Knitting: Falling out of love, and back in again (Vale Cardigan by Norah Gaughan)

Well, as these things sometimes happen, I've fallen out of love a bit with my striped sweater project.  I'm just not feeling it right now.  I'll probably go back to it, or frog it and make something even better :)

But for now, I've moved on to something I really love:  The Vale Cardigan by Norah Gaughan from Knitty.com.  (Be sure to check Ravelry for some changes to the yarn amounts for this pattern.)

Vale Cardigan by Norah Gaughan from Knitty.com

Quite possibly the most beautiful sweater design there ever was - just gorgeous.  And the best part?  Because this sweater is a shorter length, I don't have to start out with one size for my hips and decrease down to a smaller size for my shoulders!  This rarely happens - Hurray!

I'm so excited about this project, and I'm still knitting it as part of Very Shannon's KAL.  I'm using Berroco Vintage in dungaree for my sweater.  I think it will be a nice neutral color that I'll e able to wear a lot and with everything.

Berroco Vintage in Dungaree

Now I know I said I wouldn't need to do any modifications to the pattern, but I am thinking about making two changes:

1.  I'm thinking of making the sleeves full length by adding an additional cable repeat.  I think long sleeves will be more practical on this worsted weight cardigan.

2.  I'm also considering adding a row of two or three buttons with buttonholes to the upper edge of the lapels of this sweater.  I think it would be a nice design element, and you know I like buttons :)  I also think I'd like the ability to button the top of this sweater in some situations.

I won't get this sweater done in time for the end of the KAL (which ends in a couple of days).  I'm going to take my time with this project and make the right modifications to create a sweater I'll really love.  Stay tuned for updates along the way!

Striped Sweater Update: Knitting Jogless Stripes

When I started planning my striped sweater pattern, one thing I had to consider is whether to knit it in the round or in pieces.  In the round was going to be easier, and quicker, and with less finishing - but I had to be concerned with the jog or notch at the end of each round that knitting stripes can create.

But if you follow knitting posts on Pinterest at all, you know that there are a ton of tutorials on how to knit jogless stripes.  So I decided to plow ahead and knit my sweater in the round - and went searching for techniques to combat the jogs in my stripes.

I ended up following this tutorial from Knit Purl Hunter on YouTube.

I'm okay with the results, but not completely thrilled.  All of the tutorials are basically the same.  As you start the second round with your new color, you lift up the stitch below and work it with your current color.  Generally, this works great.  But on my thinner stripes, you can see it looks just a little wonky (and even worse when I also do a decrease during this stripe).  Notice my beige or green stripes in the top photo.

Regardless of the wonky-ness, this technique probably looks better than jogs all up one side of my sweater.  And I'm hoping it all looks perfectly fine with a good block after I'm done.  Here's hoping!

KAL & Sweater Update: Striped Sweater Knitting Project

Just when I needed it, Shannon announced her Spring/Summer Tops & Tees Knit-A-Long.  This KAL has given me just the push I needed to finally start my striped sweater project that I talked about here.  I've made good progress so far.  As you can see, I've knitted up past my little pocket that I've pinned closed for now.  The red yarn is holding the stitches for the front of my pocket so I can go back and put a ribbed rim on it.

So here's what I've done and where I'm headed:

1.  I started the front and back as separate pieces from the bottom with k2p2 ribbing.

2.  I made the ribbing on the front about 2 inches deep, and about 2 3/4 inches on the back for a longer tail.  Not sure why, but I want this top to have a (very) slight boxy look and I wanted a longer hem in the back.

3.  Then I switched to my stripes.  After the first stripe, I joined the front and the back and will knit the rest in the round to the armpits.

4.  I've made my stripes wider than I initially planned.  My wide stripe is 9 rounds, and my two thinner stripes are 3 rounds. 

5.  I laid out my color progression before I started, but have been making tweaks as I go.  I will probably have a lot fewer colors left by the time I get past the chest, so the upper part may be a solid color.  And the sleeves may only have a couple of stripes.  I'm okay with this.  We'll just have to see what I have to work with.

6.  Still planning to make this top short-sleeved, but haven't worked out the details yet.  Should be at the armpits by next week and will share what my plan is for the sleeves then. 

Wish me luck!

The Perfect Knitting Project for Travel - And for a Good Cause, Too!

from http://www.wildcarebayarea.org/site/PageServer?pagename=babybirdnest_howcanIhelp

My husband and I have been making some trips to see my in-laws as they have been having some health problems.  And I've been looking for a good knitting project to fill the travel time in the car: a small project, something with a pattern that's easy to memorize, and doesn't take too much attention or concentration.

I happened upon Wildcare's call for knitted nest on the Knitty blog.  Wildcare is looking for knitted and felted nests for raising and feeding orphan birds.  They need nests made in three different sizes, out of either wool, cotton, or acrylic yarn.  The knitting pattern and all the particulars are on their website.

In addition to being a great travel project, I think these bird nests will be a wonderful way to use some of my leftover heavy worsted yarn from previous projects.  A charitable project and a stashbuster - win, win!

If you want more information about the knitted nest project, please visit Wildcare's website.

New FREE Knitting Pattern: Mosaic Baby Blanket or Lap Afghan

In celebration of Spring, and just cause I feel like it, I'm now offering my Mosaic Baby Blanket and Lap Afghan knitting patterns for FREE on my Hubpages!  This pattern includes instructions for both a baby blanket and an adult-sized lap afghan.

I think this pattern is so pretty for Spring, and easy to adapt to any room decor or occasion.  I hope you like it :)  Find the pattern here.

Starting Out: Striped Sweater Knitting Pattern

Probably like a lot of knitters, I have a big pile of random skeins of yarn left over from other knitting projects.  I've decided to pull together my skeins of dk yarn and design a striped sweater to use up some (most? all?) of my leftovers (I have more than what's pictured above).  My plan is:

1.  To design a short-sleeved striped sweater.

2.  I'm going to start the bottom as two pieces (front and back) to create slits on the sides, then join it and knit it in the round to the armpits.

3.  The stripes are going to be varied, as I have different amounts of each color, but I'll follow the pattern of one wider stripe then two thinner ones (6 rounds for the thicker stripe, two rounds for the thinner ones).

4.  I'm going to include a little pocket on the front (I think), because I've never done a pocket before.

5.  I want to incorporate these cute buttons in the sweater,  I plan to use one as a closure on my pocket, and one as a little detail on the collar.

6.  I haven't exactly figured out the sleeves yet, but they'll just be your basic short sleeve with a rib edge.

I hope blogging about this project as I go will make me start this sweater and stop just thinking about it :)  For some reason, I just can't get motivated to start.  Wish me luck!

Favorites: Blossoms By the Brook Shawl Knitting Pattern

My hubby/photographer is away, so sorry for the crappy photos!

I just had to show off this wonderful shawl pattern I knit from the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of Knitty.  I have kind of a love/hate relationship with shawls.  There are so many AMAZINGLY beautiful shawl patterns out there, but I just don't know how to use them and wear them in my real life.  So I knit very few of them.

But I had a skein of Caron Simply Soft in this beautiful Orchid color that I wanted to make a light and lacy scarf with, so I went on the hunt for a narrow crescent-shaped shawl pattern that I could wear around my neck like a scarf.  I was thrilled to find this Blossoms By the Brook pattern by Ilga Leja on the Knitty site.  What I loved about it was:

1.  It only took about 150 yards of yarn

2.  The pattern was free (let's be honest)

3.  It was easily adjustable

4.  And I just loved, loved, loved the pretty scalloped edge and the wavy ends that this pattern creates.

This pattern is so cleverly designed to grow from the center bottom point, and can easily be knit to be longer and wider.    I wanted a shawl/scarf that was narrow but long, and I made very few modifications.  I found that it helped to put stitch markers between each repeat as my shawl grew in length.  I followed the pattern as written, but only worked Chart B to row 6.  Then I did two rows of purl stitches to create the upper garter border, and bound off with a larger needle.

I did only a light block on this, pinning my shawl down while it was dry and not pulling it too much.  Then I wet it after it was pinned in place.

 

So happy with the finished shawl!  I love when things come together like this!