Tag Archives: pullover

A New Sweater On My Needles

4 Replies

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?

Inspiration: The Killing

Leave a reply

I’ve been spending my November holed up away from the damp Seattle weather watching a TV show about the damp Seattle weather.  Because, why not!

It’s one of my new favorite TV shows:  The Killing.  (It’s not new, I’m just late to the party.)   Based on a Swedish show of the same name (but in Swedish… or at least I assume it’s the same name.  I don’t speak Swedish), The Killing is basically the show for people who think Law & Order: SVU is too light and funny.

Luckily for me, I am one of those people.

But, of course, the best part of the Killing isn’t the twisty-turny plot, the great acting, or the insanely brutal crimes.  The best part is Detective Sarah Linden’s amazing sweaters.  How amazing are they?  So amazing.mirielle2I have never seen a woman on TV rock the oversized sweater/puffy coat combo as well as Sara Linden.  mirielle1It’s kind of incredible.mirielle5This one even looks hand-knit!mirielle3I think Sarah Linden might be my spirit animal.  (As far as dressing goes.  She doesn’t smile nearly enough to be my true spirit animal.)

Want to channel your inner chain-smoking, crime-fighting, misanthrope?  Try knitting up one of these over-sized beauties.

The Killing Snowflake Sweater in Fritidsgarn by SKD Yarnsimage_medium[3]Flugeldar by Kiyomi Burginflugeldar8_medium2[1]#224 Weekend Pullover by Diane Soucy224_medium2[1]

Inspiration: Taming the Jungle

3 Replies

My yard likes to grow.

A lot.

Especially when it’s damp and chilly.

You know what’s super not fun when it’s damp and chilly?

Weeding, pruning, trimming, and mowing.

I’ve got goosebumps and stiff, chilly fingers just from thinking about it.  Brrrr.  Especially when your jeans start to soak through, your glasses fog up and your sneakers get wet.  No fun at all.

So, I’ve got to be sure to dress properly when I go out into my yard to do battle with the blackberry vines (and battalions of mushrooms, and scores of overgrown oregano bushes).  And, because I’m me, that means lots of knitwear.

Of course, I’ve got to start with a nice mid-weight sweater to keep me warm without weighing me down.

ravello by Isabell KraemerDSC_0064_medium[1]And top it off with a lovely slouchy hat to keep my ears from catching frostbite.

Sockhead Hat by Kelly McClure

IMG_0681_medium2[1]And I’ll finish it off with some pretty-yet-practical fingerless gloves.  These would be perfect for under my thick leather gardening gloves- then I’ll keep warm, and  keep my fingers from being ripped apart by blackberry thorns!

Maize by tincanknits

SC-maize-02_medium[1]Now that I’m all suited up- Once more into the breach!  Wish me luck!

Do you have a favorite outfit for working in the yard?

Inspiration: Bates Motel

1 Reply

I’ve been churning through several feet of stockinette over the last couple weeks, and you know what that means: binge-watching Netflix.

I had finished most of the shows I had been working on, so I had to find a new show to watch.  Preferably one with sweaters.  Lots of sweaters.

Enter: Bates Motel.  A show from A&E, it’s a sort-of prequel/reboot/bizarro version of Psycho (the Hitchcock movie).  It’s actually really good, or at least I enjoyed it.  Lots of twists and turns and intrigue (and murder… and drugs… and taxidermy).

It’s based in modern-day, but the costumes have a very fifties-feel.  Which, for Norman Bates, means sweaters.

Bates-Motel-season-2[1]Lots of sweaters.

5423d7f957094809d841b0040b7755ad[1]Norman’s sweater game is on point.

13-emma-and-norman-study-the-manga[1]Even though he is a (maybe) insane murderer, and definitely creepy weirdo, I kind of want to copy his sweater action.

Want to make yourself a Norman Bates sweater, too? Try one of these vintage-y Fair Isle creations:

Fair Isle V-necked Jumper by Shetland Museum Textile Archives

8245318946_605ef2271e_z[1]Ovaltinie by Patricia Roberts

My_homemade_sweaters_037_medium2[1]South Atlantic by Rita C Taylor_SMM3462_cover_medium2[1](And, don’t forget to enter your name for a free copy of Twist & Tweed!)

Pattern: The Ballard Pullover

5 Replies

I’m so excited!  I finally get to share one of the patterns I’ve been working on!  And it might be my absolute favorite!

Here it is, the Ballard Pullover:

51910220_7Oooh, aah!

The Ballard Pullover is inspired by (ahem) Ballard, my favorite neighborhood in Seattle.  Ballard was historically a very working-class neighborhood, full of Scandinavian fishermen and boat hands.  But, in the last couple years it has become the newest cool neighborhood in Seattle to find fantastic tapas, a vintage records, and hand-made jewelry.  I think this pullover captures that feeling: traditional comfort with a slightly modern edge.  It’s an updated version of the traditional Fisherman’s Sweater.

51910220_12Knit seamlessly from the bottom up, the sweater is knit in a fantastic squishy texture  that looks and feels great, and make this sweater ultra-warm and cozy.  Generous panels of cabling on the underarms and sides flow smoothly into the raglan shaping of the shoulders.

51910220_14This quickly became my favorite sweater (which killed me, because I couldn’t show it to you guys for months!), and I’m sure it will become yours, too!

You can find the pattern here:

Ballard Pullover

Pattern: Baby Weasley Sweater

4 Replies

A new pattern!  And this one’s the perfect center of the venn diagram of knitting, cute things, and everything Harry Potter.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMrs. Weasley (my favorite character from the Harry Potter books)is known for showing her love for her children through her knitting.  So I can’t think of a better way to welcome a new baby to the world than with a personalized sweater based on Mrs. Weasley’s classic design.  This charming pullover sweater is knit at a slightly large gauge, so it works up in no time into a warm and cozy sweater.  Knit flat, with very simple shaping, the Baby Weasley Sweater is ideal for newer knitters.  And, the letter embellishment is added with the duplicate stitch after the sweater is finished (perfect if you don’t know the baby’s name until after they’re born).  The Baby Weasley Sweater will become a favorite of both the baby and their parents.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAGet the pattern for free here!

Baby Weasley Sweater

Blocking: Sweaters

Leave a reply

You understand how to block something simple (a scarf, a coaster, or maybe even a blanket).  Now, it’s time to do something more complicated.  Something with sleeves.

Let’s block a sweater!  (In this case, a baby sweater, but the same process works for a grown-up sweater, too.)

We’ll start by soaking the sweater in a bowl of warm water for 10-20 minutes.  Make sure it’s nice and soaked through.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThen, just like last time, roll it up in a nice clean towel and squeeze out most of the moisture.  Put out your foam tiles and cover them up with a new clean, dry towel.

Lay out your sweater as best you can  to roughly the right proportions.  When you’re working with a grown-up sized sweater, it can be kind of tricky.  Don’t worry if you don’t get it right away-we’ll rejigger everything in a minute.  Just eyeball it.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Now, it’s time to measure the sweater and make sure it ends up the size you want it.  Begin with the chest measurement.  Now, since this is a baby sweater, I want the chest to be 9 inches across.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Close enough.

Now that the chest measurement is about right, I’ll stretch out the body to the right length,  double-checking that the chest measurement doesn’t get stretched out of shape.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

(Did you notice how I’m not using pins for this sweater?  That’s on purpose.  I try not to use pins on sweaters, because they can create little points and weird bumps on a garment like this.  And, in the case of this particular sweater, I’m not far off from my desired size, so I can just stretch the sweater a little bit and count on the friction between the yarn and the towel to keep it in shape.  If I was trying to use blocking to fix something, I would use pins.  For example, if I needed to add more than an inch to the body length, I would stretch the wet sweater out with pins.)

The body is all arranged correctly, so now let’s do the same thing with the sleeves.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

These sleeves should be about 6 inches long. With the sleeves, it’s really important to make sure both sleeves match one another- no one likes lop-sided sleeves.

Once your sweater has the right measurements, stop fussing with it!  Just leave it!  (And make sure any kids/dogs/cats/gremlins you have running around your house don’t mess with it, either.)

Something small, like this baby sweater, won’t take long to dry, but big, adult sweaters can take a while (especially if you live somewhere humid).  So, to speed the process along, try pointing a fan at it for a day or two.

Once the sweater is completely finished, put it on and do a twirl in front of the mirror, admiring your awesome work!

 

Inspiration San Diego

1 Reply

I just got back from a trip to San Diego with my husband and his family.  We ate a lot of good food, drank a lot of good beer, and generally had too much fun.  (I’m a little crispy around the edges, even though I spent half my time applying and re-applying sunscreen.  I guess that’s what happens when you take a white girl from Seattle and put her on a beach in southern California.)

We spent the week beach combing, (attempting to) body surf, and generally being beach bums.  And as nice as the weather was in the daytime (70s and 80s-sorry everyone in the Great White North!), the evenings got quite chilly.  You need a sweater at night in San Diego.

Luckily, I specialize in sweaters.  Let’s take a look at some beach-appropriate sweaters that I will definitely be knitting before my next trip south.

This light pullover would be perfect for wearing on your morning walk, sipping coffee and examining the beach for treasures that washed up overnight.

San Diego Pullover by Kimberly K. McAlindin

tcb_197_medium2[1]This sweater should be worn while sipping margaritas and eating guacamole at an outdoor cafe overlooking the ocean.

California Dreamin’ by Ilga LejaCalifornia_Dreamin__Main_Image_medium2[1]

And this is the sweater I want to wear while sitting around a campfire on the beach, listening to the waves and looking at the stars.

driftwood by Isabell Kraemer

DSCN0355_medium2[1]What knitwear do you like to pack when you travel?

Inspiration: Wood

4 Replies

5 years ago this week, my husband and I threw an awesome party in a city park in Austin.  It was pretty great.  There was a swing band, a margarita machine, a taco bar and peacocks running around (because why not?).

Oh, and we got married.

26018_10100112108749980_1067908_nIt was probably one of the best days of my life.  We had friends and family come in from across the country (and overseas) and we had the best time ever.  It was a great big fun party, and the best part was that I was married to my best friend at the end of it.

(Ew, gross.  Sorry.  I figured I should say something sappy for my fifth anniversary, since that’s kind of a big deal.  But who wants to hear this stuff? No one…  Let’s talk about yarn instead.)

The traditional gift for fifth anniversaries is wood.  (Who says it’s traditional?  I don’t know.  Someone on the internet.)  But, since I’m me, and wool isn’t the traditional gift until the 7th anniversary, let’s use some creative license and look at wood-inspired knitting patterns.

I love the complicated-looking cables on this hat.  Very cool.

Wood Hollow Hat by Kirsten Kapur4160940108_f5785d7ea0_z[1]The last thing I need to make myself is another over-sized pullover, but this one is so pretty, I might have to make an exception.  The subtle tree-branch cables are gorgeous!

Wood Pullover by Carrie Bostick Hoge

DSC_0900_medium2[1]This gorgeous blanket would be fantastic over the back of a leather wing-back chair beside a fireplace in a cabin high up in the Cascades.  Or, on my Ikea couch, next to my TV.  One or the other.

Wooded Trail Throw by Michael del Vecchio

Uptown_DK_Mtn_Ridge_Knits_Wooded_Trail_Throw_Ravelry_medium2[1]Happy Anniversary, Tristan!  I love you!  Here’s to many more happy years together!  (Sorry, everyone. I’m done with the mushy stuff. Promise!)

Are you married?  How long?  What was your last “traditional” anniversary present?

Inspiration: X-Files

1 Reply

I am a big nerd.  And, I grew up in the 90s/early 2000s.  Therefore, I am a giant X-Files fan.  I’ve probably watch the whole show through three or four times (I’ve got to do something to keep my mind busy while I knit).

xfiles[1]When I was really little (when the show was still new), I was a giant scaredy-cat, and didn’t watch the X files.  In fact, when my folks wanted me to go to bed on Sunday nights, they’d tell me that the X-Files were coming on, and I’d run off to bed, scared.

But, in high school, I discovered the X-files, and started staying up late to watch reruns with the volume turned way down so that I wouldn’t wake up my parents.  Sometimes, I’d tape them (on the VHS tape that I’d bought specially to tape episodes) and watch them later with my dad.  Still whenever I hear the theme song I think of my dad whistling along while we sat on the couch with a bowl of popcorn.

(I’m re-watching the series again (because why not).  I found a new podcast from Kumail Nanjiani (a comedian that I like-he’s on the HBO show, Silicon Valley) called the X-Files Files, where he goes through the series and talks about the show with various guests.  It’s kind of great.  If you’re a nerd like me, I’d recommend checking it out.)

You know what else is great?

Scully’s fashion sense.

I’ve never noticed how many boxy suits and sensible shoes she wears.tumblr_lgck2x6W6J1qdaotno1_1280[1]Look at those shoulder-pads.  Amazing.

If she had time to sit down and knit between fighting off the Flukeman and conducting alien autopsies, maybe she’d make herself a blazer like this:

The Season’s Smartest Blazer by Meg Black

img093_medium2[1]But, you know what?  I don’t think those shoulders are quite big enough for Dr. Scully.  This is better:

Midnight Blazer by Xandy Peters

Blazer08130504_medium2[1]But, on her days off with her man-eating puppy Queequeg, she’d probably wear a comfy, slouchy sweater like this one.  (In fact, I’m 90% certain I’ve seen her wear a sweater just like this in one of the episodes… I just can’t remember which.)

Simple Summer Tweed Top Down V-Neck by Heidi Kirrmaier

3526321597_b611db4970_z[1]