FO - Heart Shaped Box

Boxed Pullover from Knit.Wear Fall 2012, finished.  A quick knit, with lots of seaming at the end.  I followed the pattern as written, just substituted Berroco Quasar for Lodge (not enough Lodge at my LYS).  No pictures of it on yet, but here's the finished, blocked and seamed sweater:

It's quite cropped, just below the rib cage.  If I had to do it over, I'd add length.  Not going to rip out anything for that though.  The self-striping yarn is pretty; not my typical choice and not likely going to show up in other projects that often but still pretty.

springtime colour - turquoise

I've done it again - shopped for yarn while I have a stash and queue full!  Went to my LYS and found a window of blue yarns and a shawl.  Inside, lots of displays of cottons, silks, and lighter-weight yarns.  Made me feel like abandoning my bulky wool pullover right away!  I've had my eye on the cover pattern of the latest Vogue Knitting for a while - like the mesh, the length, and the style of it:

Photo from www.vogueknitting.com

I decided on Berroco Weekend DK (cotton and acrylic blend) in the Turquoise colourway:

Photo needs tweaking.  Skein photo from http://www.berroco.com/yarns/berroco-weekend-dk.  I love the shade and the smooth texture of the yarn.  Should be fun to work on! 

 





I also have my turquoise Paloma in the queue, so next two projects will be in the blues.  The Pantone Spring 2014 color card includes a Placid Blue (under the sketch of the woman) that is fairly close to my yarn colour.

 

Queued Up - French Girl

After revisiting my French Girl Knits book, I've revisited my stash and am making plans!  Time to think spring, even though it's snowing today (in April).  First up:

My Firefly has been in the stash for a few years, and I haven't found the project that I like to knit it up.  I'm going to try Paloma this time - all garment photos from Ravelry via French Girl Knits.

I also plan to knit Louisa

I bought some bulky ribbon yarn, and will swatch it on its own and with a strand of Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace to see which one works best:

I also want to reknit Wrenna:

I'll use a colour that is more neutral than the first try using hot pink (see previous post).  Lots in the queue!

French Girl Inspiration

I bought French Girl Knits a couple of years ago and found the styling and aesthetic of the knits captivating.  Pretty and 'vintage' without looking 'old'.  Many techniques are explained allow the knitter to increase or decrease with different needle sizes, and a thorough explanation of different seamless techniques is provided throughout.  A few I've knit:

Wrenna - link to my Ravelry page

 

Veronique - link to my Ravelry project

Satine - my Ravelry projectSatine has been given away, as it no longer fits (I will eventually knit again).  Veronique was a gift for my mom, and Wrenna will be redone soon in a different colour (not sure the pink is for me, but yarn was inexpensive and I wasn't as concerned about yarn as I am now).

I'm pouring over pages and looking through stash to see what will be next!

 

scarf - start-itis FO

The scarf and cap made for my 'secret friend' at work is complete.  I'm happy with how it turned out, although it won't press like the pattern requires due to the acrylic content of the yarn.  The hat best shows the deep red colour - not quite as 'tomato' red as the scarf photo suggests.  I'm sure Jon (my colleague) will enjoy the scarf to match his hat! 

yarn challenge entry

Here's my hat in the front winter of my LYS, Soper Creek Yarn.  Photo is from the Soper Creek Yarn page on Facebook.  I didn't win (haven't won in 6 years of entries!) but didn't think I would.  Not creative or unusual enough of a project to capture votes.  It's from the pattern Snoflinga by Jenny Gordy.  The yarn is quite sturdy so it doesn't have the same drape as the original, but I like the product.  Not blocked as I wasn't sure if the red would bleed into the white - I'm assured it won't but we'll see.  I may own a pink and red hat soon:)

start-itis

I'm mid-project on several things.  My regular knitting has been hi-jacked by two annual events.  My school staff has a 'secret friend' gift swap each year.  Every year I exchange gifts and knit a little something for my 'friend'.  This year, for the first time, my recipient is a man.  So off to the yarn store to get a manly pattern and yarn.  Red was the favourite colour.  I settled on

http://www.churchmouseyarns.com/collections/churchmouse-patterns-hats/products/pressed-rib-cap-muffler-pattern

 

The contrast colour (ends of scarf, brim of hat) are red, the main colour is a charcoal gray.  Photos to come! 

 

The other distraction was my LYS annual yarn challenge.  Knitting contest:  buy a kit that includes small amounts of the designated yarns and a short time limit.  This year's yarn was a hardy wool from Briggs and Little (a Canadian company based in New Brunswick) in red and white, to commemorate the winter Olympics.  My hat is currently in the store window, but photos will come when I get my project back.  The yarn is rough, and very wooly-scratchy, knits up dense for a worsted weight.  Hard to settle on a project so it was a race to the finish this year!

 

Once these are done, it'll be back to my other projects while the weather still screams WINTER WOOL KNITS!

plaid!

My first plaid project is finished - just have to weave in ends in front of the tv today:

 

Pattern project details can be found here on.Ravelry

distraction

I've sidetracked myself again with a project that I found on Thea Colman's blog:  "Bastille Backstory" tells the story of the band Bastille and her daughter's chance to see them in a private concert in Boston.  Reminds me of the way music becomes the soundtrack of our lives - songs bring us to moments in time in the same way that looking at a photograph can.  I thought back to the music of my life, the musicians and the songs that stick with me.  My love of alternative rock music has been with me since high school, but the bands from Seattle in the early '90s solidified what music was supposed to be (for me). 

So, I drove immediately to Soper Creek Yarn in Bowmanville to find the perfect yarn for my own rock-inspired cowl.  I bought a luxury (for me) yarn that is a splurge - Malabrigo Rastita in a steel gray colour:

Cast on last night and hope to finish by the end of January!

cape cod - the details

My Cape Cod sweater fits exactly as I planned.  This is due to reading the pattern and schematics carefully, planning for a fit to my body using measurements for decreases and increases rather than the number of rows or measurements in the pattern (e.g., deeper yoke, longer torso, longer sweater). 

Ease:  zero ease at bust (size 38) allowed for slight positive ease at waist.

Yoke:  I knit a few extra decreases for the raglan to get deeper shoulders, and more room in the upper arms. 

Waist Shaping:  as written in pattern, with attention to the space between my upper torso and waist.

Length:  measured the length of my shirts/sweaters that fit well (don't ride up at the waist) and knit to that length.

Sleeves:  knit to lower bicep with decreases as written, then knit cuffs in rib, incorporating 2 more decreases in ribbing every four rows.  I knit sleeves before finishing the body so that I knew I'd have enough yarn for them prior to lengthening the body.  If I needed more yarn, I would have ripped back ribbing to make it shorter at sleeves.



The only thing I don't like is the boatneck.  This is not a fault of the pattern, but more my own size and style.  I find the top of the neck rides up (you can see a slight ripple at centre front of neck).  I'd modify the neck to make it a crew neck if I were to knit this again or knit another pattern with a boat neckline.    I love scarves, so my solution is to wear a scarf to cover up the neckline.

 

I do like how it looks from the back, though (the cable is straight, just curved in this picture)

Overall, this is an incredibly well written pattern and I know I will get a lot of wear out of this.

Queued up... Plaids and Checks and Houndstooth... oh my!

Trends in fashion, aside from orchid colour, seem to be plaids, checks, and other graphic prints.  I'm going to make a few projects:

Bucheron Mitts from Interweave Knits Winter 2014:
picture from Ravelry:  http://images4-b.ravelrycache.com/uploads/hannahrbaker/190833403/20130828_intw_knits_1341_small_best_fit.jpg

Mine will be in Lett-Lopi yarn (wooly and scratchy and Icelandic!)


Also making a mashup of patterns, using the Hollywood Herringbone Pullover pattern for its fit and shaping, in gray and purple houndstooth.  I swatched a bit of herringbone and a repeat of houndstooth:

Top is my swatch, bottom is the original pattern (taken with my camera - my copy of the magazine).  Using the trendy Purple (see post on Pantone colours!) and the trendy houndstooth.  Let's hope I finish it in time to be on trend still!

finished cape cod

My Cape Cod sweater is finally done!

Modifications:  short sleeves were done by decreasing for sleeve to lower bicep, then 2 inches of ribbing.  Did this due to a shortage of yarn....  and the need to lengthen the torso to accommodate my height.

Front and back on the hanger - posed pictures may follow on Ravelry.

Musing about: colour of the year

Pantone has announced its 'colour of the year' for 2014 - Radiant Orchid:

Image via Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/_synergy_/11229158683/

Lots of yarn out in this colour:

Berroco Vintage in Lilacs

Berroco Vintage in Aster

Malabrigo Worsted in Orchid

Cascade 220 in Deep Lavender

My plan is to knit Sophie Pullover in the new year in an orchid colourway (or one close to it).  I think the ballet neckline, cables, and 'prettiness' of the pullover will suit a flowery colour.  I think I'll use Berroco Vintage Chunky in Aster.