FO Report: Ella O's Cardigan

Pattern: February Baby Sweater by EZ
Yarn: Knitpicks Swish DK in Amethyst Heather
Needles: US 6 / 4.0 mm
Started: October 13, 2008
Finished: October 26, 2008
Modifications: None

This is the third sweater I've knit from EZ's pattern, and I will knit more. I have a non-knitting friend who asked me to make one for her granddaughter, Sweetpea wants one in her size, and I have the FlintKnits adult version bookmarked (I think I'll dye my own yarn for it!). This one was another quick knit, and is for the baby of one of my best friends.

FO Report: Tree's Cardigan

Pattern: February Baby Sweater by EZ (from Knitter's Almanac)
Yarn: Knitpicks Shine Sport in Silver Sage

Needles: US 6/ 4.0 mm

Started: October 4, 2008

Finished: October 13, 2008

Modifications: None

This turned out really cute, although the color in the picture isn't great. The Shine Sport has really good drape. I intended to block it before the picture, but that didn't happen. I gifted it over Thanksgiving to the baby and parents, and they really liked it!

Sidenote: The baby's name really isn't Tree, but her name is a mouthful, and when she was born, my then 2 year old Sweetpea had trouble pronouncing it. Long story short, our abbreviation x her pronunciation = "tree"

FO Report: Wicked Cardigan

Pattern: Wicked by Zephyr Style

Yarn: Dream in Color Classy, Dusky Aurora

Needles: US 8, 5.0mm

Started: May 8, 2008

Finished: May 29, 2008

Modifications: I used FlintKnits instructions to cardiganize my Wicked, and actually her post and pictures were what inspired me to knit it to start with. I also knit 3/4 length sleeves, and finished the sleeves with the same ribbing as on the neckline. I forgot to take into account my narrow, slope-y shoulders, and the neckline tended to slip off my shoulders. Since I want to wear this to work, I had to fix it! I ended up sewing some clear elastic around the inside where the ribbing meets the stockinette, and crocheting semi-tightly around the edge of the neckline - Problem fixed!

I knit this for the Loopy Ewe's Dream in Color Sweater KAL, and did finish it in time. I used a shawl pin for the photo since I couldn't find any buttons right way that I liked for it. I finally found them, but it took forever to get them sewn on, all the way until the end of September! I love this yarn - it's soft, washable, and the colors are to die for! Honestly, I couldn't do it justice in pictures, but this colorway almost glows in the sunlight.

FO Report: Baby C's Cardigan

Pattern: Inspired by Rocketry

Yarn: Knit Picks Superwash Merino Bare

Needles: US 7 / 4.5 mm and US 5 / 3.75 mm

Started: August 10, 2008

Finished: August 16, 2008

Modifications: I wanted to dye my own yarn for this cardigan, but could only come up with three colors to use. I used Jacquard acid dyes and came up with a medium brown, pale blue and pale green. My row and stitch gauge were off from the pattern, so I had to recalculate the pattern to fit. I did use the braid stitch from the Rocketry pattern, and think it makes it. I finished it just a couple of hours before the baby shower, so I steam blocked it rather than my usual wet blocking. I think it turned out really cute, and the yarn is incredibly soft. Baby C isn't due until October, so I'll have to wait awhile for a modelled shot.

WIP Wednesday

I started this post yesterday, and intended to take photos and post last night, but Sweetpea got sick - so two of the photos were taken in my parking garage this morning, and the last one was already on my camera :D (Oh, and Sweetpea has fully recovered.)

I have a ton of WIPs now! I narrowed it down to five projects to knit for the Ravelympics, which now seems laughable, one of them specifically. I also finished a few WIPs before the Olympics began, and will be posting about those in the coming days.

OK, now for the good stuff! The project that started it all, my Sock Blank Swap Socks from Melanie. I am on the Sock Blank Swappers team, and cast on for these Saturday night. Incidentally, there is talk on this group of a seasonal swap, so join the group if you think you might be interested. Rumor is the next swap may happen in late September / early October.

Next up is a baby cardigan for some friends who are expecting a boy in September. The shower is this Saturday, so I have to finish this really soon. I was initially going to make Rocketry, but dying my own yarn. I could only decide on the three colors - honestly, the baby registry influenced my color choices. My row and stitch gauge are off from the pattern so I'm recalculating as I go, and changing up some of the details as well. I've picked up stitches all the way around for the ribbing and button bands, so you are looking at the back. When the ribbing is complete, I'll go back and knit the sleeves.

The now-laughable project is Marihone - this has been in my queue long before Ravelry even existed. I think I've had the yarn maybe 2 years? Anyway, I also cast on for it Saturday night. I'm knitting it in sort of a 3T size, but the pattern sizing only goes up to 24 months. My cast on was 252 stitches on size 2.0mm needles - US 0. After a few rows of that the rest of the body is knit on size 2.5 mm / US 1/2. Oh, and I added 10 stitches for a steek because it will be a cardigan instead of a pullover.

Besides those, I also pledged to knit another February baby sweater for our new niece. She is nearly 3 months old (yikes! time is flying), and we will be hosting a baby shower at some point if we can ever get our schedule to match up with the new parents. This cardi will be one of her gifts from us. Really it will be more of a meet the baby party - the parents live out of town, and we offered to host a party for all of there friends who still live here.

Finally, I really thought I could possible finish all four of those projects before the Olympics were over, including the 262 stitch fair isle, so I threw in a final project of more socks from another sock blank I dyed.

FO Report: Juliet

Pattern: Juliet by ZephyrStyle, knit in the longer style

Yarn: KnitPicks Swish Superwash, Fired Brick
Needles: KnitPicks Options, US Size 8
Started: October 16, 2007
Finished: November 6, 2007

Modifications: I knit this in single stranded worsted weight yarn rather than the bulky weight or double stranded worsted called for. I recalculated the pattern based on the gauge I got in my test swatch. I started off knitting the large size (with my adjusted number of stitches), and knit as far as binding off the sleeves and joining the body. I thought the sleeves were way too loose, and the body had a little too much room too. I checked the pattern and found the medium size started off with the same number of stitches as the large, so I ripped back a couple of inches, cast off a little tighter for the sleeves, joined the body again, and then the fit was perfect!

I also opted to have a single clasp where the garter stitch meets the lace, rather than the buttons across the chest. I thought this was a more flattering look for me. I hand stitched some grosgrain ribbon to the wrong side around this point of the sweater to give it some stability. Actually I measured around myself at this point, added an inch of ease, and added another inch to allow for both ended of the ribbon to be turned under. I then sewed it on by hand, and washed and blocked the sweater after that.

I can't seem to get a decent modeled shot to save my live, so this one will have to do for now :)

FO Report: Something Blue

Pattern: Something Red, by Wendy Bernard

Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers, Cobalt Heather

Needles: KnitPicks Options, size 7

Started: June 7, 2007

Finished: July 14, 2007

Modifications: Substantial - Cascade 220 produces a different row and stitch gauge than the Blue Sky Cotton Wendy used. I had to recalculate the number of cast on stitches and the raglan shaping to get the same effect. Barbara Walker's Knitting From the Top was a huge help. While I was at it, I threw in a purl stitch here and there to add a slight bit of texture to the stockinette section. The ratio was every 8th stitch on every 6th row, but they were offset to create something of a diamond shape. The long sleeves are an option in Wendy's pattern.

Overall, I'm happy with the cardigan - for now. Two things about it which bug me a bit: the collar seems a little loose down the front, like maybe I bound off too loosely. It looks as though it has been stretched downward, and doesn't have the elasticity you would expect. The other thing is the position of the button and buttonhole. I think I would prefer them a bit higher up, but I put them at the start of the ribbing, so consequently I would prefer the ribbing to start a bit higher also. That involves quite a bit more work than tightening up the cast off edge on the collar. But if I ripped back and started the ribbing higher, I would be forced to fix the collar! Anyway, more work than I want to do to it now, and I can live with it the way it is for a while. Problem is, it's in the 90s here now, not good wool sweater weather. BTW, Wendy's patterns are very stylish and fabulously written :)

The Rock, Part II

Ok, that post was getting way too long, so here is the knitting related portion of our road trip adventure :D

As you can see first off, I finished my first Jaywalker sock. Actually, all I had to do was Kitchner the toe, so this was completed before we ever hit the turnpike, still in Oklahoma.

Next up: See all this yarn? This is what I packed to take with us, because I just *might* run out! Of course I packed the second ball of sock yarn for my second Jaywalker sock, which I cast on for promptly. This is Knit Picks Dancing (long discontinued).

I also packed 4 balls of Cascade 220 Heathers in Cobalt for another top down cardigan I cast on for on the trip. This is loosely based on Wendy's Something Red, but it is a different row and stitch gauge, and I'm throwing in a bit of a pattern to make the stockinette interesting. I think I cast on and ripped this out three times before I was finally happy with it the fourth.

Finally, I brought 2 balls of fingering weight, 250 yards plus, yarn for a non-car friendly Debbie Bliss toddler cardigan. Just in case I blew through the sock, the 880 yards of Cascade 220, plus the umpteen books and magazines I also packed for the four hour car trip.

And this picture? This shows how much knitting I actually did on the trip. Cast on for second Jitterbug and worked ribbing; Cast on, ripped, cast on again for blue cardi, worked about three inches (the rest worked since we got home); and added 4 rows to the existing 16 on the DB cardigan. I've added a few more since returning home as well.

All in all, it was a really fun trip, other than coming back with a killer sinus infection. We are packing up again tomorrow for a much shorter, one day trip, so I don't think I'll take quite as much yarn.

Happy Fathers' Day!

FO Report: Peace Fleece Raglan Cardi

Pattern: My own design, a la Barbara Walker.

Yarn: Peace Fleece Worsted Weight, Sheplova Mushroom

Needles: KnitPicks Options, size 9

Started: April 20, 2007

Finished: May 27, 2007

I think this sweater is going to get a lot of wear come late Fall and Winter. It is very warm, so it didn't stay on for much longer than it took to set the timer and take this picture. It is 85 degrees here today! I loved the process of this sweater - I mainly knit this as an exercise in top-down knitting. I loved being able to fit it as I knitted. The sleeves are the perfect length, the waist shaping is in the right spot, the hem is the length I like... What's not to love about top down knitting? Oh, I have probably just a couple of yards of yarn left over. Just enough to save should I need to do any repairs. The yarn is very sturdy - probably one of the wooliest yarns I've ever knit with, if that makes sense. There was enough lanolin left it it to really soften my hands while knitting it up. The knitted fabric softened up quite a bit after it's Eucalan bath. I did a folded hem on the sleeves and body hem, and a garter stitch collar. The button band was knitted as I went, so I didn't have to go back and add that later. I should have finished this a lot faster than I did, but it's hard to knit with heavy worsted weight yarn when its 80+ degrees outside!

Plan B

Whoops! I swatched last night for Something Red with some Cascade 220 Heathers in my stash, and the gauge was way off. I usually can get gauge with the recommended needles, but this time I got 20 sts by 26 rows, and the gauge needs to be 18 x 22 to 4 inches. Keep in mind this is not the recommended yarn. I don't know where I got the idea this yarn would be a good substitute, but now it's time to move on. I really like the resulting swatch, so I'm thinking about either resizing the pattern to fit my gauge, or designing my own, another top-down. And if I design my own, do I want to incorporate some sort of stitch pattern? Hmmm, the possibilities are endless!

I tried a photo shoot last night, but the card wasn't in the camera! I forgot to ask BHE about it when he got home, so we'll see if I remember tonight :)

Quickie

Just a quick post before the work week starts again - Not much knitting to report this weekend, just a couple of rows here and there in the car (I was not driving!). Monkeyboy had soccer Saturday morning, followed by lunch, a non-nap, and a birthday party at Pump It Up! I think the adults had just as much fun as the kids :)

Tonight we had some friends over to cook out and ended up eating outside too, the weather was so nice. My job search continues. I have an interview on Tuesday with a recruiter, so hopefully something spectacular will come along soon. I did get my first rejection letter Saturday, but it was for a job I felt like I was over qualified for anyway.

Oh! I did buy some buttons today for the Peace Fleece cardi. Monkeyboy went with me to pick them out, and had a lot of fun looking at the novelty buttons while I decided on mine. He thought carrot buttons were the silliest thing ever!

Well, off to sew on said buttons - check back in a day or two for a FO report!

I'm committing myself to getting back into the blogging habit. My hangup is I don't like to blog without pictures, and usually by the time I'm able to take pictures, its dark outside. Plus, BHE and I share the digital camera, and it's never where I remember seeing it last, LOL. However, pictures are not a requirement, right? So, here I am, telling, but not showing.

So the Peace Fleece cardi has not been blocked yet, but I'm hoping to tonight. This is the first night all week we will be home, and be without company. The Sailor Collar Cardi is coming along very slowly. I think I'm 24 rows into the back. The problem is there are 3 different stitch patterns to follow, not charted, and between each of there patterns there are seed stitch and cable sections. I ended up retyping the pattern to make it easier to read, as the stitch patterns were on two different pages of the instructions, and it made it too hard to follow. Also, one of the stitch patterns has a different number of rows in one repeat than the other two do. I don't have any charting software, or I would chart the patterns. Does anyone know of any free tools on the Internet to do this, or instructions on how to do it in Word or Excel?

I've worked some on the Jaywalker. Sweetpea pulled the circular needle out of half of the stitches and lost the marker for the beginning of the round in the process, so I tinked back a couple of rounds to restart and make sure I wasn't missing any increases or decreases. That's about it for now - oh, we are going on a road trip next week, and I don't think the Sailor Collar Cardi will be car friendly, so I'm considering my options. Obviously I'll take the Jaywalkers, but I'm also thinking about casting on for Something Red. I may try swatching this weekend...

Vacation

Who knew vacation could be so exhausting? Yes, I took off work last Friday and don't return until next Tuesday. I'm been doing a lot of little things that don't really seem to be anything, and am exhausted, lol.

The vow renewal and anniversary party Saturday night were both a success (pictures to follow tomorrow). I've caught up on almost all of my TV shows that were languishing on the DVR, and have been knitting a little. I hope to finished the top down cardi tomorrow or Friday, and start something new for the weekend.

Sorry to cut this short, but I have an early appointment tomorrow morning!

Slowly but Surely

This is one project that should have been super fast, but I guess I'm not too motivated to knit heavy worsted weight in 80 degree weather.... I have finished both sleeves, finished the collar, and am back on the body. At this point I have worked about an inch below the arms, and need to calculate the decreases for the waist shaping. I think I am going to love wearing this sweater next fall & winter, and I am going to love when it's finished! I am itching to cast on for something more seasonal, but I have to wait until this is finished. If I cast on for something else now, I won't pick this up again until its cold out. I know me.

BHE and I are getting ready for a big party this weekend. We are renewing our vows in celebration of our tenth wedding anniversary, and it is getting here pretty fast! BHE is building an outdoor kitchen of sorts in our backyard, and the party will be luau themed. Have I ever mentioned we have a tiki bar in our house? Not one of those freestanding raffia and bamboo jobs you see here and there, but a sunroom converted into a full fledged Hawaiian-esque tiki bar. Yes, I do live in a land locked state. Does that really make a difference? I'll post pictures next week of the Coconut Monkey in full party mode :)

Aloha!

Backwards Knitting

This is a new experience for me, this knitting from the top down. I've now completed both sleeves, and have picked up stitches for the collar. Once I finished the collar, I'll go back to the body, and finish the cardigan from just under the sleeves down to the hem. Casting off where I normally cast on. I have to say, I really like being able to try it on as I go, and I will definitely be knitting more sweaters in this fashion. I also like that I can use up every bit of my yarn, if I want, and not worry that I'll have enough to finish the collar or button bands. This is yarn has been in the stash for well over a year now, and I'm certain I couldn't find a matching hank. I have a bit of a hank left for the collar, probably enough for the collar, and then two full hanks for the body. I used almost three so far for the yoke and both sleeves. More updates as it progresses!

I'm having trouble locating the camera, so no pictures today :(