Can't Help It

When it comes to yarn, sometimes I can't help myself. I was all set to destash, and had promised my overflowing closets and my bank account that I wouldn't buy any more yarn until I used more of what I already had. But then Elann had to go and have a great sale on the yarn suggested for this cardigan that I have been wanting to make ever since I saw the Fall Vogue Preview back in the summer. And in just the type of neutral with a little kick of color that I was hoping to find for it.

I figured since it was a full bag sale (10 skeins) and I would need 13 for the cardigan, that I should go ahead and get an additional 10 skeins so I would have enough yarn for two sweaters instead of being left with 7 orphaned skeins. Makes sense, right? And $20.50 for 10 skeins of this yarn is a great price. So I made the purchase and told myself again that I was done. Silly me.


Bran wanted to make a necklace for his teacher, so I was picking up some beads at Michaels this week, and I made my usual sweep of the yarn section. A number of yarns were on sale, but nothing outrageous, or so I thought. Then I spied the sign in front of the Patons SWS - 2 for $3! I did a double-take to make sure I was seeing it correctly, and then proceeded to look through the color options and place 12 skeins of black and 12 of natural plum into my cart.

I considered SWS for the Tilted Duster when the pattern first came out, but didn't want to shell out the $60 that it would have cost at the time. Now I have more than enough yarn for the sweater (I'll use the black), and it only cost $18! I also used SWS for a felted bowl last year, and it felted beautifully, so I can imagine making a few felted purses or bowls for gifts out of the natural plum if it doesn't end up in sweater form as well.

I am learning a program of cabaret songs right now, including "Falling in Love Again." When G makes fun of my weakness for yarn sales, I just smile and sing "I can't help it."

Letting Go

I often find myself holding on to the yarn in my stash until I have searched far and wide for the best project I can find for it. I'm not just talking about large quantities of yarn for big projects, but also random single skeins that I want to put to a good use, and end up obsessing over it.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this practice, and it allows me to find many beautiful and interesting patterns, especially now that Ravelry makes it so easy. But, I'm sure I'd get a lot more knitting done if I would make a decision and cast on before I had a chance to waffle. So, in the interest of trying to be more decisive, getting more knitting done and using up my stash, I have decided to do an experiment.

I bought a few baskets in various sizes and then chose patterns and corresponding yarns and needles to go with them. Before the materials were placed in the basket, I cast on and knit a few rows. I am hoping that if the yarn is already being used, it will make it much less likely for me to change my mind.

Here are the projects I have started so far. The ones that are gifts will be getting the most attention.

Cobblestone Pullover for G in Cascade 220 Heathers

Wedgewood Blouse for my MIL in Lion Brand Cotton-Ease

Lace Ribbon Scarf in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi.

Koolhaas in Laines du Nord Cashsilk

I have organized but not cast on yet for these projects.

Fast Favorite Vest in Patons Merino for my FIL

Backyard Leaves in Blue Face Leicester Aran

Noro Striped Scarf in Kureyon


Bobbled Tam in Jaeger Matchmaker Merino DK

Montego Bay Scarf in SWTC Bamboo

Cozy V-Neck Pullover in Brown Sheep Prairie Silks
I have also furthered my effort by adding stash yarns to projects in my Ravelry queue, but I know it will be harder to stick to them if I have not physically put yarn and pattern together.

We'll see how it goes....

Before I forget, here are two FOs from October.

Kitty Hat, as part of Abe's cat costume, modeled here by Abe sitting with his brother the vampire.
I knit this in just a few hours using Caron Simply Soft Eco, which is partially made of recycled plastic bottles. According to the label, 10 skeins=6 plastic bottles saved from landfills. I'll need to see how the hat wears before making a larger project, but the alleged environmentally-friendliness of this yarn may just make me less of an acrylic snob.

Here is a better shot of the ears and the mischievous expression.


and Cable Beret from Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine

I made this from Elsebeth Lavold Angora which I was surprised to find for a great price at Tuesday Morning. It is extremely soft, but I am glad I did a hat instead of a scarf. I think the fuzziness would be annoying near the mouth, whereas it feels cozy and warm on the head.
This was a quick, enjoyable project, and I can see making more of them.

Next time I'll probably use a smoother yarn, and maybe do fewer repeats so there's not quite such a paunch in the back.

And now, back to my baskets and stash!

Birthday Scarf

My good friend and colleague Carl just celebrated his 60th birthday (though looking at him you would think he was 50 or younger!). I found this beautiful muted teal color of Mission Falls Wool, and broke out my Cables Untangled for the reversible cable scarf pattern. The yarn is a pleasure to knit with, and the cables breezed by without a cable needle to get in the way.

Here is the recipient modeling his new scarf. He told me that he has never worn a scarf before, but that he loves it!



Notice the artwork in the background. The photo was taken by Carl's wife, Marilyn, who happens to be a wonderful artist. Marilyn did some encaustic paintings of me and G, and she has graciously agreed to barter with me - paintings for a knitted item. More on that when I have figured out what I am making for her!

For those of you who live in the DC Area, Carl and I will be performing at the Embassy of the Czech Republic on November 20. More information can be found at dcmusicaviva.org. Here is the flyer for the concert.



Now I am off to check on the election. Go Obama!

Fall Cables

Just in time for fall, here is my new cabled jacket! I finished it last week, but G (my DH) was away in Montreal so I couldn't get pics until now. I am very happy with the way this turned out!

The pattern was great, although the cable chart was difficult to read so I used the one from Café Bastille Cables by Leigh Radford. I made the medium size, but kept the body an inch shorter and the sleeves an inch and a half shorter than in the pattern. I used the smaller needle (size 6) for the ribbing, but did both the cabled and the garter stitch portions of the body with the bigger needle (size 7).

Cabling without a needle made everything faster and it was particularly useful not to deal with another needle when I was working with dpns on the sleeves.

I knew I wanted a collar instead of a hood, and I wanted to incorporate the 4x4 rib so it wasn't lost at the bottom of the sweater. So I started casting off at the neck, and kept going until it looked good.

Here's what I did :

Put 8 stitches (each side) garter stitch button band on holders. Cast off 2 sts at the neck edge every row 6 times (24 sts). Continue pattern decreases until 58 sts remain on front and back. With smaller needle, knit 8 from holder, pick up and knit 19 from cast off front edge, knit 58 from front and back, pick up and knit 19, knit 8 from holder (112 sts). Continue in garter stitch on button band (add buttonholes if desired) and 4x4 rib on front and back sts for about 7 inches.

I added the extra buttonholes at the top of the collar so it would have the versatility of becoming a neck warmer on especially cold days.

I went to JoAnn for buttons, and after trying at least 15 different ones, I found these, and thought they were perfect! I like the way the curvy-edge diamond inlay mimics the center of the cable design.
An added bonus with this jacket is that it only cost a little over $20 to make! Patons Merino may not be the softest yarn ever, but it is very affordable for larger projects, it shows cables well, and it is durable. My cabled hoodie, which I made from it 2 years ago, still looks great. It has pilled a bit, but takes very well to being scraped with a sweater stone. That said, I would love to make a jacket like this in luxurious Malabrigo!

Speaking of luxurious, sweet G did bring me back some goodies from his trip to Montreal. He stopped by Mouliné Fine Yarns

and got these


and this.


G said the store had so much beautiful yarn that he didn't know if I would be happy that he got me some stuff or jealous that I didn't get to go. I think it is a mix :). But I am excited and thankful for my gifts!

Happy Fall!

Ankle Fun and Jacket Progress

Thanks to the sprained ankle that I acquired in step class on Monday, I was sidelined for the past 2 days. Not fun, but on the bright side, it gave me the chance to get a lot of work done on my jacket. The body is done, so I just need to work the sleeves and then get everything connected for the yoke. I am going to leave off the hood and attempt to add a collar of some sort in 4x4 rib, to match the bottom and sleeves. The pattern is relatively straightforward so far. I did end up changing the recommended cast off/cast on buttonhole method to a yo, k2tog, after my first 2 buttonholes looked mangled. Hopefully a little fiddling and some large buttons will hide the mess in the end. I also opted not to go down a needle size for the garter stitch part of the body. I would like this jacket to be form-fitting, but since I am making it from the Patons, which isn't the softest wool in the world, I want to make sure there is room for a shirt underneath.

Jacket Beginnings

In an effort to start knitting more projects for myself, I decided to break out some of the teal Patons Merino I bought on sale this summer, and cast on for this jacket.

The chart for the cable pattern is difficult to read. Leigh Radford's Cafe Bastille Cables Sweater, which I made for my DH a few years ago, uses the same cable, but the chart is much clearer, so I am using that instead. I also may add a ribbed collar instead of the hood. I generally like the look of hoods, but find that I don't actually use them that often, and that they weigh down the back of the sweater when not in use. I'd love to finish this in time for cooler weather.

Cobblestone for Abe

I have always liked the Cobblestone Pullover, and since I saw the pattern in Interweave I have thought about making it for my DH or my brother. But I never thought of making it for my boys until I saw earthchick's version. Since I just made the Purple Wonder for Bran, it was Abe's turn. His favorite color is yellow, but fortunately he thought the gold Cascade 220 that I had leftover from my FIL's 2007 Christmas vest was yellow enough.

Here is the very fidgety boy modeling his new sweater.









My gauge with the Cascade is 4 sts and 5 rows per inch on size 7 needles. I must be getting more relaxed as I get older because I could swear that I used to get 5 sts per inch with Cascade on 7's. Armed with that gauge, Abe's measurements, the Cobblestone pattern, EZ's EPS, kiwas instructions and earthchick's instructions, I came up with this.

BODY (for 26" chest circumference)

co 104 sts and join in the round

work in stockinette for 3 ridges

make side purl section 6 sts wide

work body for 9" - 44 rows of garter

place each section of 6 purl sts on a piece of yarn or holder

SLEEVES

co 30 sts and join in the round

work in stockinette for 3 ridges

knit 2 rounds

increase 2 sts in next row (I used EZ's backward loop method)

increase 2 sts every 10th round 4 times (40 sts)

work sleeve for 9" - 44 rows of garter

place 6 sts on a piece of yarn or holder

JOIN

purl across 23 back sts, pm, purl 34 sleeve sts, pm (short row marker), purl across 46 front sts, pm (short row marker), purl across 34 sleeve sts.pm, purl across 23 back sts, place marker for beg of round.

knit a round, purl a round

short row 1 - knit to short row marker, k6 sts. w/t and knit back to center. purl to short row marker. purl 6 sts. w/t and purl to center back. knit one round, purl one round, working wrapped sts with their wraps.

short row 2 - knit to short row marker, k3 sts. w/t and knit back to center. purl to short row marker. purl 3 sts. w/t and purl to center back. knit one round, purl one round, working wrapped sts with their wraps.

short row 3 - knit to short row marker. w/t and knit back to center. purl to short row marker. w/t and purl to center back. knit one round, purl one round, working wrapped sts with their wraps.



dec row - k3, k2 tog around (128 sts)

work until yoke front is 9 ridges

dec row - k2, k2 tog (96 sts)

work until yoke is 13 ridges

dec round - k2, k2 tog (72 sts)

work until yoke is 17 ridges

short row - work to marker

knit a round, purl a round

dec round - k4, k2tog (60 sts)

knit 4 rounds.

bind off (I used size 9 needles)



What a great pattern! I hope it will fit him for a while. It could easily be blocked a little bigger if necessary. After seeing Abe's Cobblestone, my DH wants one, and since I still need to make Bran a sweater that fits, there is a good chance I will end up making a Cobblestone for him as well.

Saddle Shoulder for a Giant Five-Year-Old

After much neglected housework and a few episodes of Eli Stone on iTunes, I managed to knit the saddles after two tries. The first time I did too many saddle decreases, and it didn't fit over Bran's head. Now it fits over my head. I originally planned to allow the edges to roll, but after the saddles were done, I thought the sweater would look better with a more finished edging. So, inspired by EZ's picked up hem idea, I worked an additional inch and a half of stockinette, purled a row to turn, worked another inch and a half of stockinette, and then sewed it down. I picked up stitches for the bottom hem since I no longer had live stitches to work with. I haven't sewed it down yet because I would like to add a message using duplicate stitch.

As you can see, I majorly overestimated the ease for this sweater. It is huge on Bran, and even though I measured the sleeves on his arms as I worked them, they are way too long. I am thinking of folding them an inch and a half to the inside and sewing it down, so they would be shorter. But even if that looks okay, it still won't make them short enough. I could also cut and rework the sleeves to be shorter. But for now, I'll probably leave them as is, and cuff them until he grows into it.


























At least he says that he likes it. I even asked if he wanted me to knit him a smaller one and give this one to his cousin (who is 8), but he said that he wanted this one. My heart is filled with smiles.

Saddle Shoulder Mania

I have been knitting like a maniac on Bran's seamless saddle shoulder sweater. The sleeves went very quickly, and now that I am on the yoke, I am having trouble putting it down.

This is one of those circumstances where knitting becomes a dangerous habit in my world. I have three loads of laundry waiting to be folded and put away, a gigantic pile of mail that needs to be sorted, texts that need translating, updates to a website that need to be added, various tasks and messes around the house that need attention, not to mention my two sons, who thankfully are self-entertainers with their own addictive behavior when it comes to building with Legos. My current plan to foil this madness is to finish the top of the sweater tonight. Then hopefully I'll be able to cram everything else in tomorrow. Thank goodness for three-day weekends.

Closure For Tomten

This Tomten, modeled by Abe, is for a dear friend of mine who had a baby boy back in April. Since she waited until birth to find out the baby's gender, I didn't start on this until after he was born. My friend has always wanted to have a family. She tried to have a baby for a long time, and although she was able to conceive, for some reason she couldn't carry the baby to term. After a few miscarriages, she and her husband decided to try and adopt a child. Right as they were beginning the adoption process, she became pregnant again, and this time everything went smoothly, and she delivered a beautiful, healthy baby boy!

As usual, I decided to make a large garment that would be wearable for a long time, instead of something that would only fit for a few weeks. If the sleeves are rolled up, this jacket could potentially fit a child anywhere from 1 1/2-4 years old, depending on build. I used Falk and size 4 needles. Even though Falk is listed as a sport weight yarn, I get 5 sts to an inch when using a size 4. I learned this the hard way during the train hat incident. I did the pattern as written, except for adding about 10 more ridges to the hood to make it even roomier.

I was finished knitting, sewing and blocking the jacket 2 weeks ago, but I put it aside for a bit because of the closure issue. I thought all along that a zipper would be best, both aesthetically and practically, but I wasn't sure I was ready to brave the sewing machine again. Last time I inserted a zipper into a knit, I had a very sewing savvy friend sitting right next to me and telling me exactly what to do. I wasn't sure if I could make the magic happen all by myself.

I took some of the gray yarn and made an i-cord with the thought of using it as a loop for a toggle button. I also considered adding snaps somehow. But the zipper idea kept coming up as the winner. So, I got a zipper and matching thread, and during Abe's naptime today I went for it.

To my surprise, I remembered more than I thought I would from my zipper session 2 years ago. It certainly isn't perfect, but hopefully it will stay attached, and help make the jacket a useful addition to my friend's son's wardrobe.

New Shrug and Yarn Bargain

I finally finished my Retro Redux Shrug over the weekend and my DH took pics last night. This was a fast, fun project, and I can definitely foresee making more of them.









The brioche lace kept things interesting, but it was still simple enough to do in the car or while watching a movie.









The short rows on the collar were fun to work, but the ribbing did start to get old by the end, perhaps only because I was anxious to finish and see how the shrug turned out.








This is the first knitted project I made for myself since January of 2007.
Although I enjoy making gifts for friends, family and teachers, and want to continue, I hope to change my self-gifting track record. Possibly very helpful in my endeavor is the impromptu yarn purchase I made yesterday at Hancock Fabrics. While purchasing a zipper for the still unfinished Tomten for my friend's son, I saw that certain colors of Wool-Ease Thick and Quick were on a clearance shelf. The Thick and Quick is actually the yarn suggested for the very cool Green Gable pattern in the most recent Vogue.

I have to admit that I have been a Wool-Ease yarn snob ever since my Grandmother-in-Law made me a gorgeous cabled cardigan out of worsted Wool-Ease and I literally wore it to pieces in a much shorter period of time than it should take for a handmade sweater to be worn down. I still wear it, and still get compliments on it, but I was less than impressed by the sturdiness of the yarn.

I saw that the yarn was marked with a green sticker, which according to the chart, meant that it was 30% off. And I thought, okay, about $2.10 off - and I need 6 skeins - so the sweater will cost about $30. Then I thought about the Louet Riverstone Bulky I saw on sale at WEBS, which would probably be better quality, but the available colors were not compelling, and I liked the grass green and pumpkin orange in the Wool-Ease. After a bit more waffling, both about which color to get, and whether I should give this yarn a chance or hold out for something else, I decided to buy 6 skeins of the green. When the cashier scanned the first skein, I was pleasantly shocked to learn that the sale price was $.50! Long story shorter, I now have 12 skeins of Wool-Ease Thick and Quick - 6 green and 6 orange. This means I could potentially make 2 sweaters for $6.30! Of course, if I do, I'll probably end up giving one to my sister.

New Projects

My Vogue Knitting finally arrived, and I have to say that this is one of the best issues in a long time in terms of having numerous sweater patterns that look fun to knit and wear. I have already added Veronik Avery's "Forestry", Tikru's "Green Gable", Norah Gaughan's "Drop Stitch Cable Cardi", Deborah Newton's "Cable Yoke Cardi" and Elsebeth Lavold "Pretzel Cable Cardi" to my Ravelry queue.

I had a great time making EZ's Tomten and February Baby, so I decided to use her percentage system and knit Bran a seamless raglan. I asked him to choose the color, and since his current favorite is purple, I bought some purple Patons Classic Merino and got started. My gauge is 4.5 sts per inch on 7's, and his chest circumference is 23". I decided to cast on 140 sts, so the sweater will have about 8 inches of ease if all works out. Here is what I have so far.

I also wanted a small project to bring on the short beach trip we took this week. I could have started a raglan sleeve, but instead I decided to break out the 2 skeins of Cinnabar Malabrigo I bought at Threaded Bliss Yarns in Nashville, and start a Retro Redux Shrug. It was a great project for car travel, and the Malabrigo is a dream. I am curious to see how it fits once it is finished.

Happy Returns

Somehow the past four months have gone by without any blogging, but here is what I have to show from the time away.

End-of-year teacher gifts

and


group gift for Kim


gift for neighbor's new baby boy


gift for Kim's new baby girl


and a gift still in need of closure for a friend's new baby boy.


Funny that they are all gifts. I also just started working on an EZ seamless pullover for my older son. I still haven't decided if it is going to be a raglan, hybrid or saddle. It is my third EZ sweater in a row, after February Baby and Tomten.