Another WIP - Something Bright & Cheery

I've casted on this sleeveless top with wide scoop neckline yesterday evening. I finally got the gauge right after frogging my first attempt which was 2 inches too small. I must have made a mistake knitting my first test gauge using the wrong sized needles. For my second attempt, my gauge was 3 sts/inch using 10-1/2 needles. Right on target.

So, here is the start of my next project. I love the bright colors. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the colors will be fine with my skin tone.

The bottom of my sleeveless top


This is the yarn that I'm using for the bottom ribbing and base of the sleeveless top. I love knitting with mulitcolored or variegated yarns. You get a neat surprise with the color patterns.

Moda Dea Metro Multicolor in Safari

I plan on using this solid color for the scooped neckline ribbing. It's appropriately named Wasabi and the color is right on. Right now, it looks like a huge contrast with the Safari colors even though it has some green in it. In the store, they looked like they would go together nicely. Must have been the lights in the store playing tricks on my old eyes. In the end, this will be a unique garment of mine and the colors will have to do. This will be my wearable muslin in the sewing world. :)

Moda Dea Metro Solid in Wasabi

Happy Knitting!

Another WIP and New Needles

I've casted on another cardi yesterday. This pattern Weekend Retreat Cardi is from Lion Brand and it's free. It's also featured in the April 2008 issue of Knit 'n Style magazine. I dug around in my yarn stash and came up with this beautiful Denim Style Weathered Rose yarn from Bernat. Over the years, I have collected several other colors and I finally found a pattern that will work great with this yarn.

It's another top down raglan cardigan, but a longer version. This pattern includes different sizes instead of "one size fits all" pattern I previously knitted. I love this heathered pink color.

My Weekend Retreat Cardi in Weathered Rose

Lion Brand Weekend Retreat Cardi

It's a slow knit (no chunky yarn here). I'm actually enjoying my knitting time with this project. That's because I'm using my brand new Skacel Addi Turbo circular knitting needles. This needle is a joy to use. I was having a problem knitting this yarn with my Takumi Velvet bamboo needles. I noticed the yarn wasn't gliding along smoothly on the bamboo needle. Once I tried these Addi Turbos, I was hooked!

Happy Knitting!

The Fitted Cardigan - WIP

I love this cardigan! I love how quickly it's knitting up. I love the shaping and the darts. I love the two colors I chose even though the olive green is showing up as yellow in the pictures. The only negative thing I can say about this cardigan is it may not fit me. Sure, I chose the 38 inch finished bust when I casted on. The top of the sleeves, back and front appear to be in alignment with my body. The area under my bust is very snug. Almost barely breathing snug.

Bold & Bulky Mini Cardi - front view


Back view


I will continue to finish this cardigan and see what it looks like in the end. I have the two sleeves to pick up and knit and then pick up and knit the front and back neck edges.

I'll be back....

Update: I wanted to add that this pattern is available in the Fitted Knits book by Stefanie Japel. It's also a free pattern at Lion Brand's site and includes the corrections to the instructions.

Finally! Shrug This Self-Pics

I've been behind in getting pictures taken of myself modeling my creations. I know, it only takes a tripod, remote, and camera to get this done. But have you heard of "bad hair" days????

I leave you with my photos. Enjoy!

Here's the longer length versions:

Sirdar Denim Chunky


Plymouth Encore Chunky


Here's the normal length version:

Plymouth Encore Chunky


Note: This free knitting pattern can be found at the One Skein Wonders site. It's also available in the One Skein Wonder (101 yarn shop favorites) book.

Happy Knitting!

Shrug This #3 - Completed

Okay, okay...this is the last one. :) I found this purple yarn at my LYS and I just had to make another shrug. I tend to wear a lot of blacks and blues (the bruise colors) and thought purple would be a nice color to wear. If I add up all the hours, over a few days...it takes about 6-8 hours for me to complete one of these. Not bad.

I won't do a review on this one, as you can read the reviews from the previous ones I've made. I've included pictures. Enjoy!


Shrug This in Plymouth Encore Chunky Purple

Front view

Side view

Back side

On the circular knitting needle

Here's the link for all the Shrug This posts/reviews I have on my blog.

Something New to Knit and the Weekend

I've been looking for a nice dressy top to knit that needs to be completed by the end of July. Something easy and simple to knit. I came across this pattern in the Filatura di Crosa Spring/Summer 2006 collection booklet. It's a wide scoop neck sleeveless top. In the picture, the whole garment is knitted in Ananas. I found two skeins of this and plan to knit the scoop neckline with this fancy and funky yarn. I'm still undecided about what yarn to use for the body. It should be a plain colored yarn and should have the breathe-ability factor as I will be wearing this near the end of August.

Sleeveless top with wide scoop neckline in Ananas. Design by Irina Poludnenko.

In the meantime, I'm planning on knitting a "wearable muslin" to check for sizing and to help figure out what yarn and how much to use for my final knitted garment. I will also knit this in a shorter version. I wonder what I can find in my stash....

In the meantime, it's time for me to put away my leftover and unused yarns, clear off my cutting table, and get back to sewing.

Happy Knitting!

Quick Knit Shell - Completed

This shell has been sitting on my sewing/cutting table for some time. Waiting for its side seams to be sewn. Some of you will remember that when stuff starts hibernating on my cutting table, no sewing gets done.

My vehicle is in the shop for repair all day and it's been raining...I thought I might as well get this done and off the table and write up my review.

Here's my review of this lovely shell:

Quick Knit Shell (Ann Norling) by Sandi Rosner. Patons Shetland Chunky in Sea Ice.


Name of Pattern:
Quick Knit Shell (Ann Norling)

Designed by:
Sandi Rosner

Pattern/Garment Description:
Formerly known as the "Bulky Knit Sleeveless Top", this easy sweater will be a wardrobe staple. Can be knitted in cotton for a summery shell or in soft wool to ear under a jacket in colder weather. Great first sweater for the beginner. More experienced knitters will find it a good blank canvas to fill with your choice of stitch patterns or color work.

The shell is designed to fall at the high hips and close fitting armholes so bra straps won't show.

Size(s):
36" to 52" (36, 40, 44, 48, 52)

I casted on for a size 36 inch.

Yarns Used:
Patons Shetland Chunky Tweed in color Sea Ice. This is a light blue tweedy yarn with a bright sheen. Wonderful to knit with.

I used 4 skeins to to make the size 36 inch.

Gauge:
3.75 stitches per inch using size 10 circulars using the Patons Shetland Chunky Tweed yarn.

Knitting Tools Used:
Circular needle: 24 inch Size 8 for the bottom borders, armholes, and neckline.
Circular needle: 24 inch Size 10 for the body of the shell.
Stitch markers when I'm approaching decreases (personal reminder).

Techniques I used/learned:
Moss stitch for the borders.
How to smoothly bind off when two RS rows use BO (armhole areas).
When to use SSK and k2tog for neck shaping.
Picking up stitches.

What I Like About this Pattern:
I love this pattern. Actually, in general, I'm loving Ann Norling's patterns. Her patterns contain several gauges (e.g. 3.5, 4 & 4.5 sts = 1 inch) and instructions for each of the gauges. Also, includes the total yardage needed. So, one could easily use available yarns from their stash or substitute inexpensive yarns (sign of the times) and start knitting this shell.

The instructions were easy to follow.

This pattern came with a 4x6 photo of the garment displayed on the front sheet.

This pattern gives you the option of a round neck or a turtle neck version.

Suggested yarns included Crystal Palace Meringue, Party and Bamboozle.

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

There is a slight error in the pattern. For the front piece, you're suppose to BO of 7 stitches and then BO another 7. Well that comes out to 14 stitches, when I had 15 stitches. I easily corrected the error.

My Pattern Rating (Beginner, Easy, Intermediate, Hard):
I do rate this as Easy, but a beginner could easily give this a try.

Conclusion/Additional Comments:
Did I mention that I love this pattern? I did spend a bit more for this pattern, but well worth it as it includes several gauges and instructions for each gauge. It also includes the total yarn yardage you need with each gauge. Kind of takes the guess work out if a particular yarn will work or not.

The instructions are easy to follow and well written. It does assume you have some knitting experience and that you know how to decrease to the get the correct shaping.

Since I didn't use the recommended yarn, my gauge actually came out to 3.75 stitches/inch with this Patons yarn. As I was knitting the body of the shell, I noticed my width was larger than 18 inches. I estimated my finished bust area would be around 38 inches instead of the 36 inches. Not a problem, as I prefer my tops loose.

This is my first semi-fitted knitted garment.

Will I knit up another version of this shell? You bet! I would like to knit one up that's a little more close fitting. Depending on the yarn I use next, I may need to narrow/decrease the shoulder near the armhole area. I will also need to shorten the armhole length.

This pattern is definitely a keeper and will be my TNT pattern for years to come. Here are additional pictures:

Side view

Back view

Partial side/front view

Shrug This #2 - Completed

Shrug This in Sirdar Denim Chunky

I'm happy to say, it's done. I love this longer version. The total back length is roughly 16 inches. The bottom of this shrug falls at my high hip area. Here's my review:

Name of Pattern:
Shrug This

Designed by:
Toni Kayser Weiner (from the One Skein Wonders book)

Pattern/Garment Description:
Shrugs are all the rage and with this loosely knit version (three stitches per inch) you'll be able to "shrug" off the time investment. This shrug is worked from the neck down and there's no sewing required.

Size(s):
One size

Yarns Used:
Sirdar Denim Chunky in light blue. Used less than 2 skeins.

Gauge:
Roughly 3 stitches/inch. Cast on 53 stitches.

Knitting Tools Used:
Circular needles: 24 inch size 11 needle. This yarn was soft enough that I did not need to use my 29 inch needle.

Techniques I learned/used:
Long tail cast on (I'm loving this method)
Yarn over (YO)
Knitting from the top down
Raglan sleeves
Lengthen the body to fall at my high hip. About 53 rows in total.

What I Like About this Pattern:
Quick and easy to knit. Versatile pattern that can be lengthened.

What I Dislike About this Pattern:
Nothing to dislike.

My Pattern Rating (Beginner, Easy, Intermediate, Hard):
I rate this pattern as Easy. A beginner with some basic knitting experience could tackle this project.

Conclusion/Additional Comments:
This is my 2nd shrug. For this version, I lengthened it. The back length came out to 16 inches. Perfect, as I wanted it to fall at my high hip.

I actually enjoy knitting from the neck down.

Since I did the long tail cast on, I wanted the backside (I believe will double check) to be the right side. So, I ended up I adding an extra row of ribbing at the neckline. I also added an extra row at the bottom to complement the neckline.

This is my TNT pattern.

Side view

Back side



Within the next day, I hope to take some photos modeling both versions.

Another Shrug in the Works

Since the pattern is fresh in my head, I decided to start another shrug. I'm using a really cool yarn called Denim Chunky by Sirdar. I found this yarn in the clearance bin at my LYS. This will be perfect for casual wear.

Sirdar Denim Chunky

I'm actually further along than the picture shows below. I'm getting ready to knit the ribbing for the sleeves. I'm still on my first of two skeins of yarn. I'm thinking of lengthening the shrug so it falls at my high hip area. I tend to make my decisions at the spur of the moment. We'll see what I end up with.

Another Shrug This-WIP

This shrug looks like it will be slightly larger or loose fitting even though I CO the same amount of stitches as my previous version. This Denim Chunky is a nice yarn to knit with.

Don't Rush Me...I'm Trying to Finish My Shell

I have both front and back pieces completed. I seamed one shoulder and then finished the neckline. I seamed the other shoulder. I'm finding this is easier for me to pickup the stitches around the neckline and then finish it. I haven't tackled knitting in the round yet. I'm sure I will learn that soon.

I also finished the left armhole. This morning, my objective was to finish the right armhole. Well, I did a boo-boo. I knitted two more rows than I should have. Hellooooo! I see a pattern developing here. The last 3 projects I've worked on, I've had to frog a couple of rows somewhere in the garment. This morning, I was in a "self-inflicted" rush to get this shell finished. Well...it didn't get done.

Fast forward to now. I need to get dinner ready. Afterwards, I will attempt to frog the last two rows and then do my BO. Sewing the side seams will happen later this week. Sigh!

My Shell (before boo-boo): Neckline finished. Left-side armhole finished.