Quick Update

Thank you for the kind comments on the sweater from my last post. Chris was indeed very happy to receive it, and well, I'm awfully happy to have it off the needles. It even fit really well.

Tonight, you get a disjointed update on four different projects.

First off, another Trellis baby cardigan. The first one that I made for an expectant mom was a huge hit, so I thought I'd make another to stash away for, well, whoever has the next boy. Alas, my adorable pink and purple JoJo cardigan is still awaiting a new owner, as everyone in my circle of family, friends, and even colleagues seems determined to populate the world with baby boys lately. Nothing against boys - I love my nephews to pieces - it would just be nice to knit something frilly once in a while, ya know?

Trellis, from knitty.com, size 6 months. Knit in Lion Brand CottonEase, on size 3.75 and 4.5 mm circulars.

Anyhow, given that my friends and colleagues are reproducing in record numbers, it seems prudent to have some suitable baby gifts stashed. And Trellis is such a fun pattern to knit! Using only two balls of CottonEase for the smallest size, it's a really reasonable investment in yarn and time. This time around I adapted the pattern to eliminate the side seams, knitting the back and fronts in one piece up to the armholes. This was surprisingly simple to do, and didn't even require me to think about math much.

Also on the needles at the moment is another pair of plain worsted weight men's socks. None of the men in my family can get enough socks, so I just keep knitting them. At least on 4 mm needles, they go quickly, and they make for good senseless knitting in the car.

And then there's my Ivy League vest. Still chugging along - I'm just starting the neck steek. My first steek!

And the latest quilt project? It's a double nine-patch, from an old quilting magazine. The pattern is called "Box of Chocolates", and if you squint, you can see why.


Those are the first 11 of 42 squares, so you can bet it will be a while before you see this one on a finished state! My quilting projects normally run on a scale of years, although I think that my latest productive streak may have a lot to do with the fact that I now have a dedicated studio space, and I don't need to clean everything up and put the sewing machine away between sessions. The colours aren't showing up very well in this photo, but it's all pinks, browns, and beiges. Pink is not normally a colour I go for, but I really like the combination with the brown. The sample in the magazine is absolutely gorgeous.

That's all that my tired brain can manage tonight. It's already a very busy week, and it's only Monday yet. Time for bed.

Proof Positive...

...that I haven't forgotten how to knit.

"Country Casual" from the ca. 1980's Patons booklet Knitting in the Round. Knit in Patons Decor, on 3.75 and 4.5 mm circular needles. Size 40" men's.

I finished this sweater for my brother, Chris, this evening. It's a bottom-up seamless pattern. This project has a bit of a story.

Back around last Christmas, my mom found a pair of matching sweaters she had stored away that my grandmother had knit many years ago. One was an adult size for my dad, and the matching child-sized one had been made for my older brother.

We tried the small one on his son (my oldest nephew, now four and a half), and though he still has a bit of room to grow, it will soon fit him. Sadly, the adult sweater was too small for both Chris and Dad, but we got kind of reminiscent, and Chris really liked the idea of a yoked pullover. A bit retro, nice and warm, a memory of childhood.

Luckily, one of my aunts, who lived with my grandmother and has never been known to throw out a pattern, managed to dig out the original pattern booklet. It's an old Patons booklet, complete with awful 1980's hairstyles. I remember that these yoked sweaters were extremely popular when I was a kid. Just about everybody at school wore one that their grandmother had made.

Happy to be able to make something that my brother wanted, I lucked into a half-price sale at Michaels after Christmas. He definitely wanted something hard wearing and washable, so Decor fit the bill quite well, while still keeping me happy with some wool content. Chris chose different colours (the original sweater was light grey with burgudy and black patterning), and a different geometric pattern than one that it was meant to replicate, but I think that this makes it even more modern and highly wearable.

Since Chris probably won't pose for a picture, Nick tried it on for me. (Obviously his arms are shorter!)


I get to present the finished project tomorrow evening and I can't wait to see him wear it. Chris likes to tease me when I'm knitting by calling me "Stella", my late grandmother's name, since she was also an incessant knitter. My response is always the same: "Tease away - you're comparing me to a good woman!"

Birthday socks

Finally finished, and not a moment too soon! These socks have been a while coming, and I need to get them in the mail today for my sister-in-law's birthday.


Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, colourway Bucks Bar
Needles: 2.25 mm bamboo dpns
Pattern: toe-up, loosely based on Widdershins from Knitty.

I basically followed the patten for the heel and toe methods, but increased the numer of stitches to 76 (which required a bit of number-juggling to figure out the heel proportions), and added the cable rib pattern on the leg. I do love little 2-stitch cables. Oh, and I used the stretchy sewn bind-off, with instructions here.


This is my first time knitting with Lorna's yarn, and now I understand why it is so popular. It's such a lovely, springy texture and the gauge suits my preferences nicely. The yardage is also great. These are pretty big socks, and I had lots left over. I could certinly get a pair of men's socks out of two skeins. I will definitely buy it again.

It's also my first toe-up pair, and while I no longer feel intimidated by it, I don't think that this is going to become my favourite method. It just doesn't feel natural to me, as I've become so used to top-down that I hardly have to think about it. I tried a couple of different heels before I settled on this one - all involving a heel flap of some sort - and I still like this one, which is basically just a top-down heel flap reverse-engineered to work backwards. The sewn bind-off looks great on the feet, but it kind of ruffles and looks a bit odd on the socks when they are off the feet.

Anyway, off to the post office to get these in the mail. I can't wait until we're living closer to family, and I don't have to rely on the oh-so-unpredictable Canada Post to do all of my gift deliveries!

Lola is done!

And she's really comfy.


As you can see, the sleeves didn't make it as far as I had hoped, but I think I'm okay with it. It's a nice sweater for wearing around the house this time of year when it's still a little chilly. Actually, I've been living in it all weekend. The fabric is fairly thick and very stretchy. Cosy. I still have to pick up a button for the neck.

It didn't take me long to get into a few new things. I love hunting through my now finally shrinking stash and trying to find projects for the many odd balls and abadoned yarns. I started a summer shrug out of Schachenmayr Piazza (the same yarn that's been frogged out of two different sweater attempts!). The pattern is the ribbed shrug (link to pdf) by Pam Allen from the IK staff projects, summer 2005. I'm working at a much smaller gauge than the pattern since the yarn is approximately sport weight, so I've adjusted the pattern quite a bit.


It's basically a rectangle with a frill at each end that will be partially sewn into a tube. It's mindless knitting, in K1P2 ribbing. I'm finding that I'm really getting into mindless knitting these days!

Earlier in the week, I whipped up a lacey headband (free downloadable pattern from Knitpicks).


I've been growing my hair out for almost a year now - it was really short before. It keeps getting in my face, so this is a good solution. The pattern calls for DK cotton, but I knit it in some leftover sock wool, Lanett Superwash I think. I left out the buttons and just sewed it into a loop. I think I may make more of these. I certainly have enough ends of sock yarn that I can use, and they're really quick. I think it would be fun to try adding beads.

And one last thing to show you. I found this great free slipper pattern over at Sock Pixie's blog. Also a very quick little knit. This is actually vintage tapestry wool. Four little 25-g skeins will get me a pair of slippers. Cool huh?


It still needs blocking and end-weaving, and a partner. There may be more of these in my future too - a knitter's family never has cold feet!

Three of three

Remember how I finally seamed up those three sweaters last week? Well I never did show you the third one. This is the little red cardigan, created as part of the Red Sweater Knit-Along. (The colour is truest on the first picture.)

Original design, in vintage Bear Brand Town 'n Country, 2 ply, DK weight, 100% wool (purchased from eBay, in the "big box of happiness"). Used almost 8 full balls (12 oz). Size 4 mm and 4.5 mm straight needles.

It turned out pretty baggy on me, but I knew from the start that this would be a learning expreience - it's my first sweater design. I'm going to put this one away for a gift (I know who it will fit just perfectly!), and try to eventually re-work the pattern to fit me better. Maybe even with waist shaping next time.

Aren't these the cutest buttons?

I discovered a great little fabric and button store downtown on Bank Street, and they had a wall of buttons to choose from (which given my indecisive nature, took me forever!). I really liked working with this wool too, not that I'm likely to ever find it again. It is soft and light, and blocks beautifully.

And here's a shot of the back, showing the bagginess:


After that frenzy of sweater finishing, I'm happy to be working on some smaller projects right now. The vest is coming along nicely in the little bit of knitting time I'm allowing myself these days. It's end-of-semester crunch time.

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend, everybody!

Spring!

What a difference a week can make. I have a newly finished spring sweater, and just to cooperate with me, spring came today. This is in the same spot where I photographed Nick in the snow on Monday!

Sitcom Chic cardigan, designed by Bonne Marie Burns for Knitty.com. Size 40, on 3.75 and 5 mm circs, in TLC Cotton Plus.

I added grosgrain ribbon to the inside front edges to make them lie flat, as the pattern suggested. Actually, stitching in the ribbon was a lot faster and easier than I expected. And it really improved the sweater. Here's a bathroom mirror shot after sewing the ribbon in on just one side:


I wore this sweater all day today, and it's really comfortable. I think if I had it to do over, I'd make it a little smaller - 38 would probably be perfect. I started this sweater last summer, long before I'd learned anything about alterations and design. You can't tell by feel that there's any acrylic in it, and best of all, the colour change doesn't show at all when it's dry!

Birthday cables

It's finished at last! Making his blog debut, here is my husband Nick, modelling his birthday sweater in the snow.
To re-cap:
Pattern: based on Skye Tweed Unisex Cable Rib Pullover by Kristen TenDyke Yarn: Diamond Galway Heather (100% wool, handwash)
Needles: 4.5 mm for the body, 4 mm for the cuffs and neckband
Modifications: many. Re-wrote the pattern for different gauge, added cuffs, changed the collar to a single K1 P1 rib.

I'm so happy to have this done, and he's really happy with it too. And only a month and a half late! I was starting to feel a little guilty - my birthday is tomorrow. At least there's a little bit of winter left to enjoy a warm wooly sweater.