We’re out frolicking in the summer sunshine! A much needed family vacation 🙂
More adventures tomorrow and maybe even pictures of the kids… if I can get them to stand still for 5 seconds!!
Sincerely
I am so overwhelmed and grateful to everyone who has commented and emailed me over the past few days. Thank you so very much. Each word of encouragement and support has meant so much. This online community of friends has, once again, proved to be a lifeline of support. My family and I are deeply touched by your thoughtfulness. Thank you!
The crafty juices are flowing again!
A Dark, Dark Place
I’m not sure if anyone still visits this space, but over the past few days, I have been feeling that I really need to explain my extremely long absence and silence on this blog.
It’s funny how blogging and social networking always brings out the happy in people. All of the other stuff is usually shoved into the unspoken box. I am guilty of the same thing. Of course, life has its own bumps and curves mixed with the happy. And, when the bumps and curves suddenly hurtled our family down a steep emotional cliff, it was like I didn’t have anything left to say because all that was left was an overwhelming void. We are so grateful, that the worst has passed. For the first time I really understood the true meaning of Life.Lemons.Lemonade.
Yesterday, I picked up my knitting again after weeks and the familiar movement of twisting yarn into a series of intertwined knots was like chicken soup :: warm, comforting, healing.
I can spy bright skies ahead ☺
Daddy’s Day
This year, the kids and I did handmade gifts for Father’s Day.
Prithvi baked a chocolate cake from scratch and it was yum-o-delicious! It was actually quite the feat for a first cake and I’m amazed at how fantastic it turned out. Kiki made a card and a picture frame-esque thingy with a photograph of her and daddy. The card was begun at preschool and she finished it off at home, with a whole bunch of squiggles which she said was her special “letter”. I’m biased, but… awww!
I wish I’d taken pictures but the cake has been polished off and the card and photograph thingamajig has gone to dad’s desk at work.
My pressie was a hat. I knew I wanted to knit a cabled beanie and it had to be knit using a chocolate-y skein of tosh dk.
A sweep of online patterns just wasn’t giving me what I was looking for and so I cast on for X number of stitches and just began winging it. The fun about cables in a hat is that it’s so quick and if you mess up, you just have to rip out a few rounds and fix your mistake. Before I knew it I was doing the crown shaping and ready to weave my yarn through those last few stitches.
I was well under the wire, Father’s Day was still 3 days away! Stress-free gift knitting, I love that!
I will probably knit this again and lengthen it a bit more. There is actually an extra round (or maybe 2??) on the last cable repeat and I noticed it as I was finishing the last set of decreases. I didn’t bother ripping though, hehe! Also, the crown shaping needs some TLC (ok, a lot of TLC) because up close it looks like a chicken went nuts with the yarn and needles.
It’s going to be a while before this hat sees the light of day. It’s a wool hat and tomorrow is the first day of summer, yeehaw! But that’s ok because I am so, so, so thrilled that my guy loves his hat!
Tofino (Ravelry project page)
Pattern: My own
Yarn: madelinetosh tosh DK in the colorway “Toast”
Needles: Size US 6 & 7 / 4 & 4.5 mm
Drifting
My dear friend, Jocelyn, dyed me some special fingering weight yarn last year. Her Etsy Shop, Dubai Knits, is always stocked with fantastic yarns in such pretty colorways. I’ve been saving that yarn for something special and when Cecily published her adorable Breezy Blues pattern collection, I was all over it. I cast on immediately for Drifting using my special Dubai Knits yarn. This yarn is super lovely, with excellent stitch definition and just the right amount of loft. It blocks out so lovely and soft.
I cast on for Drifting and in about 10 days, I was done. I’ve often said on my blog about how I’m such a slow knitter, I really surprised myself with this sweater. Maybe I’m becoming faster at this knitting stuff?
The construction of this garment is quite interesting with raglan shaping on the yoke using a smaller size needle and then when you get to the armholes, you change to larger needles and work the rest of the sweater by picking up for the fronts along the increased edge. I know that what I wrote probably doesn’t make sense, but the pattern is so well written and easy to understand, actually.
There are schematics with plenty of measurements to keep all of the guesswork at bay. I love how Cecily’s designs are always so wearable. (Note to self: Must knit Goodale very soon!)
I love that this sweater has a bit of positive ease without changing the fit on the shoulders. No one wants to wear a fitted cardigan when it’s so warm hot outside and at the same time, you don’t want it to be sloppy. Drifting takes care of these details and gets 5 stars from me!
Drifting (Ravelry project page)
Pattern: Drifting by Cecily Glowik MacDonald
Yarn: Dubai Knits Chameleon in the colorway “Fruit Punch”
Needles: Size US 6 & 7 / 4 & 4.5 mm
Offset Wraplan
I needed a quick handknit gift for a friend’s baby. Some Rowan Wool Cotton has been burning a hole in my stash for years and years. I remember buying this when everyone was ga-ga over all things Rowan. I mean, Rowan is still pretty good, but there is so much more to choose from (um, handpainted yarn… be still my beating heart!) I thought that this blend of wool and cotton would work well for this time of year as well as when it gets cooler.
I found a cute free!! sweater pattern called the Offset Wraplan on Ravelry that was perfect. Seriously, there are so many adorable renditions of this sweater online. The knitting didn’t take too long but the buttons!!! Why do buttons always pose such an obstacle to the finished object. In my button tin were these darling red buttons that worked perfectly with the grey-blue sweater.
I finished the trim using Malabrigo Worsted (I basically swiped this genius idea from this sweater) and then went to attach the buttons. I was short of two stinking buttons, arrrgh!!! Did I change the button choice to a different one? You guessed right, NO! I had to go looking for the additional buttons at the small country store I found the others in. I tell you, these buttons were meant to be because I found one last button card sitting right there. Happy dance!!
I can’t wait to see the look on my friend’s face when she sees this sweater because she loves handmade everything! Her son is going to look adorable in it too, I’m sure:)
Offset Wraplan (Ravelry project page)
Pattern: Offset Wraplan by Sara Morris
Yarn: Rowan Wool Cotton
Needles: Size US 7 / 4.5 mm
Swatchathon
ince I’ve been stuck on Sleeve Island for a while now, my knitting needles have been eagerly waiting to cast on for something new and exciting. I went delving into my yarn stash and spied some lovelies begging to be made into wearable items. This was when I began a Swatchathon.
Like most knitters, I’m not a huge fan of the gauge swatch. However, I religiously complete this small yet extremely tedious task before knitting a pattern (especially an adult-sized garment). Apparently, swatching is the new black!
Swatch numbers almost never lie. If you’re in doubt, swatch again. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way!
So here’s a list of things NOT to do when you’re dealing with the whole gauge swatch business:
* Measure while your knitting is still on the needles. Been there, done that… er, the finished object that came out of that mistake was nothing like the designer intended!
* Stretch out your square and tug at those last couple stitches to make them fit the 4 inch mark. You mean you never do that, am I the only one?
* Knit a swatch that’s smaller than 4 inches square. Guilty…
* Measure and realize that your gauge is just a bit off (like 3 stitches off!) stick your fingers in your ears and go la-la-la. Continue to cast on with the wrong needles!
* Look at the words row gauge and think, “Row Gauge, Shmo Gmauge” and wonder why that’s even a necessary number to take into consideration. Apparently it’s very necessary, ask me how I know that!!
* “Forget” to wash and block your swatch the same way you would wash and block your completed knitting. Let’s face it, you just want to get to the fun part – casting on!!!
* Figure you’re a tight/loose knitter and go up/down a needle size (or 2) than what the pattern recommends and avoid swatching altogether.
Things TO DO when you’re dealing with the whole gauge swatch business:
**** Embrace the gauge swatch. Your knitting will thank you for it!! ****
Blog? What Blog??
L o s t!
That’s what’s happened to my blogging mojo over the past few months. Sure, I’ve popped by with the occasional post to say, “Hey, look what I made!” But, I just haven’t had anything to say without it sounding too contrived.
Howeverrrr, when I woke up this morning, I felt like I just wanted to blog even if it was just a bunch of random words. So, here I am:)
Ever since May rolled around, my knitting queue seems to have changed. Worsted weight sweaters don’t seem as appealing any more. That said, my Garter Yoke Cardi is so close to being done. Just one more sleeve to go! I have to confess though that I’ve been really dragging my feet with getting these sleeves finished because I figure it’s going to be a while before I get to wear this sweater. The yarn is gorgeous but it’s a true worsted weight which will be good only for Fall slash Winter wearing.
I went “looking” on Ravelry for a sweater pattern for my Pashmina preciousss and two hours later I had almost 20 different patterns that would work great with this yarn. Man, there’s a TON of great stuff to knit!
What to knit, what to knit??? Knitting is supposed to be relaxing, hah!!
Anyways, soon to be finished (well, kinda!) is a cute little sport-weight cardigan knit in Bugga – nom! Kelly said that she was working on Emelie, I decided that I would dig mine out of hibernation and get knitting. Just the sleeves and button bands to go before this little number gets a good soak and stretch.
Skinny yarn takes ages to knit. Even then, Bugga, how I love you!!
So, what’s on your needles??
Metro
I cannot believe I forgot to blog about Metro! (My Ravelry page says that this cardigan was finished on March 1!!!) Better late than never, right? When this pattern was published in the 2010 Fall issue of Twist Collective, I thought it was “nice” but never really got that I-Must-Knit-This-NOW type feeling.
Then, I got this yarn as part of my Madelinetosh Sweater Club shipment and it was am-A-zing! Meet Squishy!
Actualy, it’s tosh 80-10-10 Worsted MCN, but I prefer Squishy, the perfect yarn for Metro.
I loved knitting the cables that are knit on the wrong side of the work and show up differently on the right side – nice touch.
There are a few fiddly bits like joining the neckband to the body of the sweater and kitchenering live stitches in the cable/rib pattern at the back of the neck.
The only thing I would have liked to change are the few rows of reverse stockinette at the bottom. I wish I had knit those in 2×2 rib to match the sleeves and the front bands. Too late to frog now! I’m really happy with this cardigan and I love this yarn.
Metro (ravelry project page)
Pattern: Metro by Connie Chang Chinchio
Yarn: Tosh 80-10-10 Worsted MCN in “Creme de Menthe”
Needles: Size US 7 & 8 /4.5 & 5 mm
Soay
I had the fantastic opportunity to test knit Gudrun’s latest pattern, Soay. Soay is a cropped cardigan with a lace motif in front – just perfect for celebrating spring. This was my first time using Quince & Co. yarn and I loved knitting with this yarn. Great stitch definition, blocks out real soft!
My favorite part is the scooped neckline ♥ and the stockinette buttonbands and of course the lace flower motifs.
This cardigan calls for Quince & Co.’s sportweight yarn, Chickadee. The i-cord bind off along the buttonbands and neck adds the perfect finishing touch.
An adorable pattern from one of the knitting greats, Gudrun Johnston. Check it out on her blog and on Ravelry.
Soay (ravelry project page)
Pattern: Soay by Gudrun Johnston
Yarn: Quince & Co.’s Chickadee in “Split Pea”
Needles: Size US 6/4 mm
