Monthly Archives: May 2019

Short and Sweet

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Over the years I’ve gone through phases- for a while I was a shawl knitter, then I was a sock knitter.  Now, I’m a sweater knitter.  Every once in a while I bang out a hat or a pair of mitts, but mostly, I knit sweaters.

Which is great! I’m always warm, my family is warm (sometimes too warm), and I have a big pile of hand-knit sweaters that I really love.  I’m a happy camper.

But the problem with being a sweater knitter is that everything I make takes forever.  (Especially when I’m knitting sweaters as my “fun” knitting to break up the monotony of blanket knitting.)  I’ve been feeling a little down about my knitting lately- less excited about the projects that are on my needles and more tempted to just scroll through Facebook on my phone in the evenings.  So, what’s a sweater knitter to do, when she wants a fun, quick, project that she can finish in a couple days?

A baby sweater, that’s what.  (OK, really, it’s a toddler sweater, but still.)

I had some Provincial Tweed in Candy Apple leftover from my Hurricane Ridge prototype.  It’s subtly shiny, has a deep, rich color, and is machine washable(!!!), so it’s perfect for a little sweater for my little guy.  I love him in red- it’s so flattering on him, with his bright blue eyes and pink cheeks.  Plus, I have 2 and a half skeins- just enough for a baby sweater!

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So, I dug around on Ravelry for about five minutes, until I saw a pattern that I’d been meaning to try for a while- Tin Can Knits’ Flax Light.  It’s so cute, and such a practical little sweater for a toddler (or anyone, really… I might end up making one for everyone in the family).  It’s a simple, top-down raglan with nice garter detailing up the sleeves.  Such a great everyday sweater!

SC-flaxlight-07aI’m not even bothering to make a swatch.  I figure I’ve picked a size that’s big enough that the kid will grow into it eventually, even if my gauge is way off.  Talk about low-stress knitting!

Well, I’m off to cast on, while I still have a few minutes before naptime is over.

What do you do for a “fun” project?

Summer Knitting

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I don’t know what the weather’s like by you guys, but here in Seattle, it’s getting frustrating.  It’s 70 and sunny for a day or two, a week at most, just long enough for me to start getting used to the summeryness of it all and pull out my shorts, then, bam!  Back to 50 and rainy for two weeks.

It’s ridiculous, but it’s making my fingers itch to work on something light and fun.  (I also might be itching to start a new project because I’m still working on the BLANKET THAT NEVER ENDS.  I just timed myself and it takes me about 20 minutes to knit a row.  I haven’t had the heart to figure out how many rows I’ve knit/how many I have left to knit.  Talk about a labor of love.)

Even though I’ve never been a fan of warm-weather knits (I mean, really, if you’re going to wear a sweater, just wear a sweater.  You don’t need a wooly tank top.  Honestly.), I’ve been dreaming of a lightweight, knitted tee. (I know, who am I?)

This is the one that got me started.  It’s just gorgeous.  That lace, the flattering shape.  I mean come on.  There’s one knit in a beautiful slubby silk on display at my LYS, and I’m tempted to walk off with it every time I visit.  (Though, who am I kidding, I’d be too nervous to wear a silk hand-knit tee.)

Tegna by Caitlin HunterProcessed with VSCO with m3 preset

And this cute little tee is all sleek and streamlined, with classy little details, like everything from Purl Soho.

Lovely Lightweight Tee by Purl Soholovely-lightweight-tee-600-2-1_medium2

I love the stripes on this guy, the saddle(ish) shoulders, and the flattering silhouette.  I really think I could wear this on the regular.

At the Seaside (Not Only in the Summer) by Fraulein Stadtisch

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Have your knitting plans turned to warmer-weather projects?  What do you like to work on when the temperatures go up?

Pattern: Phinney Ridge Socks

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Woo! New pattern day!

And this is a good one- it’s socks!

Introducing, my newest (and current favorite) socks: Phinney Ridge Socks!

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Look at them in all their stripey goodness!

They’re fairly simple top-down socks with stripes from cuff to toe with an interesting slipped-stitch pattern along the tops.  (The slipped stitches make them look much more interesting/difficult than they actually are, which is something I always look for in a pattern.)

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These guys use a skein of solid black, and a pack of contrasting mini-skeins, but they’d be a great way to use that special hand-dyed variegated yarn you brought back from your last trip to New York, or maybe a really great ombre-dyed skein that you bought on impulse three years ago and haven’t figure out how to use yet.

If you’re looking for other patterns for your fancy-pants sock yarn, you should check out the rest of this Knit Picks collection! Outrageous Insteps is all about using those special skeins of sock yarn.

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I really like these chevron-textured socks!

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And the crazy slipped stitch pattern on these bad boys is super cool! I’ve never tried slipped stitches like this before!

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And these socks‘ little one-stitch cables on the striped background- perfection!

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I can’t wait to dig into my yarn stash and find something really special to try on some of these patterns.

Do you have any particularly special skeins you’re looking for a pattern for?

Mom

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It’s Mother’s Day this weekend (at least it is here in the US).  So, in celebration of mothers generally, I want to talk about my mother in particular, and promote her amazing business for two reasons:

  1. She’s insanely talented, and I legit think that you guys would love her work.
  2. She would never in a million years think about self-promotion, so I’m going to do it for her.  (Sorry Mom.  I know this is going to make you self-concious, but I’m going to brag about you for a little bit.)

My mom, apart from being the one who taught me how to knit, is a fantastic seamstress (sewer?) and an insanely talented illustrator.  A few years back she took early retirement, and opened up an Etsy store, Paper or Threads.

She makes bags.

Amazing knitting project bags.

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(SWEATERS!!)

But she doesn’t just make bags.  Oh no- that would be too easy.  She designs her own fabric for them.

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(SHEEP!!)

She’s got big bags and little bags.  Bags with zips and bags with drawstrings.  And, I know this sounds like I’m just shilling, but I swear to god, they’re the nicest project bags I own.  They’re made from really quality cotton fabric (that feature her own original designs… I can’t emphasize that enough), and they’re all fully-lined (which means you won’t run into any annoying fraying edges to tangle up your yarn) and last for years and years.il_1588xN.1635891553_4ld8

(GNOMES!!!)

She’s got designs for everyone- from kitchy gnomes to adorable farm animals to classy all-over prints.  (I’m a big fan of the gnomes myself.)il_1588xN.1178395020_h0c8

(TREES!!)

And, if you sew, you can get yardage of her fabrics through Snapfish!  Capture2(SLOTHS!!)

Imagine a dress made of sloths!  Or a quilt covered in socks!Capture

(SOCKS!!!)

Fair warning- I’ve been trying to get Mom to increase her prices for a while (because she seriously undercharges for her amazing bags), so if you want to grab a bag or two (and you should),  head over to her Etsy store soon!

(ALSO! She makes kids’ clothes with her designs, too. They’re too stinking cute.  Definitely check them out.)

(Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!)