terra

Pattern: my own

Yarn: The Fibre Company Terra in 'Shale' (40% baby alpaca, 40% wool, 20% silk)

Needles: 7.5mm

As I found my last post somewhat depressing, I thought I would show something happier. Thanks for your thoughts on the pink sweater. I'm going to put that project in a time out until I decide what I'm doing. I have many projects going right now that are taking awhile (yes. I know that the first of those things results in the second) and some have their 'issues', so I needed some instant gratification for a change.

I found this wonderful yarn the other day and decided to see what I could make with only two skeins. I've mentioned before my dislike for chills in my neck region and I've had the habit lately of wearing lightweight scarfs/shawls indoors, so I'm putting together a collection of such accessories.

I used 7.5mm needles for a super drapey feel, cast on 26 sts and sat in front of the tv for some completely mindless stockinette. I stopped when I was almost done the second skein and it wrapped around my neck twice. Then I bound off, seamed the two ends together and then seamed the whole thing into a tube. All ends hidden, no need to block and no need to tie together when worn. I wanted a simple way to showcase this soft and textural yarn and this is perfect.

shiraz

Pattern: Shiraz by Thea Colman

Yarn: Knitpicks Swish worsted in 'Dublin'

You may recall I was testknitting a lovely sweater back in July - here it is! Thea has released another fabulous and totally wearable design. Last week it cooled down enough (momentarily) for me to actually wear it and it was super comfy. Now the heat's back, so it will have to wait.

My Shadow cardigan pattern is back from the tech editor - please let me know if you're up for testknitting. Do not fear the steek! It's easy as pie and I'll walk you through it.

Edited to add: I have enough test knitters for the Shadow cardigan now. Thanks for your help!!

Hope you're enjoying these last days of summer.

Shadow

Pattern: my own

Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts BFL Sport in colorway 'Shadow'

Needles: 3.75mm and 3.25mm

The black blob of the previous post is now done. It's a raglan shouldered top-down cardigan knit in the round, with a steeked front opening. The cuffs have a turned hem and the front opening has an attached i-cord edging with button loops. Some waist shaping achieved with 2" of ribbing.

Despite the heat, this was an extremely enjoyable knit. Sitting right next to the air conditioner helped. It went really fast, as it's all right-side stockinette and it was great to be able to try it on as I went. I made this one with zero ease (36"), as Amy is often saying zero ease in the bust is a good thing. I frequently default to +2" or more; maybe it's my mid-80's grunge highschool self talking there.

I am so pumped/pimped for fall. Happy weekend.

Cabled-Sweater-Backs-R-Us

Here's another sweater I have only completed the back of. If anyone out there has no problem whatsoever doing sleeves, fronts, collars, seaming, buttons, etc. of their sweaters but has an irrational fear or loathing concerning the back piece, give me a call. It seems to be as far as I'm getting with several sweaters I've started for myself lately.

The problem is related more to my sudden panic this week that I had not yet started any projects for Christmas. So I left the sweater of the previous post to pursue that. I also have a hang-up about working solely on something for me and not other people. I realize this may not be healthy. Also, with the one above in particular, my hands need a break after dealing with bulky yarn, so I switch to other things. This is my excuse, anyway. But I do have several projects nearing completion I'll post about soon.

Have a happy, spooky Halloween!

my current obsession

From the minute I first saw Lucy's original version of Lillian about 6 months ago I anxiously waited for her to write up the pattern and share it with the rest of us. Then the happy day finally came a few weeks ago and I promptly stole the yarn I'd reserved for another sweater (sorry Monday Morning cardi! I'll get back to you) and cast on.

I love this sweater. All I want to do is knit this sweater. I wish I had nothing else to do but knit this sweater from this minute on until it is done. Sigh.

stopgap

Pattern: #10 Cabled Cap by Suvi Simola

published in Vogue Knitting Fall 2009

Yarn: Malabrigo worsted in Verde adriana (117)

I am so in love with Suvi's designs and want to make Everything. Right. Now. Especially this. But I can't at this very moment because I have WAY too many things under construction or planned to be shortly. So I grabbed the squooshiest stuff I had and quickly made this. I love these cables.

Now we're off for a last frolic at the beach before school starts, music lessons, soccer playoffs, hockey season, cold weather.......have a great long weekend!

camping shirt

Pattern: Raglan Leaf T-Shirt by Melissa LaBarre

Yarn: Sublime Soya Cotton DK

Technically, there was no wearing of this whilst camping, only knitting of it, but it was a great on-the-road project. Getting wonderful loot from awesome Melissa reminded me that I had wanted to make this top for awhile now. I totally LOVE it. I love anything involving leaves, no seams, and top-down. This yarn is great, too. Bought from Mona at Wolseley Wardrobe.

My spinning wheel has been very distracting since I got home (more on this later), but I sat on my porch today and finished this up because I was dying to wear it. Go! Make one, too!

YO! it's a FO!

Pattern: Central Park Hoodie by Heather Lodinsky

Yarn: Knitpicks Swish worsted in Indigo Heather

I cast on for this one at the lake last summer. It's dragged on and been dragged out once in a while since then. I decided last week to finish once and for all, cause this is really a pretty mindless project and it basically knits itself. Why it didn't just finish knitting itself in the cupboard over the winter I don't know. Sweaters can be lazy, I guess.

I'm somewhat undecided about buttons. I have some wooden ones I might use. It's warm out now, anyway, so I won't be wearing it every day for awhile. Sorry about the wonky photos. I got both guys in my house to take a shot at it but they got bored, plus my camera is terrible. I'm researching a new one.

Anyway, I think I like this sweater and will wear it a lot. It's cozy. It's purple. I just realized the hood looks weirdly shaped. It's just folded a bit. (Or maybe it's my hat-related curse).

may is for mitts

By funny coincidence, both Andrea and I read the May chapter in Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac at the same time a few weeks ago in which she advocates knitting mittens in May because if you knit them when you actually need them you might scrimp on the length of cuff or something because you're in a rush and you're cold and because, as a project, they're nice and small and won't be a big hot lump on your lap if you're knitting outside in warm weather. Anyway, Andrea had the great idea to have a mitts knit-a-long.

I have a few mitts on the go that are more complicated and slower than these, but I decided May should also be for more FOs (finished objects) and fewer UFOs, and these had been 80% done since about February, so I dug them out.

Pattern: Hermione Cable-and-Bobble Mittens (and Hat) by Lauren Kent

Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Arctic Pool Heather

I am completely in love with these. They are probably (sadly) the best-fitting things I've ever made for myself. This mitt fits like a glove ;). The wonderfully long cuffs will serve me well in the -40 chill 6 months from now. The hat is just OK. I've worn it twice and blocked it 3 times now and am still not convinced it won't continue to inch its way towards the top of my head while I'm wearing it, resulting in uncovered ears and an empty conehead on top, but we'll see. Maybe I just have a weirdly shaped noggin.

scarf

Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf by Veronik Avery

Yarn: Fiddlesticks Lace Sensation in teal

This raw silk yarn is wonderful to work with. The popularity of this pattern says it all. 3420 Ravelers can't all be wrong.

ishbel

Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Denim

There is nothing I don't absolutely love about this. I love Ysolda and everything she dreams up. I love this yarn and its colour. I love that the lace pattern totally kicked my butt last week when I had a cold and wasn't able to concentrate and by missing one stitch that threw everything off but I didn't quite believe I had been thrown off and mis-counted the same 300 stitches 3 times and then had to tediously tink back 4 rows and it took me 2 hours to get back to where I'd been.....I love that about it, in retrospect. It's nice to have to think carefully about something once in a while.

February in March

Pattern: February Lady Sweater, adapted from Elizabeth Zimmermann's February Baby Sweater by Pamela Wynne
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Blue Graphite

I believe this is the only pattern for which I will ever qualify as a size XS. It was rather thrilling. Both the original baby sized version of this pattern and Pamela's grown-up size are extremely popular, and for good reason. This style is great, the pattern repeat is easily memorized and it's top-down so you can make the body and sleeves as long as you like.

I had this one planned for months and what pushed me to start and finish it in the last 2 weeks was a knit-a-long for this pattern in the Malabrigo Junkies group on Ravelry. Malabrigo is wonderfully soft, though I know being a single-ply, lightly spun merino it will pill. The dark colour of this one noticably picks up lint/crumbs/ anything within 10' also, so I think I may make it again sometime in a smoother, more tightly spun yarn.