One Completed, One More to Knit

Okay, one more post about my socks with pics and I must get back to my knitting. I managed to finish one and I estimate it took me about 5 hours (an hour here and there) from casting on to seaming the back of the ribbed cuff. Now, the second one is going much faster. Here is one sock completed:



I had a chance to learn a new technique...the Kitchener stitch. I used this to finish off the toe end. It really makes a nice finish:






This cool project has given me lots of opportunities to learn new techniques. An invigorating project!

I should finish the second matching sock by tomorrow morning and have a review within the next day or two.

A Cozy Sock in the Makings

I had some time this morning to cast on for one of my small projects from my "to do/to learn list". My first sock. I must have done two swatches to get gauge. Then I CO and just started knitting like crazy. Now, I've mentioned before that I'm not a sock person. I don't get the "I need to make one of these" feelings/urges when I see hand knitted socks. BUT, I have to say this one caught my eye.



So, I'm knitting up a pair for me. A trial pair, I call it. I have a funny feeling I will end up wearing these a lot and DH will end up with a pair as well.

I can now scratch off my list: teaching myself to knit in the round with DPNs and for knitting my first sock (still a work in progress).



Not bad, huh?

Finally...It Arrived

The Free Gift:

When I got home from work today, I had a very nice surprise waiting for me. This is the gift yarn and two patterns from Rowan International. I did get a chance to give the yarn a quick squeeze and I must say...it's beautiful! This is my first Rowan yarn and I can't wait to knit with it.



Now, Rowan members on Ravelry have been waiting for their yarns to arrive. Rowan had run out of this pretty blue color a few months ago and provided supplemental colors a few weeks ago. Random colors. No one knew what color they were getting. I really didn't care what I got. It's free yarn. Okay, I really did care as beige makes me looked washed out. I'm happy with the selection and quite surprised I received the original color.

My Knitting Projects:

I'm shifting gears and will be working on some small knitting projects over the next few days and even weeks. Somewhere in between I will still work on CPH.

I think I'm burned out on knitting garments. Is that possible??? Yes. It's happening to me right now. That is the reason I have to start working on smaller projects. You know, change of pace.

At last count, I've knitted at least 18 garments this year. Whew! I need a break.

Knitting Around For the First Time

I was feeling a bit under the weather this morning. I didn't feel like working on CPH nor did I feel like sewing. The sun decided to take a break today and hide behind the clouds. I decided to have some fun and learn something new about knitting. I have two new small knitting projects that I want to complete by the end of the year and they involve knitting in the round. I've been busy knitting garments that I've pushed these projects further down my list. Plus, I didn't know how to knit in the round.

So, I started with my DPNs. Gwen, a fellow sewist/blogger, gave me one of her techniques for joining in the round. It was a slow start, but I managed to figure out how to knit in the round with DPNs. I guess knitting a ribbing (K1,P1) wasn't a great pattern to start with. I should have started with just the knit stitch...it would have gone faster. Anyway, here's the result of my first attempt:




After patting myself on the back for this small feat, I came up with another brilliant idea: try the magic loop method. I have heard this was an easier way to knit in the round. I grabbed my instructions, my 47" #9 circulars and CO 40 stitches and away I went. Here's the results of this method:




Now, I feel like I can tackle any knitting project. Stay tuned to see what I'm up to.

Still Working on CPH

I'm still cruising on CPH. I've finished the back a few days ago. I'm now working on the front left and very close to BO/decreasing the armhole.



I was chatting with my fellow knitting friend about not knitting the hoodie, but knitting a deep ribbed collar instead. She thought it would be a great idea..."would you really wear the hood?" Maybe not was my answer. So, I will be making a last minute knitting decision when I get there.

As I am knitting this CPH, my mind is filled with many knitting changes. Besides changing out the hoodie, I will need to match the ribbing depth of the collar with the front ribbing for the buttonholes/button loops. Yes, then there's the choice of knitting buttonholes or crocheting button loops. This all depends on how the CPH will fit once I do the all the seams and try it on. I love this process of knitting and making changes on the fly. It's an unknown, but I'm a fearless knitter.

BTW, don't be surprised if my CPH may soon be known as CPC (central park cardi). ;)

Creating Things

I've been busy...creating things. I figured the left side of my brain gets a good workout on the computer that I needed to start working with the right side of my brain. So, I thought I would start with a simple basic scarf. With my limited knitting experience, I wrote down some instructions and created this:



Who knows what's next. The creative juices are flowing. Ideas are being formed. Sketches are being drawn. Now, this is fun!

Happy Knitting!

Starting Over...Size

I started working on my CPH (central park hoodie) a few days ago. This is as far as I got with it:



Yesterday, I CO another version. I decided to go up a size to a Medium (40"). I normally knit a 36" and that depends on the garment type as well as the type of yarn I will be using. On Ravelry, I read that CPH runs small. I noticed other knitters who were close to my size, were knitting one size up, even two. I decided to follow suit.

Now, normally I don't follow the majority. I'm an independent thinker. God gave me a brain to use to make my own decisions and to be a creative individual. That's who I am. BUT, when previous experience of others have resulted in the same or similar answers, I don't mind following along to get similar results.

So, with CPH I will knit one size larger. I also plan on making some other adjustments on the fly. I can do that, because I'm an independent thinker and I know how to make adjustments to get a better results for me. I can do this because it will be my own hand knit garment. Remember, I'm the creative individual creating a unique garment.

I'm still in the learning process of knitting. Just like I am in the sewing world even though I've been sewing for 4 years now. I never stop learning. It's an on-going process for me in anyone of my many hobbies.

I'm still learning about size in knitting and can be fooled by the individual pattern makers/designers. Have you noticed, that each knitting pattern is different and you may not get the same size results you anticipated from one pattern to the next? But in the end, 90% of you out there are happy that it fits? BTW, I'm one of those in the 90% category. :)

I know if I knit a few patterns from the same designer (e.g. Hélène Rush), I will get consistent results in size. When I start knitting patterns from different designers, I will get different results.

Have you ever seen a cardigan with buttons pulling across and distorting the front of the garment? That's a no-no.

Personally, I don't care to knit something tight or close fitting. I don't strive for that. I want my hand knit garments to drape over my body. I want my garments to look good on me. I want to be able to breathe while wearing them.

I'm not disappointed that my first 12 inches of CPH will have to be frogged. I'm not disappointed that I lost a few hours of knitting. I'm not mad at myself for making a bad choice. I don't like to complain, but rather move on.

What did I get out this experience? I got a chance to practice and memorize the cable pattern. How do you like my gigantic swatch?

Alpine Cardi - Completed

My Alpine Cardi in Alpaca With a Twist in Ochre

This time I'm on the ball. I managed to take some photos of me modeling Alpine. Here's my review:

Name of Pattern:
Alpine Cardigan

Free pattern at Berroco's site.

Designed by:
Berroco Design Team

Pattern/Garment Description:
Cute cropped cardigan with short sleeves and round neckline. Single button at the top. Chevron-like knitted pattern in the front left and right pieces. Ribbing at the bottom of the body and sleeves. Garter stitch and ribbing around the neckline as well as a decorative BO.

Close up of the chevron pattern


Close up of neckline detail


Size(s):
X-Small (32), Small (36), Medium (40), Large (44), 1X-Large (48), and 2X-Large (52)

I made my normal size Small.

Yarns Used:
Alpaca with a Twist Highlander in Ochre color. Used roughly 3.5 hanks (145/yard) of this lovely yarn. This is my favorite yarn. Love all the colors it comes in. This yarn has a very, very low itch factor. It's soooo soft. Delightful to knit with.

Gauge:
15 sts/4 inches in St st and #10 needles

I was right on gauge.

Knitting Tools Used:
Circular needles: 40 inch in size 10 for the main body (St st. and Chevron pattern)
Circular needles: 40 inch in size 9 for the ribbing (bottom and sleeves)
Circular needles: 40 inch in size 8 for the neckline
Stitch markers to mark the 15-stitch pattern
Bent tip tapestry needle (seams and weaving in ends)
Crochet hook J (5.00mm) for adding button loop in front
1-1/4" button

Techniques I used:
K2tog & SSK
P2tog
M1k
M1p
Mattress stitch for seams

Changes I Made to the Pattern:
For the sleeves I knitted an inch less than the pattern required. Wanted the sleeves to hit above my elbow.

For the neckline, I picked up 121 stitches versus the required 133 stitches. Personal preference.

What I Like About this Pattern:
The design and style is gorgeous. Believe it or not, it was a quick knit. Another pleasurable knitting experience.

What I Dislike About this Pattern:
Just as another Ravelry folk mentioned, the cardi can be a bit snug under the armholes. I found that to be true for me as well.

My Pattern Rating (Beginner, Easy, Intermediate, Hard):
Intermediate

Conclusion/Additional Comments:
I would definitely knit this cardi again. For the next version, I would knit the armhole 1/2 inch longer and do the same for the sleeve cap area. That way I could wear a long sleeve t-shirt underneath. I would also knit the bottom ribbing with a size 8 needle (recommended in the pattern) versus the #9 I used to give the cardi more shaping.

I added the optional button loop closure. I crocheted a one inch chain to the right front for the loop and added a 1-1/4 inch button on the left side. I found the gorgeous button at a recent Sewing Expo I attended.

Overall, it's comfortable to wear. I notice I'm not tugging at it which is a good sign of fit and design.

This is my first Berroco pattern. Their instructions were easy to follow and I like the results. I would definitely try their other patterns.

Here I've shown two different ways of wearing this cardi. I think it looks great as a simple cardi over a camisole, tank top or short sleeve t-shirt.








Modeled with long sleeve t-shirt. Oooops...picked out the wrong one. Should have picked the one with a lower neckline. You get the idea

Just When I Thought...

*** Updated with picture of Alpine ***

...I was done with prioritizing my Ravelry queue, I find another pattern. This time I was perusing around and came across SweaterBabe's Vine Lace Top-Down Cardigan. It is really cute. The design, the style, and the cute pockets...adorable! This pattern quickly worked it's way into my Top 5 queue. There is a lot of texture and design features incorporated into the front. It's doggone gorgeous!

Vine Lace Top-Down Cardigan by SweaterBabe for SweaterBabe.com


Simple styling from the back. Love the deep ribbing


I would love to knit this up right now, but I need to go stash diving and see if I have any bulky weight yarn and enough yardage. This would be beautiful in a burgundy or raspberry color. Definitely charcoal color. Even a bright blue color.

Alpine:

I just have less than an inch of work to do on the neckline and I should be done. Maybe an hour's worth of work. Alpine is done. I just need to weave in some loose ends and decide which button to use.




Here's a close-up of the decorative neckline and BO:



CPHoodie:

I hope to start this cardi/hoodie this coming weekend. Unless something else interferes (like starting the Vine Lace cardi).

Happy Knitting!

Vogue Knitting Patterns on Sale

I wanted to enable share a post for today. Vogue Knitting has their patterns on sale. All patterns (including Debbie Bliss Magazine, Knit.1, Knit Simple, and Twinkle) are on sale for $2.99 at the Vogue Knitting online store. Their pattern sale started today and runs for 3 days.


Who could resist a Nicky Epstein pattern? It's an older pattern (like 10 years old), but I could not pass up this elegant cardi. It's rated "Advanced" and by the looks of this pattern...it really is.

Holiday Cabled Cardigan by Nicky Epstein for Vogue Knitting

I came across this cute and simple everyday cardi. A simple V-neck with 3/4 sleeves I could see knitting up two of these: one dressy and one casual. This cardi uses worsted weight yarn and would be a nice easy knit.

Buttoned Cardi by Cheryl Murray for Knit Simple


I did a post about this pattern back in July. I'm glad I waited for this pattern to go on sale. I would love to tackle the fair isle, but I will wait. In the meantime, I'm still thinking of knitting this up in a two tone like a charcoal gray and black or a medium blue and teal. I think you get the picture.

Fair Isle Dolman by Jen Jarvis for Vogue Knitting


I've been looking for a jacket pattern and came across this interesting number. Besides the style, I really like the textured look.

Neutral Territory by Gayle Bunn for Vogue Knitting


Here's another pattern that's been on my radar and I'm glad I waited for it. A young lady at the LYS had knitted this up and I actually got a chance to try this on. It was one size too big, but I could tell the style and fit would be a winner on me. This pattern uses worsted weight yarn. I could see this knit up in a tweed.

Garter Yoke Cardi by Melissa LaBarne for Knit.1

So, there you have it. My bargains for this month and it's still early October.

Knitting When I Can

The sewing bug has bit me. A small enough bite that I must take advantage of the moment and see where it leads me. For the next few days and weeks, I need to find a balance between sewing and knitting. I know some of you have already accomplished this. I know it's not easy.

I'm thankful that I spent some time focusing on my knitting to-do-list for the remainder of the year. That will help. I have moved my most of my beautiful yarns out of my sewing room...yarns that I know I will not get to until next year. It will be hard not to give them their deservedly squeeze every now and then, but I need my sewing space. Thank goodness for Ravelry's stash organizer...a great resource to remind me of what I have. Now, if I can just remember where I put them. ;)

BTW...I'm testing out an application I found at the online Apple store for my iPod. I can load pictures of my yarn stash and keep a "portable" list with me. I can also keep a list of all my needles. I can upload pictures of my future projects as well as completed projects. I'm still testing this application as I want to see how much info it can really hold and is it really worth the price and how often do I use it. If I really like, I'll be back to post the name. ;)

I'm done knitting all my Alpine pieces. I'm now working on knitting the front left and right bands. After that, I will start the seaming process. I hope to work on the neckline by Friday.

I've been swatching my CPHoodie using the City Tweed HW yarn with my #8 and #9 needles. I'm right on target with #8s. Knitting with #9s would give me a bit more ease...about 2 inches overall. This is important for me as I'm figuring out what I will be wearing under this hoodie. The City Tweed HW yarn is not as thick as I first thought. Don't let the "HW" for heavy weight fool you. I may end up going with the #9s in order to wear long sleeve Ts under my hoodie. Will I run out of yarn? Probably not. I already measured my sleeve length and compared it to the line drawings. I will need to shorten my sleeves by 6 inches. What??? Yes. I will double check my measurements before I start knitting. :)

Reverse Shaping for Alpine

I thought I would take a few minutes and do a special post on reverse shaping. Rachel and I are currently working on Alpine. Yes, it's a coincidence. I've caught up with Rachel and have finished my right front piece. I thought this would be a great time to review what I've done.

I'm not a big fan of seeing "reverse the shaping of the left front to make the right front" in most instructions. When I do come across this type of instructions, I immediately write out the "shaping" instructions for the left front. When I get ready to the right front, I write out the instructions but reverse whatever I do for the left front. Confused? Not a problem. I've included a picture of my notes for both the left and right fronts of Alpine.


The left post-it note represents the shaping for the left front. The right post-it note represents the shaping I did for the right front. "R" stands for right side and "W" represents the wrong side


In summary:

- If I have done a BO on the left armhole right side (RS), I will need to do a BO on the right armhole on the wrong side (WS).

- If I have done a BO on the front left neckline WS, I will need to do a BO on the right neckline on the RS.

- If I have done a decrease on the left armhole with an SSK, I will need to do a decrease on the right armhole using K2tog.

- If I have done a decrease on the left neckline with a K2tog, I will need to do a decrease on the front right neckline with an SSK.

So, I end up writing out what I'm doing for the RS and WS until all my appropriate BOs and decreases are accounted for.

Here's a picture of my right and left fronts and the results of my reverse shaping:

The two fronts


Another view of both fronts


Here's a picture of the two buttons I'm contemplating for this cardi:

One dressy and one casual. Which button do I choose?

BTW...this Alpine Cardigan is knitting up fast! I'm now working on my sleeves.

I'm also resisting the urge to CO my CPHoodie. I must finish Alpine!

Happy Knitting!

Look What I Found....

I'm back from Day 2 at the Sewing Expo. I found a whole bunch of lovely buttons. Most of them were 50% off. I purchased these buttons with a "vision" for future hand knit projects. So, they won't go to waste. Here's the results of my two day's of digging in the button pile:




When I got home this afternoon, this was waiting for me...my City Tweed HW in Jacquard. Notice, I have recently purchased buttons already picked out to go with this yarn. Isn't the yarn lovely?




Here's an update of my Alpine. Back is finished.




Now, I'm still knitting the front left. I wanted to show one of the new buttons that happens to match Alpine nicely. The other button that I'm contemplating is the single orange button in the top photo, second from the left corner.



My head is still spinning from all the wonderful sewing information I've received. I still have one more day at the Expo with one more class to attend.

Happy October!

I'm knitting away on Alpine. Almost finished with the back piece and hoping to start the front left sometime today. The Alpaca With a Twist Highlander yarn is my favorite yarn. I'm enjoying the softness and the beautifully knitted fabric that's being created. At first, I wasn't too sure of this red yarn with an orange tint against my skin. No worries now. I love this yarn.

Today, I'm heading to the Sewing Expo for a pants fitting class. I will be drafting a pants pattern for myself and making necessary adjustments (e.g. getting rid of the smiles). I am looking forward to being around fellow sewists and hoping to find my sewing mojo at the same time.

I plan on doing a little shopping at the Expo. I need some unique buttons for my future hand knit garments.

I better get going and collect my yarn scraps, my knitting project, and my tickets to the show.

Happy Knitting!