Little Strawberry & Blueberry Baby Hats-Completed

** Updated to include the Strawberry Hat **

The Little Strawberry & Blueberry Baby Hats:







Pattern: Leaf Top Baby Hat by Michele Sabatier
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Violet and Cactus
Needles: US 7 & 8 (16” circs) and #8 DPNs
Amount: Less than 100 yards of yarn used
Mods: No changes were made

Comments/Conclusions: This is my first attempt at knitting with two colors. If you recall, this is one of my knitting goals for 2010. I spent several months looking for an easy two color knitting project. Lo and behold, I came across a great pattern and a cool baby gift to give to a friend. There are times when I try to over-analyze a technique. This was one of them. I decided to “just do it” and see what happens.

Here, you can see how I stranded the two colors. When color #1 required 7 stitches, I took color #2 and did simple twist (WS) with color #1 (after the 4th stitch) and continued with color #1. That way, the color #2 strand wouldn't be carried for more than 4 stitches. This helped shorten the long strands of yarn.






This is a versatile hat. You can actually roll the brim more to have the hat sit above the ears or roll the brim less to cover the ears. This has been the easiest and quickest knitting project. If I had the time to knit this in one sitting...it would take me at most 5 hours.

This baby hat is knit up in stockinette stitch, two color knitting at the start of the crown, K2tog for decreases or crown shaping, and then knitting an i-cord. It’s a fun knitting project that will keep your interest from start to finish. I highly recommend knitting this rewarding project.

I have one more hat to knit and then I’m off to search for another two- or even a three-color knitting project.

Lace Shopping Bag - Completed

To continue with my latest knitting craze of knitting in the round, I decided to knit a shopping bag for a Christmas gift. I used the Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn from my stash. I was planning on using the yarn to knit up a few wash cloths and decided the yarn would be well used for a bag. I love it when I'm right.



Name of Pattern:
Lace Shopping Bag

Designed by:
Cecily Glowik MacDonald for Creative Knitting, May 2009 and Fall 2009 (mags)

Pattern/Garment Description:
Hold the plastic and save a tree: take this to the market instead.

Size(s):
One Size

Yarns Used:
Lily Sugar ‘n Cream in pastel multicolor and naturale color. Used 2-1/2 balls of the multicolor. Used 3/4 ball of the naturale. In total, used about 400 yards of yarn.




Gauge:
18 sts /4 ins in lace pattern

Knitting Tools Used:
Circular needles: 16 inch size 5
Circular needles: 16 inch size 7 (decreases)
Circular needles: 24 inch size 7 (for body and start of decreases)
DPNs: size 7 (decreases and knitting the handle)
Stitch markers
Bent tip tapestry needle to weave in the ends and sew the strap to the top edge of the bag

Techniques I used:
Join and knit in the round
Ribbing (K1, P1)
YO
K2tog
SSK
SK2togP
Garter stitch in the round

Changes I Made to the Pattern:
No changes were made

What I Like About this Pattern:
Great looking lace pattern





What I Dislike About this Pattern:
It took awhile to knit and finish this bag

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

Conclusion/Additional Comments:
I knitted this bag as a gift for a family member.

The bag is knitted in the round from the top edge to the bottom. The strap length is about 25 inches long.

The bag ended up measuring 15 inches long (excluding the strap) and about 13 inches wide. It’s a bit stretchy because of the lace pattern, but the Sugar ‘n Cream yarn is quite sturdy.

This project seemed to go on and on. I carried this project with me and knitted whenever I had a spare moment. In total, I think I spent about 7-9 hours on this bag. The repeat lace pattern is a multiple of 9 stitches. Every now and then I had to tink a few stitches because I added an extra stitch or was missing one. There were 8 rows that made up one repeat pattern. A bit time consuming.




This is a great shopping bag with a lovely lace pattern. The bottom of the bag came out beautifully.

Meret Beret - Completed

Another project completed. I've already CO for another beret. Love this pattern. I will be back to post pictures of me modeling my new beret (that will require some unusual photog skills).



Name of Pattern:
Meret Beret or Mystery Beret

Designed by:
Woolly Wormhead

Pattern/Garment Description:
This pattern was the “Mystery Beret for November 2008 (Ravelry). This pattern can be made more slouchy by knitting one or two extra lace repeats - one extra repeat will make a regular slouch beret, two extra repeats will make it really slouchy!

Size(s):
Sizes: S (18”), M (20”), and L (22”)
Finished sizes: S (16”), M (17.75”), and L (19.5”)

I knitted a size Large.

Yarns Used:
Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Denim Twist

I used slightly less than 1 skein of yarn.

Gauge:
18 sts/4 inches and 24 rows in Stockinette stitch

I was on gauge with #7 needles.

Knitting Tools Used:
Circular Needles: 16 inch in size 7 (CO and ribbing)
Circular Needles: 24 inch in size 7 (body of beret and start of decrease)
DPNs: size 7 (for decrease/knitting the crown)
Bent-tip tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Techniques I used:
M1
YO
S2KPO (slip one, knit two together, and pass over the slipped stitch)
SSK
K2tog
Ktbl

Changes I Made to the Pattern:
I added an extra lace pattern repeat to make the beret more slouchy. Total of 3 lace repeats were knitted.

What I Like About this Pattern:
It’s a quick and easy pattern. Enjoyed knitting the lace pattern of the body. The pattern came with different sizes and also had notes on making the beret more slouchy.

What I Dislike About this Pattern:
Nothing to dislike.

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

Conclusion/Additional Comments:
I really enjoyed knitting this beret. Next version will be knitted in a solid color, so 1) I can see what I’m knitting and 2) to see the lace pattern better.



I’ve blocked the beret using an 11 inch dinner dish. I pulled the beret over the dinner dish, rearranging the center of the hat with the center of the plate. I also made sure not to stretch out the brim of my hat and let it relax over the center of the plate. I sprayed water from my mister over the hat to get it damp (top and underside of the plate). I sat the plate over a small can of diced tomatoes and let it dry overnight. You could also use a soup can as a prop. ;)



Next Projects
I’ve already cast on another version in a Ruby River color. I plan on knitting a 4 lace repeat to give this beret a really slouchy, slouchy look. Of course, I hope I have enough yarn.

Vintage Bubble Bag - Completed

I've already started knitting another Vintage Bubble Bag and thought I should get this review posted for the first version. So, here it is my Chianti Vintage Bubble Bag:



Name of Pattern:
Vintage Bubble Bag

Designed by:
Pursenalities - 20 Great Knitted and Felted Bags by Eva Wiechmann (book)

Pattern/Garment Description:
Taken from the book: This bubble bag reminds me of my mom's shopping bag - room and practical. This vintage look is very stylish right now, and although I used colors that are subtle, you can make yours wild and bold.

Size(s):
One Size

Yarns Used:
Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in Chianti (burgundy) (18 sts/4 inches, #8, 190 yds) - wool/mohair
Noro Silk Garden in 282 (beautiful colors) (18 sts/4 inches, #8, 110 yds) - silk/mohair/wool

I used less than 2 skeins of Lamb's Pride and 2 skeins of Silk Garden.

The bag is knitted with one of each yarn type (double stranded).

Gauge:
Not necessary to get gauge

Knitting Tools Used:
Circulars: 24 inch in size 10.5 (top & i-cord straps)
Circulars: 24 inch in size 15 (bubble bag)
DPNs: size 15 (3 needle BO)

Techniques I used:
Joined and knitted in the round
Garter stitch in the round (knit one row, purl one row…so on)
Stockinette stitch in the round (knit all the rows)
3 needle BO
5 stitch i-cord
Felting

Changes I Made to the Pattern:
The only change I made to the pattern was to lengthen the straps by 6 inches. This turned out to be the right call, as I can wear the handbag over the shoulders.




What I Like About this Pattern:
Quick & easy project. Ability to use different yarns and different colors. Straps could be lengthened.

What I Dislike About this Pattern:
Nothing to dislike

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

Conclusion/Additional Comments:

I never really had an interest in felting a hand knitted project. I suppose I haven’t seen a felted project that caught my interest, until this project came along.

I first saw this felted bag at my LYS. A customer had brought in some knitted bags to be felted and then pulled a pretty black/multi color one that she had already felted. It was amazing to see this bag, before and after felting. I knew right away that I wanted a knit bag of my own.

The hardest part was trying to figure out which yarns to use and then what color combinations to use. Possibilities are endless. For this bag, I used similar colored yarns. I bought the Lamb’s Pride Worsted in Chianti (wine color) and came home to see what Noro yarn’s I had in my stash. The Silk Garden #282 was a perfect match.

It took about 4-5 hours to knit this bag and about 35 minutes to felt.

Another TNT pattern for me.


Before Felting Pictures:






Felting Process:

My LYS has a felting/agitating machine. I placed my bag in the machine. Added hot tap water, enough to cover my bag. Added a dime size amount of All liquid detergent (white bottle) and turned the machine on for 15 minutes for the initial agitation. Afterwards, I would check the bag by feeling the stitches/fabric. I set the machine for 10 more minutes and checked it again. I could still see the stitch definitions in the bag and the bag had shrunk. I set the timer for another 10 minutes and the bag came out perfectly. A felted fabric and nice size. I then placed the bag back into the machine with the soapy water and added a few drops of fabric softener to the water. I set the machine on 2 minutes, enough time for the soap bubbles to disintegrate. The fabric softener also gave the bag a nice scent.

The water had turned a nice light wine color and the machine had lots of fuzz/lint. I suppose that’s from the Lamb’s Pride yarn. I drained the machine into a bucket and used a fine mesh colander to scoop out any fuzz and lint.

The Lamb’s Pride had felted into a nice thick wool fabric with no stitch definitions. I understand that the Noro Silk Garden takes longer to felt. You can see some stitch definitions from the colorful Noro yarn. I like this effect.

NOTE: I am fortunate to have a LYS that has a special felting/agitating machine to felt my bag. I am certainly spoiled in this area. For those of you who will use a washing machine, your felting process, felting time and results will be different than what I’ve mentioned in this review.

Felted Bowl - Completed

Name of Pattern:
Felted Bowl

Designed by:
Leigh Radford for One Skein (book)

Pattern/Garment Description:
Taken from book: “I like colorful containers of every sort. Recently, I began making sturdy felted bowls and now have an assortment throughout my house. The bowls make colorful decorator accents and are ideal for organizing buttons, beads, yarn, keys, or other small objects that need a special place. I used a single color of yarn for each of the bowls...but imagine the fun you can have with stripes!”

Size(s):
Small (2.5”x17”) and Large (5.5”x18”) - height x circumference

I made the Large size bowl.

Yarns Used:
Plymouth Galway Highland Heather in 712-Brown: 210 yards/skein, 100% wool

I used two skeins and knitted with double stranded yarn

Gauge:
Not necessary

Knitting Tools Used:
Circular needles: 24 inch in size 13
DPNs: size 11
Bent tip tapestry needle (thread through the last few stitches and pull tightly)



Techniques I used:
Join and knit in the round
SSK
K2tog
Felting

Changes I Made to the Pattern:
No changes were made


What I Like About this Pattern:
Quick and easy knitting project


What I Dislike About this Pattern:
Nothing to dislike

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

Conclusion/Additional Comments:

I’ve been looking for man-ly type of gifts to knit for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Some of the men in my life live in a warm climate in the middle of winter. Wool scarves are frowned upon. So, I looked around and came across these functional felted bowls.

I’ve only had limited amount of knitting in the round skills and limited felting skills. I thought this would be a quick and easy knitting project, with a few challenges.

As I was knitting the bowl, it began to look more like knitting a hat (which I haven’t done one...yet). I ended up knitting 10 inches before starting the decreases for the base. I didn’t have #13 DPNs in my stash, so I ended up using my #11s for the decreases and finishing the base of the bowl. This unintentional change worked out fine.






I have to say this floppy looking bowl turned out to be a beautiful felted piece.




Felting Process:

My LYS has a felting/agitating machine. I placed my bowl in the machine. Added hot tap water, enough to cover my floppy bowl. I added a dime size amount of All liquid detergent (white bottle) and turned the machine on for 10 minutes for the initial agitation. Afterwards, I would check the bowl by feeling the stitches/fabric. The floppy bowl had shrunk considerable, but still felt floppy. I set the machine for 5 more minutes and checked it again. I could still see the stitch definitions in the bowl and it started to take the shape of a tall bowl. I set the timer for another 5 minutes and the bowl fabric was nice and thick. I could still see some ribbings of the stitches. I set the time for 3 minutes and let it agitate. I did another check and I could see I had a nice bowl. I then placed the bowl back into the machine with the soapy water and added a few drops of fabric softener to the water. I set the machine on 2 minutes, enough time for the soap bubbles to disintegrate. The fabric softener also made the bowl smell nice. This was a fascinating process to watch and experience.

The water had turned a nice light brown color and the machine had minimum amounts of fuzz/lint. I drained the machine into a bucket and used a fine mesh colander to scoop out any fuzz and lint.

The Galway had felted into a beautiful wool fabric.

NOTE: I am fortunate to have a LYS that has a special felting/agitating machine to felt my projects. I am certainly spoiled in this area. For those of you who will use a washing machine, your felting process, felting time and results will be different than what I’ve mentioned in this review.

Next Projects

I plan on knitting and felting several more bowls. For the next one, I plan on using blue yarn with a brightly colored Noro Kureyon yarn. I also plan on knitting the top rim/edge of the bowl in garter stitch and then the rest (base) in stockinette stitch.

Cozy House Socks - Completed

Wow! I'm really impressed with these socks. Can you believe I said that??? Still, I'm not a sock knitter. Don't get me wrong. There are just so many other things to knit and try out. Could I tackle another sock pattern? Sure! Now that I understand the structure of a hand knitted sock. ;)

I have to CO for another new small project that I'm anxious to start. Let me leave you with this post.


My first pair of socks! Wow...I could get used to taking these modeled pictures without wearing any makeup



Name of Pattern:
Cozy House Socks

Designed by:
Sue Dial for One Skein Wonders (book)

Pattern/Garment Description:
These cozy socks knit up fast and are an easy introduction to sock knitting. Pick a bulky worsted yarn and get busy. You can probably finish a pair this weekend.

I finished a pair within a weekend.

Size(s):
One size fits all

Yarns Used:
Bernat DenimStyle (70% Acrylic/30% Cotton) - 196 yards/skein - 18 sts/4 inches with #8 (label info)

This yarn has been in my stash for a few years. I used one skein and had a few yards left. What a wonderful way to use up this yarn.

Gauge:
18 sts/4 inches in St st with #7 needles

I had close gauge with #7s. I have to make a comment here. I've been noticing I don't get gauge with the yarns I purchase from Michael's (e.g. Lion Brand and Bernat and Patons). This is when I go by their yarn labels for the recommended needle size. I normally have to go down a needle size from what's suggested on the label.

On the other hand, when I do a swatch for the more expensive yarns from my LYS, I can actually get true gauge based on their yarn label recommendations (e.g. Debbie Bliss, Blue Sky Alpaca, Plymouth, Malabrigo, Berroco, Brown Sheep, Cascade, Noro, Sirdar, etc).

Interesting, huh?

Knitting Tools Used:
- Circular needles: 24 inch in size 7 for knitting the ribbing flat
- DPNs: size 7 for knitting the heel flap, shaping/turning the heel (short rows), heel gussets, foot, toe, and kitchener technique
- Bent tip tapestry needle (seaming ribbed cuff and weaving in ends)

Techniques I used:
- Knitting in the round with DPNs
- Short rows
- Picking up stitches around the heel
- Kitchener stitch for closing the toe area
- K2tog & SSK
- Seaming (the cuff)





Changes I Made to the Pattern:
No changes were made to the pattern. I recommend following the pattern verbatim.

What I Like About this Pattern:
It's a great pattern. Well written. Easy to knit sock pattern. My first pair!

This One Skein Wonder book is one of my favorites. When I got to the Kitchener stitch, the book referenced the glossary in the back to see how this stitch is worked.

What I Dislike About this Pattern:
Nothing to dislike

My Pattern Rating (Beginner, Easy, Intermediate, Hard):
I rate this pattern as Easy/Intermediate. An Advanced Beginner with a lot of knitting experience could easily tackle this project.


Conclusion/Additional Comments:

I started out on circulars, knitting the ribbed cuff flat. Then I changed to 2 DPNs to knit the heel flap (flat & short rows). Once I started to pickup and knit the heel gussets, I added two more needles to the mix. Personally, I think this was a great way to introduce DPNs into this project and get a lot of practice. This knitting process is based on the pattern instructions. That's why I recommend you follow them and get the same wonderful results I received.


The ribbed cuff that needs to be sewn together


It took me awhile to get used to knitting with 4 DPNs. By the time I completed the first sock, I felt quite comfortable with the 4 needles. I plan on making a pair for hubby and of course, will have to make some pattern adjustments to accommodate his foot size.

This has become one of my TNT patterns for cozy socks to wear around the house. It was a quick and easy knit. My first sock took about 5 hours to knit. The second sock took about 3-1/2 hours to knit. Yes, I got into a knitting sock tempo.

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

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

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. ;)