Category Archives: On My Needles

A(nother) Sweater

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Apparently I’m on a sweater kick.  I mean, I always appreciate a good sweater.  But, I feel like I’ve got a bit of a bug under my skin lately about knitting sweaters.  (Or maybe it’s just that I’ve started looking at Pinterest more- so many pretty projects, so little time.)

I’m thinking that my next sweater should be for me.  And I think it should be more modern and girlier than my usual fare of plain-ol, top down pullovers.

And I think it should use this lovely lilac yarn I’ve had stashed away for almost a year.  (KnitPicks’ Wool of the Andes Superwash in Haze Heather)26320My first instinct is to go simple and easy to really show off the color.  Add in an interesting, modern silhouette, and I’m in love!

Worsted Boxy by Joji LocatelliResize_of_a04_medium2[1]But, oof, that’s a lot of stockinette… like, a lot…

Maybe I want to keep it simple, but do a more classic, relaxed silhouette.  And maybe add a little textural interest, just enough to make it fun.

Mailin by Isabell KraemerIMG_6038_medium2[1]But, then we’re back in kind-of-old-fashioned-and-not-terribly-flattering country.  (Although I do really like this pattern.  I’ll have to keep it in mind for a later date.)

Maybe I need something a little fiddlier- something with a ton of teeny tiny cables?

Little Wave by Gudrun JohnstonLittle_Wave_1_medium2[1]Maybe… but it’s not as much of a “wow” project as I was looking for…

Oooh, look at this one!  An interesting, modern shape, a perfect canvas for super-cool cables, and I think it would look pretty killer in purple!

Stranger Cardigan by michiyoStranger1_medium2[1]I think we might have a winner!

What do you think?  Which would you pick?

Husband Sweater- Buttons!

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I love buttons, yes I do.  I love buttons, yow ’bout you?

I especially love shopping for buttons at all the cool, funky little yarn shops, fabric stores and craft shops in Seattle.  (OK, not all the shops, but we probably visited 3 or 4.)

Last weekend, my husband and I went on the Quest for the Perfect Button!  It was actually quite fun.  We started out with breakfast at our favorite brunch spot (If you’re in Seattle, be sure to visit The Dish, and get the SOB Spuds with eggs.  So good!), because everyone knows that shopping for buttons should not be done on an empty stomach.

Then we wound our way back toward our house and stopping here and to look for buttons.  I still maintained that pewter buttons would look good, but as you guys reminded me after my last sweater post, this is my husband’s sweater, and he’s the one who is going to wear it, so we ended up finding some pretty cool wooden buttons.

Ta da!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI’m actually pretty pleased with them.  They’re a lovely warm brown, and they’re stained in a way that makes them look vintage-y, but the cup-like shape is pretty modern-looking.  I think my husband did a good job picking out his buttons.  (I knew I kept him around for some reason.)

He’s actually been wearing the sweater around the house and out and about on weekends, but it still is a little short (which makes me cringe).  I was hoping that it would sag a bit, like the last sweater I made for him, but it looks like that isn’t going to happen.  I guess I’m going to have to try steam blocking it…

This scares me.  I’m fairly certain that I’ll end up melting the yarn. (I don’t know why I’m certain about this- must just be some manifestation of my general anxiety.)  So!  If you have suggestions, tips or tricks, please let me know!  I would love any advice you have for not completely messing up this sweater!

Husband’s Sweater Update

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I’ve finished my husband’s sweater!  Woo!

(Sort of.)

It’s got a collar and a body, and two arms that end in nicely finished cuffs.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI really am quite pleased with how this sweater has turned out.  I like the moss stitch yoke, and it actually fits my husband pretty well.  Not bad for a quick, semi-improvised sweater project!

Now I’ve just got to actually finish it:

  1.  It need buttons.  I’m thinking pewter, but my husband is campaigning for wood.  What do you think?
  2. I think it’s still a half-inch too short.  (Even after ripping it back and re-knitting the waist.  I think it might have some sort of curse.) I’m going to try steam-blocking it, in the hopes that I can avoid re-knitting the hem for a third time.  Wish me luck!

Not bad, if I say so myself.

So, what are you working on?

Acrylic & Sweaters (or at least acrylic and my sweater)

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I’m making great headway on my husband’s sweater!  It’s very exciting.  I’ve got the body done, and one sleeve. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe shoulders/sleeve situation looks great, if I say so my self, and I really like the ribbing on the hem and cuff.  (I added a row of purls along the top of the ribbing to make a defined line between the body and the hem.  I think it turned out well!)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABut, I’m pretty sure I messed up.  I the body is maybe 2  inches too short.   And that’s really too much to let slide.   If this was a wool sweater, I’d at least try to block it out a little longer.  And if it was a cotton one, I’d hang it up for a while to see if it would sag down to a more reasonable length.

But, I’m knitting this bad boy in acrylic Brava Worsted, which means that neither of those tricks are really going to work.  (Unless there’s some other secret trick that I don’t know.  Tell me if there is!)

I think my only recourse is to rip out the hem and knit a couple extra inches to the body, then re-knit the ribbing.  Sigh.

But, maybe I’ll just wait for a while before ripping anything out, I don’t know if I have the heart to go to town on this sweater quite yet.

Remember, kids, always measure twice before binding off.   Sigh.

Do you have any tips on blocking acrylic?

Husband Sweater Update!

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I’ve been cranking away at the sweater I’m making for my husband, and I’m making good progress!

The shoulders are done and I love the seed stitch and reverse stockinette, though they look a little narrow, but they should stretch out with wear/blocking.  I have to trust the pattern- Ann Budd hasn’t let me down before.  And, I’m almost to the bottom of the hem!  Just an inch or two more, and it’s on to the sleeves.

I’m really pleased with how the yoke and neckline have turned out.  I really wanted to make a Henley sweater for my husband.  I think Henley are very flattering, and fall nicely in-between a fancy-pants cardigan and comfy-casual pullover.  Also, we all know how much I like buttons.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASo, I started the sweater following Ann Budd’s instructions for a cardigan leaving off 2 stitches from the mid-line on each side to accommodate the extra width of the button band.  I joined up the underarms and worked back and forth for a few inches.  Then, I began to work the sweater in the round, casting on 4 stitches at the center to get the full stitch count.

I kind of improvised the button band (do you know how lovely and relaxing this sweater has been?  I haven’t had to take one note the whole time!  And I only have to knit it in a single size!  Delightful!).  I picked up and knit stitches on either side for the button bands, working a 2×2 rib, and making “k2tog, yo, yo, k2tog” button holes on the left side (I had to check with my husband’s shirts- I can never remember which side buttons go on!).  After binding off each side, I picked up and knit the neckband, which went from the edge of one button band to the other.  I worked the neck in a 2×2 rib, too (except the ends, where I knit 3.  That’s a trick I picked up from an old knitting book to compensate for the curling that inevitably happens at the edge of your knitting) and worked a final button hole in line with the others I worked on the left side.

Then, I  sewed the bottom ends of the button bands into place, overlapping them and trying to make them as flush with the body of the sweater as possible.

I’m very pleased with how it’s turning out!  Now I just have to make the rest of the body, the sleeves, and pick out the buttons.  Almost done… right?

Oh!  And don’t forget to sign up for the 52 More Weeks of Dishcloths giveaway!

A New Sweater On My Needles

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It’s time for a new sweater!  This one’s for my husband, and I’m not going to make it into a pattern or anything (which feels oddly luxurious- I guess I’ve been writing a too many patterns).

I actually ordered the yarn back in the fall, when the plan was to knit this sweater as a Christmas present.  Of course, things happened, and I ran out of time.  Isn’t that the way it goes?

Anyway, I ordered a bunch of skeins of KnitPicks Brava Worsted in Cobblestone Heather in their last big sale.

25697[1] Now, this is a 100% acrylic yarn, which is not something that I would normally use to make a sweater.  But my husband picked it out.  He tends to run warm, and Seattle basically never gets below 40 degrees, so he refuses to wear anything with wool.   (OK, maybe I’m being dramatic. But the point still stands, he won’t wear wool.)

Brava seems like a decent alternative to wool.  It’s nice and soft and squishy, and actually has a bit of wool-like spring.  Unfortunately, it has a bit of that “acrylic sheen” to it, so I think it looks a little cheap- but that’s probably something that only a knitter would notice.

I’m thinking of doing either a crew-neck or a heneley sweater, top down (because I love me a good top-down sweater.  Seriously, if you’re even thinking of improvising your own sweater, try Ann Budd’s book Top-Down Sweaters.  It’s the best!).

I want to keep the sweater fairly plain (because that’s what my husband likes), stockinette, but featuring some subtle texture across the shoulders and chest.  Something like this:OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe top portion is a simple moss stitch, which I think would look good across the top part of a men’s sweater.  The bottom is just stockinette (so I can measure gauge).  In between, I tried a couple things to figure out the transition.  On the right, I just went straight from moss stitch to stockinette, and on the left, I added a couple rows of reverse stockinette.  I think I like the reverse stockinette stripe, I think it would add structure and a bit more visual interest to the sweater.

But I have a little time to figure it out before I get down to the transition point.

What do you think?

I’m Stricken

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Stricken with that dreaded Second Sock Syndrome!

I’ve managed to avoid it for years.  All my pairs of socks have been either completed finished or completely frogged (except for those socks in Mardi Gras colors that I stopped working on because I realized I would never wear socks in Mardi Gras colors, and really, who would dye yarn in those colors.  Honestly.)

But, I can no longer say that I am unaffected by Second Sock Syndrome.  Observe:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOne sock, perfectly completed (in less than a week, mind you). Bound off, ends woven in, ready for blocking.  Look at that lovely shade of hand-dyed blue.   The yarn is beautiful and squishy.   It’s delightful!  And I’ve already done the toe on the second sock.  The fiddly part is done.  Now I just need to knit.

Unfortunately, I started the second sock almost a month ago.  While it’s been sitting in my WIP pile, instead of working on the sock, I have completed:

What has to happen to make me finish these socks?  I want to wear them… I want them to be finished… I just don’t want to pick up the needles and work on them.  Ugh!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhat do you do when you’ve got a wicked case of Second Sock Syndrome?

Apparently It’s Leftovers Month

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I feel like I’ve been talking about using up leftovers a lot lately.  I suppose, I have been trying to use up my stash before I go buy more (I’m almost out of space in my yarn bins).

And this week isn’t any different.

Over the years I’ve collected a bunch of Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool in a selection of natural heathered colors from off-white to dark, chocolate brown.  I’ve used this yarn in a bunch of projects- mostly blankets, and no matter how carefully I plan, I always end up with a bunch of half-skeins leftover.  I even had several half-skeins of the same colors, but different dye lots.

I had to figure out what to make with this ragtag bunch of yarn.  Anything fancy, like a sweater, was out because of the weird amounts of each color yarn.  Anything that took a lot of planning was out, too- I wasn’t in the mood to do a lot of math on this one.

So, I arranged the yarn in a gradient from lightest to darkest, dug out my crochet hooks and just started making a granny square.

And kept on going- using up one skein after another.  (The little bits leftover are going to turn into another Mother Bear– I think I have a problem.)OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe blanket ended up about 4 feet by 4 feet- a nice size for a lap blanket or maybe a baby blanket (though I don’t know if I’d give a baby an itchy wool, non-washable blanket).OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOllie seems to like it.  He saw me taking pictures and came over to give it the official “Dog Seal of Approval.”OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA And then he fell asleep- because he leads a very high-energy, stressful life.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhat have you been doing to use up your leftover skeins of yarn?

Me Socks- Finished!

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There is something magical about brand-new hand knit socks. I bet any knitter (or knitter’s family member) would agree.

And you know what’s even better than brand-new socks? Brand-new socks for that you get to keep! I’ve got new socks, and I’m so excited!

As I said before, I used the fantastic “Diagonal Lace Socks” pattern, because I wanted to try my hand at making toe-up heel flap socks, and I thought the heel on these bad boys looked pretty good. I’ve avoided toe up socks for years- mostly out of habit, after all, I have a great system for making my own socks, so I don’t even need a pattern. But, I figured it was time to bite the bullet and try my hand at these socks.

And, you know what? They were easy!

I’ll admit, it was a bit weird making socks without picking up any stitches, and I had a little trouble trusting in the math on the heel cap. But, trust issues aside, this was a great pattern, and the finished socks are just delightful.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd, it doesn’t hurt that the Hawthorne yarn I got from Knitpicks is super lovely and squishy, yet I can tell it’s going to be strong enough to last me for at least a couple years. (I will be honest, though, I thought the color looked better wound into a skein- knit up, it looks a little dingy. But it’s not like I’m going to be running around making people look at my socks and judge their dinginess. Except for now. Look at my socks!)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERANow I think it’s time to break these puppies in! I think I’ll slip them on and taking them (and the dog) on a nice long walk.

Have you made yourself anything lately?

Mystery Vacation and Vacation Knitting

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Have I mentioned that I have the World’s Best Husband?  Because I do.  I really do.  (Sorry, this post isn’t going to have a lot of knitting in it… oh well!)

So, my 30th birthday was this week (yep, I’m officially a grown-up now), and instead of going out to eat or having friends over or renting out the roller rink, my husband decided to do something flipping amazing for me.  He planned a secret vacation!

All I knew going in was that we were heading out of town for about a week, and a few days before we left, he told me to pack for the beach (which was lucky, because I was 100% convinced that we were going to Portland).

I packed my bags, and made sure to bring plenty of knitting (because you never know), and we headed to the airport.

I didn’t take a picture of my face when he finally told me where we were going, but it was something like this:

7241270_f260Because we were going to Hawaii!  Kauai, specifically.  5 days of beaches, snorkeling, tropical drinks and hiking in the rain forest.  OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIt was utterly delightful.  And I didn’t even end up sunburnt! (As a super-pale Seattleite, this is a huge victory.)

And while sunbathing and swimming isn’t terribly conducive to knitting, I did get most of the way through my Diagonal Lace socks (two 6-hour-one-way flights) help with that!  I’ve just got a little bit of cuff, some finishing and a quick blocking, and they’ll be done!

Yay vacation!  Yay socks!