Francis

I don't know why I dragged my feet on knitting this sweater...I've had the pattern printed for several years, and I brought this yummy Malabrigo yarn over a year ago with no particular pattern in mind.



But I'm glad I finally decided to knit this. And once I decided, I think I had it done in under a week. Yes, it was that fast!

And it's so comfortable, I think I've worn it at least once a week to work since I finished it. And I've worn it probably once each weekend as we are doing this and that. Great with jeans, great with dress pants for work....


In fact, I was wearing it so much, I never got it blocked after knitting it. And I needed it just a tiny bit longer (and looser). I forced myself to not wear it to work one day (I wanted to wear it on the weekend) and blocked it before going to work.

Watch the Malabrigo people! I did block it in cold water, but there are a couple spots that look like it might have felted - 2 or 3 rows of 3 or 4 stitches under each arm....it was either the wet block or the fact that I've worn it so much...not sure which but it's not bad, you can't see it very clearly, so I'm going to solve this problem the easy way.....

Knit myself another one so I'm not wearing this one all the time:)

Details:
Francis Revisited
Size: 36/38
Mods: Knit a hem for the bottom rather than the seed stitch edging and did some waist shaping
Yarn: Malabrigo worsted, color - Nostalgia

I did have a little bit of trouble with pooling, but I think with the colors on this yarn it's ok.....

Retro Shell

This poor sweater.....

I love it, but I did not cooperate with the sweater.....

It was a test knit for Baby Cocktails....I had it finished in time, but I didn't like the way the collar laid. But I blocked it and wore it a few times.....still didn't like it. So I re-knit the collar and blocked it again....wore it a few times....nope still not just right.....

I'm still not sure it is exactly right, and I think after wearing it 6 or 7 times, I finally figured out the problem! I started picking up and knitting on the wrong side, so the seam is on the inside of the sweater and not the outside.....

But I do love the fit, I do love the sweater, I do love the yarn:)

A few weeks ago I wanted to finally get some decent pictures of it. And since I was wearing it to work - perfect! But....Jessie was at school and it was just Tyler at home.....so he was my "photographer". This kid is a hoot!! I think in the 5 min. we were outside, he took close to 50 pictures. Although I also had to keep reminding him ...."take pictures of the sweater, NOT of your cat!!!"

Knit in the round from the top down, the pleats and the lace keep it fun, and the stockinette stitch makes it fly.

Pattern: Retro Shell by Baby Cocktails

Size: 36"

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool

I did end up reblocking it to fix the pleats in the back. I wet block EVERYTHING that I knit and managed to block the pleats right out of it.....

Taking a break....

... from sweater knitting obsession that is!

Seeing as how I'm almost to the point of adding sleeves on an insane lace sweater (knit out of Plucky knitter lace weight on size 8 needles)....but I'm not sure how to do the decreases once adding the sleeves into the equation (knit from the bottom up)....

...and my latest sweater is way to big in the shoulders (like you can fit me plus another person in there)...wondering what the heck did I manage to screw up.....

I thought I'd take a little break and knit the Winter Wonderland infinity scarf. I am so not crazy about 180 stitches around, but am thinking this is going to be soooo cool! Especially in some to-die-for plucky knitter yarn.

I do have 2 sweaters that have been knit, re-knit (as the case may be), blocked, ends woven in and am just waiting for the combination of nice fall day and available photographer to show them to you. Based on Jessie's school/sports/steer showing schedule and the weather, this could get a little tricky! I'm wearing one to work today, and may re-knit the collar yet a 4th time to see if I can get it to lay right.....

It could also be that no sweater is catching my attention at the moment...there's lots I WANT to knit but nothing I HAVE to knit.....

Any suggestions?????

Cherry Vanilla

I FINALLY finished my Cherry Vanilla sweater. I don't know why it took me almost a year but....it is done and I love it!



I did have some very blond moments with this sweater...particularly with the lace pattern, which meant I riped it out and started over I think about 5 times. Of course though, once the light bulb finally went off in my head - I didn't need the pattern at all for the lace panels. And I should have made it a couple inches longer but....I was so ready to be done that I'm cool with it the length it is.




It's a little large - I knit the 36/38 but at the point where it meets in the front and closes with a hook and eye - I placed that part a little too low, and I'm thinking that perhaps I should have knit the 34/36 so it would have fit better in the shoulders and bust.




But I've worn it several times and I'm very, very happy with it! This pattern has a short and long version, and I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe, I'll make either the short version or a longer version here at some point.




Details:
Pattern: Cherry Vanilla by Thea Coleman of Baby Cocktails
Size: 36/38
Yarn: Berroco Comfort DK
Mods: none that I can remember......







For some reason, blogger is not letting me comment on any of your posts...it is saying i do not have an "active account"...any ideas why that is? I have IE 9.....thinking of switching to Google Chrome....any thoughts?

Willow Sangria

I had an opportunity to test knit another (well,....actually two) sweaters for Thea Coleman of Baby Cocktails. This is the first one (I'm flying my way through the second one).




This one was a comedy. Absolutely 100% errors on my part. But that only meant I got to knit the entire tank top twice. Yes, you read that correctly.....twice.




And I'm blaming that entirely on my new eliptical machine. Which caused me to loose about 7 inches total (2 of said inches were in the chest) in the last 2 weeks. So I knit my standard 38" size for the top and the 40" size for the skirt.....and it was HUGE. I'm talking exposing everything you don't want to expose huge because it is sagging.




My inital thought when I realized it was way to big, rip it back to just about the flower band and do some mad decreases to get to a smaller stitch count. But as Todd so kindly pointed out (thankyouverymuch), if I manage to loose any more inches, the skirt will be really big. Sigh. So I ripped it out (much quicker than it was knit I might add) and re-knit it in about 5 days.



And actually, this is the 36" size. And while it is still a little snug in the waist and hips, I am cool with that. Because it's too darn cold to wear my cute little tank top sweater right now, and I'm figuring about the time it gets warm enough to wear it (probably end of June the way Ohio weather is going), I'll have lost another couple of inches....and hopefully they won't all be in the chest!



What you don't see in these pictures is me telling Jessie to hurry up and take these pictures please!!! It is freezing out here.....

Details:

size 36/38 (I did knit the 38 for the "skirt" portion, and then spaced out my decreases til I got to the 36" stitch counts just below the flower band

Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns cotton bam boo

Needles: size 5

Mods: none except for the sizing. Oh...and I knit the skirt almost 1" longer.

This yarn is gorgeous. I wasn't 100% sold on the yarn until I blocked it good. Now it's incredibly soft and silky feeling. I have the feeling I'm going to be buying this yarn more often......

Have a great Monday!
Kris

Knitting

Since the weather is so crappy out there, I've been doing lots of sewing and knitting. In between boy scout meetings for Tyler and basketball practice and games for Jessie. Thank goodness this weekend is the last weekend of basketball games. However, from now until the middle of May we have steer shows every single weekend but Easter weekend. Mainly to get her some more practice but also to keep Tank's weight in control. The boy likes to eat, we can say that much:)




I'm chugging right along on my Heleborous Yoke sweater. Interesting construction - you start with the right front and work your way around sideways. I'm just about to the part where I do the left sleeve.



It goes very quick, mainly because it's on size 10 1/2 needles with big yarn. I'm worried that it's going to be big, but I'm trusting that since it's supposed to be worn with 4" positive ease, and I made the size 38, it should work. I know my yarn guage is a little off, so hopefully i'll end up with it just about right.




In digging through a basket of odds and ends of yarn while we had our knitting party last weekend, Jessie found my Cherry Vanilla sweater. I love this sweater. I do not love size 6 needles. But I'm going to finish it here shortly with any luck. Mainly because my Heleborous Yoke is getting to big to be dragging around to basketball practice and friends' houses for dinner. Although it's making a nice blanket to keep warm with!

I managed to get through 2 repeats of the lace before loosing steam (and ambition) last fall, but I think I have about 25 rows to go before separating for the arms.

This sweater pattern is great - you can make it long or short, long sleeved or short sleeved. I'm thinking long with short sleeves so I can wear it this summer. But then again, if it takes me all summer, I just may make it hip length with long sleeves so I can wear it this fall:)

I also need to finish up my socks. My Mom started them for me, and then I took over and knit until I got to the heel shaping. She did that, and now i have to knit the feet. Again, love the yarn but do not love size 1 needles in any shape or form:)

Be back later!
Kris

Table runners and cowls

We had an incredibly busy weekend, but I still managed to get some sewing and knitting in!

First, I made this table runner for Jessie's dresser: I started on it Friday evening and finished it up Saturday evening sewing the binding on by hand.


I couldn't follow the pattern exactly - it is supposed to be a 6x2 layout of the blocks, but....her dresser isn't that big! So we improvised a little. I must say I do like it, and have enough blocks, backing and binding to do another smaller one (using only 3 blocks) for her other dresser and I will have 4 blocks leftover for a mini quilt/wallhanging for in her room.


Jessie did finish quilting this for me (I just stitched in the ditch around the blocks and on the insides of the blocks) and sewed the binding on for me. She liked doing this well enough she now wants to take the quilting 4-H project and make a table topper.


My Mom has been saying for a while she wants to learn how to knit cables. And my brother's girlfriend Ashley and her friend Danielle also wanted to learn how to knit cables. So on Sunday we had us a little party. The 3 of them came to our house and we knit simple cowls:

Pattern: Awbrey
Needles: 10 1/2 16 inch circulars
Yarn: ? I'll have to check the tag when I get home.

We had fun, everyone realized that cable knitting (at its simplest form) is not really all that difficult, and I now have a new cowl. It only took about 3-4 hours, with lots of getting up by me to go get sweaters for my Mom to try on that I have knit.

Last week before everyone came over, I tried it out to a) make sure it wasn't going to take forever to knit and b) make sure there were no surprises in the pattern.

Pattern: Awbrey

Needles: 10 1/2 16 inch circulars

Yarn: Reynolds Lopi

So I actually have 2 cowls now.

And all that snow in the first two photos? Is now rushing down our driveway. Torrential rains/thunderstorms last night mean lots of flooded roads around here and flooded basements. I didn't check our basment this morning (I really should have and am even now debating if I should run home to check) but our driveway is underwater (still passable with my Durango and Todd's truck but barely) and the basement at the office where I work is about 8 inches deep. And Todd's been out on emergency calls since 5:30 this morning for stranded motorists who tried to drive through high water. And a gas line leak at a local business.

Stay dry everyone!
Kris

Sorelle Lace Pullover

This sweater was quick! And my type of knitting.....



In the round, so not a whole lot of purling involved, and the lace and the twisty columns kept it interesting!

Start to finish this took exactly 2 weeks. And I only worked on it in the evenings and the weekends when we didn't have anything going on. I think last Saturday I managed a 3 hour stretch of knitting on this sweater.....

Size 8 needles meant easy.

I normally don't block my sweaters right away. Usually I'm too impatient and want to wear them right away. And I did want to wear this one in the worst way, but I knew the lace would need a good blocking, and you could really see my increases and decreases at the waist shaping I put in.

Soooo.... I dumped it into the kitchen sink and got it good and wet. I think I freaked Todd out doing it that way.....but......after laying it out on a towel to dry, and flipping it a few times even he noticed the difference in the lace!

Pattern: Sorelle Lace-Edged Pullover

Yarn: Valley Yarns Colrain, color lapis blue (and only 3.49 a skien)

Needles: size 8

Size: 38 (the only modification I made was to make it about 2 inches longer and do some more waist shaping).

Also, I'm not sure why it only took me 5 skiens of yarn (or about 550 yards), when others used 700 - 900 yards. I'm thinking that maybe this yarn is a little heavier than what the pattern called for.......

Since I was blocking sweaters that night, I blocked my Collins as well. I've worn this one a lot, but the collar was never long enough and never laid flat. I steam blocked it right after finishing, but this time I soaked it good and laid it out flat to dry. I've decided that is the only way I'm blocking sweaters from here on out.....get them good and wet!

The results?

The collar lays perfectly now and is an inch longer, I gained an inch in the shoulders (which I needed) and somehow managed to shrink the waist a couple inches (which I also needed).

So now I have 2 perfect fitting for me sweaters, and can't even wear them to work. See, I'm painting the office at work, and I would be really irked if I got blue and green and grey paint all over my nice sweaters. Hopefully this weekend I'll get to wear one of them at least!


And after all that hoopla about the big snowstorm? We ended up with about 4-5 inches, some ice and 3 days off of school. I'm REALLY hoping that the kids go to school tomorrow - they have about had it with being home all day......

Stay warm everyone!
Kris

Another sweater down.....

Despite the yarn unraveling its way down the driveway because I wasn't paying attention and dropped the ball attached to the sweater before climbing in my truck to go pick up the kids from the bus, I did manage to finish this sweater:



This was the sweater my Mom was making for all of us for Christmas (my sister, my brother's girlfriend, my Mom and myself). I however managed to get my yarn in a nice little bag sometime around the middle to end of November.

But, I can honestly say, knitting 4 of these would drive me batty. But since I have a hard time knitting even 2 of any one thing, that is understandable!

And while I probably made mine longer and looser than the other 3, I am not such a fan of fitted knits for the most part. Actually, this could stand to be shrunk a little bit, but I have never had any luck getting Berroco ultra alpacha to shrink....usually it grows!

However, this is going to be one of those go to sweaters this spring, if you know what I'm talking about. Throw on with a pair of jeans and a long sleeved tshirt, wear to work with khakis.....you get the general idea!

There was no actual pattern, which is why it's a little loose....the directions I got were cast on 76 stitches, place markers and do your raglan increases, separate for the arms once you've knit far enough down, and keep knitting til you reach your desired length.

Since I am a person who likes detailed directions, this was a trial for me. I did the raglan increases, knit until I had gone far enough down, cast on 8 underarm stitches, and knit until it hit my hips. Looking back, I should have cast on less stitches under the arms, adjusted my raglan seams so I had more sweater in the front and less in the back, and put in some waist and hip shaping.

But, better to be too big than too small, and I am happy with it and I am sure I will get lots of wear out of it.

Now off to a busy weekend!
Kris

In a hurry...

When you are rushing to get down to the end of a 1/4 mile driveway in plenty of time to get the kids so they don't have to walk up said driveway after school.....









make sure the ball of yarn that is attached to a two more rows and it will be ready to bind of sweater is INSIDE your car as you race down the driveway......

or you will have this mess to untangle on your hands....

Just saying.....

I'm not sure untangling that mess is worth it, other than I do have 2 short sleeves to do yet. I did manage to untangle enough (after reeling it all in) to do the bind off on this sweater!!!


Thank goodness the driveway is still snow covered instead of wet, dirty, gravel covered right now!

Instant Gratification

2 pheasants that flew into the wild yonder while we were "training" Barlie a few weeks back. Nice to know they are still hanging around in the woods behind the house!

Thank you for the island love. I'm pleased to report that after 5 coats of mineral oil and letting it soak in - we are eating on it and loving it. And I'm itching to start on the rest of the cabinets and the floor but that is going to have to wait until funds are available - I'm NOT going into debt to redo this kitchen:) Although....Home Depot (where the cabinets came from) has all of their in stock cabinets on sale 20% off - and I was able to "return" my cabinets and "buy" them again - and I got the $120.00 store credit. With the other returns that I took back that we did not use in installing these cabinets, I have enough moolah to buy the pantry cabinet that will match. And I got Todd's blessings to go look and see if they have the pantry in the oak finish that will match the island cabinets.

I also brought out Kitchen Collection at the Lodi, Ohio outlet mall to keep all the drawers organized. We'll see if I remember where I put everything:)

After my attempts to organize my stash, what else could I do but start a new to me sweater out of some stash yarn? Admittedly, this yarn started out as a totally different lace sweater, and I even got halfway up the sleeve before loosing steam in a very real and very fast way. So while Todd was off lifting weights at a friends' house last Thursday night, I proceed to rrriiiiipppppppppp out the poor lonely sleeve and cast on for Sorele Lace Edge Pullover.

Instant gratification. After just 5 days the body of the sweater is done. All that is left is the sleeves and the neckband. This is my kind of project - knitting in the round with some lace and twisty columns to keep it interesting. In a couple hours last night, I am halfway up the first sleeve. I am really hoping this sweater is done by the end of this weekend!

These twisty colums run up and down both sides of the sweater front and back. Interesting way to add some waist shaping!

We've had lots of super frigid cold snowy days here. Not so hot when we need to be out in the barn, but perfect for sitting by the fire knitting like a fiend!

I think I can handle that:)

Umm.....

Apparently boredom has led me to attempt to clean up my sewing/computer/catch all room...and since the thought of ironing and folding a few rubbermaid totes of fabric was more than I could handle....

I decided to sort my yarn stash. After gifting a huge gift bag to my Mom and Ashley (my brother's girlfriend), I of course spent an hour sorting through the remaining 2 rubbermaid containers.

The end results? Enough yarn to make ......14 sweaters with about 10 different single skiens of varying yarns. And another good sized rubbermaid tote to donate to Mom and Ashley.

But it's all photographed and in my stash on Ravelry (except for 3 sweaters worth of yarn that are in progress/wound/semi-started) so hopefully I can find sweaters to knit with all this yarn. I guess I have a tendency to buy yarn (mostly on sale) without a specific project in mind.....

Now if the rest of the house would just clean itself I would be all set.......

Crafty goodness

While I don't have a lot of 100% finishes, I'm very close on a few things.

First off.....I quilted....nothing big...but 2 table toppers and a runner:

The runner I have one little section of quilting to do and the binding, but I ran out of green thread so I had to go buy more.

The table topper - I actually made 2 of these. One went to my Mom for Christmas and I kept 1 for me.

I actually ordered the kits direct from Joel and Heather Peterson of Ankas Treasures - and talk about great service! I'm debating if I need to order 1 of her quilt kits in this fabric to make for next year - while I have LOTS of stash, I don't have this fabric in my stash and I love it for Christmas.

The Curacao Cowl for my Mom? Just about done....6 inches to go and the smocking..... the stars, gods and planets did not align while we were in Columbus for a steer show, but I only have a few more inches to go so hopefully this week it will be done.

My Christmas sweater from my Mom is coming. Slowly but surely. Not really a pattern to follow - sort of a combination of 2 patterns.

I'm trying to figure out now how long I want it and what sort of sleeves I want.

I'm thinking maybe hip length with a garter border the last 1 1/2".

And perhaps short sleeves? Elbow length sleeves?

So far I am loving the fit of this one. While it is rather plain and simple, I'm sure I will get lots of use out of it and it will go with everything.

I did finish all of the toast mitts I was making the kids' teachers for Christmas. If I never see a fingerless mitt til next fall I will be a happy camper. 5 pairs out of the same yarn was a little much - even for me.


Now that the steer shows are done until the middle of march, and we can take about 4-5 weeks off of the walk, rinse, dry routine, I have LOTS of crafting to catch myself up on!

Kris

Christmas Knitting

Yes, I decided I should really make just a few Christmas presents. Not as many as in years past - time is rapidly slipping away but......it'll all get done.

Jessie's in 5th grade this year - and they do "switch classes" and she has 5 different teachers every day. 3 of her teachers are female (and in fact, 1 is a good friend and saw the fingerless mitts I made last year for Tyler's teacher and put her request in). So I have 4 pairs of fingerless mitts to complete by the 17th. 2 pairs are done:

The picture isn't doing them justice - they are a very pretty royal blue, which is the school colors. Her 2 male teachers? Gift cards here we come.....

Then Mom wanted to make sweaters for my sister, Ashley (my brother's girl friend), her and myself. Of course, I get the yarn and some vague instructions on how to make the sweater. It will be just like this one unless I decide to change things up, which could happen:

You can see how far I am on it. It's taking forever to get all the raglan increases done. Hopefully I'll be separating for the sleeves soon. If not, I'm handing it back to her to wrap up and I'll finish it after Christmas!

Last week one day Mom and I went Christmas shopping (I had a $100 target gift card burning a hole in my pocket so I got most of the kids' Christmas shopping done). We stopped into Studio Knit in Medina, and Mom picked out this yarn for me to make her a Curaco Cowl for Christmas (notice the pattern here?). It will be lovely in this red tweed, and really, I can't wait to get started on it. Just have to have it done by Christmas Eve at 5:00 when we get together for dinner!

Of course, I got some Malibrigo for me. After all this holiday knitting I'm going to need something for me, me, me. The sweater is Debbie Bliss Win, out of her luxury collection book. I'm thinking mine is going to be longer, but that will be the only change I make:)

I cannot believe how fast Christmas is approaching, but I was on vacation last week and got: the house cleaned, the family room painted (except for 1 corner, but that would require me moving a very old and very heavy hutch so it's gonna wait), all the inside Christmas decorations out, and most of my Christmas shopping done. And yes, I was 1 of the crazies at Wal-mart the Friday after Thanksgiving for 3 things that were on sale. But I was back home in bed by 6 a.m.....

Have a great day!
Kris