What's Almost on My Needles

I thought I would do another quick post today before the hectic week begins. I've been knitting some swatches from different yarns for another project called Alpine.


Alpine by Berroco


So far, this yarn is getting my attention and the swatch came out beautiful. I found this yarn in Barrington, IL over the summer. My DH picked out this color for me. Yes, he actually stepped into this cute yarn shop and took a seat and chatted with the owners.

Alpaca with a Twist - Highlander in Ochre


I've been playing around with my Ravelry queue and finally decided to stop moving my future projects up and down my priority list. I guess you could say I'm locked in with my list for the remainder of the year. Closing in behind Alpine is the Central Park Hoodie (CPH).

Central Park Hoodie by Heather Lodinsky for Interweave Knits

I did some stash diving (really deep) and couldn't come up with the 1200+ yards of yarn that I needed for this project. So, I took a trip over to KnitPicks.com and found this yarn:

Knit Picks City Tweed HW in Jacquard

Again, DH picked out this deep blue/green tweed color for me. For the life of me, I couldn't select one single color...because I loved them all. It appears that DH will be selecting future yarn colors for me. ;)

Looks like the CPH will keep me engrossed busy for the next few weeks. Of all the projects I've tackled so far, this will be the most challenging.

And yes, I'm in "tweed" mode.

Lil Black Sweater - Modeled

Finally! Almost live pictures. I had some time this morning to do a photo shoot of myself. I will be posting additional pictures of my latest shrug and the cabled vests I made. In the meantime, here's a few shots of me wearing my new Lil Black Sweater. Enjoy!














Happy Knitting!

My Lil Black Sweater - Completed

I'm back with a second post for today. Still feeling a bit sick, but that won't stop me from posting a review.

This is my favorite sweater. Funny. I seem to say that to each and every new knitting project I complete. Seriously, I had a blast knitting up this cute little sweater. I would have been done sooner than the 2 weeks it took me. You know how it is when I have to spread my knitting time across several projects, do some housework, get in some computer time, and go to work.

Here is my latest and cutest project:

My Little Black Sweater in Vintage by Sirdar Denim Chunky


Name of Pattern:
Little Blue Sweater

Designed by:
Simona Merchant-Dest for Interweave Knits

Published in Interweave Knits, Fall 2008. Available online as a single pattern purchase.

Pattern/Garment Description:
Short sleeved sweater with scooped neckline. Eyelet and cable pattern in the body and sleeves. Long ribbing pattern from hip to midriff area and short ribbing at bottom of sleeves. Ribbing around the neckline.

Size(s):
Finished bust circumference: 30, 34-1/2, 39, 43-1/2, 48, and 53 inches

I made a size 34-1/2 inches.

Yarns Used:
Sirdar Denim Chunky (discontinued) in Vintage color. It's a black and charcoal heathered yarn. Beautiful. I used 3.5 skeins of yarn. Each skein has 171 yards.

This yarn is a cotton, wool, and acrylic blend. Machine washable and lay flat to dry.

Gauge:
17 sts/4 inches

I was right on gauge in pattern.

Knitting Tools Used:
- Circular needles: 40 inch in size 10 (for the K2/P2 ribbing @bottom and sleeves)
- Circular needles: 40 inch in size 10-1/2 (for the eyelet and cable pattern)
- Circular needles: 40 inch in size 9 (for picking up the neckline)
- Circular needles: 16 inch in size 9 (for knitting the neckline)
- Cable needle
- Bent tip tapestry needle (seams and weave in ends)

Techniques I used:
- Used long tail cast on
- C4B, C4F
- YO
- SSK, K2tog
- p1tbl on WS
- Mattress stitch for the seams
- Knit the neckline in the round
- BO in pattern

Used mattress stitch for the seams


Changes I Made to the Pattern:
- I omitted a few rows while knitting the sleeves. I wanted my sleeves to end above my elbows.
- Instead of picking up and knitting 100 stitches around the neckline, I picked up 88 stitches.

Knitted fewer rows in the sleeve, but still ended up with the correct measurement within the sleeve cap area. BTW, this is the true yarn color


What I Like About this Pattern:
I love the shape and design of this sweater as well as the scoop neckline.

I enjoyed knitting this beautiful sweater. The eyelet and cable pattern made the knitting an enjoyable experience. Knitting with bulky yarn made this a fast knitting project.


The eyelet and cable pattern


What I Dislike About this Pattern:
Nothing to dislike at all

My Pattern Rating (Beginner, Easy, Intermediate, Hard):
I rate this as Intermediate. There's a lot going on with this sweater.

Conclusion/Additional Comments:
What can I say? This was a fun knit. Love the pattern, love the yarn I used. Perfect match. That's what made this project an enjoyable knitting experience. This is what knitting is all about.

Too bad this yarn has been discontinued. This is one of my favorite yarns. I ended up buying some other colors (on sale) for future projects. This yarn is machine washable and lay flat to dry. I wouldn't put this through the dryer as the results are horrible.

Personally, the only problem area I encountered was knitting the front armholes and neckline at the same time. I made sure I had a block of knitting time (peace and quiet) in order to do the BOs and decreases. I did end up writing out parts of the instructions. I'm getting pretty good at "reading" my stitches and not relying on my "counter" or my "tick marks".

When I finished sewing the seams, I tried on the garment. I noticed that the neckline was wide and loose. I could barely keep the sweater on my shoulders. Gut instinct told me I needed to make some adjustments on the fly. I used my 40" size 9 needles and picked up 88 of the 100 required stitches. I did one row of K2/P2 in the round and then switched to my 16" size 9 needles. Yes, that's what I did. Even though, my 40 inch needle fit around the neckline, I wanted to be sure that the neckline would not stretch out or become wavy while knitting. It was a bit tight knitting and purling 88 stitches on 16 inch needles, but it worked.

Picking up less stitches around the neckline, guaranteed that I would have a neat and close fitting neckline


This pattern is a winner! I love the design of this garment, the neckline shape, and the eyelet and cable pattern. I plan on using this neckline for other future garments. It's not too low and not too high on my neck.

This is definitely a TNT pattern for me.







I really do need to put more padding in the back of SusieQ

A Sneak Peek...

I've been under the weather for the last few days. Today, I ended up staying in bed. I popped in a DVD, The Devil Wears Prada, and knitted. I got a lot accomplished including drinking lots of water. I managed to finish my "Lil Black Sweater". Here's a sneak peek:



I'll be writing a review and posting lots of pictures later.

Note: the sweater is actually black/charcoal. I bounced my flash in order to show the details/highlights of this beautiful garment.

I'll be back....

Started Another Project

I'm still working on my Little Black Sweater. I'm now knitting the front and working my way to the armholes and the neckline. This will be an interesting knit as I'll be decreasing the armholes and the neckline for the left and right sides. I'm hoping to finish the front piece sometime over the coming weekend.

I did CO a new project called Nimbus. I'm using a beautiful wool yarn in a burgundy red color.

Berroco Peruvia Quick in Granada

Nimbus is turning out to be a quick knit for me as I'm using chunky yarn and size 11 needles. I love the style of this cropped cardi. Very simple style. I think it will look just as good unbuttoned or slightly open. It's still warm in my neck of the woods, but I've been wanting to knit cardi/jacket to wear when the temperature starts to get colder. I didn't want to rush and make something at the last minute. I like planning ahead.

Nimbus by Berroco Design Team

The length of this cropped jacket is roughly 15-1/2 inches long for the "small" size I am making. I was thinking about lengthening the cardi, but may nix that idea as I didn't buy extra yarn.

If I get the perfect fit that I think I will get with this version, I do plan on making another in a longer length and use a yarn that is machine washable. Yes, when I knit two of the same garments, one is destined to be machine washable.

Happy Knitting!

Denim Cabled Vest - Completed

I thought I would do a post before heading off to work. I am way behind in my knitting reviews and live model pictures. When I have a good hair day, I will be back to post those pictures.

In the meantime, here's my review on my Denim Cabled Vest:




Name of Pattern:
Cabled Vest from the Tahki Yarns Terra Collection, Spring/Summer 2008

Designed by:
Rosemary Drysdale

Pattern/Garment Description:
Cropped sleeveless lace vest with cabled fronts.



Size(s):
Small (38), Medium (42), Large (44-1/2), & XLarge (48-1/2)

I made a size Small.

Yarns Used:
Plymouth Yarn Fantasy Naturale in Denim Tweed color. This is 100% mercerized cotton yarn. I used less than 4 hanks of this yarn (140 yards each).

This yarn splits a bit. It's also a bit heavy.

Gauge:
18 sts = 4 inches in lace pattern stitch pattern

Knitting Tools Used:
- Circular needles: 40 inch in size 8
- Cable needle (size 8)
- Stitch markers to mark beginning of armholes
- Yarn/tapestry needle with bent tip
- 4 buttons - 5/8 inch (right now it's optional)

Techniques I used:
- Long tail cast on
- K2,P2 ribbing
- M1 - used M1R and M1L to knit the increases along the sides
- K2tog & SSK - to knit the decreases along the front edges
- CB4F and CB4B (cable stitch patterns)
- BO in pattern

Changes I Made to the Pattern:
Instead of knitting 8" before BO at the front placket, I knitted 9". Just like the previous version I made.

No buttonholes were knitted. Ooooops, I forgot to knit them.

What I Like About this Pattern:
A challenging knitting project. Still challenging the second time around.

What I Dislike About this Pattern:
Nothing to dislike

My Pattern Rating (Beginner, Easy, Intermediate, Hard):
Intermediate. There's a lot of challenging moments, especially with the front pieces.

Conclusion/Additional Comments:
Another version of this fabulous cabled vest pattern. This denim tweed yarn is a beauty.

I did have some knitting issues on this second version. It was all operator errors. I really wanted to knit this 2nd version, but I had so many other projects on the needles vying for my time and many distractions that I wasn't as focused as I should have been.

I forgot to knit the buttonholes on the front right. For now, I'm leaving the vest plain and wearing it open. I have receive many helpful suggestions from fellow knitters that I'm thankful for. I'm sure one of the suggestions will be used.

When I was seaming/attaching the front pieces at the shoulders, I had reversed the left and the right. I didn't realize it until I had finished the seams and looked at the garment. My front plackets were now at the sides and my armholes were in the middle of the vest. *Sigh*

I had done an excellent job of weaving in the ends, that I could not find the ends. I ended up pulling/stretching the shoulder seam (RS) and clipped the sewing yarn in the middle of the shoulder. For beginner knitters, I don't recommend doing this as you may end up cutting the wrong yarn. It took me awhile to undo the seams, but as you can see I was able to fix my major problem.

All these major and minor errors happened in the late morning hours when I was tired. That could mean only one thing. Do most of my knitting from 5am-9am.

I'm glad I'm done with this project and I have a vest to wear into the upcoming Fall months. It's one of my transitional garments. It's also machine washable. ;)

Rowan International Information for Inquiring Minds...

I'm back with a post about Rowan International. Rachel and Amy had a few questions that I thought it deserves a special post. Here are their questions:

Question: How many patterns are there in the Rowan publication?

Answer: It appears there are on average 30+ patterns per magazine. There are a few men's patterns, some children's patterns, and a lot of women's patterns. The designers includes: Kaffe Fassett, Martin Storey, Erika Knight, Amanda Crawford, Sarah Dallas, and others.

Here are two issues that I have:
- Issue #45 (Spring/Summer): 37 garment patterns (4 men's and the rest women's) and 10 accessories patterns
- Issue #46 (Autumn/Winter): 40 garment patterns (7 men's and the rest women's) and 8 kid's & teen's patterns

To see all the fashion that is included in each magazine, you can go to Rowan's site and click on the magazine. Be patient as the photos load.


Question: How did you subscribe to the Rowan mags?

Answer: I understand there are two ways to subscribe. One via the Rowan site and the other via phone. I've heard there were problems fulfilling the subscription request via the Internet. I went ahead and contacted Jessica (US) and she was able to take my subscription order over the phone.

Here's the information:
Jessica Lacasse
1-800-445-9276 x2511

Jessica is a super sweet person and answered all my questions. She must have the patience of a Saint. I can imagine all the customer calls and emails that she must endure when the free yarn isn't available to ship. So, if her phone rings and rings and goes into voicemail, leave her a detailed message (e.g. interest in subscription). Jessica will call you back.

Give Jessica a big Hello from me. :)

My Rowan #46 Arrived and Knitting Thoughts

Yesterday, I received my welcome package to Rowan International. In the package was the beautiful #46 pattern book, their Autumn/Winter newsletter booklet (in color), a Rowan pin, welcome letter, another letter explaining the delay in their free yarn shipment, and a book sale notice. This annual subscription is definitely worth the price versus buying their pattern books separately.



I also received a package of brown/beige marled yarn in the mail from Jimmy Beans Wool. This yarn is destined to become a garment for my hubby.

Now that I have finished the 3 out of 5 WIPs, I want to start my Little Blue Sweater. I love the neckline and overall design. I love the final garments I've seen on Ravelry.

Little Blue Sweater by Simona Merchant-Dest for Interweave Knits

I have two wool yarns in mind (in my stash) and will need to knit a few swatches in the eyelet and cable patterns to see which one looks and feels like a great match. Most of the time, I can tell when the yarn and pattern will be a perfect match before I knit a swatch. This will be a bit different as I'm in between the size 34-1/2 and 39 inches in the bust measurement. Plus I will be knitting an eyelet and cable pattern throughout the sweater (front/back) which looks likes it will produce some amount of stretch with the eyelet and not much with the cable. I could go up a needle size and make the size 34-1/2 or go down a needle size for the size 39. I will make the call after I see what my swatches look like. ;)

Happy Knitting!

A Quick Picture Day

Happy Wednesday!

A quick picture post. I've finished my last shrug. A review will follow as I made a minor change to this garment.




Here I am knitting the neckband on my vest. Still have two rows to go and then BO. Notice the empty front plackets?



I plan on wearing these two garments...A LOT. Both are machine washable. You can't beat that.

Knitting Updates

It's turning out that September is my month to finish my WIPs. Kind of like seeing a big bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Somewhere in between I managed to cast on for another shrug. Yeppers. That's what I did. I couldn't help myself. This fantastic Muench Tessin yarn screamed to be made into something. I'm further along than what the picture shows. Actually, I have one row of ribbing to do and then bind off in pattern and it's done.

My Muench Tessin Shrug This! in Purple. Fabulous yarn with a tweed look


Close up of the Tessin yarn



I finally finished my Malabrigo shrug. It fits, but it's not one of my favorites. I think it's the yarn and not necessarily the color.

My Malabrigo Chunky Shrug This! in Noviembre color


Last week, I went to G-Street and caught their holiday sale (Labor Day) and found some pretty buttons for my denim vest. I had fun at this store as the ladies allowed me to go behind the counter pull the boxes myself. It was pure joy to touch the buttons!

Yesterday morning, I seamed the shoulders and did a huge boo-boo. I had reversed the front right and front left. When I held up the vest, my front plackets were on the outside edges. Yikes! I undid the seams and cleaned my eyeballs before starting again.

Oval shaped buttons for my vest


Today, I spent a few hours untangling some Fiesta Rayon Boucle yarn for a good friend of mine. She had wound the yarn into two balls and then I helped her for a few hours.

My friend and I working on untangling her yarn...a few hours later

I continued to work on it today and finished the untangling for her. I wound the two balls into one huge ball and then proceeded to wind the yarn into a cake. This color is Painted Desert. It's beautiful!

Beautiful cake!


Progress is being made. I just need to remain focused. ;)

Rowan on My Mind

I've made the plunge. I have subscribed to Rowan International and will receive their two (2) magnificent magazines during the year. I shouldn't call this a magazine as it's really a heavy and thick pattern book. Would make a great cocktail table centerpiece. As a subscriber, I will receive a free gift of two scarf patterns plus 6 balls of Pure Wool 4-ply. I was told the yarn color is blue/green or teal, but they may run out as they are behind in sending out the gifts. I told Jessica that any color will be fine with me. Remember, you are talking to a yarnaholic.

Here's the first issue I expect to receive in the mail shortly:

Rowan Magazine #46 (Rowan International)

This will be an exciting issue for me as they have a few men's wear patterns. I hope to knit a nice sweater for my darling hubby (DH). Now when I started to knit last year, DH didn't want me to knit anything for him. Well, he received an alpaca scarf from me because that's all I knew what to knit back then. I figure I would surprise him with a sweater. It won't be a Christmas gift, because I don't need that kind of pressure right now. Hopefully, I'll be able to knit a sweater for him before the Winter is over. I know, Winter hasn't even started. But I can plan ahead.

In order to get this Rowan subscription, I decided not to renew my Threads and Sew News subscriptions. I have way too many sewing mags and now need to work on my knitting library.

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another...

I am happy to report that I was able to find another hank of the Plymouth Fantasy Naturale in Denim Twist. Same dye lot. Now, I can continue to finish my vest. BUT.

I have another problem. In my 5 hour knitting marathon yesterday, I forgot to knit the button holes on the front right piece. I didn't even notice it yesterday and I re-read the instructions when I started the front right. Yes, I had a slap myself silly episode while I was on my way back from the LYS today. Isn't it funny while I'm driving...the things I think about?

There is no way I'm frogging this last piece. I'll make a decision early tomorrow morning when my creative juices are flowing. I may end up sewing decorative buttons on both sides and wear the vest open. I need to keep moving forward with this garment. Any decorative additions can be added at the end.

Gosh darn, this is a sign that I need to move on to a different knitting project. A new garment.

My Malabrigo Noviembre Shrug is coming along fine. I tried it on and it fits much better. Going up a needle size was the best solution. I just joined my last cake of yarn and looking forward to seeing how this longer shrug will look on me.