Brickyard by Elizabeth Doherty in Brooklyn Tweed Loft

I don't know if you remember way back in September when I said I was going to knit a Brooklyn Tweed sweater.  At the time, I decided to knit Keaton, and I even bought the appropriate amount of Loft yarn in a similar color.  Mine is the color Birdbook.  I knit up the front and back and half of one sleeve before deciding I didn't like it and went searching for another pattern.

I ended up knitting Brickyard by Elizabeth Doherty, and even though this isn't a pattern from Brooklyn Tweed, it turned out beautifully!  I was a bit concerned because the pattern suggests a yarn with drape to accentuate the A-line shaping.  Loft ended up being just fine.  The gauge is a bit loose, and I made my A-line shaping less dramatic than the pattern's.

I am pretty shocked to find this is comfortable for me to wear next to skin.  I wear a t-shirt underneath, but it doesn't bother my neck or wrists.  I have a ball of yarn left over, and I am thinking of knitting a matching cowl that I can wear when it is really cold.



This sweater is so easy to wear, and it is so warm, even though the yarn is fingering weight.

This was really fun to knit.  The instructions are super detailed, and all the shaping comes together perfectly.  I love this braid detail between the textured and stockinette sections.

The big reason I didn't go with Keaton was that I felt it didn't show off the tweedy yarn to its best advantage.  It wanted to just be a big expanse of stockinette stitch, and this pattern was perfect!

Rakke by Brooklyn Tweed - both versions!

Rakke is a Brooklyn Tweed pattern with two size options - a wider shawl shape in fingering weight yarn and a longer, narrower scarf shape in worsted weight yarn.  Surprisingly (or not surprisingly perhaps), I knit both.

The first version I knit is the shawl version.  I used a very specially skein of yarn that my parents brought me from a trip to Scotland.  It is quite "toothy" as they say, not a super soft merino, and perfect for this design.  It really blocked out so nicely to show off the lace.

Y'all know how I love to do a 2-for-1 photo shoot.  Here is glimpse of my furry backpack, too.

The curved back of my giant sectional is the perfect spot to photograph my shawls - I'm surprised they didn't use that as a selling point when we were shopping... :-)

I made the second version of this pattern not long after the first.  I was visiting my family in Delaware and went to a fantastic local yarn shop - Sea Needles.  It is amazing what they can pack into a sweet little shop, and there is an equally great selection of needlepoint/cross stitch type crafty things there.

I bought 2 skeins of Madelinetosh Vintage in the mineral color, which wasn't quite enough yardage, so I made my scarf one lace repeat narrower and modified the lace chart to end a bit shorter than the pattern.  Mineral is not on the website's list of colors, which I assume means it is discontinued, and that is a true crying shame.  This color is GORGEOUS!!  It is a perfect match to my most recent Arenal top.  Side note:  this fabric is amazing.  This top has been in heavy wardrobe rotation, already going through the washer and dryer many times, and it looks like new.  I hate to admit it, but that polyester was popular in the 70s for a reason.  I'm seriously considering buying some of the other blue color.

Now this yarn is 100% washable merino, and you can see the difference.  It just does not hold the aggressive lace blocking as well as the first yarn.  It is still lovely (and softer), but the bottom edge is already starting to roll a bit.

I hope you enjoyed the double feature.  I am off to clean this disaster of a house.  Enjoy your Monday everyone!

Snoqualmie Cardigan by Brooklyn Tweed

Ok you get exactly ONE modeled photo of this because the day I took it, it was about 100 degrees out.  We will not discuss why I made a big wool, cabled sweater in summer in Florida.  Some things are better left un-analyzed.  

I actually started this when I stumbled across a knit-along started by Closet Case Files designer Heather.  My plan was to finally make some CCF Ginger Jeans (the low-rise version, of course, because high-rise pants are not welcome here) to wear with it, and I still plan to, but it hasn't happened yet.

The pattern is Snoqualmie by Michele Wang for Brooklyn Tweed.  I would have loved to use the Brooklyn Tweed yarn (like I did for my Cusp) but it so wasn't in the yarn budget, so I went with EcoWool, which turned out to be an excellent substitute.  The wood buttons are from my local JoAnn Fabrics.

I can't wait for fall (which should arrive here in about four more months) so I can use this as my throw-it-on coat.

Knitting progress

Sewing is so fast compared to knitting.  I have a couple of sewn things that I just need to take photos of, but with knitting, by the time I finish something, I am so excited that I photograph it pretty quickly.  Last night, I had the great idea to show some progress on my current knitting projects.  The only downside is that the photo quality is what you might expect for late night WIP pics.  :-)

 Apparently I am super into knit-alongs right now, because the first two projects are just that.

This is the Snoqualmie cardigan by Michelle Wang for Brooklyn Tweed.  The yarn is un-dyed Ecological Wool by Cascade in the beige shade.  I would have loved to knit this in Brooklyn Tweed Quarry, but it was hard enough to justify this (half as expensive) yarn for a warm cardigan in Florida.  The up-side is that this sweater is turning out to be beautiful.  I know this will become my throw-it-on cozy sweater when it is finished.  I am almost finished with the back, and I think the rest will fly off the needles since this is knit in pieces.  The knit-along is being run by Closet Case Files, and I have a personal goal to try her Ginger Jeans pattern (the low-rise version, of course) to wear with this sweater.  I have never sewn jeans before, so we shall see...

My second WIP was a total impulse knit.  It is a mystery knit along, meaning that I don't know what the finished product will look like.  I just know it is a worsted-weight shawl, and the pattern is released a little bit at a time for four weeks.  A gamble?  Yes.  But, I really like Tanya's Instagram and podcast and her other designs, and it's only 400 yards of worsted weight yarn that I just happened to have laying around.  Why not?  Here it is after the first of four clues.

I am also working on the Intersect Cardigan, also released by Brooklyn Tweed and designed by Norah Gaughan.  This is the yarn rescued from my recent failed sweater.  What you are looking at is the upper back.  The thing sticking up at the top is the center back collar and I just started knitting down one side of that.  This is a really fun project.  You never know what is coming next.  I have set this aside for a bit, though, because two fingering weight sweaters on the needles at once was a big discouraging.

The other fingering weight sweater of which I speak is the Lace Cardigan from The Art of Seamless Knitting book.  It seemed like I was working on the lace body section forever, but I finished that a couple of days ago and then completed the bottom ribbing and the button bands.  I about lost my mind when it took 4(!!!) attempts to get the buttonholes evenly spaced.  My math brain was not functioning properly.  The pic I took of the cardigan last night turned out all blurry, but here is a screenshot from Instagram.

Finally, this isn't new or a WIP, but I wore it yesterday and took a photo for Knitbot's #wewearknitbot party.  The pattern is Rocky Coast from Coastal Knits.  Here it is on Ravelry.  I knit it back in 2012.  It has quite a few pills and I have some issues with it sliding off my shoulders, but I do still wear it.  :-)

Cusp Poncho by Olga Buraya-Kafelian for Brooklyn Tweed in Shelter / Capsule Fall 2015

Ok, there are a LOT of photos in this post, so feel free to click away whenever you've had enough.  I'm including a lot of photos because this is such a unique design and before I knit it, I wanted to see as many pics as possible, so maybe there are others out there feeling the same way.

 Anyway, this is the Cusp Poncho by Oga Buraya-Kafelian, aka Olgajazzy.  It is included in Brooklyn Tweed's first printed book, Capsule.  I used the recommended yarn, Brooklyn Tweed's Shelter, in the Woodsmoke color.

This is basically two big hexagons with slits in the front for armholes.

 I didn't re-block after knitting on the bottom ribbing (bad Jenny!) so that's why it is curling in at the hem.

 This is just so fun and unique, and I agree with the pattern description that it is surprisingly flattering.  Above, I'm sticking out my elbows to show the strong hexagon shape, but below is how it looks relaxed.

 The fabric produced with this yarn is drapey enough that it finds your curves.  I was afraid this would look like a tent, but I don't think it does.

 Some people on Ravelry have modified this for a V-neckline, but I prefer it as designed, showing off that hexagon shape.

 Here are some closer pics of the texture.

I am really pleased with how this turned out.  It felt like it took forever to knit, but well worth it!  I am wearing it over a turtleneck that I sewed eons ago.  I can't find it on my old blog to link to, but yeah, it's a brown turtleneck.

My next project from this book will either be Ebb or Apex, but I need to finish some things on the needles first!

Brooklyn Tweed Seacoast Sweater by Joji Locatelli

So, I knit this sweater in the span of 3-4 weeks in early October.  It is the lovely Seacoast design by Joji Locatelli for Broolyn Tweed.  I knit it, in part, to join in the Joji knit along on Ravelry.  So, I've had this sweater finished for over a month, and my kiddo took the photos last week.  Now when do I decide to upload the photos and post them to the knit along thread?  Why that very last day for entry, of course!... when Ravelry hasn't been up and working all day.

Oh well.  That's what I get for my typical procrastination.

I followed the pattern exactly except for lengthening the sleeves for my monkey arms.  I have an entire skein of yarn left over and am toying with the idea of knitting on to the ribbing at the bottom for a real tunic length.  That's the beauty of a top-down construction. 

 The yarn is Malabrigo Merino Worsted in the Ravelry Red color.  I hemmed and hawed between Malabrigo Merino Worsted (non-superwash) and Rios (superwash).  In the end, I went with the classic non-superwash.  I purchased it online and didn't realize it is a single-ply, though. It seams sturdy enough knitted up, but it has a slight velcro-like tendency whenever it comes in contact with dog hair, and we have lots of dog hair around here.

 Yes, I am wearing velvet leggings as pants.  What of it?  A sweater this comfy kind of demands it.  It will work equally well with boring jeans, I'm sure.

 I'm really happy with the fit and style of this sweater.  It was a simple, quick sweater to knit, but the neckline is really unique and flattering.

Rook Sweater

This is Brooklyn Tweed's Rook pattern by Kyoko Nakayoshi.  It's from the Wool People 6 collection.  The architectural cables and stockinette stitch body appealed to me.  I'll be honest, though.  I'm not 100% happy with my fit.  I have about a 35" bust, and the size options are 35.25" or 38.75".  I went with the larger size, and the fit is a little roomier than I would prefer.

The other issue is I'm not totally happy with the yarn.  I explained how I came to have this yarn on my latest podcast episode.  The short version is I ordered it for something else from my LYS and gave it up for lost when I didn't get a call.  After I bought different yarn for the original project, this came in, so I purchased enough for a sweater for me.  It's actually the exact same yarn that I used for this sweater, but I'm not as happy this time around.  I feel like the acrylic content (52%) is much more obvious on this version for some reason.

Here you can see that there is plenty of room in the arms and bust area.

The fit on the model is a bit more streamlined, and I'd love to make a 100% wool version in an earthy color like the example as well.  I could also see this in a wool/cotton blend with 3/4 sleeves for a less warm option.  The silver lining here is that the high temperature tomorrow is in the 50s (what??), so this will keep me nice and cozy!

Oh, I got the original inspiration for a cabled, bright pastel sweater here, and I'd still rather have her Zara sweater, which is never a good feeling. :-(  

New Projects: Brooklyn Tweed Rook and McCalls 7026

I don't have a finished project to share, and I feel like it's been a parade of finished garments lately.

I unexpectedly started knitting a new sweater for myself this weekend.  You may remember I am working on a pink Plum Frost cardigan for myself already.  I am at the point where I need to add the other colors at the yoke, and I still haven't purchased them.  I found myself with some new yarn this weekend, so I just put aside the cardi and cast on the Rook pullover from Brooklyn Tweed's Wool People Volume 6 collection.  I have drooled over Brooklyn Tweed's patterns for years now, but this is the first one I have purchased.  So far, I am definitely not disappointed! :-)

So, about the surprise yarn... I had requested some turquoise yarn from my local knitting shop to make a sweater for my mom.  It's a yarn they carry, but they didn't have a color I liked in the quantity I needed.  I'm sure I could have ordered it online, but I like to support the shop when I can.  Anyway, a couple of weeks went by without any call or email from the store.  Yes, I could have popped by and asked about it, but this isn't the first time I've requested yarn from them and not received a followup, so I just let it go.

A week or two later, I purchased a different yarn for mom's gift at a different yarn shop, and I cast on for that sweater.  A week later (at least a month after I had placed the request), I got an email that my original yarn was in stock.  What!?!  Well, I couldn't leave her in the lurch with all this extra gorgeous yarn, so I perused my Ravelry pattern favorites, and I went on over and got enough skeins for my Rook.

So I have two sweaters in the works now - the one for Mom is my car knitting since it's just a lot of the same for a while, and I don't have to think about it.  I pull it out when I'm waiting for kids at activities or, (shhh don't tell the police) in bad traffic.  The one for me is by the TV.  It requires more attention to be paid to the cables, which are gorgeous, and the yoke shaping.

I also have a pair of socks on the needles for my dad.  The socks for Hubs are finished and are waiting for a trip through the wash, and I've also finished some accessories for another gift, so I guess I do have some finished things to share... I just need to photograph them artfully outside in our gorgeous Florida fall weather.

I also started sewing McCalls 7026 this weekend, because a new hoodie sounded like a good idea.  Unfortunately, I'm not crazy about it.  It has nothing to do with the pattern, though.  The fabric is a pale blue-gray color, and I have a navy zipper.  I tried to tie in the navy zipper with navy top-stitching, and I think this is where I went wrong.  It is just looking cheap to me.  Anyway, I shall share more about that soon.

Whew.  If you made it through all that, thank you for sticking with me!  I have a pretty busy week coming up (doing really fun things like singing "Let It Go" with 100 tweens), but I'm planning to put up a new podcast Wednesday.  If iTunes stats are to be believed, listeners are starting to listen in earnest, so a big Thank You to those who have downloaded my ramblings!

Have a fantastic Monday!