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.

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.

New Knitting Pattern in Knitty - Recital

Sorry I have been away for a while.  It turns out we are moving up the east coast as soon as school is over, and I quickly became overwhelmed with all the preparations to sell the house and move our stuff.  This is for the most part, a very good move.  Hubs has a great new job, and we are moving very close to all of my family, but we have definitely settled into Florida after almost 7 years, and we will miss our friends, our perfect little neighborhood, our church, and being so close to my in-laws and the BEACH 

There has been precious little crafting going on - a little knitting on one project and no sewing except for some things for my church.  My sewing machines have been unceremoniously placed in a closet for house showings.  Much of my yarn stash has been placed in a box and moved to storage, to declutter for above-mentioned house showings.  Most destructive of all to the creative juices has just been the all-consuming nature of preparing for the move.  Even now, with our current house under contract (YEA!!) and more free time as I just wait around for the move date, I am hesitant to get things out and start making messes again.

In the midst of this excitement, my second knitting pattern for Knitty was published, Recital.  Here it is on Ravelry.  My plan had been to have two other knitting patterns up on Ravelry before the release date, but, well, that just didn't happen.  Now would be a good time to finish up those patterns, though.  It makes no mess to type up instructions!

I love this little cowl-neck tee.  The yarn is Shibui Knits Staccato, a luxurious merino/silk blend.  It is perfect for these spring days when you are ready for short sleeves but want a little sweater warmth.  The construction is really fun, too.  The back is knit normally, bottom-up, but the front is worked from side to side, and the sleeves are picked up and knit down - no sewing in sleeves!  Possibly best of all, being a Knitty pattern, the instructions are free!  :-)  I hope you enjoy.

Featherweight Cardigan by Knitbot in Ewe2Yarn + No-Pattern Elastic Waist Skirt

Well, I did it again.  I have gotten super behind with my posting.  Good news is there will probably be a flurry of posts for the next two weeks or so.

This is a 2-fer because the skirt is as simple as it gets.

The cardigan is the very popular "Featherweight Cardigan" by Hannah Fettig, also known as Knitbot.  I do mean popular.  Right now, there are 8,490 projects in Ravelry, but that will go up as soon as I post mine!  The beauty of this pattern is its simplicity.  If you look through the projects on Ravelry, you can get so much inspiration to customize it for yourself.  I wanted the basic version, though, since my yarn is fun.  It is hand-dyed by Ewe2Yarn.  The colorway is called Herb Garden.  

The finished sweater actually reminds me of camo, which is fun.

 The only downside to this sweater, for me, is the raglan sleeves.  I must have shlumpy shoulders or something, because raglans always seem to slide down my shoulders.  Super annoying.  I am going to add raglan-sleeve cardigans to my no-no-knit list along with single-ply yarns. (Single-ply rant here.)

 

The skirt is simple, but it sat half-finished in my sewing room for months.  It is just a rectangle seamed together to form a tube, and then fold-over elastic is stretched and stitched on the top for a waistband.  The reason it sat for months is that I made it too big at first.  I added too much ease at the hips and it was not very flattering.  The idea of unpicking the elastic, making the skirt smaller, and then re-doing the elastic was just too much.  Finally, I decided to just cut off the elastic and put on new.  Much easier.

Here is a look at the waistband.

I used a narrow-hem foot on my sewing machine for the hem.  The finish looks nice, but it was a super slow process getting the edge to go into the foot evenly.  I definitely need more practice with it.  The fabric is a poly charmeuse from Pennie Fabrics in Sarasota.  I love a nice border print, even if it is polyester!

Newsom Cardigan by Bristol Ivy in Berroco Corsica

If there's one thing I've learned from these particular photos, it's don't photograph a blue sweater against a blue wall.  Duh!  Anyway, I can't stomach a re-shoot at this moment, and I have such a backlog of projects to photograph that I am accepting these as "good enough."  I hope you will, too.  :-)

This is the Newsom Cardigan by Bristol Ivy.  This is such a cool design.  You start at the center back hem and increase to form the V-shape on the back that extends around the underarms and forms the front raglan sleeve shaping.  This was a pretty quick knit, too.

The yarn is Berroco Corsica, which is 90% cotton/10% cashmere.  Lovely to knit with and to wear.

This did require some pretty aggressive blocking at the back hem where the V comes to a point, but I was able to get it nice and flat.  Unfortunately, you can see the lines formed by my drying rack.  Oh well.

This is a great layering cardigan for fall, when the weather is still pretty warm here.  The raglan sleeves stay put on my shoulders, too, which isn't always the case with this shape.  I could see more of these in my future.

Manzanilla Sweater by Joji Locatelli

I tried something a little different this time.  I took these photos on my phone instead of with my regular camera, and I uploaded them to Blogger from there.  The funny thing is they look pretty good on my phone, but the colors are totally different on my computer monitor.  They look more washed out and over exposed on my computer than they do on the phone.  Let me know what you think.

Anyway, this is my Manzanilla Sweater.  The pattern is by Joji Locatelli, from her e-book The Authentic Collection.  

The yarn is Malabrigo Silky Merino in the colorway Jupiter, and that is the perfect colorway name for this.  It totally looks like all the colors from a photo of Jupiter, emphasis on that big red spot.  I chose this yarn because that is what is recommended in the pattern, but I didn't realize when I ordered it online that it is a singly-ply yarn.  A little explanation if you aren't familiar with yarn construction:

When yarn is spun in a mill from wool (and silk, in this case), it is pulled out and spun into a strand.  Often, multiple strands are then twisted together to make the final yarn.  The final yarn can be described by the number of strands.  A yarn with 4 strands twisted together is a 4-ply yarn.  Sometimes, though, and in this case, just one, thicker strand is used, and it is called a single-ply yarn,

Ok, anyway, I have decided that single-ply yarns are not really my thing.  The small amount of twist and fuzzier texture means they pill easier in the finished garment and just take on a general fuzzy appearance, and, even worse for me, they pick up animal hair like velcro!  My Seacoast sweater, coincidentally also by Joji Locatelli, and knit in a worsted-weight single-spun yarn, is the worst for this!  I always look like I rolled around on the dog.  So anyway, much as I love this finished sweater, I know I will not love all the time spent with a de-piller, and I will carefully stay away from the single-spun yarns in the future.

Yarn discussion aside, this design is fantastic!  I love the cabled detail on the shoulders and sleeves.  I sized down one size from the recommendation based on my bust for two reasons.  I like a more body-conscious fit than is shown in the pattern, and I thought the yarn was super-wash, which has a tendency to grow (It is not superwash, in fact; are you noticing a pattern?  I really didn't do my homework on this yarn!).  In the end, the body and armhole fit was perfect, but the cuffs of the sleeves were quite snug.  While blocking, I really stretched out the cuffs, and I push them up right above my elbows, and they are fine now.  The only change I made from the pattern was to eliminate the split hem.  I used a regular ribbed bottom.

Overall, I am really happy with this sweater.  The fit through the body is perfect, and it will be a great sweater for fall.  I am considering making this again.  I would definitely use a different yarn - one that is plied and solid in color, to really show off those cables!  Maybe I will do the larger size, too, and just bring it in at the waist a bit.