April 2013

Well… I didn’t exactly get done what I said I would, but…

I did finish the black lace dolmen sleeve cardigan.  Yesterday, as a matter of fact.  It was a lot of knitting.  Fingering weight yarn, dolmen sleeves… ok, no more excuses.  it is a pretty sweater and will be an easy sweater to “throw on”.

And the reasons I didn’t get any further on the blue and green striped cotton sweater are…..

I made a vest.  Super easy.  A rectangle with armholes.  I thought this might make a fun Knit Along down the road.  I used Ultra Alpaca Light and Noro’s Kiara. The vest easy easy to wear and you can wear it in a couple of different ways.

I also did another Ravelry Scarf.  The 28 Row Scarf.  Very pretty and easy.  They called for a chunky yarn, but I used worsted weight (Noro’s Yuzen).  It’s really a cute scarf.  Another Knit Along??

And then there is THE DRESS.  The Dress for the “Paperwork” (you’ve heard the story – my daughter is  engaged, to a wonderful young man in the army.  He will probably be deployed in November.  So they are going to get married, very small, just family (the Paperwork) this summer and have a wedding (the Party) next summer.  I get to make the dress for the marriage ceremony this summer. And here it is so far…  It will be to the floor.  I did a provisional cast on above the waist and am knitting down, so that after the ceremony I can take out the bind off and shorten it to a more practical length for her.  You can’t see it but there is a single row of crystal beads a the neck line.  I still have to make the I-cord shoulder straps and of course, finish the length.  Do you think I should make a little jacket??

So, that’s it for April.  You can guess what I’ll be knitting in May.  And a few other things I’m sure. Until next month, Happy Knitting, Nancy

March 2013

March was a busy knitting month.  Some finished, some started, some still not done…

The fingering weight, A line tunic is done and the pattern is written.  I know a tunic in fingering weight is daunting, but the results are so worth it.  I am wearing it right now as I am writing this and it is so comfortable that I’d happily wear it every day (but you’d really start to wonder about me if I wore the same thing every day).

 

 

Then, the bag of yarn I showed you for two months, is done and cute! It is knit with Berroco’s Floret, a cotton acrylic blend that is very soft and drapey. Even my daughter liked the sweater, though I am not sure I am going to knit another one for her soon.  (She has too many other things on my to do list).

 

I designed and knit a little girls dress using KFI’s Tecido Trico, a fabric ruffle yarn.  It is adorable and would make any toddler look like a rock star.  The pattern is available at the shop or on Ravelry.

 

 

One of the requests on my daughter’s list was a market bag she saw  on my Pinterest.  Her birthday was a couple of days ago, so I knit the bag and filled it with her presents. It is a free pattern from Knitty and is very well written.  I used Berroco Comfort and it turned out great!

 

 

I thought we’d try a Knit Along at the shop.  This is not a class, but a hosted “work on the project together” gathering.  Looking through Ravelry I found the Wingspan Shawl which is very popular, so I knit a sample of it for the Knit Along with Noro’s Kureyon Sock.  Any sock yarn can be used with very different and pretty effects.  Join us and “knit along”!

 

Two sweaters are in the works.  Both from the most recent issue of Vogue Knitting. Their version on the right, but I am only doing one color, black.  I think it will be a great sweater to “throw on” with everything!

 

 

And Stripes! (sorry my picture flipped, not sure how to turn it right), As you can see I am not doing black and white, mine will be blue and green. I am using the yarn the pattern calls for; Plymouth’s new DK weight cotton, Cleo.

 

That’s almost it.  I swatched a square for an idea that is swirling around in my head.  A sweater.  The squares are knit from the outside in, so they can be joined by picking up from the last one so you don’t have to sew it together.  We’ll see what comes of this….

 

Next month will bring finishing the 2 sweaters and some design work.  My daughter, who will be getting “married” this summer, (wedding will come next summer after his deployment) is letting me knit the dress for the small “marriage” ceremony. But (there is always a but), the knitted dress she found on etsy is just a dress for sale, not a pattern.  So, to the drawing board.  I’ll keep you posted.

Until next month, Happy Knitting, Nancy

February 2013

February was mostly dedicated to a fingering weight sweater that I had hoped to finish and did not.  I am coming down the home stretch, but not there yet.  As you can see from the picture, one sleeve is almost done and the neck and other sleeve are next.  This weekend?  Hopefully.  In my defense it is an A-line tunic knit on fingering weight yarn.  I will be writing the pattern for this.  I actually have made it before and it is super comfortable and cute to wear with leggings.

 

There were a few other small things finished this month.  The crocheted scarf  is done and ready for class. (we have 4 for the class so far).  The scarf was crocheted with Noro’s Retro.  It has pretty subtle shading.

  

I also finished the Baby Surprise Sweater.  As always, it turns out cute.  I have enough yarn left from the ball to make a baby hat to match.  Soon!?!

 

And the knitting guild project this month was fingerless gloves. So, I used that as my excuse to make a pair.  I made a Slouch Hat from KFI’s Indulgence 6ply and it is a huge ball of yarn (you can get 2 hats out of it) and I was thinking it would be nice to make a pair of fingerless gloves to match.  Well the yarn has been setting on my desk for it since I made the hat and this gave me the excuse to do it.  So now we have a matched set!

 

 

And my fun project.  I had an empty wall that needed some art.  On Pinterest I had seen someone take knitting and stretch it over a canvas.  Cool idea, I can do that!  So I gathered some scraps of Noro Silk Garden.  I cast on 100 sts and I used short rows and changed the texture (st st, garter, seed st, etc) when the yarn changed color.  I am very happy with it and what an inexpensive way to to decorate!

 

 

Last month I showed you a bag of yarn and pattern that was to become a sweater.  Unfortunately, it still looks like this.  As soon as the sleeves are done on the tunic…  I hate to say this but the new spring magazines are here and I am intrigued by a few things, so who knows what will happen next…

 

Until next month, Happy Knitting, Nancy