Have You Seen...

...Bonne Marie's latest design over at ChicKnits.com? Dang, that's cute!

*buys it, despite ever-growing project queue*

Wicked!

I finished this sweater just in time to wear for Easter Sunday, and yes, I did question whether that was appropriate, given the pattern's name. :P



The details...

Pattern: Wicked, by Zephyr Style
Yarn: Cascade 220, color 9407 (celery - about 3 1/2 skeins)
Needles: US 8
Time: Errr, off and on, over 3 or 4 weeks?

My gauge was small on both 7s and 8s, so I decided to go up a size and hope that move would work out. I probably could have done fewer raglan increases, but I'm still pleased with the fit (I wanted something comfy, not super-snug). For the pocket, I picked up stitches on the body and began knitting it from there, and not as it's own separate piece. I think this created a nice even line across the top of the pocket. I also did the bottom in the cross-over rib, as seed stitches takes me an eternity.

And while I'm here, here's my progress on the Back-to-School vest from Fitted Knits (love this book!):

Drooly drool drool...

There aren't even images available yet, and still I'm drooling over the thought of a WHOLE BOOK of Veronik Avery designs... :)

Thoughts on Handknit Gifts, and Katinka's Knitting Queue

So, I used to cross-stitch quite a bit. And from time to time, I would spend WEEKS making a special cross-stitch, for a wedding or a birthday or some other such event. Sometimes, it would be greeted with "ooohs" and "aaahs" -- other times with a quick glance and a "hey, that's neat."

Now, I don't expect everything I make to be received with fanfare and confetti. I completely understand that for some people, handmade gifts just aren't their thing. But it's always fun to discover the people who are delighted by them, because creating a gift for them is an entirely different process. It's a joy, not a drudgery.

Why have I been thinking about this? Well, last Christmas was my first season of giving knitted gifts. One person requested "Branching Out", in a pretty periwinkle shade of Silky Wool. I came across the scarf again two months later, still in its gift bag, still sitting on her dresser (in her defense, she's probably of the "It's too nice to wear!" mindset). But then I happened to see my grandmother last week, for the first time in several months. One of the first things she said to me was, "I love the scarf you gave me for Christmas! I wore it all winter!" I had to stop and think for a second, before remembering that I'd also whipped up something for her, a simple lace pattern in Silky Wool. And she'd worn it all winter!

So, yeah, Grandma is getting cashmere for next Christmas. :)

And now on to the KNITTING QUEUE...

(I must preface this by stating that I seem to be one of those boring monogamous knitters. I just can't take the guilt if I have too many projects on the needles at the same time!)

In Current Production:

Wicked (from Zephyr Style -- I should finish this by Easter!)
Back-to-School U-Neck Vest (from Stefanie Japel's Fitted Knits - join the book's KAL!)

Waiting in the Wings:

CeCe (from ChicKnits, in Soft Gold Cotton Fleece)
Socks! (I'm going to have a go at the Jaywalker, Pomatomus, and Monkey patterns)
Saturday Market Bag (for Mother's Day, in Mauve Cotton Fleece)

Of course, that's not all the yarn I've got flung about here, but those are the projects I plan to dive into next. :)

(And so this post isn't just a jumble of links and words, here's my swatch for the U-Neck Vest!)