September 8, 2008
The Birthday Sweater Monster
Well, it's not really a monster. Not quite.
It looks innocent enough, doesn't it? And look at this sleeve - perfectly ordinary, unassuming!
But something - I don't want to call it a "curse" - but definitely something, is lurking behind those innocent loops of Cascade 220. Every single "birthday sweater" I make for my husband - this will be the fourth - has something go wrong. The first one - well, what didn't go wrong? I leave you with this little gem (the second picture has a normal-sized sweater over it for comparison):
The second one turned out pretty well, although I had quite a time with the zipper. And I guess I used slightly thinner yarn than the pattern called for, because the whole thing is much, um, drapier than a man's sweater/jacket thing should be. And it's a bit too long. Plus the bottom edge rolls up, which drives me crazy.
Last year's was the best so far, although the neckline is a little too big* and I think Matt thinks the yarn I used (Peace Fleece) is a bit too scratchy for his tastes. (*He's wearing the same color shirt underneath so you can't really tell)
Anyway - this year's difficulty (knock on wood it's the only one) has been running short of yarn. I was not even being cheap and trying to scrape by with less than the pattern called for. I bought exactly what I was supposed to - even the same brand of yarn! - and I have already run short on the sleeves. I am waiting for a package from a helpful Raveler, and anxiously knitting the front, hoping it doesn't have the same problem!!
Oh well.... this is how we grow as knitters, right?
Posted by zarah at 7:19 PM | Comments (0)
December 28, 2006
Tis better to give...
Enough with all of my presents already!
Did I actually GIVE any presents this year? Or just GET GET GET???
Remember that sneaky little Christmas knitting project I snuck in at the last minute? Well, here's the big reveal: It's Odessa, for my little sis!
Project Details:
Pattern: Odessa, magknits.com, by Grumperina
Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft DK, 1 ball, Size 6 lavender colored beads.
Needle Size: Denise circular needles, size 5 and 6, one set of size 6 DPNs.
Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, knitting in the round, yarnover, slip slip knit, knitting with beads!
Pattern Modifications: I added one inch to the length of the hat before starting the decreases. (Otherwise it looked like a beanie!) I also used a size 5 needle instead of size 4 to knit the ribbing because the Denise set only goes down to size 5.
Time to knit: Less than a week, including ripping back the decreases after discovering the hat was too short
Final impressions: I love this pattern, and everyone thinks the swirly pattern is magical. The beads are nice, too. The pattern gives a very nice description of how to knit them in. Oh - do NOT forget to buy a beading needle when you're getting ready to make this pattern. Those beads will not fit on a tapestry needle, and this yarn will not fit in a regular sewing needle!
My sister's husband likes it, too. =) (please disregard the Kansas shirt. My family is all Mizzou grads and yes, we hold it against him for being a Jayhawk!)
Posted by zarah at 7:19 PM | Comments (10)
November 28, 2006
FO: Gentleman's Fancy Socks
How exciting... I powered through the last part of the second sock and finished my Christmas knitting! (It's SO much easier when you only have one project - I highly recommend it!)
Project Details:
Pattern: Gentleman's Fancy Socks, Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Wool2dye4.com's supersock, handdyed by me - brown and overdyed in green.
Needle Size: Size 1, 5 dpns
Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, knitting in the round, short-row heel decreases.
Pattern Modifications: Changed the gauge for size 1 needles, added the short-row heel, and changed the toe to a star toe (no kitchnering!)
Time to knit: Early October - late November. Not too shabby considering I had several other projects going at the same time!
Final impressions: I think they turned out realy nice - I'm sure my grandpa will like them. I just hope he actually wears them.
I'm not sure what I think about the short row heel - it looks more like a store bought sock, but I'm not sure it fits me as well as the regular heel flap.
Posted by zarah at 6:55 AM | Comments (12)
November 18, 2006
FO: Cambridge Jacket
Project Details:
Pattern: Cambridge Jacket from Interweave Knits, Summer 06.
Yarn: Tess superwash worsted, purchased at Maryland Sheep and Wool earlier this year. (This is awesome yarn. If you're ever at a festival where Tess has a booth - BUY SOME! Get some sock yarn, too!)
Needle Size: Size 6 (umm... I was fooled into thinking this would be a super quick knit, because the pattern calls for size 9 needles. Apparently someone at IK knits really tight, because FOUR gauge swatches later, I finally got gauge with size 6s. Not cool.)
Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, decreases, increases, picking up stitches, seaming, sewing in zipper (yes, I did it myself!), single crochet.
Pattern Modifications: I changed the shoulders to short row shaping and used a three-needle bind-off on the shoulder seams. I also changed the way you increased where the ribbing comes in on the shoulders and back - I like to increase using the "knit through front & back loop" method, which makes a little purl bump on the right side of the work, which is perfect for adding the ribbing.
Time to knit: July 18 - November 5, 2006
Final impressions: Yippee! It's done! And it ACTUALLY FITS. Frickin' amazing. I think the thing I am most proud of on this project is the seaming around the armholes. I actually looked up how to join all the different sections with stitches going in different directions, and it looks really nice.
Posted by zarah at 9:50 AM | Comments (13)
November 17, 2006
Working on it!
I am in negotiations with the recipient of this lovely Cambridge Jacket for a photo shoot. In the meantime, here's the best I can do!
Project Details:
Pattern: Cambridge Jacket from Interweave Knits, Summer 06.
Yarn: Tess superwash worsted, purchased at Maryland Sheep and Wool earlier this year. (This is awesome yarn. If you're ever at a festival where Tess has a booth - BUY SOME! Get some sock yarn, too!)
Needle Size: Size 6 (umm... I was fooled into thinking this would be a super quick knit, because the pattern calls for size 9 needles. Apparently someone at IK knits really tight, because FOUR gauge swatches later, I finally got gauge with size 6s. Not cool.)
Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, decreases, increases, picking up stitches, seaming, sewing in zipper (yes, I did it myself!), single crochet.
Pattern Modifications: I changed the shoulders to short row shaping and used a three-needle bind-off on the shoulder seams. I also changed the way you increased where the ribbing comes in on the shoulders and back - I like to increase using the "knit through front & back loop" method, which makes a little purl bump on the right side of the work, which is perfect for adding the ribbing.
Time to knit: July 18 - November 5, 2006
Final impressions: Yippee! It's done! And it ACTUALLY FITS. Frickin' amazing. I think the thing I am most proud of on this project is the seaming around the armholes. I actually looked up how to join all the different sections with stitches going in different directions, and it looks really nice.
* * * * * * *
In completely unrelated news, my half-marathon is this Sunday!
I've been quite the slacker this week, because the weather has been crappy and my running partner has had to be at work super early. But, I think it will be okay. I've been pretty good about training until now, so I'll just call it a "taper" week.
Send me some good vibes Sunday morning if you're up early!
Posted by zarah at 6:49 AM | Comments (12)
November 15, 2006
Where's the FO?
[Cambridge Jacket not pictured.]
I love to look at my own blog - what was I knitting this time last year? What were all my finished projects from the month of April? Yes, I am a dork.
Anyway, I clicked on the archive category for 2006 finished projects. Have I really not finished anything since September? That can't be right....
No, it's not right. I finished the Cambridge Jacket! Matt got it for his birthday and he really likes it. If I do say so myself, it fits great (although it could stand to be a tiny bit shorter, but still!) I'm still trying to talk him into modeling it for the blog. Keep your fingers crossed!
Posted by zarah at 6:21 PM | Comments (11)
September 13, 2006
A little fall FO
I keep talking about feel stir-crazy with the knitting these days. I like all my projects but they're all BIG... and LONG.... and GREEN! It was just too much. I wanted to start some knee sock for myself, but BIG... and LONG...
Yeah, that's not good. Luckily, the friend I visited in Columbia last weekend has been wanting me to knit a hat for her husband. She bought some yarn at the yarn shop we visited, and voila!
She gave me some basic ideas - we decided on a "preppy looking" cabled hat, and she picked the color. I added the gray trim and made the final design decisions. Normally I don't knit on demand, but this is a really good friend and I can knit hats super fast (compared to everything else I seem to make, that is!)
Do you like my specs? I've actually had bad eyes for a long time, but I normally wear contacts. I think the change in weather is bugging my eyes - plus, while knitting this hat I kept feeling like I was getting little wisps of angora in my eyes (and breathing it in, too!)
Project Details:
Pattern: Just a basic ribbed hat - I stole the cable pattern from the Log Cabin Socks in Handknit Holidays.
Yarn: Elizabeth Lavold Angora, worsted weight, Cherry Red. I love it when someone else buys the yarn! (Also a tiny bit of unknown worsted weight wool in dark gray.)
Needle Size: Size 5, 5 dpns
Skills needed: cast on, changing colors, knit, purl, crossing cables, decreases, knitting in the round, three-needle bind-off for the last few stitches.
Pattern Modifications: I just kinda winged this one. I held it up to another hat that fits well as I knitted, and tried to make them match.
Time to knit: 4 days - don't you just love a quick knit that looks this good?
Final impressions: I'm quite pleased with myself... I love this cable pattern so I'm glad I thought to use it on the hat. I'm a little concerned with how the angora will hold up, but my friend wanted something really soft, so that's what she's getting!
Posted by zarah at 10:21 PM | Comments (15)
August 7, 2006
FO: Trekking
Let's start the week off right - a finished project!
I have decided what my true knitting style is - I'm a stress knitter. I've been working on these same socks off and on for months now. But hosting a dinner party this Saturday - I cranked out the last half of the second sock in no time flat. All the planning, cleaning, cooking, shopping, details.... it makes me crazy. So I knit like crazy.
I finished the toe Sunday morning before church. Here's the skinny:
Pattern: K4, P4 rib, based on the Universal Sock Pattern.
Yarn: Trekking XXL, color unknown (but obviously, the one with all the different colors of blue! This was originally my June Project Spectrum project) One skein with lots left over.
Needle Size: Size 2 metal DPNS
Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, pick up stitches, circular knitting
Pattern Modifications: I pretty much made up the pattern, so no modifications really. Mostly I just use the Universal Sock Pattern to make sure I case on the right number of stitches and turn the heel right!
Time to knit: June 1-August 6
So... what was that dinner party all about? It was our annual Paella Fiesta - we have a huge paella pan that I bought when I lived in Spain, so we have to have lots of people over so they can eat it all! It is saffron-flavored rice with chicken, shrimp, calamari, scallops (we usually do mussels but we couldn't find any), and veggies. Yum yum!
Posted by zarah at 6:17 AM | Comments (7)
July 13, 2006
FO: Carla!
Wow - my first photo shoot out on the town. Springfieldians should be able to guess where I am: outside my favorite south-side coffee hangout, Kaldi's!
Project Details:
Pattern: Carla, It's a Tape Thing by Kim Hargreaves for Rowan
Yarn: Rowan Cotton Tape, 6 skeins (one skein less than recommended - I'm livin' on the edge, baby!)
Needle Size: Size 11 and 13, knitting flat with my Denise circular needle set
Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, yarn over, weird weaving technique on sleeves, cast off, creative seaming
Pattern Modifications: None! I'm not sure if the sleeves were supposed to be 3/4 length, but it's a good thing because I would haev run out of yarn otherwise. I think this is the first knitted item that was long enough on my torse without making modifications. Thanks Miss Hargreaves!
Time to knit: About 2 weeks, including seaming. I really liked the instant gratification of knitting with this thick yarn on big needles.
And now the question.... what to knit next? I think I should swatch for my husband's sweater, but.... merino wool in July?!?!?
Posted by zarah at 6:42 AM | Comments (27)
July 11, 2006
Craft time
My very first sewing project since... 9th grade? Perhaps my mom will stop by the site and remind me. She doesn't comment, but sometimes she sends me email asking me if a particular knitting project is for her!
Anyway, I bought two coordinating upholstery fabrics to make this bag. I like the color combo of purple and green, and they were on super closeout at Hancock Fabrics. The purse is completely reversible, but I like this one best so we'll call it the outside.
I didn't use a pattern, but I did roughly follow this tutorial. (Thanks to whipup for the link.) However, I had a hard time following the instructions and I didn't want two handles (although I would have preferred one that ran the other direction) so it threw the instructions off a bit.
Anyway, here's the other side, nice for those days when you're feeling stripey.
This was a fun first project, but I am looking forward to trying something with a pattern next time. Hopefully the girls over at Sew? I Knit! will pick a good project that I can try out.
Also, for anyone else out there interested in learning more about sewing, Mistress Stash Enhancer recommended a book called Kwik Sew Easy Sewing, which is apparently quite good but also totally 80's. I'm going to keep a lookout at my local bookstores. I can certainly use the help, and it looks like the 80's are coming back into style.... eek. (Step away from the leggings and shoulder pads. They are bad news!)
Posted by zarah at 6:45 AM | Comments (9)
June 27, 2006
Remember the Short Rows?
Remember this little nub of a hat? I worked on it all weekend, and today I finished weaving in the ends! Interestingly enough, the humidity has been way down every since i finished it, but I doubt it will last much longer.
Most of my knitting on this hat was accomplished at Simply Fibers on Saturday, where I met local bloggers Brianne and Lana, and also Brianne's mom, who was buying the prettiest red yarn for Knit & Tonic's Something Red cardi. I also got to see Brianne putting the final touches on her In Full Bloom sweater - click here to see the finished pictures!
Of course, I wouldn't be a good knitblogger if I didn't have a good FO picture for you. Here's the rundown:
Project Details:
Pattern: Short Row Hat by Veronik Avery, available free at Interweave Knits
Yarn: Diakeito Diamusee, about 1 1/2 skeins, color: ummm... not sure, I lost the ball band.
Needle Size: Size 7 straights, metal (Susan Bates - quite possibly the first pair of needles I ever bought)
Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, yarn over, K2tog, ssp, three-needle bind-off, pick up stitches, I-cord
Pattern Modifications: None! The hat is a little poufy at the top, but that might just be because my head is round, not long. (Think Ernie, not Bert!) Oh wait, I did make an accidental modification - I did my decreases wrong on the purl side - you can tell but I actually kind of like the way it looks, sort of like it's stitched together on the outside.
Time to knit: About 5 days. I can usually knit a plain or cabled hat in about two days, so that sounds a bit right considering all the little rows I had to knit!
Final impressions: This is a fun pattern, and a great way to use yarn with long color repeats, they really show up well in the little triangles. It's definitely a "knitter's" pattern - I'm not sure anyone else really appreciates why this hat is as cool as it is.
Posted by zarah at 10:00 PM | Comments (8)
June 22, 2006
It's my anti-humidity hat
Yeah, right. I only wish.
So why am I knitting a wool hat in the middle of summer? I dunno... the yarn is new and wanting to be knit... I can always put it in the Christmas gift stash... cause I want to, that's why! (And having the A/C on doesn't hurt, either!)
I am using the Short-Row Hat pattern that is a free online pattern from Interweave, from the Winter '05 issue. I've wanted to knit it for a while, but never had just the right yarn. This Diakeito is perfect, I think!
But... not everything was perfect. I had knit about halfway through the second wedge of the hat (it's knit horizontally then seamed up the back) when I realized my hat had a certain pointy quality to it. I don't think I need short-row toes on the side of my head! (Maybe you can't tell from the picture, but there are two too many diamonds here, creating a distinctly 3-D effect.) I looked back through the pattern, but I couldn't figure out what went wrong!
Clearly there was not fixing this problem - I had to rip it out. I kept pulling until all the yarn horns were removed.
I figured out where I was in the pattern and started over, being very careful to count my rows. It looks like the second try is a charm! The only thing I can figure out is that I must have been losing my place and repeating sections instead of moving on, giving me more diamonds in the middle of the hat than I needed.
Anyway, I've always been a little scared of short rows because of several bad experiences trying to knit short row toes in socks. But this hat made me realize that I already knew how to do short rows - I do them every time I turn a heel!
Even if I had never done short rows before, I think trying them with larger yarn and larger needles makes it a lot easier to see what i happening and why it works.
This was a good reminder for me - don't be scared of trying new things in knitting. You can always rip it out.
Posted by zarah at 10:20 PM | Comments (5)
June 16, 2006
FO Friday and a bonus!
Woo hoo! One sock down, one to go! (So, yeah, it's almost an FO.) BUt anyway, as I sure it is obvious, this is Trekking XXL yarn in an almost entirely blue colorway. It veers slightly into greenish blue and purpleish blue at places, but I think it's pretty - it will look great with jeans, right? I just used a ribber version of the Universal Sock Pattern, which seems to work pretty well for me most of the time.
(On a totally random note, I'm listening to "Wet Food," the latest episode of the Quirky Nomads podcast, and it is really funny. And I don't even like cats! I don't love every episode, but it's funny a good part of the time, and I really like the short podcast format, usually 10 min. or less.)
In other news, the dyeing bug has bitten again! Of course, I needed to dye a blue skein for Jeanie, my swap pal for this month's Project Spectrum Hand-Dyed Yarn Swap. But I also have some extra yarn to dye for sale at Simply Fibers here in Springfield. I'm still working on a name for the yarn line, any ideas? I think I want to make it sound local rather than generic yarn name or naming it after myself.
The skeins are all dyed and dried now, so I should have re-skeined pictures in a few days.
PS - if you want to join the yarn swap, leave me a comment. If you've been in it for a while and don't want to participate in July, let me know that too. Thanks!
I'm heading off to Holiday Island, Arkansas this weekend for a family reunion, which may include any of the following events from previous reunions: 2-mile race (that's a definite), frog-leg fry, family trivia game (what was your great grandpa's favorite horse's name? I kid you not!), vegan options at every meal, and more! (Let's just say that for one family, we're very... diverse.)
Are you running short on knitting time? Just get yourself a Hobbibot!
Posted by zarah at 6:39 AM | Comments (7)
May 11, 2006
FO: Aegeana
Isn't she lovely? I worked on this during my trip to St. Louis with my friend Emily at the wheel (we were going to run our half-marathon) and during my trip to Washington DC - Lolly witnessed some of the final rounds of ribbing while we knit at Teaism and cringed everytime two little boys a few tables away nearly careened into a koi pond. Hmmm... I think Brenda Dayne's thoughts on "knitting memory" are true - each project is not just stitches, but also all the events that happened while it was being knit.
Project Details:
Pattern: Orangina by Stefanie Japel, available at Glampyre Knits
Yarn: Rowan 4-ply cotton, color: Aegean (about 4 1/2 skeins for 36" size) (If you haven't discovered Janette's Rare Yarns on Ebay yet, she's a great source for Rowan yarns)
Needle Size: Size 3, 24" Addi Natura circular
Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, right and left slanting decreases, yarnover, mattress stitch, cast off
Pattern Modifications: The pattern called for 3" of ribbing at the bottom, I did about 5" (I'm tall).
Time to knit: I think I started knitting this around April 10, and finished it around May 10. Dang! That was fast!
Final impressions: This was a challenging pattern for me at first. I've never really done lace-type knitting before, and the nature of this particular pattern didn't lend itself to stitch markers, so I made a lot of mistakes at first. There's just no fudging it when it comes to lace knitting, it seems. Then I had a gauge problem when I tried to outthink my gauge swatch... unlinke most people, I actually did get gauge on this pattern. Once I finally got going, this knit up very fast, considering the tiny yarn and needles involved. I'm sure going on vacation which involved two full days of travel didn't hurt either. I am happy with the way it fits, and I will probably make this pattern again.
Posted by zarah at 8:54 PM | Comments (14)
April 7, 2006
FO: Stripey Socks
Voila! A finished pair of red & yellow socks for Project Spectrum!
Project Details:
Pattern: Universal Sock Pattern, with an eight stitch pattern - stockinette for 5 sts, seed stitch for 3 sts.
Yarn: Lana Grossa superwash.
Needle Size: Size 2, 5 DPNs
Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, slip stitches, decrease, picking up stitches.
Pattern Modifications: I added my own ribbing pattern to the basic Universal Sock Pattern.
Time to knit: My first post about these socks was March 15... so I'm going to say they took about a month. That is BY FAR the fastest I've ever knit a pair of socks.
Final impressions: Fun & quick-to-knit socks. I got this yarn from my Secret Pal. The socks are for my sister, and she really liked the first sock I did, so hopefully she will get a lot of wear out of them. Probably not until fall, though - it looks like warm weather has moved in to stay.
Posted by zarah at 6:53 AM | Comments (7)
March 23, 2006
Charity knitting strikes again!
This time in the form of two baby hats in two days! (I love quick projects every once in a while... so gratifying.)
Anyhoo, these cute little hats were made using the Children's Cotton Hat design (and slight modifications) from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. It's a great pattern that I have made quite a bit - but I thought the bow might be a little girly, so I added some eyelets instead for the boy's hat.
If you're interested in doing some charity knitting during Lent, go check out Annie's 40 Days for Others project. There's still almost a month until Easter - and you can knit for her charity or for your own local charity.
Posted by zarah at 7:00 AM | Comments (2)
March 17, 2006
FO: Clapotis
I'm smiling, really - the sun is just in my eyes!!!
Here is my Clapotis-inspired scarf making her debut at work. I love the colors - perfect for a spring scarf and also great for a Pisces girl (that's me! My birthday is next Monday!)
Project Details:
Pattern: "Clapotis," available at knitty.com by Kate Gilbert.
For a close-up of the stitch pattern, click here.
Yarn: Mango Moon, 2 skeins (color unknown)
For a pre-knitted view, click link above.
Needle Size: Size 8
Skills needed: cast on, cast off, knit, Knit through back loop, purl, increase, decrease, yarn over, dropping stitches on purpose!
Pattern Modifications: I only did two pattern repeats before starting the straight section of the scarf. I knew I didn't have anywhere near the amount of yarn called for in the pattern, so I decided to play it safe. It was a goof thing - I cut it very close, and I had to sub in some novelty yarn for the fringe.
Time to knit: I started this the night of Simply Fibers' first Knit In - at the end of January. So, I would say it took a little less than 2 months - but it was totally ignored for a large part of that time. (Olympic knitting and all)
Final impressions: Love it! It really suits my style, although it doesn't necessarily go with most of conservative work wardrobe.
Well, I'm heading home this weekend to attend a bridal shower for my sister. I don't see my family very often, so I'm really looking forward to it. See you on Monday! (And go sign up for the hand-dyed yarn swap in yesterday's post, if you're so inclined!)
Posted by zarah at 7:18 AM | Comments (8)
March 9, 2006
Charity knitting is warm & fuzzy
Here's my first contribution to Annie's 40 Days for Others Charity Knitting Project (for Lent). I really enjoyed making these mittens (Super Mittens from Weekend Knits), and I have a lot of bulky wool in the stash, so I might make several pairs. These are the women's medium, and I was able to knit them in two evenings, without any problem.
Isn't the yarn pretty in this pattern? It really shows the variations in the dyeing from handpaintedyarn.com (a great resource for bulky hand-painted yarn, if you're willing to wait for shipping from Uruguay).
I wanted to thank everyone for their concern about my fainting episode. I had a check-up with my regular doctor yesterday and got the all-clear. My head is fine (just some major bruising, but that's a good thing) and apparently I am just prone to fainting. I guess if that's the worst health problem I have, then I can't complain. Thanks again for all your nice comments.
Oh - I know someone will ask - the background for this photo is the log cabin quilt I am slowly but surely making with scraps from all my knitting projects. It's about 2 feet square right now. I had it out because I was adding on a few strips from recently finished projects. I love this quilt already - it's like a knitting scrapbook!
Posted by zarah at 7:48 AM | Comments (4)
March 7, 2006
FO: Cutaway
Wow. My first sweater. It certainly isn't perfect, but I like it pretty well. I looooove the color (I promise never to wear it in public with this turquoise t-shirt! So "Totally 80's")
Project Details:
Pattern: "Cutaway," available at chicknits.com by Bonne Marie Burns.
Yarn: Queensland Collection, Kathamandu DK Tweed, Color 417, 8 skeins
Needle Size: Size 5 & size 3 (for the ribbing)
Skills needed: cast on, cast off (preferably stretchy cast-off), knit, purl, increase, decrease, picking up stitches, making a buttonhole, mattress stitch, and other seaming techniques.
Pattern Modifications: I added an inch to the length of the sweater. It was still very short after knitting, but I wet-blocked it to where I wanted it to be.
Time to knit: Back of sweater - 2 days, during Christmas break. Rest of sweater - 16 days of the Olympics plus about 3 days of seaming.
Final impressions: Like I said, I like it, but...... The sleeves seem overly roomy to me. I wanted them long, but they are also pretty big - actually, it's really comfortable, just different than most sweaters I have that are more fitted. What do you think?
Lucy likes my new sweater, too! IMG_0575.JPG
Originally uploaded by kerner.
Posted by zarah at 8:44 PM | Comments (12)
February 17, 2006
More FOs! Conwy possum hat
Whew! I've been finishing lots of little projects around here lately. But don't worry, that won't stop me from achieving my Olympic goals: knitting a One Skein Wonder for my exchange with Jeannine and finishing my Cutaway sweater!
Do you remember this yarn? It first made its debut on this blog about 5 months ago -- it's the possum yarn I bought in the sale bin at Simply Fibers. (It's actually mostly superwash wool, but the possum fiber makes it softer and also gives it that halo effect.) Possum yarn sounds nasty, but it's actually really nice stuff.
I tried to knit socks for my husband out of this yarn, but I didn't use a pattern and they turned out to be way big and baggy.
So apparently while I had the flu I had a lucid moment and decided that this yarn should be a hat.
Pattern: My own made up hat pattern, based on the twining cable from the Conwy socks in Knitting on the Road, by Nancy Bush.
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supermerino in Java, just over 1 skein
Needle Size: Size 6, 5 DPNs
Skills needed: knit, purl, twining cable, decreases
Pattern Modifications: I made up this hat pattern myself, using the 6-stitch pattern repeat from Conwy. I had four pattern repeats on each of 4 DPNs, so I guess that means I casted on 96 stitches to start, knit even for about 5-6 inches, then started decreasing.
Time to knit: One and a half days
Final impressions: Groovy. This yarn was meant to become this hat. Plus, I haven't done much knitting for my husband that has turned out well, so I'm glad I was able to make him something nice. (He has been wearing the first hat I ever made, with its twisted purl stitches and all.)
Posted by zarah at 10:30 AM | Comments (4)
February 16, 2006
FO: Picovoli
I actually finished this about a week and a half ago, but I've been too sick to feel like posing for a picture. I'm feeling much better now, so here you go!
Project Details:
Pattern: "Picovoli," Magknits.com by Grumperina
Yarn: KnitPicks Shine in Orchid, 5 skeins
Needle Size: Size 4, 24" circular
Skills needed: knit, purl, increase, decrease, casting on additional stitches during knitting (cable cast-on or knitted cast-on)
Pattern Modifications: I knit the top a little longer than called for, and added one additional increase at the waist.
Time to knit: About a month and a half
Final impressions: I'm really happy with the way this project turned out. It fits great and it's very wearable -- I've already used it as a shell underneath a suit for work. I will probably knit it again in another color, maybe as a gift for my sister or mom.
Posted by zarah at 7:11 AM | Comments (9)
February 10, 2006
FO: Conwy Socks
Well, I guess sick days are good for something! In between naps and doses of cold medicine, I finished Conwy the Second!
Thank you all so much for all your well-wishes. You guys are so great! I never knew how generous people could be until I started blogging.
Okay, enough with the sappy stuff... I give you: Conwy!
Post here
Project Details:
Pattern: "Conwy," Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, 1 1/2 skeins
Needle Size: 1 DPNs
Skills needed: knit, purl, "twining cable," picking up stitches, decrease (k2tog & ssk)
Pattern Modifications: None. The pattern didn't specify how long to knit the foot, except that it should be 2 inches shorter than your own foot before the decreases begin. I knit for 7 inches before the decreases (I wear a size 8 1/2).
Time to knit: Approx. 1 month
Final impressions: I've had Knitting on the Road for a while, but this is the first pattern I have knit from it. I really loved it -- intersting without being too challenging. I did have some problems with the twining cable on my first sock, and I learned that it can be quite tricky to rip back when there are cables involved. This was my first "really small needles" project. I guess I'm just starting to knit faster, because this really didn't seem to take too long, compared with other projects I have done.
The socks fit like a dream and are super-comfortable. Perfect for my Birkenstock clogs!
Posted by zarah at 10:00 AM | Comments (3)
January 13, 2006
Big sweater
Some of my long-time readers might remember this sweater. It's the first sweater I've ever made, and it was pretty much a disaster from the beginning. The worst part, though, was the extreme stretchy-ness of the yarn. What looked like a normal sized sweater could stretch to hold three adults. I tried to salvage it, but nothing was working. Finally I decided that the awesome power of felting might just save it. After all, if the wool fibers locked together, then the stretchy fibers wouldn't be able to stretch. (The yarn is Merino Stretch by Schoeller + Stahl, for those who are wondering.) Well, turns out my theory was right -- it's not stretchy anymore. But there are some other major problems. For example, do you see a proportion problem? This sweater is now basically a belly shirt for an extremely large man with monkey arms. Apparently when knitted fabric felts, it shrinks more vertically than horizontally. Now I know!
As you can see, the sweater is also now very LARGE. Here it is compared to a store-bought sweater that fits my husband. It seems a bit strange that felting a sweater would cause it to grow, but I think it must have something to do with the fact that it's ribbed, and felting made the fabric lie flat instead of scrunch up with ribbing.
I'm not really mad at this sweater anymore, because it's just been laying bunched up in my knitting basket for quite a while. Now, I just have a good story for my first sweater. Any ideas on what I should do with this monstrosity?
Posted by zarah at 1:13 PM
January 9, 2006
Priceless
One skein Cascade 220 from your local LYS: $7.50
One pair Susan Bates needles, size 6: $2.13
Designing your own cable pattern: 2 hours
One happy Christmas gift recipient: PRICELESS!
Turns out all that stress over Christmas knitting is totally worth it -- Grandma LOVED her scarf!
Posted by zarah at 3:26 PM | Comments (5)