Interesct Cardigan by Norah Gaughan in Geilsk

I recently finished knitting a sweater that was a VERY long time coming.  It was almost two years ago that I gave up on my first project with this yarn, Geilsk cotton/wool, and started working on this project.

The pattern is Intersect, a Brooklyn Tweed pattern by Norah Gaughan.  When I first saw this pattern, I was immediately drawn to the shape and the select use of cables.  All of the project notes said how fun and unique the construction was, so that also drew me in.  I made a modification to the shape at the hem to make it more of a streamlined silhouette from the original design.  I love how this turned out.  It doesn't add bulk at my bulkiest area.

This was a LOT of knitting!  I'm lucky that I got so much of this yarn when I purchased it with no pattern in mind.  It is fingering-weight, and  there were MANY cable crosses in this design.  I think it turned out beautifully, though, especially the back!  

The construction lived up to the hype as well.  It was constructed top-down with very clear steps that made sure I never got bored.  Well, maybe not bored, but definitely discouraged at the slow progress at times.  I'm so glad that I stuck with it, though, in fits and starts until I realized all I needed was to knit the stockinette sleeves and attach them.  After the drama of the cables, they seemed to fly off the needles this January!  

Powdersnow Shawl by Lisa Hannes in Shibui Staccato

 This gorgeous little bit of knitting delight is the Powdersnow Shawl by Lisa Hannes.  I don't knit as many shawls as I used to a few years ago (because how many little shawls does a girl really need?) but this one has been calling to me for a couple of years.

The yarn I used for this design is Shibui Staccato, the same yarn I used for my Knitty Design Recital.  I love the softness and drape of this merino/silk yarn.  It also blocks beautifully.  My color of choice this time was "suit."

Here you can see the three distinct textured sections - a knit/purl textured stitch, some cables, and a simple ribbed edge.  Gorgeous simplicity.

The photo below is a pretty good representation of the color - a little lighter than a true navy.

   This has been my take-with-me knitting for a few months now.  I am excited to pick out another small project for that purpose.  Maybe some socks!  I have definitely come around to the call of sock knitting since I have discovered my love of wearing them.

I attempted to take some style shots, but my timer always makes for blurry photos, and the dark color was causing the same problem as black - no detail visible.

2017 Recap

Hello there!  I thought I would do a recap of 2017 since I so enjoyed the sewing and knitting ones I did last year.  I haven't been as productive in 2017, though (moving is a lot of work!), so I figure I'll just squish it all in one post this time.

I have a few projects I have finished since my last blog post, but for posterity, they will be considered 2018 projects (even the red velvet top!) since they're not yet on the blog.


Let's start with sewing, least to most favorite:

Vogue 1439
These pants are fine, and I do wear them, but I would wear them even more if they were a couple inches longer to make them just like standard chinos.

Serger/Coverstitch Tee
This project also is just a smidge "off."  The neckline sticks up strangely.  I'll chalk it up to this being my first coverstitch project.  There was a small learning curve.

Helene Cardigan
This cardigan is surprisingly warm, and I love the pockets and style.  The only downside is it would benefit from a small bust adjustment.  It hangs a little funny along the opening edge.

My goofy Halloween top
This top turned out great!  I just wish I could wear it more than one month out of the year without looking batty!  Hehehe

Vogue 1517 faux suede pants
These pants are great, and I wear them a lot.  I'm so pleased with how the hems worked out.  They are the perfect length to cuff or half-cuff or not cuff at all, so they look perfect with any shoes.

McCalls 7429
I just feel awesome whenever I wear this dress.  I kind of wish the fabric was less t-shirt-like, but it doesn't bother me that much.  I could always make another one, but it works fine.

Simplicity 2473
It's kind of ridiculous to include this in 2017's projects since I made it years ago.  This is the year I blogged it, though, so this is where it will stay.

Vogue 1537

I'm very proud of this dress.  I just wish I had finished up the coordinating jacket in time to wear during the very short Florida spring season.  However, I will get plenty of wear time out of it this spring, as long as I hem those sleeves!

Vogue 1573 jeans
These jeans are amazing!  Such a hidden gem of a pattern since the pattern photo is in black, so it's impossible to see all the interesting seaming.  I love these in this of-the-moment color.

BurdaStyle 08/2017 Faux Suede Jacket
Aaaand, my magnum opus of 2017 sewing.  I searched out this magazine solely for this pattern, ordered it from Great Britain, and then graded down the pattern 3 sizes to fit me.  It turned out better than I could have hoped.  Love this!!

And now on to knitting, roughly least to most favorite:

Estonia in Ewe2Yarn
It's not that I don't like this.  I'm very happy with the fit and style.  I just don't reach for it that often.  Maybe because of the 3/4 sleeves.  They were very practical in Florida, but here in PA, cold-blooded me needs more long sleeves.

Cable and Seed Socks
These are so cozy.  I plan to knit myself many more pairs of socks this year.  It turns out they are pretty quick to knit and I LOVE wearing them.

Wayworn Hat
This is a great hat in a wear-with-everything shade.  What's not to love?

Cascade Falls Cardigan
This is the perfect thrown-on cardigan as far as I'm concerned.  I had a vision in my mind, and this pattern delivered!

My most recent post, Brickyard using Brooklyn Tweed Loft
This sweater is all I hoped it could be.  I agonized over a pattern for this gorgeous yarn, and in the end, this was my second attempt at doing it justice.  Mission accomplished.  I love this sweater!

And in a category of its own, my favorite design of the year - from the spring issue of Knitty.  :-)  So proud of this!
Recital

2017 wasn't very productive in terms of quantity, but this things I made, I wear and love.  It was a well-edited year, projectwise.  For 2018, I hope to continue picking projects I will wear and love.  Beyond that, we'll see where the year takes me.

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!

Wayworn Hat from Interweave Knits Holiday 2017 in Prairie Spun DK

I have made a second pattern from the Interweave Knits Holiday 2017 magazine, and there are more patterns in there that interest me.  It's a great accessories magazine.

This is the Wayworn Cap by Meghan Huber.  My yarn is Brown Sheep Company's Prairie Spun Dk in the color rain cloud.  It's a blue-leaning pale heather gray.  This is a great hat pattern for one skein of dk yarn.

You can't see the texture very well in my photos, but there are cables that lay very flat, so this is not a yarn hog and lays flat against the head.

I love the soft gray color and the deep ribbed brim!

Cable and Seed Knee Socks from Interweave Knits Holiday 2017 magazine in HiKoo Simplicity

My big plan here was to use my fireplace for a backdrop, to elevate the awkward sock selfie.  I'm not sure it worked, but oh well.  Here are my cozy new socks:

This pattern is from the Interweave Knits Holiday 2017 magazine.  I am a long-time subscriber to Interweave Knits, but these holiday magazines are not included, so I picked this up at my local JoAnns.  

Here is the photo from the magazine.  They are called the Cable and Seed Knee Socks, but they only go a bit past mid-calf on the model.  I don't have much use for knee socks, except for maybe under knee-high boots, but these aren't long enough to peek out at the top and be all cozy, so I modified them to be a more standard shape, using the construction and pretty cable and seed pattern.

I gave them a nice, deep ribbed cuff, which I like to turn down and wear them around the house like slippers.  The yarn is HiKoo Simplicity, a superwash merino, acrylic, and nylon blend.  Great for cozy socks!  I didn't mention that these socks call for worsted weight yarn.  Mine is more dk weight, so I went down a needle size.  I like the snugger fit.  I don't care for floppy socks!

I hope you are having a great weekend!  I did some knitting while watching tv last night, and I am thinking some sewing is in order later on today.

Cascade Falls Cardigan knit in Rowan Merino dk

Ever since I finished my Georgetown Cardigan in light gray, I have wanted a similar open cardigan in dark gray, because one gray open cardigan is never nearly enough!

I considered designing my perfect cardigan - set-in sleeves, open front, longish length, and a pretty cable right at the opening.  Then, after an exhaustive Ravelry search of the pattern options already out there, I found exactly what I was looking for:  Cascade Falls by Amanda Scheuzger.

My cardigan is very close to the original pattern.  I just changed the construction a bit.  It is designed nearly seamlessly, with the body worked bottom-up in one piece, and the sleeves picked up and knit down.  With this heavy merino dk yarn, though, I wanted the strength of seams to help it keep its shape, so I knit this in pieces and sewed them together.  My sleeves are, as always, several inches longer than the design.  After blocking, they grew even more in length, so now I have the unusual (for me) luxury of fold-up cuffs!

The gorgeous, soft yarn is Rowan Super Fine Merino dk, which appears to be discontinued.  That is a crying shame as this is a lovely mid-weight merino.  Yes, I am sure it will pill.  Most soft yarns do.  However, I will be ready with my de-pill-er, and it is an inconvenience I can live with for next-to-skin softness.

You can still find Rowan Merino dk at various online shops, but I can't find this color, Suit, anywhere.

Estonia in Ewe2Yarn Iceberg

Hello!  We have less than one week left until we officially leave Florida.  Things are, of course, a bit nutso here, but very exciting, too.  I finished this sweater a few weeks ago and am loving how soft and cozy it is.  

The pattern is Estonia by Vera Sanon.  It is a basic top-down raglan (no more of those for me in cardigan form, but a pullover is ok) in stockinette stitch.  The interesting detail is the Estonian Braid at the neckline.  The pattern also uses this stitch for the cuffs and hem, but I used simple 1x1 rib for those areas.

The fit of this is great - form-fitting but not tight.  The sample is shown in a semi-solid tonal yarn, so that is what I used, although it does look more variegated than I expected.  My yarn is Ewe2Yarn  100% merino in a colorway called "Iceberg."

Here is a better look at the Estonian Braid neckline.  It was less fiddly to knit than I expected.