Monthly Archives: May 2023

Loose Ends

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I’m feeling indecisive, or at least indecisive enough that I don’t want to commit to a whole sweater right now. So, I took a dive into my stash and found a project that should be pretty doable. It’s nearly finished, at least, so I should be able to give myself that finished-project-serotonin-boost that I love.

You might remember that I published this pattern a few months ago- super cute Rainbow Socks.

Well, it turns out that I never actually finished the prototype. I got 80% of the way through the socks, wrote up the pattern and decided to go do something else. Typical Allison.

Eagle-eyed readers will notice that I changed the design a bit to add more rainbows at the heel and toe. I definitely like the more-is-more aspect of the final pattern, but I’m not unraveling anything right now, so I’ll keep these guys as they are, with their boring toes.

I’m determined to finish these socks! Will it take a day? A week? A month? All summer? only time will tell.

What’s the last project that you pulled out of hibernation?

Next Up?

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And now that I’m done with my little cabled sweater, it’s time to move on to… something else.

What else, exactly? I have no idea. It’s been super-hot here in Seattle, which isn’t helping my knitting mojo, either. But I’m always happy to troll around on Ravelry for a little bit and consider my options.

My first thought was that I didn’t want to start anything big, so maybe a little stuffed animal. Maybe this stinking cute little family of bears with a full wardrobe of sweaters? Tsutsu Bear by Cynthia Vallet.

Or maybe I should make myself something light and summery? I’ve had my eye on this tee for a while. I don’t really have any warm-weather sweaters (which really feels like an oxymoron), so maybe it’s time to try out some nice linen or something. I really like how the pattern is pretty flexible and easily adaptable to a variety of bodies. Outline Tee by Jessie Maed Designs.

Or maybe I try something really out of my comfort zone, and try my hand at crochet again? The last time I crocheted a sweater, the results were… questionable. I really like how this top looks, though. But will it look like that on me? I suppose there’s only one way to find out. Calad Shirt by Jessica Tsung.

I’m going to think on it for a while, dig through my stash and see what speaks to me, and maybe make a run to my yarn store. Hopefully something really piques my interest.

What do you knit when you don’t know what to knit?

All done!

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And just in time for a heat wave, of course. I finished my kid’s sweater on Monday. Tuesday was a chilly 50 degrees, so we busted it out right away on a little trip to the woods near our house. He looked like a cross between a baby hobbit and a little old man. Frankly, my ideal kid aesthetic. (Though I think the cute factor could be upped with the addition of elbow patches.)

And literally by Wednesday, it was in the 70s, and over the weekend it got into the 80s. So, it seems like this super-cozy, cabled wool sweater will not be getting a lot of play until next fall.

But, thank goodness, I managed to make the sweater big enough that it’ll definitely fit all the way through the next year (probably). There’s plenty of length in the sleeves, and if I blocked it out, I’m sure I could get some extra room around the belly and chest. I haven’t blocked it yet, because it fits just about perfect as is, and it’s extra-squishy and fluffy pre-blocking. It’s possible the neck will be a little too tight if this kid’s gigantic head keeps growing at its current rate, but that would be an easy fix.

I’m so happy to have this sweater finished! I truly don’t know the last time I finished any project, much less a full sweater. And, I’m so glad it turned out well! Now I’m thinking of making myself another Ben sweater to match… My current one is definitely “well-loved.”

Have you finished any projects lately?

So close I can taste it

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I’m thiiiiis close to finishing my toddler’s sweater! Miracle of miracles, I got it seamed up over the weekend, and the sleeves actually look proportional to the rest of the sweater! I had serious doubts about that, but hey, it turns out that my math was correct! Who knew?

It’s so cute, and all I have left to add is the neckband! And, I suppose, block it. But that’s it! I honestly didn’t think this sweater was ever going to get finished. I’ve gotta say, it’s a nice feeling, getting close to finishing a long project. It’s been too long since I managed a bigger project like this.

And it even looks like its still going to fit the kid… maybe even next year!

Have you managed to finish anything lately?

Nearly There

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I’ve just about done it- I’ve got all the big pieces for the toddler Ben-ish pullover finished. (And right in time for summer-y weather to set in. Though this is Seattle; I’m sure it’ll get back to cold and rainy before the week is out.)

The sweater looks so good! I just love this cable pattern- it’s making me want to knit up another Ben for myself (the one I made for my husband 10+ years ago and that I subsequently adopted/stole back is looking pretty disreputable). I can’t wait to see this on my little guy. He’s naturally got a real “tenured professor” vibe, so it’s basically a crime that he doesn’t have a cabled sweater already. Maybe I should add some elbow patches, too.

Anyway, all that’s left is to seam it, add the collar and block it. And if I say it like that, it doesn’t sound like much, but I’m sure it’s going to take a few weeks for me to actually get around to finishing up everything. Because why would this step take any less time than any other step? For a tiny little sweater, it’s really taking a lot of work. Long gone are the days of finishing an entire adult sweater in two weeks.

How do you feel when you get close to the end of a project?