The Half-Blood Poncho

After a whirlwind 10 days of devoted knitting, my sister's birthday poncho is finished:



I used about 3 1/2 skeins from Handpaintedyarn.com, in the "Lettuce Violet" colorway. (FYI: The yarn was more vivid than pictured online, but that's the gamble with a kettle-dyed product.) The pattern was free, courtesy of Lion Brand, but you have to be registered there in order to see it.

And why the title, you ask? Well, I was racking my brain, trying to figure out why the color scheme seemed so familiar, when the answer dawned...



Very fitting for these last few days of waiting for Book 7!

In less exciting news, I'm going to have to cool my knitting heels for a few weeks. There's a spot on my wall that's calling for a gigantic cross-stitch sampler. Hopefully, the knitting will forgive me upon my return. :)

Studious

After much procrastinating, the Back-to-School U-Neck Vest is complete! Woohoo, another wool sweater for scorching summer weather!



The Specs

Yarn: Cascade 220, in a russet-brown heather, under 3 skeins used for the 38" size
Pattern: Back-to-School U-Neck Vest, from Stefanie Japel's Fitted Knits
Needles: US7
Lessons Learned: The shaping created by the front darts is quite nice. I also *love* the look of the waffle stitch. But most importantly, I realized that I can't fully judge a project until all the design elements are in place. I put off the neck and arm edgings for weeks, because I thought the vest was looking silly on me. But once I buckled down and added on the edgings, it looked, well, complete. Brilliant insight, eh? :P I could have picked up more stitches around the neckline, but I'm happy with it as is.

ETA: I forgot to mention that the book's instructions for the dart increases (RLI and LLI) are really confusing, and are not even included with the vest! I came across them in the Alexandra pattern. Instead, I followed the instructions for "Raised (M1) Increases" from the glossary of the Summer 2006 IK -- same move, just described (and pictured) much more clearly.

Here she is!

Miss Alexandra is finished, just in time for...90 degree weather. ;) Here she is reclining on the sofa, in her unblocked (and more true to color) state:



And finished:



DETAILS

Pattern: Alexandra Ballerina Top, from Stefanie Japel's Fitted Knits

Size: 38", but FK patterns run large! My gauge was small, so this worked out perfectly.

Yarn: RYC Soft Tweed in Kingfisher, 8 balls

Needles: US 10.5

Time: TEN DAYS!!!

Thoughts, Mods, and Lessons Learned:

I didn't want a "cropped" look, so I used just about every last bit of yarn on the length. But after final blocking, I discovered that it was too long, so I had to rip back and shorten it. I'm pleased with the final length.

My best discovery during this knit was the miracle of back darts, now my most favorite shaping tool. I'm very short-waisted, so I'm a little leery of waist shaping, as it can exaggerate my squashed torso. However, the darts created a sleek, unfussy, and flattering fit -- woohoo!

I went back and forth on the yarn as I was knitting, but now that I'm finished, I'm glad I used it. RYC Soft Tweed isn't plied -- it's most like one felted-looking strand -- so I wasn't sure if it was the most suitable thing for cables. But once I blocked and shaped the cables, everything looked much better. The best thing the yarn's got going for it is the content: 56% Wool/20% Viscose/14% Polyamide/10% Silk. It's soft and cozy without being suffocatingly heavy and hot.

This is my third adult sweater, and it's definitely a keeper. :)

It's Not You, It's Me...

I'd wanted to make a Saturday Market Bag ever since the pattern was released. I'd even bought the requisite needles and a bunch of Sugar 'n Cream with this intent. But try as I might, I just never felt at ease knitting it. The big needles and dropped stitches made me as jittery as I would be after a 64 oz. Diet Coke. :P So, after about a year of trying, I've finally called it quits. It's still a cute and awesomely functional design, but we're just not meant to be, not quite yet. And that is why, a week before Mother's Day, I used my skein of Mauve Cotton Fleece to cast on a Lacy Yoga Bag instead.

And doesn't the yarn look happier?



NOTE: The lace patterns for the bags are interchangeable, but there is a one stitch difference. So, cast on accordingly, and when you get to the upper hem/eyelet portion, be sure to follow the directions for YOUR stitch pattern, which may not necessarily be the ones for your bag size. I choose to use the Pierced Diamonds pattern, but in the water bottle version.

Of course, the bag and I did have a few of those early-relationship misunderstandings along the way. For starters, it seemed like I would have scads of yarn left, and so I added an inch or two to the body portion. Oops. As I got to the upper hem portion, I realized my folly. But because of time constraints, I didn't want to rip back, and so I made the upper portion with eyelets only and no picot facing. The top rolls a bit, but it's a nice, casual look.

Then, try as I might for the bottom of the bag, I just could NOT manage to start knitting and increasing in the round with only eight stitches. If I'd had the time, I would have jaunted over to the LYS for help, but again, because of time constraints, I improvised. I'm normally not one for the maths, but I managed to knit a sort of octagon/circle piece with a 20 inch circumference, just what I'd need to fit the bottom. When pseudo-mattress stitched, it fit perfectly (not that you can necessarily tell that from the angle, but it did fit):



And finally...the cord. As my yarn shortage was becoming increasingly apparent, I decided to forgo the long strap for a simple drawstring closure. Really in crunch-time now, I cut several long lengths of Cotton Fleece and began braiding. I thought it might look tacky, but really, the final result was a cute "design element" (as I'm calling it). I just didn't realize how much yarn a braid would eat up, so it turned out rather short. Luckily, my mom is also short, so this was the perfect length for her to sling over her shoulder.

So, while we didn't experience clear sailing in the making, I *was* pleased to gift the final result, and I'd like to make a proper, by-the-book one for myself at a later date:

Second Verse, Same as the First...

I really do like to try out new yarns and learn new knitting techniques, but you know, sometimes you just need "comfort knitting". The kind of knitting that behaves just as it's supposed to, that doesn't throw you any curve balls. Sometimes, you just need *gasp!* predictability.

Yep, I've been revisiting a few tried-and-true patterns lately, and I make no apologies. So without further ado:



I'm sure this one needs no introduction! I deviated from my usual Silky Wool for this scarf, though, and used some KnitPicks Elegance instead. I didn't think when I was knitting that it showed off the pattern very well, but as usual, BLOCKING made all the difference. Once blocked, the scarf took on an amazing and, well, extremely elegant drape. I want one for myself, now!





Two variations on the Sophie Bag, made with a single strap because I can be lazy of yarn shortage. The first is in Lamb's Pride Worsted, the second in Patons SWS Natural Geranium. The SWS is gorgeous stuff, but please note -- it felt with LIGHTNING SPEED. Seriously, check it after three or four minutes. That's all it takes.



Lastly, a variation on the Booga Bag, made with three skeins of Patons SWS in Natural Earth. Such a pretty colorway! Seriously, I love any sort of earthy, muted colors. I didn't have the pattern for this handy, so I just sort of winged it...which is why this only looks like a third cousin to the Booga Bag. Still, I think my friend will like it.

That's it for now!

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!):

Inaugural Post!

Hello! What better way to kick off my fledgling blog than with a FO?

The Details...

Pattern: Central Park Hoodie, from the Fall 2006 Knitscene

Yarn: Brown Sheep Waverly Wool, in the most glorious shade of red imaginable, purchased from these nice folks

Needles: sizes 6 and 7, mostly KnitPicks Options Circulars

Comments: This was my first adult sweater, and I love it to itty-bitty bits! (We'll ignore the fact that 2/3 of my existing wardrobe is already red.) It's warm, squishy, and the cables look deceptively harder than they were. I began it while recuperating from foot surgery, so considering I was knitting on painkillers, I'm glad it turned out as nicely as it did! It's not perfect, but I did my best, and I'll fear the cables no more.

I waffled for some time over whether or not to add buttons, but it think it looks nice as it is. I hate straining buttonbands, too. Although I have a 38" bust, I'd heard the CPH ran snug, and so I went up to the 44" size. My gauge was a teensy bit small, and so this move worked out perfectly.

Lessons Learned: I was concerned about yardage, so I thought I'd take off an inch of ribbing on the bottom and sleeves (I have short arms). Of course, then I went ahead and forgot to actually subtract those inches from the final measurements of the pieces. Oops. Fortunately, I had over one skein of yarn left (which means I only used $36 dollars worth!), so yardage wasn't an issue.

So without further ado...

Katinka's CPH:




Sleeve detail:




Hood detail:




Artsy photographs courtesy of my kindergartner. :)