Tag Archives: knitting

Knitting Along

Ya’ll, this pattern is fun! It’s been a minute since I did anything with this much color-work and I’m enjoying it thoroughly.

While last time I made a big deal about following someone else’s pattern and not doing any of my own math, I must admit I cheated a little bit. I’d heard people complaining about the neck/short row situation on this sweater, so I changed it up a little. Instead of working 7 rows of ribbing for the collar, I did 5. And instead of doing 5 sets of short rows, I did 3. I think it’ll do nicely. No turtleneck here!And I think I’m liking how these colors are playing together for the most part. There’s still a part of me that’s a little skeptical of the pink-yellow variegated, but I think that’s because it’s just so far outside of the colors I usually pick. And, I am a little concerned about the contrast between the pink and the gray in the big “arrow” section of the yoke. (Though, honestly this picture makes it look pretty nice. It’s a little less clear in real life.)I’m almost to the end of the yoke, which is both exciting (yay! I’m that much closer to finishing), and a little sad (boo! I’m that much closer to finishing). It’s a fun little project, and with no sleeves and not much body to knit, it’ll be done before I know it.

What do you think of the colors? I think I like them, but I’m still on the fence a bit.

Starting Something New!

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I’m really excited about this one, folks! I’m starting a new project, which is always fun, but this time there are a few reasons I’m especially pumped:

It’s for me!
It’s not for work!
It’s a pre-existing pattern (no math!).
It’s going to be made from yarn that I bought explicitly for this project. No stashbusting!
It’s going to be super cute!

That’s right, I’m jumping on the bandwagon and making myself a Soldotna Crop (though I think mine won’t be quite as cropped as the pattern suggests; I’m pretty tall and don’t own any high-waisted jeans).

Processed with VSCO with fp1 preset

I’m using Tosh DK in four colors that I spent wayyy too much time picking out. madelinetosh is one of my absolute favorite dyers. I love the subtle variation they get in their semi-solids and the saturated colors in their variegated yarns. I haven’t actually worked with her DK weight before, but I’m looking forward to it. It’s a nice dense yarn, and super soft, but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be too prone to pilling (or at least that’s what it feels like).

The colors I picked were Undergrowth (a dreamy blue-green for the main color), Raspberry Cordial (a jammy purple with hints of fuchsia), Tern (a soft purple-y gray), and Texas Tulips (an insane (for me) pink/yellow/green variegated that is something that I would never normally have picked, but it felt like the right thing to do at the time… we’ll see how it looks).

It feels kind of decadent to be making a whole sweater for myself, just because I want to, in fancy new yarn that I picked out specifically for this project. I kind of love it.

(I really hope that pink color ends up working…. it’s very un-me.)

I’m going to go get this yarn wound up right away and start knitting. Whoo!

When’s the last time you did some selfish knitting?

Pattern: Truly Everyday Socks

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Time for another new pattern! It’s one that’s dear to my heart (or feet). And it’s in Knit Picks’ newest collection: Simply Socks, which is all about those socks you want to knit again and again and wear every day. 75339D

These are my Truly Everyday Socks. If you’re related to me, they’re probably really familiar to you, because I’ve been making them for years and have been given out on more than one Christmas morning. YPxPiMmk
They’re a super-simple top-down sock with 2×2 ribbing at the top, a turned, reinforced heel and nice, neat toe. I’ve covered the leg and instep with a really simple knit/purl basket-weave pattern that you’ll be able to memorize before you’re even an inch into the first sock. RG62pByR I love these socks. I’ve made probably a dozen pairs using this basic pattern over the years. They’re unisex and utilitarian, but not boring (to wear or knit), and could easily be sized up or down. Plus, they’re a great way to show off that special skein of hand-dyed yarn you’ve got squirreled away.

Head over to Knit Picks and pick up a copy of my Truly Everyday Socks, and make yourself a pair (or twelve).

Off my needles

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Woo! I finished!

God, it feels good to finish a project. It’s been a while. I’ve been working on that dang wedding blanket for my (now married) brother for what feels like a decade, and before that, I was working on a sweater for my husband that I ended up setting aside because I am an insane person who decided that knitting a full-on men’s sweater on US3’s was a good idea.

So, it’s been a minute since I was able to weave in that last end, break out the blocking boards and say “I’m officially done!”

And I’m here to say, “I’m officially done!” With this baby sweater.

I mean, look at this kid. He’s looking dapper in his little tweed sweater that’s still a bit big for him, which is great- it should be just about perfect in the fall. (Don’t mind the fat lip. He’s trying really hard to learn how to walk, and had a little run-in with gravity the other day. It looks worse than it is.)

I really enjoyed this pattern- Flax Light is real simple, and a nice quick project that used up a couple leftover skeins of Knit Picks Provinicial Tweed. (It’s marketed as a worsted, but knits up like a sport or a DK, so it was pretty perfect for this pattern.) I love that Tin Can Knits grades all their sweaters from baby to big adult, which means that I can make more Flaxes for the kiddo as he grows up. (And maybe matching ones for my husband and I? Though, that might be a little much, even for me.)

One thing that was odd, though, was the lack of a front/back in this pattern. No short rows at the back of the neck or stitches bound off at the front. It’s the second time I knitted a sweater for the kid that didn’t have a specific front/back. I wonder if it’s a baby-sweater thing, or something that I just haven’t run into until recently.

Have you finished anything lately?

Not So Magic

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I’m cruising along with my little Flax Light. (It’s a refreshing change from gigantic sweaters and blankets, but it’s a little sad that it’s so much bigger than the kiddo’s other sweaters… Slow down, little dude!)

I worked up the ribbed hem and bound off the body while watching last week’s episode of The Bachelorette. (Not the show I’m proudest of, but you gotta have something silly to watch from time to time.) The sweater is turning out so cute! I love the little shoulders and the neat little hem. And this color is going to be so flattering on the kid.I still had a half-hour left of my show, so I decided to grab some DPNs and get to work on the sleeves. But horror of horrors, apparently I don’t have any US6 DPNs. I’ve got 3 sets of 5’s, 2 sets of 7’s, and just about any other size I could want, but not a 6 in sight. How does this happen? I’ve been knitting for more than two thirds of my life. Why don’t I have any 6’s?

But, no fear, I can rally. I’m a knitter and knitters are nothing if not resourceful. I pulled out one of my long US6 circulars to start doing magic loop. Sure, I wasn’t a fan of it years ago when I tried it last, but maybe I’ve matured as a knitter. Maybe I’m open to other ways of knitting. Maybe it’s after 9 and JoAnn’s is closed and I have no other choice.Well, I made it about a half an inch before giving up. Good God, magic loop is annoying. The more power to you, if that’s what works for you. I’m glad there are different techniques for different people, but this one is definitely not for me. I don’t know why, but there is something that just drives me up the wall about wrangling that big old cable, and futzing with moving my stitches back and forth. Maybe there’s some “flow” thing that I’m just not getting, but at least for now, nope. Magic loop is definitely not for me.

I guess I’m taking a trip to the craft store this afternoon.

Are there any techniques that you just can’t stand? Have you ever tried something new and “noped” right out of there?

Wedding Bells!

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My brother got married yesterday!

(OK, full disclosure, he gets married next Sunday as I write this, but yesterday as it’s published. I didn’t think that writing a blog post mid-ceremony was a great way of being a wedding guest.)

I’m sure it was an amazing party and a beautiful ceremony. I’m sure the kiddo only ruined it a little bit.

I’m so excited to see my new sister-in-law and meet her extended family. I’m so glad she’s joining our family and look forward to having her join us on all our reunions and holidays over the years. She’s a delight!

And, yes, before you ask, the blanket is still unfinished. Don’t worry, y’all will be the first to see it when it’s done. (Don’t judge.)

Anyway, let’s celebrate love! And marriage! And my brother and his WIFE! (That sounds weird, but I like it.) You know how we celebrate around here- by looking at knitting patterns that we’ll never have time to actually work up.

Though, if time is an issue, I could always just make this teeny little pair.

Tiny Bride and Groom by Anna Hrachovec tinybridegroom_medium2

But it’s a wedding! A time of celebration! Excess! Exuberant over-reaching! I gotta make a whole cake!

Wedding Cake by Alan Dart 3421661182_b

Or, I could just go totally twee and adorable, and knit up some super cute little critters. (I mean, really. Look at those tiny little flowers!!)

Wedding Mice by Amanda Berry

bride_and_groom__4_

Congrats to my brother! And welcome to the family, Sister-in-Law! We’re so excited to have you!

Are you going to any weddings this summer?

Doing the Splits

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It’s been nice, giving myself a break from all my “big” knitting. I’ve given up on finishing my brother’s wedding blanket before his wedding next weekend (unless my kid suddenly decides he doesn’t need my attention, there’s no way I’m getting it done in the next 7 days), and I’m between work knitting assignments.

Which means I’ve been leisurely knitting away at my fun little Flax Light for the kiddo.

And I just passed my favorite part of a top-down sweater- the “split for sleeves” part.

It’s a simple little phrase, barely even a sentence, but it’s so fun. (Especially when I’m just following a pattern and I don’t have to do any math!) It’s that point where your project turns from a weird funnel-thing into an honest-to-goodness sweater. It’s like magic. (And it doesn’t hurt that suddenly you reduce your stitch count by a good third or more, which means the next section starts going really quickly.)

And I know it’s silly, but I love picking scrap yarn to hold my sleeve stitches. I like a yarn that contrasts but still “goes.” I kind of love this yellow scrap yarn with the red- the it really picks up the little yellow tweedy nupps from the red yarn. It’s to the point where I’m half-considering adding a yellow stripe to this sweater, 90s-style.

What’s your favorite part of a sweater? Casting on? Binding off? Sleeve island?

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-07a I’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!