magazines I had collected. I decided that if I didn't see anything I wanted to knit, I was going to let go of it. Then I saw this pattern and loved it. Then I started knitting it.

I'd like to think that I am relatively experienced knitter, but the way this pattern was written in many areas was just incomprehensible. I sent a note to Vogue back in early February, but haven't heard back. I've decided not to renew my subscription, not only because they have been unresponsive, but many important details the pattern needed were not printed for what looks like (to me) lack of space and/or editorial reasons. I'd rather they sell a few less ads, charge a little more and print better patterns.

Anyway, enough of that. I'm on to other knits!

I had to show this last photo. Our dog Toby seems to think that FO-photo-shot time is also play time (which it usually is). He loves his red bone and doesn't hesitate in letting us know it. You'll notice he appears in many of these photos with his beloved toy.

Expanded Modifications

Raveled here.

Back
Waistband chart begins with a RS row, but the last row worked before the waistband chart is also a RS row. I did one extra row of garter st on the WS to get back to a RS row before row 1 of the waistband chart.

Left Front
* The cable increase row as written will leave you with too few sts on the needle. I did the same cable increase row as for the back. This left me with the 75 sts called for on the needle.
* Same issue with row before beginning waistband chart. Worked extra row of garter st.
* Pattern does not say to keep the 3 sts for the button bands as you’re working the waistband chart, but I think you should do this since there is no picking up of stitches later.
* Cape collar section is written horribly. I worked a size small, so I needed to have 16 sts remaining for the shoulder after armhole shaping was done. Do to the armhole shaping, an extra 14 sts are required (these are the stitches you bind off in the armhole shaping). This leaves 30 sts needed in the body section. So, I did the collar section as written, displacing 1 sts from the body to the collar until I had 30 stitches left in the body section. Since there are 61 sts on the needle, this left 31 sts in the collar. At this point, I stopped displacing stitches and started ONLY increasing in the collar section, 1 st every 4 rows until I had 45 sts in the collar. At the same time, I began shaping the armhole when it matched the length of the back.
* To complete the collar, I worked short rows as written (though if I were to do over, I would work more), but where it says to work even for 32 rows, I only worked 2 rows. Otherwise, the collar and back neck sections would not match up in length to seam together.

Right Front
Worked same changes as for left, reversing shaping.

Sleeves
As written, these sleeves would be big enough for me to stuff both arms in them! At the end of the cable section, I did the cable decrease row to bring it back down to 49 sts. I then evenly increased up to 69 sts (I think every 8 or 10 rows). Then I worked the sleeve as written.

I did not do the collar support.
I worked the outer cable as written and had no problems with this.

Spring Fever

2008-04-02T18:20:00.014-04:00

Hi! I hope you all are still with me. I know I've been really bad about blogging lately. I do have lots to show and tell, so I should get started.

Good news - knitting mojo has returned! I've been clearing through my stash and starting lots of new projects. The only one worth showing photos of today is the Leafy Lacy Cardi, by Susan:

I'm knitting this with Cotton Glace that I picked up on sale at Black Sheep Knittery in Hollywood during my vacation out west last year. I like the pattern and it's fool-proof for me. I usually screw up lace patterns, but this is really easy to follow and is going really fast.

I also started another Orangina and Seamless Hybrid for Bill, but I won't bore you with photos here. They're on Ravelry if you're interested, but I've really just started them.

Yesterday we enjoyed the great weather with a much needed day off from work and traveled to Washington DC to see the cherry blossoms in bloom. I've lived in Baltimore my whole life (almost) and had never seen these trees in the springtime. They're beautiful!

This is near the FDR memorial.

Walking along the Tidal Basin.

We also visited the National Botanic Gardens which had a stunning orchid exhibit. I love orchids and really want to try having one of my own.

I know back in November I showed you all of the before pictures of our two upstairs bathrooms before we had them redone. Believe it or not, they have been finished since mid-January! I finally found a shower curtain and some cool prints from Ikea that I loved, so it's now really all put together.

My bathroom. Mostly neutral with splashes of green and dark browns.

Bill's bathroom - not a peach nightmare anymore!

Ah, that felt good. The fact that I have not been blogging or catching up on my blog reading is really stressing me out! The Cape Collar Jacket is finished, so I hope to get pictures and an FO post soon. Hope you're all enjoying the first days of spring!

Sewing, A Meme and A Plea

2008-03-10T22:03:00.005-04:00

I've been plugging away at my Cape Collar Jacket. I've got the back, both sleeves, and most of both fronts done. My goal is to have it completed by next Friday. I hope I can make it! Vogue hasn't responded to my message about the errors in the pattern, so I may need to improvise. But, I've also been feeling spring fever and have been doing some sewing. Last weekend I made this, using a combination of several sewing tutorials:

It's a wristlet that can hold the essentials - cell phone, keys, credit card and sunglasses. The fabric is leftover from the needle cases I made a while ago. Instead of a strap for the wrist, I found these big rings at Joann's and used one of them instead.

I've got some other sewing projects up my sleeve, but I'll share those later. In the meantime, Claudia has tagged me for a meme. I am supposed to share six quirks/habits/things about myself. Here goes!

1) I am a TV series addict. I faithfully watch lots of shows (Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, 24, Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Men in Trees, Numb3rs (yes, I'm a dork), House, American Idol, The Closer...)

2) I don't like my food to touch. I've never owned one of those plates that has sections for each side dish, but I should.

3) I am obsessed with getting 8 hours of sleep at night. I've never been a night-owl and was always the first girl to fall asleep at a sleep-over.

4) I hate bugs, especially crickets. They scare me, even though I know they are harmless.

5) I had my tonsils out when I was 17. My doctor said they were some of the most infected tonsils he had ever seen.

6) I hate basements. I always run up the stairs when I leave one, and I'm glad my house doesn't have one!

Anyone who would like to do this, please do! It's fun to learn some new things about bloggers.

Onto knitting . . .

Lately I've felt like I've been in a knitting funk. I haven't been motivated to start projects that are in my queue, and I've been having mixed feelings on spring and summer knits. Usually by the time warm weather arrives, it gets too hot to wear a knitted garment, or even if it's not too hot, the humidity makes a handknit unbearable. With that in mind, I have plans to make just a few warm weather items this year. The first is the Flutter Sleeve cardigan from Interweave. The pattern calls for Classic Elite Classic Silk, which I happen to have in my stash! But, I only have 5 balls, and the pattern calls for 7. Anyone have some Classic Silk in Paris Green (color 6935) and dyelot 30 that they aren't going to use? After my dyelot challenge with Bea, I am hesitant to mix dyelots again. I've checked Ravelry and some online sellers, but no luck. Thanks in advance!

FO: Gretel

2008-02-22T11:00:00.007-05:00

Hi there! So it's been over 3 weeks since I've posted. Work has been really busy lately, but I'm finally starting to come up for air, so hopefully I won't be so quiet anymore. First, thank you for all the wonderful comments on Starsky! I think that is a record number of comments for me - you all are so nice.

I have been knitting, I promise. Gretel is finally finished - after 3 months, nearly.

Pattern: Gretel, by Ysolda.
Yarn: I used an alpaca yarn that I purchased at a farm stand and had just the right amount for this hat. It's a sport weight yarn, so I cast on more stitches (120, I think) than the pattern called for. I thought that my row gauge would be off, too, so I planned to make the slouchy version. After finishing, it was WAY too big. I looked like the Pillsbury Dough Boy or something. I ripped back and re-did it for the regular version. Perfect!
Modifications: Besides the extra stitches I cast on, none.
Verdict: It's really cute and doesn't give me as much hat head as other hats I have do. So that's a good thing.

Right now, I only have 1 project on the needles. Remember all that red yarn I bought? 19 balls of Classic Al in Aged Wine (on sale at Webs), to be exact. When I received the winter issue of Vogue Knitting, I thought to myself, "You've never knit anything out of the VK magazines, so if you don't see anything in this issue, don't renew the subscription." I was flipping through and saw the photo of the Cape Collar Jacket. Wow. It had everything I loved all in one pattern: cardigan style, fitted waistband, cables, seed stitch and a dramatic collar! After checking out the yarn required, I realized the Classic Al was a perfect substitution for the King George the pattern used. Since I needed 19 balls, and Classic Al was on sale for $3.49, it was an obvious choice. I've knit through the back, most of the left front and have started a sleeve.

I'm going to save you the details of my frustrations with this pattern and the general editing of the Vogue knitting patterns for my next post, but I wanted to show you what all that darn yarn was for!!!

In the three weeks since I've posted, I was tagged again for the "Make My Day" Award by Elizabeth, Lisa, Heather, and Larkin. Thank you! I listed my choices in my last post, but really, I read of the blogs I do because they have all made my day and inspired me.

FO: Starsky

2008-01-28T10:32:00.001-05:00

Here's my first finished sweater of 2008: Starsky.

Pattern: Starsky, by Jordana Paige. Knitty Winter 2005 issue. Size small (40.5").
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Classic AL, Color 002, just under 12 balls.
Modifications:
1) I knit the back and fronts as written, except I added some waist shaping. Some other finished projects of this I've seen on Ravelry have looked on the large side so I wanted to make sure it had some shaping, even if it came out big (which it didn't).
2) I knit the sleeves as directed, but when it came time to sew them into the caps, they didn't fit. My row gauge must have been off (didn't check), so I ripped back the sleeve caps and did decreases every 4 rows instead of every other row. This worked well and the sleeve fits nicely.
3) For the collar, I knew ahead of time that I wanted buttons instead of the belt. I did short rows, but I did more of them and wrapped/turned in intervals of 6 stitches instead of 8. I also knit the collar until it was about 5.5" wide at the bottom instead of 3.5".

Verdict: Wonderful! As much as I loved Juno, Starsky is a much more practical knit. The collar fits under a coat easily and I like that it's wide enough that I can button it all the way up and wrap the collar around my neck (as demonstrated, above right). The Classic AL is one of my favorite yarns EVER. It's soft but really warm and hasn't shown signs of pilling. I am usually very sensitive to itchy knits, but I wore just a cami underneath this one.

I received another award! Monica at Rubys N Purls gave me the You Make My Day award. Thanks, Monica! [ETA: Jillian over at sknitty also gave me this award. You all know what a big fan I am of Jillian's work.]

Here’s how it works:
Give the award to up to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel so happy about Blogland! Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so that they can pass it on. Beware! You may get the award several times!

This is tough. I subscribe to 113 blogs, so how can I pick just 10? Well, here goes.
1) Lynne at I was knit together in my mother's womb. This is one funny gal who knits great stuff and is currently designing her own sweater.
2) Claudia at Mr Puffy. Claudia makes beautiful knits, my favorite lately being the Pufflet.
3) Wanda at WandaWomanKnits. She is always making something beautiful and always reflects on her knitting.
4) Silvia at silverknits. Silvia knocks out projects quickly and always keep me inspired with her marathon training and home remodeling.
5) Ginnie at Windy Knitty. She always makes beautiful stuff - check out her Buttony sweater.
6) She beat me to it, but Emily from MLE Knits. I just went over to her blog and saw that she gave me the same award. Great minds, I guess! Emily knits really great stuff - check out her Buttony sweater.
7) Anna at Anna's Flying Needles. This gal is the best darn wrap/lace/scarf knitter I've seen. She has tons of them - go check them out!
8) Faith at No More Sweaters!. She is truly hilarious. If she weren't into knitting, I would tell Faith to do stand-up.
9) Rachael at Catty Wampus. I always have a new post of hers to read and besides knitting, she always has yarn porn or something else to show you.
10) Kara at knitting lemonade. She is freakin' hilarious and knits fabulous stuff, too!

FO Roundup

2008-01-22T13:46:00.000-05:00

My friend's baby was baptized over the weekend, and as part of his gift, I made some knitted goodies. I'll warn you: what you are about to see is high on the cute-meter.

Pattern: My own, using a simple top down raglan calculator and measurements for a 1-2 year old.
Yarn: Leftovers! I ended up with not an inch to spare of any color, so I really think the knitting gods were looking out for me on this one. I used Knit Picks Swish Superwash in Charcoal, Dublin, Ocean and Capri Blue. The stripes were random and the buttons are little tractors from Joann's - they made the sweater!

Bill got me the book Itty Bitty Nursery for Christmas, and in it are the most adorable little pacifier clips. I knit up the elephant and froggie for this little boy. I wanted to keep the frog for myself - they are so cute! I bought the clips at Target. They took about 2 days to complete - lots of sewing and cutting, but well worth it. I used some Di Ve Zenith (which is very splitty but soft) and some leftovers from other projects. Another great stash buster.

I posted more pictures on Ravelry. I couldn't stop taking photos of these guys!

I know I promised WAY back to give reports on the Christmas scarves I knit this year. Well, here goes:

Pattern: One row handspun by the Yarn Harlot. I added a reversible cable to the center.
Yarn: Queensland Kathmandu Aran in hunter green, 4 skeins.

He likes it!

Pattern: Farrow Rib Scarf for my brother
Yarn: Patons Shetland Chunky Tweed, 3 balls in charcoal.

He's not smiling, but he likes it!

I know I also promised to tell you what all that red yarn is for. Well, I want to get some knitting on it started, but before I divulge the whole story, I can tell you it's a sweater (surprise) and it's in my Ravelry queue, if you really want to know. Starsky is almost finished (the collar is taking forever) and will debut in the next post.

Settling in to 2008

2008-01-14T13:30:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I'm finally back into the swing of things work-wise, house-wise and knit-wise, and I have lots to show you. I've been knitting away at Starsky, and have completed the seaming and am working on the collar now. Here's a pre-seaming progress shot:

It fits OK so far - the sleeves are a little snug, but I think some more blocking will relax it. Let's hope!
I've also put in a little more time on Gretel. I'm through the fitted section and am now into the regular/slouchy section. I think I'm going to make the slouchy version, since I should have enough yarn. I'm using this nice, fluffy alpaca I bought at a farm stand in October.

I also started a stash-busting, really easy top down raglan for my friend's baby. He's a big boy and has already outgrown a hat and booties I made him. This is a 1-2 year old size and should be plenty big for a while (he's only 9 weeks old!)

I'm using some leftover Knit Picks Swish Superwash and just making up stripes as I go.

There's also been some stash enhancement . . .
First, I won a skein of Sundara sock yarn in Lenten Rose from Lara over at Yarn It! Thanks, Lara!! Most of you know that I have never knit socks before, but this soft stuff might be enough to entice me to make some socks out of it. If not socks, it might become some nice gloves or a scarf.

I also succumbed to some Webs' closeouts. I bought several colors of Di Ve Zenith, which is on closeout for #3.99 a ball. It was rumored to be as soft and have similar consistency to Karabella Aurora 8. I have to say, it is really soft and does remind me of the Aurora. It's lighter and a little splitty, but I'm excited to try it out. I bought enough brown for a sweater and a few balls of the green, blue and orange to make some toys/baby items for friends.

And, last but not least, I bought 19 (yes, that's 2071 yards!) of Classic AL in Aged Wine (a nice, pure red) to make what will likely be my BIG BIG project of winter '08. But, I'll have to keep you in suspense about that until the next post.

That's alotta yarn!

2007: A Year in Review

2007-12-31T16:17:00.000-05:00

It's been a good knitting year for me, and I'd like to squeeze into the final 7 hours of 2007 a look back at what knitting I got accomplished.

9 Sweaters
3 Short sleeve sweaters
1 Sleeveless sweater
2 Baby bootees
2 Baby Sweaters
1 Shrug
2 Hats
5 Scarves
1 Fingerless gloves

The biggest loser of 2007 was definitely Rusted Root, with its droopy body and nubbin':

Most of my other knits were definitely winners, with first place definitely going to Juno, for its wearability, design and non-handknit look:

A close second is Something Blushy, because it was a fun knit with modifications that worked.

At the beginning of 2007, I made some knitting new year resolutions. Did I stick with them? Well, let's see. Here's the list:

1) Give double pointed needles a fair chance. They aren't so bad....right? Maybe I'll make a pair of Fetching and see for sure.

2) Knit something with intarsia

3) Then step it up a notch and knit something in fair isle

4) Instead of being on a yarn diet, allow myself to buy and stash yarn. I am generally a stash-phobic, so this is a good one for me.

I did pretty well - I nailed #1 and #4. Never got to the fair isle or intarsia, so I will make an effort to cast on for something with some simple colorwork this year.

I am glad to report that the knitting mojo is on its way back. I've been in quite a knit funk lately. I hadn't even updated my Ravelry account in almost a month! Things are winding down at the house and I go back to work on Wednesday. Before I go, I do want to show you some jewelry making I've been doing. I tried a new technique recently: hammering. It's fun and you can create some pretty things with heavier wire and a mallet!

Fresh water pearls on sterling silver

Crystals, amethyst and iolite drop earrings

Turquoise, crystals and pearls on a sterling silver rectangle

Bill & I are having a quiet New Year's Eve at home. I'm making an apple pie and seafood scampi for dinner. Knitting will happen, too. Happy 2008! See you next year.

'Twas the day before Christmas

2007-12-24T10:09:00.000-05:00

And all through the house, not a knitter was stirring . . . not even me! Hello out there, dear readers. I apologize for going MIA for the whole month of December. I told you in my last post that we were starting a bathroom remodel. I am happy to say that the bulk of the work and messiness is over. We have 2 working (and beautifully tiled) showers and floors, 1 toilet and 1 sink all hooked up. A glitch with a large home improvement store that shall remained un-named (hey, it's the holidays) means that we still have to install the cabinets and countertop in my bathroom, but the house is clean from top to bottom otherwise and I am happy to be home!! I was living with my parents for 2 1/2 weeks, and Bill was at our house. Although we didn't decorate or do anything Christmas related at our house, we can't complain about a Christmas gift of new bathrooms!

I was very busy the past 3 weeks, but today is my first day where I could get out of bed and not rush out the door. I haven't done a lot of knitting in the past month, but here's what I've got.

Christmas gift #1: Bill's reversible cable scarf: Finished!

Christmas gift #2: My brother's farrow rib scarf: Finished!

That's all the holiday knitting I did for others. I'll write a proper FO post for these when I get some modeled shots on their recipients tomorrow.

I also finished up Fetching, knit with exactly 1 ball of Cashmerino Aran in color 25, without an inch to spare! These were my first dive into the hand accessory world, and I really enjoyed it. I'm going to try and make some gloves next. A HUGE thank you to Janet over at twistedknitter for giving me the yarn. Yes, she GAVE it to me. All I paid was shipping. Thank you, Janet!

Another blog reference I haven't mentioned is Claudia, who last month named me as a blogger who makes her smile!

I read so many blogs that is it hard to choose even a handful who specifically make me smile. Thank you, bloggers, for sharing your knitting woes and triumphs with us this past year. Every blog I read, I read because it makes me smile!

Here's the sole Christmas decoration in my house this year. Hope you all have a wonderful, blessed Christmas and all the best to you and yours.

Presents and new projects

2007-11-30T15:36:00.000-05:00

Thanks for all the nice comments on Juno. I've worn it quite a bit and am pleased with how the Yorkshire Tweed is wearing (not much pilling yet). Here's what's been going on in my knitting world over the past few weeks. First, I told you I got some cool birthday gifts from Bill.

Has anyone seen or used these before? They look pretty cool. Here's a close up:

I haven't tried them out officially, as I'm not working on any projects with size 6 needles, but they do glow nicely in the dark!

See the glow?

This gift here took the cake, however. I don't know where he got it, but this swift is beautifully made and works great, as you can see.

For my WIPs, I've got quite a bit on the needles now, actually.

Fetching, using Cashmerino Aran. I've never knit a complete project on DPNs before. You know, I've used them to finish hats and stuff, but this is BIG for me. So far, so good. I'm not minding it too much.

I started another sweater: Starsky from knitty. I'm almost done the back.

This was a big disappointment for me. I got some Malabrigo in Olive for Christmas last year, and have been waiting to cast on for Wicked. I finally did, and I hate it! I'm alternating skeins of yarn of everything, but to me, this looks like army camouflage. I'm sad over it, partly because I've been so psyched up to start a project with Malabrigo. I think the green is nice, but there's too much dark color variations in it. Not sure what I'm going to do with the 5 skeins - this may go up on my Ravelry trade/sell page.

I've made progress on Bill's one row reversible cable scarf. This will be ready by Christmas. The only other Christmas knitting I'm doing is a scarf for my brother. I picked up some Patons Shetland Tweeds in charcoal to make him a manly scarf, too.

I also started Gretel. I am not liking working with DPNs on this one, so it will sit until I can buy a pair of size 5, 16" circulars.

Lastly, we are remodeling our bathrooms next week! Our house was built in the 50's, and we have the original tub and toilets, and possibly original tile (though we think it's more 70's tile). We are replacing the tile, toilets and tiling over the floors. New cabinets, mirrors and lighting, too.

Before: Bill's bathroom.

Bill's wallpaper. Giddee-up!

Before: My bathroom.

After pictures: stay tuned!

FO: Juno!!!!

2007-11-20T11:44:00.000-05:00

I am probably just overly excited by the outcome of this project, but I really have to say that Juno is one of the best knits I have ever done. Here it is, with lots of pictures!

Pattern: Juno, from Rowan 40. A HUGE shout out to Silvia over at silverknits for mailing me her copy of Rowan 40. I am so grateful for the kindness of other knitters. Silvia, I am mailing your magazine back with a surprise this week!

Yarn: Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran in Wild Plum, just a wee bit over 6 skeins. The pattern calls for 2 strands of Wool Cotton held together, but if you've seen other FOs or checked out the Ravelry project pages, you wouldn't think it. Ever since Vanessa at Coloursknits debuted her Juno, in which she substituted the Yorkshire Tweed Aran, everyone else followed suit. This is an example of why I am so thankful for blogs and other knitters who share their experiences. The Tweed is a perfect substitute and makes for a beautiful (and less expensive!) sweater. Buttons are from Joann's, $6 for 8 of them.

Modifications: I did make several modifications to the pattern. Other knitters had noted that they were unhappy with the boxier shape of the body, so I cast on the numbers of stitches in between the 32" and 34" size and worked some waist shaping. I also made the body longer, about 15" before the armhole. I followed the pattern as written for the armhole shaping. For the sleeves, I cast on 34 sts and increased 1 st at each end every 12 rows until 52 sts and then followed the pattern as written. I followed the instructions for the button band and collar as written.

Verdict: Um, I LOVE IT. Can I marry this sweater? I've never made a sweater that knit up so quickly or fit so well. I did my best to knit up the sizes of the back, fronts and sleeves that are best for my body, but I think I lucked out that this yarn behaved and stayed on gauge! The collar is really unique. Even my mom asked, "You didn't knit that, did you?"

I really like the color of the yarn. It has little flecks of hot pink and green and red in it, so I have many options with the color of my layering tee underneath. Here I've got red. Yesterday I wore it with a hot pink and today I'm wearing it with a purple (yeah, I've worn it 3 days in a row!!).

This only took about 6 weeks to knit, while working on other things. I could have knocked it out in a month for sure if I hadn't been distracted by other knits. The body went really fast (the back only took 2 days), but the collar took much longer. I ended up doing 13 repeats of the cable pattern. Once I got the hang of it, it went faster, but it was slow going in the beginning.

What else can I say? I celebrated a birthday yesterday so Juno was a fantastic birthday surprise. I also got 2 really awesome knit-related gifts from Bill, which I'll share with you in the next post. In the meantime, be thankful for the gift of knitting and everything and everyone else in your life you have to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

FO: Pink Rockstar Scarf

2007-11-13T10:27:00.000-05:00

Another super quick project comes off the needles. This scarf is so beautiful I can't stand it. Really. You have to see it in person because the pictures don't do it justice, but I tried to take some nice close ups for you all! If you click on the pictures, they will blow up and really show the yarn.

Yarn: Tilli Tomas Rockstar in Hope, 1 skein.

Pattern: Reversible Lace Stitch, found where else? Ravelry. It's a 12 st repeat so, I cast on 26 sts and kept the first and last stitch in garter. I also slipped the first stitch every row to keep the edges neat. The stitch pattern is really lovely and it's perfect that it's reversible.

Verdict: I LOVE this scarf. The silk is so shiny and the beads are so pretty. It came out long enough to wrap around my neck and tie. It's not a scarf to keep the cold out, but it did keep my neck warm over my v-neck sweater yesterday at work.

I'm at work. Serious face.

Close up of the shiny pretty yarn.

I know I've had a lot of FOs lately, but after Juno, that trend is going to end. I'm am almost finished with Juno . . . the collar is taking WAY longer than I expected. Lots of cabling. I have three more sweaters on the horizon that I'm itching to cast on for, as well as a few accessories. No Christmas knitting for me this year means I will have more time to work on them! I enjoyed Christmas knitting last year, but it took a lot of time and I have to admit that I'm not sure how well appreciated the handknits were. Oh well. I really really really want to have Juno finished by the weekend, so send me fast-cabling-collar thoughts!

FO: Ivory Sequined Scarf

2007-11-09T13:59:00.001-05:00

I had a lot of fun using the self-timer and taking pictures of my finished sequined scarf. I'm no photographer, but the contrast of black and white with the lighting looks cool to me!

Throw it over your shoulder.

Pattern: Reversible cabled scarf, inspiration found here. I wanted a simple stitch pattern so as not to overwhelm the delicate silky yarn and sequins. I also wanted it to be reversible. Here's what I did:

Cast on 20 sts.
Row 1: K2, [K2, P2] to last 2 sts, K2
Row 2: Repeat Row 1.
Row 3: K2, [C2B, P2, C2F, P2] to last 2 sts, K2.
Row 4: Repeat Row 3.
Repeat rows 1 - 4 until desired length. That's it!

Yarn: Tilli Tomas Disco Lights in Natural, 1 skein.

Wear it like a normal scarf.

I envisioned this to be a fun accessory for the holidays. It has just enough sparkle to add some bling to an otherwise basic black cardigan or other outfit.

Or tie it loosely around your neck.

Or wrap it several times and wear shorter around your neck.

When I bought this at Stitches, I was undecided between this color and a very light pink one with beads (you know me and pink). I didn't want to drop all that $$ on two skeins, but I become obsessed with this luxury yarn while knitting it. As luck would have it, I found 1 skein of that exact pink yarn (Tilli Tomas Rockstar in Hope) on eBay ON SALE. Whoo hoo!

I've already started knitting another fun scarf with it and I am in love with this one. I think this is going to be one of my favorite knits of all time.

The shiny variegated pinks with the delicate little beads and the lace pattern are beautiful together. I found the stitch pattern here. It's a reversible lace that has a scalloped edge and flow to it. Gorgeous. I can't put it down, which means I'm having some finishingitis with Juno. Almost all the knitting is done on Juno (just about 2/3 of the collar remains). I am hoping to have it done by Thanksgiving.

FO: Bea

2007-10-30T11:33:00.000-04:00

After lots of math, mismatched dyelots and fear of running out of yarn, Bea has redeemed herself to be a decent FO!

Pattern: My own, inspired by Kim Hargreaves' Bea. I have parts of this written up for a size 34". It has stretched a little and probably would fit a 36", too. There was a lot of math involved, mostly to get the purl knots to match up correctly at the ends of the rows and to get the eyelets to match up across the waist. I used a simple K4, P1 across to get the texture and garter stitch lower body (peplum), sleeves, neckline and button bands. To get the picot effect on the edges, I did a KFB at the end of every other row and then cast off the extra stitch on the following row (I copied this trick from knitternatter Amelia). For the sleeves, I did a picot bind off.

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Wool/Cotton, color 604. 10 balls exactly, with maybe 1/2 yard to spare.
I made the never-again mistake of getting 5 balls each from 2 different dyelots. The effect was very noticable, but well hidden by changing from stockinette to garter stitch. This is why I have garter stitch sleeves from the elbow down.

Verdict: Since this was only my second attempt at designing a sweater myself, I am happy with it. The finishing touches, like the purple shell buttons and i-cord, really make it work. If I had to do it over again, I would cast on fewer stitches at the neckline and make it just a teeny bit smaller across the chest. It's pulling down towards my shoulders, which is making the raglan seam get big under the arms.

What I Learned: Writing up your own pattern is hard! It does take a lot of time and thinking, so I really do appreciate what desginers go through when they are working out a new pattern. I also learned a cardinal rule of knitting (the hard way): DON'T MIX DYELOTS!

The wool/cotton is a nice yarn to work with, but I find that Debbie Bliss yarns come with lots of knots, and usually only a few yards into the skein. The yarn did bleed a bit when it got blocked, which I was happy to see. I think it helped the dyelots blend a little more. I am going to try wearing this over a collared shirt - the yarn is just a teeny bit itchy on my skin.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help along the way. You all are the best!

His & Hers Scarves

2007-10-25T15:20:00.001-04:00

Wow, thank you so much for all the wonderful comments on the Cable Down Raglan. I am really flattered! Today's post is just a quick update to show you what I've been up to this week. I am actually wearing Bea right now as a type, but due to the much needed rain that finally arrived, photos haven't been taken. But, I will tease you all and say that this FO came out pretty great (given all the things that could have and did go wrong!).

At Stitches East, I splurged on a skein of Tilli Tomas Disco Lights. I have used this yarn before, in Sahara #1, and I used the Exotica in Sahara #2. I tried making my own beaded yarn with Ms. Marigold, but I realized that unless you can bead directly onto the yarn itself, carrying along a string of beads on thread is not easy (or really worth it, IMO).

Inspired by a modeled version at Stitches, I wanted to make a simple but pizzazzy (heh, is that a word?) thin scarf to throw around my neck on days when I need a little shine. A little panache, if you will. I tried several different stitch patterns, and I finally settled on this reversible cable stitch, inspired by It Ain't Plain, Jane! by Dorothy. It has a simple garter st border and cables that are similar to what I did in Something Blushy.

I also started a scarf for Bill using the Kathmandu Aran I got at Stitches. Inspired by the Harlot's One Row Handspun, this has a reversible cable in the center.

I'm sure most of you have seen the new Interweave Preview. I saw the cover Aran Cardigan at Stitches and must say, it looked really nice in person. I think this is going in the queue.

Juno is also progressing nicely. Just one sleeve, the rest of the collar, buttonbands and seaming to go!

Have a great weekend and stay tuned for Bea!

FO: Cable Down Raglan

2007-10-18T14:37:00.000-04:00

This sweater was finished early last week, and is finally making its debut!

Pattern: Cable Down Raglan by Stefanie Japel, Interweave Knits Spring 2007
Yarn: Classic Elite Summer Set, color 3146. 11 balls.

Modifications: None. I followed this exactly as written for the 31 1/4" size. I still haven't figured out the whole negative ease stuff, but I know that when there are cables in a pattern that you should pick a size smaller than you normally would, so that's what I did.

Verdict: Pretty good! I wore this sweater to work last Friday. In the beginning of the day, it fit great. But as the day wore on, the sweater stretched out a lot. This is my fault in yarn choice. The Summer Set is 64% cotton, 19% alpaca, 12% polyester, 5% lycra. The alpaca makes it warm and fuzzy, but cotton grows. If I had to do it over, I would have picked a merino wool based yarn for this project. But, I was able to hand wash it, let it dry slightly and then throw in the dryer to shrink it back into shape. I guess I'll just do this every time I wear it.

The Summer Set was great to knit with and produces a soft, although just slightly itchy fabric (I have sensitive skin). I wore this with a t-shirt underneath and it was fine. The pattern was easy to follow and fun. Although, I was sick of those cables by the end!

As always, thanks so much for the helpful suggestions on my dyelot nightmare with Bea. It's almost done and I'll debut it next week!!

Stitches East Report: Tweed Alert!

2007-10-15T11:54:00.000-04:00

Saturday was my big trip to Stitches. I went with my friend Elizabeth (non-blogger) and we had a great time. We both felt that there weren't as many vendors as there were last year, but that might just be that we knew what to expect this year. I was well behaved. I purchased items that were on my list and a few surprises, too.

I was hoping that Webs would have their new tweed, Williamstown, with them so I could check out the colors and feel. Let me tell you, this is really soft tweed. It doesn't even feel tweedy. It has 25% acrylic in it, which is probably where the softness comes from. I bought a full bag of color #5, a nice classic red. No project in mind yet.

Next on my list was to find a ball or two of a 4 ply tweed. I am going to make EZ' s Seamless Hybrid for Bill in some discontinued Yorkshire Tweed 4 ply. Inspired by Brooklyn Tweed's version with the folded hem, I wanted to find a constrasting color. Webs had some of the new Scottish Tweed 4 ply, so I picked up 2 balls in a blue.

I don't like the new Scottish tweed as much as the old Yorkshire tweed. Maybe it knits up differently, but it seems scratchier and more felted than the soft Yorkshire tweed.

I also found some clearance Queensland Kathmandu Aran in a hunter green for a scarf for Bill. It was a tweedy kind of a day!

Also on the tweed front, I picked up some Rowanspun Aran in Husk from Jan over on Ravelry. I'm thinking this might become the increasingly popular Drops A-Shape Jacket.

Last but not least, to balance out all this tweediness, I succumbed to the temptation of the beautiful Tilli Tomas Disco Lights (again). I picked up 1 skein in natural. It's simple and stunning and will become a thin, reversible cabled scarf to add pizazz when I need it.

My general report on Stitches is good: there were lots of yarns to look at and touch, but ultimately I only ended up buying from Webs and the other vendor where I bought the Disco Lights. A lot of the vendors just didn't appeal to my personal style. Many featured knitted sweaters and garments with novelty yarns mixed in and boxier shapes. There's nothing wrong with any of this; it's just not my taste. When I peruse Ravelry and blogland, I often find more updated, stylish FOs from knitters. I just didn't see much of that represented at Stitches. But I had a great time!

Destashing!

2007-10-11T09:48:00.000-04:00

Stitches East is this weekend and I am going to the market on Saturday. I've evaluated my stash and am letting go of some items that I don't see projects for in the near future (and I need to make room for anything new that might be coming home this weekend...).

All of this stuff comes from my non-smoking but dog friendly home. It's been stored in plastic bags on a shelf away from the animals. These are my Ravelry stash photos, so there is only 1 ball pictured. For payment, I have Paypal, but let me know if you're using a credit card and not your Paypal balance. I am figuring that shipping will be in the neighborhood of $5-6, but I'll get you an exact number once I know your zip code. The only exception are the needles, for which shipping is $1. I've tried to price these well, but if you're interested in a yarn, please make an offer! You can either comment or send me an email at fpknits at yahoo dot com. Anything that doesn't go will be later listed on the Destash website.

Debbie Bliss Merino DK: PENDING
Content: color 606, 100% merino wool
Amount: 10 skeins, 1220 yards
$30

Cascade Indulgence
Content: color 522, 70/30 Alpaca/Angora - soft soft soft!!
Amount: 9 skeins, 1107 yards
$50

Rowan Handknit DK
Content: color 310, 100% cotton
Amount: 7 skeins, 622 yards
$25

Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece : PENDING
Content: color "Rue", 80/20 Cotton/Merino
Amount: 3 skeins, 645 yards
$16

Filatura 501: PENDING
Content: color 1283, 100% Superwash Merino Wool
Amount: 10 skeins, 1380 yards
$25

Skacel Addi Turbos : ALL NEEDLES PENDING
All needles are in great condition; I just don't use them! I always reach for my bamboos instead.
All Needles: $8 each + $1 shipping

#6, 16"

#7, 16"

#8, 16"

#5, 40"

Thanks for taking a look!

No FO, but here's Juno

2007-10-09T11:04:00.000-04:00

First, thank you so much for all of the great feedback on the Old Navy sweater. After all of your comments, I've decided to keep it. Many of you said that there are too many patterns out there to knit, and how right you are! It's folded in my closet, waiting to be worn.

This late burst of summer we've had has prevented an FO sighting for the Cable Down Raglan. It's done, and folded in my closet with the Old Navy sweater, waiting for its debut. I think this weekend I might get to wear it.

I'm excited to say that I started Juno last week. Boy, does this project really fly. I finished the back in 2 days. TWO DAYS, people. Now I remember why heavier knits are so satisfying.

I made a few modifications to the back: made it longer and with some slight waist shaping. I'm also knitting the sleeves a bit smaller than the pattern calls for. Sorry for the bad picture, but with daylight disappearing earlier and earlier . . .

Bea is nearing completion, with mixed results. Earlier I mentioned a nasty dyelot issue with this project. My plan was to finish the sleeves by alternating between dyelots every other row. Well, that plan failed. The dye lots are SO different that you could see a striping effect. YUCK. I decided to knit as far as I could with the original dyelot and change the stitch pattern to mask the dyelot change. I'm getting to just above the elbow.

I'm not sure what to do next. I don't really want garter st sleeves from the elbow down. I was thinking of doing a garter st band around the elbow and then going back to the purl dots stitch pattern (Stef Japel does this effect with a lot of her patterns). I don't know.

Here's what it looks like on. See the sleeves? That's the total length I'm getting with the original dyelot (the second sleeve on the arm I'm holding the camera with will get down to the elbow - I just haven't knit it yet). Ideas? Suggestions?

Finally, on Sunday, Bill and I went to a wine festival at Boordy Vineyards in Hydes, MD. There was a lady with two alpacas and a small selection of yarn.

I purchased 2 sport weight skeins of this beautiful, straight-off-the-alpaca yarn. I'm thinking of making Gretel with it. Jenna over at Knits & Pieces made a beautiful version that has totally inspired me. Hope all of your fall projects are going well!

FO: Irish Hiking Scarf

2007-10-02T10:58:00.000-04:00

Another fall project has made its way off the needles!

Pattern: Irish Hiking Scarf from Hello Yarn
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky in Cream, 4 1/4 balls. A big shout out to Alex over at Languidly Knitting for selling me the 4th ball!
Modifications: Because I was using a chunkier yarn than called for, I omitted 1 of the cables. I wanted to get more length instead of width with this one, so I could wrap it like I did in the picture.

Verdict: Love! It's a super versatile scarf in terms of style and color. The cable pattern is super easy but gives stellar results. Yay!

I'm about 2 1/2 rounds from finishing the Cable Down Raglan. I think I will sneak out during lunch today and finish it. So stay tuned for an FO report soon!

Now, I need opinions from the only people I trust: my fellow knitters and bloggers. On Saturday I went to Old Navy to check out their new jeans (which were OK). While there, I saw this:

It caught my eye for several reasons. I love the big buttons, and it reminds me of two patterns that I've liked for a while: The Tangled Yoke Cardi (that everyone seems to be knitting on Ravelry) and the Karabella Cabled Cardigan that I thought about knitting last year. So, I bought the sweater thinking I could sketch it out, return it, and then knit it. Here's what it looks like on me:

I'm wearing a really long top underneath, so the sweater might look short - it's not.

The sweater is 70/30 Cotton/Lambswool. No acrylic = bonus. It cost $36.50, which is roughly what yarn to make this would cost (I'm thinking something tweedy). The neckline is really wide, which I kinda like because I don't have anything like it.

So here's the question: Should I just keep this sweater and wear it and love it, or should I try to knit it? Of course if I were reading someone else's blog, I would say knit it, but I have 2 projects underway (Juno and Wicked) that I've been dying to knit, so I wouldn't get to this until around Christmastime. Opinions? Advice? Thanks!

FO: Trellis

2007-09-25T12:01:00.001-04:00

Pattern: Trellis, from Spring 2005 Knitty.

Yarn: Elann Connemara in Wedgwood Blue, about 5 balls

Size: 6 months

Modifications

Intentional: I knit the back and front pieces together to avoid a few extra seams to sew. I also picked up stitches around the collar and knit until it was about 7" long, then used a 3-needle bind off to make the hood.

Unintentional: I knit part of the cable incorrectly. The 4-st cable where it says to knit through the BACK loop and then knit 2 together through the back loop . . . yeah, I knit through the front and couldn't figure out why mine didn't look like everyone else's. Oops. Well, I decided that no one would know and who the heck cares.

Verdict: Very cute pattern. I think this one delivers a real bang for the amount of work involved. It looks really complicated but is actually rather straightforward. I will definitely be making this again (but with the right cable pattern!). I gave it to my friend at her shower on Sunday and it was well-received.

So, what's next? I've been in a slight knitting funk the past few weeks. I've been distracted by some home improvements (painting) and the sewing. Thanks for the comments on my Swing Bag; I've used it a lot have received compliments! I am taking a little break from sewing (long story, but I tried making a mini clutch out of the leftover fabric I had, and it was a disaster). But, I am thinking of making the clutch bag from Amy Butler's In Stitches. There are some nice FOs of it here and here.

I did finish the Irish Hiking Scarf, ordered more yarn to finish my Cable Down Raglan and am s l o w l y making progress on the garter stitch body of Bea. I am trying really hard not to start my next 2 real fall projects: Juno and Wicked. Must finish WIPs first. Can you believe it's almost October??

Amy Butler Swing Bag

2007-09-18T11:10:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to paint our family room a different color. It's on the bottom level of our house and doesn't get much natural light, so I wanted to do something bright. I picked a warm yellow and thought "I'm going to go all out and get some nice fabric to make some bright pillows for the couch!" I ended up picking up 1/2 yard pieces of Amy Butler's new Nigella prints. I sewed up 4 coordinating pillows.

Last year, I had purchased the pattern for Amy Butler's Swing Bag, but I never got around to buying fabric and making it. Buying these Nigella prints got me excited and giddy, so I found some of her Lotus prints at purlsoho and ordered the pieces I needed to sew the Swing Bag. Let me say, I have sewn pillows and curtains before, but I've never, even sewn from a written pattern where you have to cut out the pattern and cut pieces from your fabric.

I set Saturday aside to make my swing bag. I laid the pieces out and even used my iron (I've learned how important it is to press!)

It took several readings of the pattern instructions to completely understand what the heck I was doing. After a few hours and few rips, I had this:

So far, so good. I certainly had some moments when I wanted to throw my machine and the fabric out the window, but I continued on. It's not perfect, but here is my finished Swing Bag!

Pattern: Amy Butler's Swing Bag

Fabric: Amy Butler Lotus: 3/4 yard Brown Lacework for exterior, 3/4 yard of Coral Star Paisley for interior, 1/4 yard of Lime Star Paisley for the scarf.

Modifications: None, except I made my own scarf. Amy's pattern calls for 1 1/4 yards and has it sewn on the bias. I chose to make it with just 1/4 yard, folded in half and sewn with folded edges. Mine is shorter, but cost a lot less!

The fun wasn't finished there. I used the leftover fabric and Caro from splityarn's tutorial for making a zippered wristlet to make this:

I decided to throw all my knitting notions in here and keep with my knitting projects:

I had a really fun time doing these projects, although sewing is pretty tiring for me. I like that I can veg out on the couch with my knitting. When sewing, I was up and down from the machine to the ironing board, to the table cutting, measuring. And, there are so many accessories for sewing! But I do have another project in mind for the leftovers from my Nigella print pillows - I'm thinking of a large wristlet/small clutch!

Fall projects: What's OTN?

2007-09-11T12:50:00.000-04:00

It seems that every month or so, I give you all an update on my current WIPs. There are few that I haven't blogged about, so I guess it's time for another edition of "What's OTN?"

The newest WIP is the Grannie Smith Cardigan, by neoknits. I started this last fall with some Kid Silk Haze and had a nightmare of a time keeping track of the stitch pattern. Since I loved working with the Baby Silk so much on my Mom's Sweater, I decided to get some before Elann ran out. I just started and am having a much better time keeping track of the lace pattern.

I also started the Irish Hiking Scarf, by Helloyarn. I bought 5 balls of Cashmerino Chunky earlier this year and used 2 to make a cabled hat. I planned on using the other 3 for a matching scarf and really liked this cable pattern, especially the garter edges. I've knit through 2 balls and it's about 1/2 as long as I'd like it. I only have 1 ball left, but thanks to Ravelry, languidly had 1 left in her stash that was the same dyelot that she wanted to sell. Score!

Cable Down Raglan: I don't knit with dpn's when I don't have to. I would rather seam a 20" long sleeve than knit it in the round. I decided to work the sleeves flat first and them come back and finish the body. I'm about 4" past the underarm, and I'm going to run out of yarn. Need to pick some up from WEBS asap!

Hooded Trellis: This is for a friend who is having a baby in December. She doesn't know the gender, but I showed her my copy of Special Knits for Babies by Debbie Bliss and she pointed to a hooded sweater. I had already started Trellis for her, but I decided to add a hood instead of knitting the collar. I think it came out OK, but I had to fold and sew down the sides, because I think baby might get suffocated otherwise. Yikes, we don't want that! I am thinking of adding a button to the top of the hood so she can fold it up and down. I'm worried a button on top of baby's head will look stupid, so we'll see!

You all met Bea in my last post, so no updates there. What fall projects have you all started or are thinking about?

New Bea-ginning

2007-09-04T11:34:00.000-04:00

Thank you for all the helpful suggestions on what to do with Rusted Root. I haven't made a decision yet, but I am leaning towards frogging it. I think I'd want to start this one over from the beginning and make some adjustments to the neckline (and that darn nubbin') as well.

In the meantime, I've been working on a long-ignored WIP. Way back last year, I saw cmeknit's beautiful version of Bea, by Kim Hargreaves. For those of you not familiar with Kim's designs, they are done in Rowan yarns are are available in kits only. Patterns cannot be purchased separately.

Bea, from the Kim Hargreaves website.

Well, this got my creative juices flowing, because while I'd love to spend the $100 for the kit, I couldn't justify it. So I studied the pictures available online and started a knock-off version of Bea in February of this year. When spring arrived, I put it aside and ignored it. I was using Debbie Bliss Merino DK and liked the yarn just fine, but it wasn't thrilling me.

A few weeks ago, I saw knitterknatter's version of Bea on Ravelry. It is stunning and renewed my interest in this WIP. I decided to frog what I had started in the Merino DK and start from scratch using some Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton I had picked up at Black Sheep Knittery while on vacation. The original pattern uses Rowan Wool Cotton, so I thought this would make my knock-off even more like the real thing.

Here's how it's progressing. I know I'm not using the same exact stitch pattern (I'm just adding a purl stitch every 5 sts), but I think it's pretty close!

The faux-picot edging. I'm using knitterknatter's technique of doing a KFB on the last stitch and then casting off 1 on the next row, every other row.

The only issue so far with this knit is dye lots. I purchased 5 balls of the wool/cotton at Black Sheep Knittery and when I decided to make Bea, I knew I needed more. Because it is a discontinued yarn, I found what seemed like last 5 at Tropical Yarns's website. The batches of 5 and 5 are from different dye lots . . . you know where this is heading.

They are VERY different in shade. I know this because I started a new dye lot while still in stockinette - the effect was very obvious. To hide it, I knit from the beginning with 4 balls from 1 dyelot and reached the point when I would begin the garter stitch from the waist to the bottom hem. I switched to a new dye lot and garter stitch at the same time. The change from smooth stockinette to garter ridges really masks the shade change - see picture above.

But, I still have the sleeves to contend with. I have 1 ball of the original dye lot left and will probably alternate between dye lots while knitting the sleeves to gradually change, but I'll worry about that when I get there!

FO: Rusted Root

2007-08-27T10:27:00.000-04:00

Thumbs down on this one, folks.

Pattern: Rusted Root, by the Zephyr Girls. Size in between the 32-35" and 36-39".

Yarn: Berroco Touche in Iris. 6 skeins.

Verdict: Blah. From the front, this knit doesn't look so bad (except for that weird spot where I joined a new ball of yarn. Looks like I have a nubbin' a la Chandler Bing). But, here's what's going on in the back.

Droopy Droopy Droopy.

In case you need to see it up close.

Did I know this was going to happen? Well, yeah. Kind of. When I tried it on as it was being knit, I had a suspicion that it was going to end up too big. But, given the stitch counts and gauge I thought I was getting, I was convinced it was going to end up too small. I think in the end, my gauge grew and ultimately screwed up the fit.

I also think that the waist decreases on only 1 side of the marker made this fit fine from the front but droop in the back.

Modifications: When I got to the point in the pattern to separate the sleeves, only 42 rows had been completed. At 7 rows to 1", this made for a 6" raglan seam. For me, that is WAY too tight. So, I did some more raglan increases, but I only increased in the sleeve section (thinking I didn't want the body to be bigger, but I guess that didn't matter after all!). To compensate for my increases in the sleeve, I did more decreases in the middle, mimicking the decreases that create the "poof".

I think this part was successful for me. I got a comfortable sleeve fit and kept the poofiness.

So, what does the future hold for Rusted Root? Not sure yet. The Touche is a great, soft cotton, so it will probably be frogged and used for something else. I really do like this pattern, but I would consider some serious modifications before trying it again.

FO: One-Tone Fitted Knits Shrug

2007-08-21T10:46:00.000-04:00

Taking advantage of the cool, rainy morning, here is my One-Tone Fitted Knits Shrug. This had to be my fastest non-baby knit ever.

Pattern: You all know this one, the Two-Tone Ribbed Shrug from Fitted Knits

Yarn: Kona Bay Cotton, 100% Pima Cotton. Cream, 3 1/2 balls. Scored from a WEBS closeout for $2.99 per ball.

Time to knit: August 9 - August 20, 2007.

Modifications: I made what came out to be a 14.5" size. I started with the 13" size, since that was my measurement from bra strap to bra strap, but my arm looked like a sausage squeezed into the first sleeve. I ripped back and added 3 more increases to the body. I think I could still use an extra stitch or two to the arms, but the body fit is perfect.

Verdict: LOVE it. I've found lately that there are projects that I obsess over (right now, I'm obsessing over Juno, even though I haven't started it). Usually, the ones I obsess over the most are the ones that don't come out so great. For instance, the Swan Lake Cardigan is something I just decided to knit - didn't stress over the yarn or sizing and just did it. Didn't rush through it or over-analyze it as I was knitting. And, it came out perfect. Same thing happened on this one - I started it less than 2 weeks ago and just went with it. And I love it!

Yarn Review: This Kona Bay Cotton is the softest cotton I've ever worked with. Softer than Berroco Touche. It doesn't have any fancy sheen to it, but it's fuzzy and cozy. I wouldn't recommend it for lace projects or things with too much detail, but for this little shrug, it was a perfect choice.

Do you like the necklace? I made it on Saturday. I also made a few other necklaces, which I will show you later this week. Knitting has occupied my crafty time almost completely in the last few months, so I devoted a day back to some jewelry crafting. I forgot about the instant gratification you get from it!

Why You Don't Want Lyme Disease

2007-08-13T12:50:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of reasons why you don't want Lyme Disease. Fevers, aches, pains. About a month ago, Bill woke up with a strange red rash on his leg. It quickly grew to the size of a softball and had a "ring" characteristic to it. He was diagnosed with Lyme disease and put on antibiotics for 3 weeks.

He's fine, and the worst part was him just feeling fatigued (and not being able to drink beer while on the drugs). I had a mini-freak out and fortunately, because I work in a medical research environment, I was able to get the OK from an infectious disease expert who said this was the right treatment plan. Anyway, if you have deer in your area or are near the woods, check yourself for ticks regularly. We thought this was a rare disease, but it's becoming more common.

Onto knitting . . .

With my mom's sweater finito, I've made some good progress in the last week on some WIPs and started a new project.

Cable Down Raglan: I've made it to the point where the sleeves are separated. I'm making the 31 1/4" size. I'd like this one to be more fitted, and after putting all the stitches on scrap yarn, it seems to fit well.

This might be a slower-going sweater, only because of the cables. I like them and following the chart is pretty easy, but my hands do start to get tired after working on this for an hour or so. I don't use cable needles, so after a while, I just want some plain ol' stockinette.

Which works out well, because I can pick up this new project:

One-tone Shrug from Fitted Knits: I cast on for this on Thursday and quickly made it through all of the increases for a 13.5" size by Friday night. I finished the first sleeve last night and seamed it. Tried it on, and it's too small. There doesn't seem to be a general consensus in blogland on the fit of this one; I've seen some say they've found it too big when knitted to their measurements and others have said it's too fitted. So I've ripped back and am going to do some more increases and re-divide for the sleeves again. My arms looked like stuffed sausages in the 13.5" size!

I'm knitting it in Kona Bay Cotton in cream, which is ubersoft (softer than the Berroco Touche I've raved about).

Rusted Root is done, ends woven in, but not ready for primetime yet. It's a little big and needs a run through the washer and dryer.

FO: Mom's Sweater

2007-08-06T11:42:00.000-04:00

Her birthday was in January, but last night at my brother's birthday dinner, I gifted my mother her long overdue sweater!

Pattern: Wide Neck Lace Sweater from Luxury Knits by Amanda Griffiths
Yarn: Elann Peruvian Baby Silk, 11 1/2 balls, Cornflower
Time to complete: February 1 - August 1, 2007. I set this one aside for a while sometimes, and I did knit a lot of other things in between!

Modifications: I changed the wide, boat neck to a simple v-neck. I also lengthened the sleeve caps so they wouldn't be too tight under the arms. My mom wanted 3/4 length sleeves, but these ended up being closer to full length. The first sleeve was way too long, so I ended up snipping it at one end and unraveling the stitches. I picked up the live stitches (think provisional cast-on-ish) and re-knit the ribbing edge. I first used this method this last year on my Arisaig. Fortunately, my mom tried on the sweater after I got the first sleeve set in, so I knew to knit the second sleeve shorter.

Verdict: Absolutely wonderful. It fits her perfectly, and she loves it. I got a big hug last night. She had given me one of her store-bought v-necks that she likes and I blocked it to match that in size. The lace really bloomed, and the color is great. I also really, really enjoyed working with the Baby Silk . . . amazingly soft. I am almost tempted to make something like this for myself - something lacey and airy and fluffy and soft. I have 6.5 balls of this color left, but Elann is out of it, so I'll keep it stashed for now.

Of all of my knitting projects, I'd have to say I am really proud of this one. Because it was for someone else, I think I was overly picky about details and making sure the fit was right. I am also really happy with the pattern itself. The lace was simple and easy to memorize but has really flattering results. And, I love that Baby Silk!

I have looked forward to this FO blog post for a while. Now I can move on with some knits for myself without feeling guilty about it (during the past 6 months, I always felt like I should be knitting my mom's sweater when I was working on something for me). Next up is the Fitted Knits shrug and a revisit of the Grannie Smith Cardigan. The Cable Down Raglan is going to get some love and attention first. Aaaah, feels good!

New project and Rockin Girl Blogger

2007-08-02T12:05:00.001-04:00

It's now August. If you live on the east coast, it's probably hot and humid where you are. I finished a few warm weather knits this year and haven't really had much opportunity to wear them. I am finishing up Rusted Root and last night I finished my Mom's Sweater completely (I'll see her Sunday, when she will model it for me. She doesn't know this yet, but I will make her put it on - no matter how hot it is outside!). While I love the summer knits because they are quick to knit, I could probably use more 3/4 length and warm, cozy winter sweaters for the 8 months of the year when it's chilly enough for them.

Ravelry has been a great thing because it's encouraging me to get the WIPs done and get to the new projects in my queue. One of the projects I am starting to work out is Juno, from Rowan 40. After scouring Ravelry and seeing what others have knit this in, I scored 7 balls of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran in Wild Plum from Janette's Rare Yarns. It's squishy and soft and tweedy.

Juno is a beautiful pattern, and other knitters have had gorgeous results. You see, the only minor problem is that I don't have a copy of Rowan 40. Ooops. Well, thanks to Ravelry and all the WIP pictures of Juno posted there, I've figured out that it is a basic v-neck sweater in 2x2 rib with a Celtic Cable, or Saxon Braid, collar that is knit separately and sewed on afterwards. I am working out the details and will post them every step of the way. So stay tuned for that!

I haven't forgotten that I need to choose someone as a Rockin' Girl Blogger. I have picked Jillian of sknitty:

Not only does Jillian produce beautiful FO's, but she always has an interesting fact, tidbit or suggestion about what's happening in knitting today. She quickly posts about sales and specials on-line, and she's not afraid to speak her mind.

Enjoy the weekend and stay cool. Next week: Mom's Sweater FO report and maybe a Rusted Root and Trellis FO report, too!

Nothing exciting

2007-07-25T13:49:00.000-04:00

I feel like I've been showing you all so many FO's lately that I'm not sure how to start a "normal" post anymore. The past week, I've been making progress.

Rusted Root. Nothing exciting to tell you about here. This pattern is pretty straight-forward. I'm using Berocco Touche in Iris. I made some modifications to the sleeves, but I'll tell you about them in the FO post.

My mom's sweater. This one is almost finished - whoo hoo! The saga with this began back in January when she asked for a sweater 2 weeks before her birthday. She picked a pattern out of Luxury Knits that calls for 2 strands of Kidsilk Haze held together. Elann Baby Silk has been a fabulous substitute. I just have one sleeve to go.

Some seaming done, with one sleeve left.

Ribbing around the neckline.

I think the seaming looks pretty good!

Grow, second sleeve, grow!

FO: February Baby Sweater #2 and Saartje's Bootees

2007-07-16T14:48:00.002-04:00

Here's a glimpse of last week's knitting.
Monday: Pregnant friend #1 has baby girl.
Tuesday: We hear from friends and learn of their new baby daughter. I cast on for February Baby Sweater #2 (you all know this pattern or have seen FOs of it).
Wednesday: Finish yoke and sleeve 1.
Thursday: Finish sleeve 2 and start body.
Friday: No knitting.
Saturday: Finish body, wash and dry sweater. Sew on buttons. Done? Cool! Hmm, how 'about some little bootees too? No problem!

Yarn: Rowan Handknit DK Cotton, color 310. About 3 balls.
Pattern: EZ's Knitter's Almanac

Modifications: Zilch. I added the little flower pin, called a yo-yo, inspired by Elliphantom's version. A tutorial on how to make these is here.

Verdict: Adorable. I like this one better than the first one I made, probably because of the little yo-yo. And because it's pink. I promise this is the last pink knit for a while. Seriously. I'm excited to gift this because the baby's mom is a fellow knitter. She doesn't blog, but she reads knitting blogs and last year as we drove together to the Stitches East Market, we were talking about blogs and she mentioned the EZ baby sweater she had seen on Elliphantom's site. I had seen it too, and we agreed it was so cute. I am excited to give her one for her new little girl!

Last week, I saw Brooklyn Tweed's and Silverknits' finished versions of Saartje's Bootees.

I couldn't resist. The baby sweater above is sized for about a 1 year old, so these were the perfect little "wear now" quick knits to go with it. They took only about an hour to knit and less than a ball of Cotton Glace, color 809. I found 4 little white buttons from my odds and ends buttons. Cute!

The week's knitting schedule is to give Rusted Root and Cable Down Raglan some TLC. It's almost time to start thinking about the fall knits.

I'm blushing

2007-07-12T10:55:00.000-04:00

Something Blushy has made me blush. Well, actually it was all of your wonderful comments on it and Lynne's truly kind post in which she named me a Rockin' Girl Blogger:

I don't know what to say! Thank you. For a little history on the Rockin' Girl Blogger award, you can read here. I think now that I've been named one, I have to select someone else. So stay tuned!

Some of you asked about how I actually incorporated the cables into Something Blushy. Here are details:

I pretty much followed Wendy's instructions except for the cabling. The cable pattern I used was this 4 row repeat:

1: p2, k3, p1, k3
2: k2, p2, slip 1 purlwise, k1, slip 1 purlwise, p2
3: p2, slip 2 sts to cn and hold to back, k1, k2 from cn, p1, slip 1 st to cn and hold to front, k2, k1 from cn
4: k2, p3, k1, p3

This pattern occurs over 9 sts, so when you reach the point for cabling to start (about 3-4" past the armhole), count the total # of sts on your needle. So it fits, I would advise using your gauge (mine was 5 sts/1") and figure out how big around the garment is at this point. I wanted something close to a 35" bust with the button band, and knowing that cables pull in a bit, I ended up with 188 sts on the needle, which comes out to 188/5 = 37.6 inches around. I don't know the details of negative ease, so maybe my method is too much like guesswork, but I would say just try it on!

Now, count up how many 9 st repeats you could do over your total # of sts. I had 188 sts on the needle, so I could do 20 of the 9 st repeats (180 sts) and then have 8 leftover. Because the 9 st repeat ends with the cabled stitches, I wanted to have 2 purl stitches follow the very last cable on the RS row so it looked symmetric. So, add 2 extra purls, which brings you up to 182 sts. Now there are 6 leftover. I decided to just keep these in st st, with a k3 at the beginning of all RS rows and ending with a k3 on all RS rows. This made picking up sts for the button band easier. I guess the "ideal" situation would be to have exactly a multiple of 9 + 2 extra purl stitches + 2 extra st st so you can pick up the button band easily, but don't have these extra st st stitches showing (though I don't think they are a big deal). If you zoom in on one of my posted photos, you should be able to see the sts I am referring to.

So I did:

k3, [9 st repeat here 20 times], p2, k3 on the right side rows
p3, [9 st repeat here 20 times], k2, p3 on the wrong side rows

When you do the increases for the flares (I followed Wendy's guidelines), all the p2's in the pattern and extra p2 you added become p3 and then p4 (and p5 if you need more room, I did). The p1 between the cables do not get any increases.

The math can get a little tricky. For example, if you had 180 sts, this is exactly 20 repeats. But, you need the extra purl stitches at the end. So to get 182 sts I would do another increase at the neck on each end to get the extra 2 sts before starting the cabling, because if you do only 19 repeats of the pattern, this leaves 9 sts: 2 purls at the end and 7 leftover. This 7 doesn't split in half evenly.

I followed the same plan for the sleeves, except I didn't do extra sts in stockinette. I just kept them in reverse st st. I believe I had 59 sts for the sleeves. This gives me 6 repeats of the 9 sts (54 sts) with 5 leftover. I added the extra 2 purl stitches at the end of the last pattern repeat, so I still had 3 leftover. I just tacked on 2 purls at the beginning and 1 purl at the end. Since this was going to be where my seam was (I don't knit sleeves in the round....), the extra purls were OK. When I did the increases on the sleeves, I only increased the p2's that were sandwiched between cables and not the ones at the ends. I did 2 increase rows on the sleeves.

This was tricky to try and explain, so I hope it's clear! Try and have a plan of attack as you're increasing the v-neck past the armhole. If you need help or want a second opinion on your stitch count and how it converts into cabling, please feel free to email or comment!

Something Blushy Finished

2007-07-07T10:57:00.000-04:00

Not only another FO this week, but a pink one! Ha ha, I think I've satiated my need for pink knits for now. Here is "Something Blushy":

Pattern: Wendy Knit and Tonic's Something Red

Yarn: Valley Yarns Southwick (cotton/bamboo) in color Blush, 8 balls

Modifications: I changed the 2x2 ribbing to a cable pattern, inspired by Ivy from the fall '06 Knitty. Because of the cabling and the disaster of my last cabled cardigan, I did 2 more increase rows to create the flare in the body. I also did 2 increases across the sleeve so it flared. For the buttons, I debated between doing buttons all the way down or just one. I had this pair of buttons and decided the two together would give it a unique look.

This sweater was really challenging to photograph. This is a pretty spot-on representation of the color.

Verdict: I went back and forth on my love for this while knitting it. I started thinking it was going to be too girly, especially with the cables. But as I was finishing the button band, I felt like it had a vintage-y look to it, particularly with the buttons. So, in the end I am really happy with it. The Southwick yarn was a little splitty, but this is a lightweight yarn considering its DK gauge. It's really soft and much lighter than other cottons (or cotton blends) I've worked with, like Touche, Elann Sonata, Tahki Cotton Classic, Cotton Fleece, etc. It held its shape through blocking and hasn't stretched out. I'm not familiar with the characteristics of bamboo, so we will see how it holds up, but I think the bamboo is what gives it the lovely drape.

I chose to knit it in this color because I needed a replacement for a longtime loved pink cardi with 3/4 sleeves that I'd had for many years. It was my favorite summer cardi and one day, it met its end when it got washed with a new pair of jeans that bled all over it (and nothing else in the wash!). I think Something Blushy will be a good replacement.