A view of my Monday

It's been a long time, blogworld. Over the last few months, work and family things have kept me from crafting and knitting and blogging as much as I would have liked, hence the long silence. Not that the work or the family things have been anything less than pleasant; just that when I run out of hours in the day, the knitting, crafting, and blogging are the first things to hit the back burner.

Today was a pretty perfect day. I organized our bedroom closet, and then I organized my yarn stash and my needle stash (How did I end up with 2 US #6 18" circular needles?), and then I dove back in. I've been camped out on the bed, where I can sit comfortably and spread things out. Bo has even joined me.

I haven't taken a complete break from crafting. I've been working on a poncho for a close family friend's newly adopted daughter. I bound off the final stitches earlier today, now I just have to weave in ends and complete the top edging. Pictures to come, and probably a pattern as well.

Works in Progress

Introducing: Squoval

As you may have guessed, that "sneak peak" the other day was of my newest pattern! Names "scquoval" for it's squarish/ovalish shape, it's a fitted beanie that's also a lot of fun. Emphasis on the fun. 

The pattern itself is easy to memorize and is also a great introduction to Fair Isle. The vertical stripes highlight the square-ish aspect, and as a pleasant side effect make it fold very neatly.

Available in 5 sizes-- toddler (18in.), child (20in.), teen/adult small (22in.), adult medium (24in) and adult large (26in)--it's great for gift-knitting.

Available for purchase on Ravelry (no membership required).

Below, I've included some pics of the original prototype. They also happen to be some of our engagement pictures :)

Project Yarnway Feb-Apr 2012

I participated in a challenge or two of the original Project Yarnway in 2010, and then observed from the sidelines for the rest of 2010 and 2011. This year, it's back, it's in different hands, and it's evolved.

This year, each challenge lasts three months instead of the original one. Themes are voted for, and are then combined with three random words from the "stash" to create the challenge. So I threw my hat in the ring.

I intended to knit a capulet to wear with my wedding dress. I was a bit ambitious. Lace-weight yarn in a loose, poncho-like style meant 696 stitches per round. It was as slow as molasses, but it's finally done! I was a day late, but the project is now more of a challenge than a contest, so it's okay.

The Cardigan From Hell, Part the Final

As promised, the photos of the completed Sweater From Hell, aka Movie Theater Cardigan. My dog was confused, as he seems to think it's his and has taken to sleeping on it. 

I put together a few hair accessories with the goods I picked up yesterday. Usually, when I start a project I have a pretty clear idea of what I want it to look like. Not this time. 

I kept going until I ran out of ideas/got bored. I may try some other things out yet, but so far I like the pink ones best.

The Return of the Cardigan From Hell

After an accidental two-week break, I had hoped to have more to show. But, during that time, my 75 year-old grandpa had back surgery and recovered more slowly than expected; then I had an abscessed tooth and am still waiting to get the root canal; and started a part-time job at a local craft store. Gramps is doing well now, back at home and walking with only a cane for assistance; my tooth pain and discomfort has subsided, but I didn't do much besides sleep and complain for a while. Tonight was my impromptu first day at the new gig, and I thought it went well. That said, I do have two things to show.

The oft-mentioned "movie theater sweater" aka "sweater from hell" was, briefly, finished and blocked.

If you can see T.R. Knight in the background, it's because we were watching Grey's Anatomy reruns and I forgot to turn it off.

It wasn't quite hanging the way I wanted, because I should have placed the buttons higher. Which sounds like an easy fix, except for the placement of the button holes.


So I ripped out the button bands and color (luckily, from picked up stitches around the garment edges, and knit in one piece).

Pictures coming soon, but I am much happier with it.


On the needles, a baby sweater for my fiancé's cousin, who with his wife is expecting his second child in early March.

 I'll share the details once it's finished :). I'd better get knitting!

The Cardigan From Hell, Pt 2

I frogged the entire thing, and completely redesigned it. Now, it's normal length instead of hip-length, stockinette stitch instead of cables, no color work, with big coconut shell buttons; it's asymmetrical and the collar is a mashup of shawl and cowl. I love it. There is only one problem.

I didn't really plan much before I started knitting, and once I got to the collar, I made it up as I went along. Consequently, the button placement isn't quite right. The top one is fine, but the bottom one is much too low. And I only realized this after weaving in ends and grafting the underarms and after (of course) binding off.

I really don't want to frog this, again, even though it would technically be the first time for this specific sweater. I love the design but I really really don't want to remake it. I can't just leave it, because it doesn't hang right. At least, as far as I can tell it doesn't. Blocking will help, but it won't be enough.

Driving home from work tonight, I had an idea. I could put a small button on the WS right front, and add a loop to the WS left front; similar to how some pants have a "hidden" button near the fly to keep the crotch crease-less. Or the same concept, but with ties? Must research...

The Cardigan From Hell

Months and months ago, I started knitting a grey cardigan of my own design. I swatched, and knitted up the waist, and then ran out of yarn. To make a long story short, the yarn was indefinitely postponed; after three months the warehouse was still depleted, and my local LYS ordered the yarn for me from another store (which was incredibly generous and greatly appreciated). Delighted, I dove back in. Just earlier today, I thought I'd be able to finish tonight. And then I got to the point where I could finally try it on.  It was not the Eureka! moment I expected. If anything, it was an "oh, s--t."

The belted detail at the waist wasn't actually at the waist. I tried a one-piece set-in sleeve construction modeled after the Deep V-Neck Sweater from the Purl Bee, but I didn't quite get the adaptation right. The (already attached) sleeves are too short, and snugger than I'd like. And it is much, much too warm. I'm always cold; I'm the one pulling my winter coat out when it's 40F, I use an electric blanket in the summer. And I grew up in snowy Minnesota.

I have no choice but to rip. At least back to where I joined sleeves to body, so I can make the sleeves longer. And as long as I'm messing with the sleeves, I should frog them so I can make them a bit looser. And after watching Project Runway reruns all afternoon (Season 2), I need to edit. Cables or the Fair Isle belt detail, not both. And I should take another look at the sleeve construction, see where I went astray. Shorten the over all length. Maybe add a cowl-ish element to the neck and button band?

But then maybe I'm being too rash. Maybe I'm over-thinking, over-designing. Maybe I need to re-discover some affection for the original design, fall in love with it again. Maybe I just don't want to start over.

I don't know. I have ripped back to the sleeve-to-body join, and I frogged both sleeves. The remnant of the cardigan is in one piece, for now. I'll sleep on it. Thoughts, anyone?

Introducing: Dacia

This is Dacia, the purple vest I've been struggling with for the last two months. 

It's finished, the pattern is finished, and is now available for free on Ravelry (no membership required). 

The draping in the back, which ended up being the best part, was entirely accidental. I stumbled upon it while I was playing around with different ways of handling the decreases to shape the racerback. 

It is available in sizes 30, 32, 34, 36, 38. 40, 42, 44 and 46. Each size is conveniently laid out on it's own page. 

Knit bottom up in the round, and then divided and the front and back pieces are worked flat. For both front and back, the left and right straps are worked simultaneously using separate working yarns. 

Finishing is quite simple. The straps are then joined using the three-needle bind-off. Weave in ends, block lightly, and you're done!

Thanks Sam Plasch for the excellent photos!

All images copyright Sam Plasch 2012. 

Knitting away

I got a late start on my Christmas knitting this year--as in, I started last week. Last year, I started my Christmas knitting in September. Luckily, I'm planning fewer knitted gifts this year due to the lateness, but it has prevented other projects from moving forward.

The yarn for a cardigan I'm working on (mentioned here) is still unavailable. It was supposed to be coming December 22, but that has now been delayed to mid-January due to issues with the manufacturer. Luckily this project isn't a Christmas gift, so there is no hard and fast deadline; however, I had hoped to be able to wear it Christmas day.

The purple vest (also mentioned here) is finished. I am in the process of sizing the pattern, which I haven't done before. I'm stumbling my way through, but it can be hard to force myself to sit down and work on this difficult thing instead of knitting a relatively-simple secret project.

My FMIL's birthday is tomorrow. It crept up on me, and my go-to gift for her (chocolate) is out, since I don't want to sabotage her efforts to lose weight. I wandered around the bookstore for an hour, but nothing quite seemed to fit. Late last night, I got an idea for a personalized, home made gift; cross-my-fingers it will turn out and be done on time...

It's been a while...

I had been doing well on the posting-something-every-day front, until approximately three weeks ago. Oops.

I have a sweater design going, but it's on indefinite hold. When I originally bought the yarn, there wasn't enough in stock. I bought what was available and put in an order for the rest; it was expected to arrive last week. Unfortunately, the manufacturer's warehouse was out of stock. Fingers crossed, it'll come in December. Until then, inertia.

In the meanwhile, I've started something completely different. Last year, I made the Aran Necklace Camisole (Caroline Bautista, Interweave Knits Spring 2010). My FO is peach, but the yarn I originally intended to use was a dark plum. As I knit the braided cables, most of the detail was lost between the dark color of the yarn and shadows. I switched yarns, and the plum languished in the bottom of my stash for a year and a half. Because of the aforementioned inertia, I went stash diving, and got the inspiration for another design. I'm nearly finished; hopefully I'll be able to post it next weekend. Sizing may take longer.

My Black Friday "Haul" (because two items doesn't really qualify as a haul) includes More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. Coincidentally, Joëlle was my name at French Camp, where I was a counselor for a couple years. I really like that it's organized by the estimated time it will take to knit. On my knit list: Leah's Lovely Cardigan, toe-up socks, soft as a cloud cowls, very pretty lace scarf, beret, sideways fingerless gloves, spiral seat cushion, big lace scarf, baby bonnet, linen-stitch bookmarks, and pointy elf hat. If I actually make half of these, it will have been a wise investment.