Plan B - Updated

Despite a valiant effort to make it work, the Knitpicks Bulky Swish is being given the heav-ho.  As Maria stated in the comments, life is too short to knit with yarn you do not like.

The Swish, despite its advertising, is not thick enough to be true bulky-weight yarn.  I have found this regarding all four of the knitpicks yarn I have tried, it is all a tad bit skimpy for the weight it is supposed to be.  In addition, the Swish feels much like acrylic.  There are a host of other complaints, but I shall leave it at that and if anyone would like to experience this first hand, please shout out and I shall happily ship it off to you.  I have10 skeins =1370.0 yards of Swish Bulky in Cypress:

Now that that business has been taken care of, I have moved on and decided the husband really is a great guy and deserves yarn I would use for myself.  I have 10 skeins on Malabrigo in Marine, a deep dark blue that would look wonderful on the man.  So, I went back to the drawing board and came up with another Norah Gaughan pattern called Beagle.

While I have barely started, I am well pleased.  There is nothing like Malabrigo!

As is my wont, I am modifying the pattern and knitting this one in the round.  I laugh as I work on it because I have used just about every stitch marker I have for the different sections.

There was only one thing, the pattern called for 2170 yards and I only had 2160 yards of Malabrigo.  While I know there is some padding in estimating yardage, I wanted to make sure.  Yesterday, I ran over to The Knitting Nest because I needed a 32" size 7 pair of Addi circulars for the project and she just happened to have more Malabrigo in Marine, so I picked up an insurance hank.  Yay!  (Further proof, of course, that this was the correct decision.)

While I was there, I looked over the other shades of Malabrigo as I was considering making one of these:

The pattern is Ingenue from Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits.

My thought was I would love to make this for Sweet One, but was unsure whether she would actually like it.  I decided to go ahead and pick up 5 skeins of Bobby Blue Malabrigo and whip it out (don't laugh).

As an aside, I was torn between an orangey-red and this blue color.  Wee One was with me and I turned to her and asked:  "Which of these do you think your sister would like better?"

Without as much as second thought, she glanced at the yarns I proffered and immediately responded:  "Blue.  She wears a lot of blue."

And that was that.

Here's the yarn, as soon as I got home last night, I cast on:

I love it!

I called Sweet One on the way home, after I bought the yarn.

Me:  "I am going to make you a sweater, would you prefer it in an orangey-red or a blue?"

Sweet One:  "As I have a lot of blue in my wardrobe, I think I like blue better, but what if I don't like the sweater pattern?"

Me:  "Well, Aunt Rosemarie may be joining us for Christmas.  If you don't like it, I will give it to her because it will look fab."

Sweet One:  "And if I like it?"

Me:  "Then I will immediately cast on and make her one, too.  I really like this sweater.  It is Audrey Hepburn-esque."

So, I do think my ambition will be the absolute death of me, but I will keep you posted.

Happy Knitting!

UPDATED:  The KnitPicks yarn has found a new home!

and Done!

Same pattern as in the previous post, but the yarn is Knit Picks Elegance in Jay.  The yarn is incredibly soft, but I have decided I am just not a Knit Picks fan.  Not.at.all.  I regret buying Knit Picks yarn for the husband's Christmas sweater, but I shall use it anyway.

The chair does not do much for the waist shaping, but the second Christmas sweater is officially complete!  I am half-way there.

Yay!

Wee One's sweater is on the needles, but I cannot work on it while she is around and the husband's sweater is nothing more than a pattern and wound balls of yarn; however, it is not yet October and I think I can do it.

How about another Yay?!

Yay!

Done

Pattern:  Arzote by Berroco

Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy in In Vino Veritas

Modifications: Omitted the pocket, knit in the round, afterthought sleeves, rather than set-in, and added 2 1/2 inches to the length.

This is one of my favorite yarns.  While I love the hand of Malabrigo, the ease of superwash in Classy's wonderful array of colors is hard to beat, especially when making gifts for others.

As to the pattern, it is simple and straight-forward.  I have cast-on for a third pullover, this one for me!

Sweet One will be home from school next week and I will have her model her grandmother's Christmas sweater for us!

In the meantime, I am close to finishing the dark blue Arzote which, of course, will be Sweet One's Christmas sweater.  Ha!

New stuff

I got home yesterday and found this in my mailbox! (of course, they came in an envelope, but I didn't photograph that.)

I've been wanting to knit a Baby Surprise Jacket for at least a year.

I guess I fell in love with Jared Flood’s BSJs – beautiful yarn and kick-ass photos will do it every time. From what I’ve heard, it’s an ingenious design but an easy knit.

Day before yesterday, THIS was in my mailbox:

I wonder if someone's trying to tell me something...

And the week before that, THIS bejeweled little jewel was in my mailbox!

Oh, yeah...

Talk about soft...

Then these two beauties arrived at my office on Thursday:

It was a bit disappointing that they smelled like smoke; but it wasn’t TOO bad and they are airing out okay.

Thursday afternoon, after letting a doctor go to town on me, slicing off bits of unwanted skin, I stopped by a fabric store that I don’t get by very often, and these two fabrics said they’d like to go home with me and become a little girl’s dress. I think I could make that happen. A simple dress with a lacy little sweater, yes?

I can't think of a better way to usher in the Fall, can you?

What is it about me and sleeves?

Above are both Arzote sweaters I have been working on. The deep blue one is for Sweet One and the red one is for mom.

I have already completed the left sleeve on the blue one twice and ripped it out twice. My math was off both times and it came out too large.

Rather than completely wear out the blue yarn because I have only just enough to finish, I opted to work on the red sleeve.

I think my math is finally correct and I have made copious notes.

As the blue is a Christmas gift, when Sweet One returns home from college next week, I will have her try her grandmother's red one on for fit (they are both the same size, mom's is just a bit longer).

In other news, I love my Malabrigo in Simply Taupe:



It is destined to become the Tivoli Eileen Tee, although I plan to make long sleeves:



My gauge is spot on and I so love this yarn!

Just need to finish the sleeves on the top two sweaters, then two more to go for Christmas gifts...

I am actually feeling pretty good about it, as it is still only September!

Delightful Surprise

Lately, I have been on the hunt for v-neck sweaters for my own personal wardrobe. I had several store bought ones that I loved, but they were lost in a house fire and I have not found any with which to replace them. Now that I have taken up knitting, the search has been for patterns.

A few weeks ago I noticed a new pattern floating about on Ravelry from Mission Falls called Aspen:



While not wild about the color work on the sleeves, I liked the overall simplicity of the design.

A little research on Ravelry showed this pattern was for sale by Mission Falls in a booklet entitled Duet. There were four designs uploaded to Ravelry and, as I assumed, there were only four patterns.

Imagine my surprise when I received my order and there were a dozen designs, especially as several more jumped out at me:











Now I realize the two-tone teal of Gabriella is not v-neck, but the vertical ribbing is very nice and I like the subdued colorwork.

The blue vest could easily be converted to a sweater with afterthought sleeves and even a bit of cabling running down the center of each of them.

The purple jacket would look nice over black slacks or a skirt.

I love the neckline of the last one. The different shades are nice, but even in one color, it would be lovely.

Oh, yes, I am seeing endless possibilities.

Gothik Rose

My oldest WIP is finally finished.

Pattern: Gothik
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in Gothic Rose

Speaking of converting vests to sweaters...

Interweave Knits sent me an email this morning with several free patterns out of one of their current specialty magazines called Interweave Knits Weekend.

The pattern is Valkyrie Vest (click that link to download).



The sizes stated are from 27 - 40 1/2" bust circumference.

According to the pattern, the vest shown measures 31 1/2" bust modeled with about 10 1/2" negative ease at the bust and some positive ease at the hip.

I understand what positive and negative ease are, but it still concerns me. The only thing I can think is that with the ribbing, the sweater shrivels up when not worn.

With the "afterthought" sleeve formula I discussed in the previous post, I think I can add some of that diagonal ribbing to form a vee pattern at the top of the sleeves.

I already know what yarn I am using, that bag of Malabrigo in Sealing Wax:



The only thing I am concerned about, I am bust heavy, but narrow through the hips. I really do not need a lot of extra positive ease through the hips, so I need to sit down and alter the pattern to accommodate me. With all the Christmas knitting going on, I actually think I have some time to decide.

Any thoughts?

Just a little knitting

Actually, quite a bit of knitting, just nothing finished.

First of all, I cast on the other day for Sweet One's Christmas sweater. The pattern is a simple v-neck style from Berroco called Arzote.

There are only a few modifications that I am making, I am knitting it in the round, omitting a breast pocket and instead of short sleeves, I want to make them longer; however, rather than re-chart the design, I am using Wendy Bernard's afterthought sleeve formula from her book Custom Knits.

Now, I have to admit, when I first bought the book I was disappointed in the patterns; however, since my knitting has improved, it has proved to be an invaluable tool as I gain the courage to modify things to suit me and my tastes.

The afterthought sleeves are picked up from the arm hole and short rows are implemented to create the sleeve cap. It is ingenious. This allows one to choose the length and style of the sleeve, rather than being committed to the pattern as instructed.

This has opened my eyes to a wealth of possibilities. I see a lot of vests with v-neck or square necklines that I really like, but I do not wear vests, ever. With this approach, I have found a few that can be modified with sleeves to suit me. Yay!

In any event, I finished the body of Sweet One's Arzote and almost finished one sleeve, but was unhappy with my execution with two circular needles. I decided to rip it out and order a 16" needle to accommodate me better. Thus, it would be completed by now, but I am still waiting on my needles to arrive.

Instead, I decided to cast on the same sweater for dear old mom; however, knowing her, I opted to add a bit of length to it. Mom's sweater is in the red In Vino Veritas from Dream in Color Classy. Sweet One's is in a deep blue-purple in Knit Picks Elegance.

Here is a grouping with the large shot representing the original pattern:




(If you click on the mosaic, it gets bigger.)

The pattern called for worsted weight, but I used dk for Sweet One and got gauge, although it did change the drape of the sweater. Mom's is in worsted and is already making a stiffer sweater. I think they will both be lovely.

As far as office knitting during lunch goes, Wee One's Tribeca is coming right along. The yarn actually makes me smile.

Here is a triptych showing the original design, the test knit I did for Woolgirl, and the progress so far on Wee's sweater:



My purse knitting is actually a pair of mittens for Wee One, probably a birthday gift for her.



Lastly, I have a pair of basic socks on the needles for Susan. When I asked what she would like for Christmas, she laughed and said: "Socks! I only have one pair and I need more. I love these."

Susan's enthusiasm and joy for the things I have knitted for her genuinely warms my heart. So, socks she shall receive.



For those keeping score, I have already completed two gift sweaters and cast on for three of the four sweaters to be unwrapped for the family Christmas morning. The last sweater is for the husband. I have already wound the yarn and swatched, but not yet cast on. I want to finish both Mom's sweater, as well as Sweet One's before I begin his, but it is still September!

This makes me hopeful I may actually get it done as there are other gifts, like hats and more socks that I would like to make.

I even have my eye on a sweater for me to be done by Christmas, but that may be pushing it.

My gift to myself this year will be a photo of my darling family all wearing their sweaters on Christmas day.

I know, I am such a goober.

Before I forget, I actually learned how to sew in a zipper. I completed the finishing on Wee One's hoodie!



As you can see, Wee was less than pleased to model for me, but I think she looks adorable. With the recent rain, my roses have begun to come back again.

So, anyone else doing any knitting out there?

Christmas knitting underway

Mom's B-day sweater: CHECK!

Pattern: Ski Lodge Scoop from Twelve Months of Knitting (heavily modified as I increased the overall length, length of the bodice, widened the scoop, and knit it in the round)

Yarn: Peru Naturtex Partners Pakucho Organic Cotton in Sage, but it looks like stone.

This was the second time I used this pattern, but the first time in cotton. While it looks huge in the picture, I made the size 34 for my mother and my measurements are spot on. In the future, I will have to make sure when knitting with cotton, I choose a design with a tighter gauge. I have the feeling this one will grow considerably, although I hope I am wrong.

Mom's birthday is not until October 19th, so I have to wait a while to see whether she actually likes it, even though it was knitted to her specifications...

If anyone is looking to ease into sweater making, this might be the way to go. I started it on a Saturday night and finished it on a Tuesday night.

It would be very easy to add sleeves to this, as well.

That Wee Imp

Yesterday afternoon the husband and the wee child were on the internet looking at guitars. Wee One has decided she would much like to play. Both the husband and Sweet One play guitar.

After they were finished, but while she was still sitting on her father's lap, Wee decided to zip on over to Ravelry. She poked around for a minute or two, then the husband came trotting into the bedroom where I was happily ensconced on my sofa, knitting.

Husband: "You have a knitting blog?"

Me: "Yes, I sent you the link many months ago."

He stood for several seconds, searching his brain, then responded, "Yeah, I think I remember you mentioning it, I just didn't realize you were still blogging at all."

Me: "Stay off that site, there are things there you shouldn't see."

Husband: "Knitting?"

Me: "Of course."

Smiling, he happily conceded as he returned to the living room.

Later than evening, Wee One came to visit with me and promptly got on my computer. I could see she was on Ravelry again.

Me: "What are you doing?

Wee: "Checking out your projects."

Me: "Why?"

Wee: "I want to know what you are knitting for me."

So much for the best laid plans...

19,430

Would you believe thus far in 2009 I have actually knit 19,430 yards of yarn?

That is over eleven miles.

Egads!

Another gift sweater is now complete.

There were no models available and I simply did the best I could. Hopefully, once this is gifted, the recipient will agree to a little photo shoot...



Pattern: Nottingham
Yarn: Classic Elite Montera in Lavender

A Lot of Knitting

August must have been the month for knitting. In addition to the sweater in the previous post, I finished up the denim hoodie vest for Wee One.

I say it is finished, but I still need to acquire and sew in a zipper for her. As we are still in a heat-wave drought, I think I have time.

Here are a couple of shots, even though my model was reticent, at best:






Pattern: Heather Hoodie Vest, KnitScene Magazine, Fall 2009
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cotton Denim Aran (discontinued), held double

In other news, I have been doing a bit of test knitting for Woolgirl.

A few weeks ago she sent me a skein of sock yarn and asked me to come up with something for a cupcake kit she was putting together. She specifically asked for a basic sock design.

The yarn was lovely, although the colors were a bit too bright for me. I added the baubles for just a touch of whimsy.







Pattern: My own
Yarn: Dashing Dachs Superwash Merino Sport

Woolgirl next sent me some Dream in Color, a skein in bulky called Groovy and a skein in worsted named Classy. She asked for a pair of hats.

It took me about a day to knock out both of these. Note: I made these in an adult large size and they are way too big for Wee One, but she modeled anyway.



Yarn: Dream in Color Groovy, Cocoa Kiss
Pattern: Cozy Cabled Toque



Yarn: Dream in Color Classy, In Vino Veritas
Pattern: Claudia

While I failed to capture a picture of it, the cool thing about the Claudia hat is that it looks equally good inside-out, too.

At the moment, I just cast on the sleeves of a sweater I started in June. Here's a snippet.



I hope to have the sleeves completed by the end of the long weekend.

Next on tap will be a cotton sweater for my mother's birthday. I also hope to finish that Gothik Scarf I started last fall.

Stay tuned!

Photo Shoot

Even though I have yet to knit the husband a sweater, he was willing to brave 100 degree weather to don the infamous sweater before I wrapped it up and shipped it off to the Middle East.

While the recipient is several inches shorter than the husband, he has a broader chest. I think the sweater will be the perfect width and length, unfortunately, the sleeves will be far too long.

Even though it only took me eighteen days to knit from start to finish, it was hard to do, not because of the pattern. This was a wonderful pattern, that is just a tremendous amount of knitting. In all, I used over 2,000 yards.









Pattern: Leo
Yarn: Miss Bab's Yowza worsted in Bronze.