The Christmas Sweater

Christmas has come and gone and we’re well into 2010 but here I am blogging about the only Christmas knitting I did.

This sweater has been off the needles and used so much that I almost forgot that I hadn’t blogged about it.  I finished Kiki’s Christmas sweater well before the holidays and I think that the blocking took longer than the knitting!

It fits!!!

The cuffs are a bit snug but not so tight that they threaten to cut off circulation.  I used a bunch of leftover scraps for the yoke and am still not sure about the colors working together or cancelling each other out. 

This sweater is very warm even though it’s no soft merino and it is so bright and cheerful that I loved knitting it.  The best part is that Kiki loves wearing it and even said in her own version of toddler-speak, “Mama, I like it sweater“. 

The Christmas Sweater

Pattern: Drive-Thru by Wendy Bernard
Yarn: Cascade 220 Wool  in “Ruby”
Needles: Size US 8/5.0 mm

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Mitten Mishap

Happy New Year everyone!!  I am sure that most everyone like me had a busy holiday season.  We had family visiting over Christmas which made us laugh louder, made our home warmer and feel so thankful that loved ones are just a plane ride away.

We still haven’t finished eating the last of the Christmas cake and treats but we’re already well into the first week of 2010.  Time doesn’t wait for anyone does it! 

My mittens that I talked about last time almost got knit before Christmas Eve.  When I got ready to finish off the second thumb, I realized that I had overlooked a very important line in the pattern… 

….Left Mitten: Knit like the right mitten, but knit thumb increases as a mirror-image 

I forgot to do the switcheroo, Duh-oh!!  I couldn’t really fudge and continue knitting and so I hung my head in shame and continued on in classic knitters avoidance fashion by casting on for another project.  However, I have learned that henceforth reading a pattern completely before knitting anything is a really good idea. 

I recently signed up for the Madelinetosh Sweater Club and received my first shipment of the most gorgeous Eyre in the deepest shade of green.  

 

I couldn’t wait to try out this yarn and despite having company over managed to swatch and cast on for a cardigan with such a “charming” name (not!)  113-17 Jacket with Raglan Sleeve and Pattern on Yoke by DROPS design. 

It’s knit from the bottom up and while the stockinette rows are looooong, the only consolation with this method is that there’s hardly any seaming once the knitting is done.  I’m almost done with the waist shaping and the yarn is just so beautiful and luxurious that I don’t really mind the multitude of rows. 

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The only Christmas knitting I did this year is the Drive-Thru cardigan for Kiki.  The knitting is done and it’s been blocking for a couple days now but still feels damp.  Time to move the blocking board up close to the heat.

With all the Christmas frenzy that has befallen us again this year, I haven’t really wanted to cast on for a large(r) project (my Vine Yoke Cardi is still on the needles, but I wanted something new) and I also haven’t been able to shake off the cable craze that I talked about recently. 

So, I found the perfect pattern to… 
* get my cable fix
* stash bust
***** turn out to be useful once finished

The pattern I chose is Chevaliar Mittens.  I’m already done with one mitten and I might even finish the second mitt before the Drive-Thru has Dried-Thru (cheesy, oh well!!!)  These mittens……..sooooo warm, me likes!!!  No knitting pictures this time with all the greylight that has sucked away our daylight.  Sunshine predicted tomorrow, although, the weatherman has been getting things consistently wrong lately!!!

Posted by & filed under Cardigans, Family, Finished Knits, Mittens. This post has 6 comments.

Warmth

Those pretty little leaves all in a row are done and I have myself a shawlette which I have begun to love.  This winter accessory is perfect to wrap around your neck without having to scrunch it up and is actually quite warm. The silk content in the yarn, makes this shawlette so soft and luxurious just like wrapping yourself in a warm, velvety hug.  Nice! 

The construction is done in plain stockinette with a twist a.k.a short-rows.  The result is a lovely curved shape – perfect for draping over your shoulders without having to “adjust” the whole  time.  This pattern took less than a couple skeins of Silky Merino and blocked out really lovely.  I went with wet blocking by dousing the finished project in a cool bath with some Soak and laid it flat to dry.  Thanks to indoor heating, it took just a couple days from sopping wet to soft and dry.   I think that the leaves really perked up with the blocking.

Cedar Leaf Shawlette

Pattern: Cedar Leaf Shawlette by Alana Dakos
Yarn: Malabrigo Silky Merino in “Sand”
Needles: Size US 7/4.5 mm

More pictures on my Rav page

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Little Leaves

It’s December one!  The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is finally here and I’m so happy.  But that’s not what I’m going to talk about first…. 

There’s been some progress on my shawlette and I’ve reached the edging.  This shawlette (which is more scarf-like for me since I didn’t check row gauge::my bad) is knit first and then the leaf edging is knit and attached with a fantastic method of using the simple p2tog.  Great plan, since it does not involve any picking up of stitches!! 

These leaves are so cute and serve to make up for the loss of the ones on our “neighborly” trees. 

Alas, the going on this project has been slow because my pre-Christmas list is enormous.  Doesn’t everyone have such a crazy list??  A leeeeetle too much going on right now but that’s ok!  I think that all of it doesn’t sound like pandemonium in my head because I love Christmas and everything that surrounds it!  Hopefully, I can check back soon with a finished shawlette (scarflette?)  Or maybe some other randomness on this blog which threatens to keep going into hibernation.

Talk to you soon:)

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Think cables…Knit stockinette

No finished object this time although, I have some stuff on the needles. 

I would love to say that I have some tweedy number flying off the pointy sticks with plenty of interesting twists and turns, preferably a cardigan with waist shaping, knitted in the warmest wool and in a lovely shade of wintry grey.  Did I mention that its tweedy?  That’s all just in my head. 

In reality, I have some lovely projects on the go that I’m enjoying but there ain’t a single cable in sight!  Given that Christmas (my absolutely favorite time of the year) is almost here, don’t cables sound perfect?

The beret is Aira by the lovely Lily who is an amazing knitter like her mom and who is also turning out to be quite the talented designer.  The yarn is Araucania that I’ve never knit with before.  I haven’t blocked the beret yet – well, I’m not even half way through the pattern and so I can’t say for sure if I like this yarn or not.

The shawlette is Cedar Leaf done in drool-worthy Malabrigo Silky Merino.  The picture makes it look like a swirly mess but it’s actually almost 300 stitches across.  The pattern is lovely – short row heaven with a wonderful leafy edging.

Then there is garter stitch madness in the form of the Vine Yoke Cardigan.  I have never really liked garter stitch because I can never seem to keep an even tension when all I do is knit every row.  Despite the garter crazies, this is a very, very interesting pattern and my first sideways knit sweater.  I’m not too thrilled with the Cascade 220 Heathers I’m using for this project – not as soft as I expected it to be.  I don’t know if I’m turning out to be a yarn snob, I sure hope not!!

Lastly, a just-now-cast-on toddler sized Drive-thru cardigan done in Cascade 220.  If you look on Ravelry, this yarn has held first place for the longest time.  I guess that the 100% wool content, the amazing range of colors along with the fabulous price tag is what makes Cascade 220 a popular yarn.  This cardigan is knit in Christmas Red – perfect for the holiday season!

Having so many projects on the go usually overwhelms me but I’m trudging along and actually enjoying knitting them.  I’ll get them done soon so that I can actually knit cables with that tweed.  Mmm, mmm, mmm!

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Inst. Grat.

Inst.Grat.  That’s what I have written on top of my printed copy of Molly. 

Instant Gratification is a phrase that every knitter loves.  This beret turned out to be exactly that.  Cast on, knit, cast off, blocked, photographed all within a few days.  That’s a big deal in my knitting world of slow.  Best part is that Kiki loves it and allowed me to take pictures even though the temperature outside was hovering just above freezing.  I think that’s the best compliment she could give me in her own toddler way and bonus points when she insisted on wearing it all day.  Now that’s a winning knit!

Molly1

This is a great project and fantastic to use up leftover sock yarn.  And what’s even more amazing is that Alana has written up the pattern for a large range of sizes – baby noggin to large adult sized head – doesn’t get more fantastic than that!  Love everything about this pattern and the swirliness that the decreases create on the crown of the beret.  I will definitely knit this pattern again.

Molly3

Molly

Pattern: Molly by Alana Dakos (check out Alana’s blog for more lovely patterns)
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Sock in colorways “Terracotta” and “Impressionist Sky”
Needles: Size US 2/2.75 mm and US 4/3.5 mm

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Marlene Green

Handmaiden Fine Yarn produces Camelspin — an most interesting combination of fibers that actually work well coupled together.  This yarn is 70% silk and 30% baby camel and is dyed in the most gorgeous colors.  A skein of this beautiful yarn in greens and greys had to be mine and I’m so glad that I used it to knit my other pair of Socktoberfest socks, Marlene.

Handmaiden Camelspin

The yarn fuzzes up a bit as you knit but not in a gross pilly sort of way, just like a soft halo.  At the same time, the stitches remain crisp, so this yarn is a winner and I would love to knit a scarf or shawl with it again. 

This sock pattern is chock full of twisted stitches (a Cookie A. staple) and is essentially a 1×1 all over rib.  However, due to the knit stitches being twisted, it is not as stretchy as normal ribbing.  The socks were quite snug once I knit them but blocking caused the yarn to bloom and produced the softest buttery fabric.  The high silk content makes them feel so luxurious.  This yarn definitely gets two thumbs up from me!

Presenting my silk and camel socks…

Marlene Green 2

Marlene Green

Pattern: Marlene by Cookie A.
Yarn: Handmaiden Camelspin in colorway Green
Needles: Size US 1.5/2.5 mm

Posted by & filed under Canada, Finished Knits, Socks, Socktoberfest. This post has 10 comments.

Offshoots of Orange

Orange is usually associated with halloween, hippie, harvest or highway (you know the weather proof vests worn by highway workers, I salute them).  I never see orange-colored clothing at a trendy boutique or squished onto a rack at the local outlet store.  This color seems to have built quite a bad rep for itself.  But tone it down or mix it up and it turns from a fashion nay to a fashion yea.  Enter the cousins – pumpkin, peach, rust,amber. 

I chose another close relative – terracotta – to be fashioned into my Mystery Socks.  This was a part of Socktoberfest and offered every week as a clue.  First clue was the cuff, second the leg, third the heel and so on.  Designed by the ingenious Kirsten Kapur, this was a fun sock to knit and breaking the pattern into bits made it a breeze. 

This was the end result and I have to say that I love the pattern, the yarn, the color.

Mystery Sock

TTL Mystery Socks

Pattern: Mystery Socks 09 by Kirsten Kapur
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in colorway “Terracotta”
Needles: Size US 1.5/2.5 mm
Started 10/1 – Finished 10/30

Ravelled here

 

Posted by & filed under Finished Knits, Socks, Socktoberfest. This post has 11 comments.