Lorelai Shawl and Make2along

I finished my Lorelai shawl!!  Took me about 7 months but it's down and it's huge and I love it!!

Pattern: Lorelai Shawl by Shannon Cook 

Yarn: lots of different types (see my project page here)

 This project started with an OOAK (one of a kind) skein of DK merino/cashmere yarn that I had gotten from Tanis Fiber Artss. (The top and bottom blue)  I had the yarn for awhile and couldn't decide what to do with it. When this pattern was published I wanted to knit it but talked myself out of it.  A couple months later I was  looking at my TFA yarn again and all of a sudden I knew what to do with it.  I went to the basement and dug around in my yarn stash and came up with enough other yarns to make a Lorelei.

I wear it like this for warmth and to keep it out of my way on the front.  Handy when teaching kindergarten.

This is how I wear it most.

It is so cozy and warm.  I love it.  Here's a couple of ways that I can wear it.  I know I've heard some podcasters talk about how they aren't sure how to wear bigger shawls.  This is what works for me.

I wear it like this around my house to be cozy.

Jeni, of Tiny Paper Foxes is hosting a Make2along that ends at the end of January.  This idea is to make to items that go together to make a portion of a outfit.  For the second part of my outfit I made a Granville button up shirt.  I used a white quilting cotton to make mine.  The fit is perfect and I've got a button-up shirt that goes with almost anything!

I love the phrase make2along.  I'm at the point in my sewing and knitting where I'm really trying to make sure what I'm making fits with other things in my handmade wardrobe.

What do you like to make?  Are you interested in making outfits?

#tck12sweaters2015 - 12 sweaters in 2015

Near the end of 2014 Tin Can Knits announced a year long knit-along to try to knit 12 sweaters in 2015.  In 2014 I ended up knitting 10 sweaters without planning it in advance so I decided to join in.  And I managed to do it!  I knit 12 sweaters in 2015.  Here they are.

(If you want more details here  are my projects on Ravelry.  They are tagged tck12sewaters2015)

# 1  Rainbow Sweater

# 2  Tristan's green sweater

# 3 Chuck Pullover

# 4 Curling Sweetheart Pullover

# 5  Not a Shrug

# 6  Flax for Tristan

# 7 Bubble Sweater


# 8 Flax for Claire

# 9 Brown Owligan

# 10 Coppertone Vianne

#11. Schoolboy Vest

#12 R R Hoodie - a.k.a The Elsa sweater for Claire

Here's to a great 2016 and lots more knitting and sewing time!!  Happy New Year!

November already!

I keep writing all sorts of blog posts in my head . .. . but never get them onto the computer.  So instead of several individual posts that are never going to happen here is a summary of some of my knitting and sewing since August.

1. Margrathea Shawl by Martina Behm - yarn merino/silk by YarnInk

2. Flax for T, by Tincan Knits - yarn James C. Brett Marble Chunky

3. Flax for C, by Tincan Knits, and Owligan by Kate Davies - yarn James C. Brett Marble Chunky

And it is too short.  I've ordered another ball of yarn to add 3 inches of length!

4.Sewing for me!  The Indiesew Fall pattern collection - Laurelhurst cardigan, Cabin Tunic and Sloan Leggings (Faux leather panels!)

I love the pockets in the tunic.  The cardigan is cozy but feels so dressy when I wear it and the whole outfit feels as comfortable as pyjamas!


5. Finally finished my quilt! (3 years)  I begged my 93 year old grandmother to quilt it for me!  She finally agreed.  She said she wouldn't finish till after Christmas and she had it done in 2 weeks!  Thank you, Nana. I sewed on the binding and now I'm set for a cozy winter!

6. Halloween Costumes - Anna dress and cape for my daughter and her cousin wore an Elsa costume made by my sister-in-law

And my son wore the owl costume I made last year.

I finished a few other things but didn't manage to get any decent pictures yet.  Maybe in the next update. 

OAL2015 - Vianne and Cambie Dress

Last year I watched the Outfit Along, hosted by Andi of Untangling Threads and Lladybird but I didn't participate because I didn't see myself wearing the dress they had picked.  Then I discovered the Sewalolic dress patterns that have pockets in them.  So this year when the Outfit Along came up I knew I wanted to make the Cambie dress.  I had just enough of this purple fabric in my stash to make the dress.  The purple fabric is a polyester, thin fabric and it is lined with a gray cotton/rayon blend.

The fit on the dress is amazing!!  I think I will only ever make this dress in different fabrics.  It has pockets, the neckline is very modest for me and doesn't gape when I lean forward!  I had to adjust the bust darts slightly but that was easy to do when I sewed the lining.

The official knitting pattern was the Vianne cardigan, designed by Andi.  I thought it would look good with the dress so I decided to knit it in a yarn I had from Tanis Fiber Arts, the DK weight. 

The lace panel at the front is is simple and pretty.

The mesh panel at the back is neat but I felt it was too much on the whole thing.  I just stopped knitting it when I joined at the armhole.

Very nice pattern.  Andi has s different style of writing patterns but I do like the end results.  This is the third sweater I've knit from her patterns.

 The whole outfit!!  Most of the time I will wear this with flats.  It will be the perfect transitional outfit for the fall!  And now in the heat of the summer the dress is wonderful on it's own.

Gathered Front Tank

This is one of my favourite summery knits.  It's knit out of a wool/silk blend that I bought at my LYS years ago.  I don't have the ball bands so I don't know any more than that.

Pattern: Gathered front Tank published by Interweave Knits.

I love the look of the front with the gathers.  I had difficulty with the straps.   I went back and re-did them 3 times before I was really happy.  The first time they were too long.  The second time they were the right length but too narrow.  I wanted to be able to wear this to work and it needs to be 2-finger widths wide to fit the dress code (I'm a teacher!)  I made it in 2011.

It can also work to be worn over a tank top but mostly I wear it just on it's own.

Twisted Scarlet

Pattern: Twisted Scarlett
Yarn: Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock

The pattern is from one of the ladies in the new knitting group I joined.  We meet every other Tuesday night in Pickering, Ontario, if anyone is local and looking for a knit group to join!

Anna also dyes her own yarn and sells it in her Etsy shop, Mythic Yarn.  She brought some yarn to the Knit night and it was too tempting.  I picked up these lovelies. Anna doesn't have anything in her shop right now but I know she is dying up some wonderful new yarns!

 Back to my wristlets.  The cable detail is a nice thick chain. The pattern is for fingerless gloves.  I knew I didn't have enough yarn for those and that I would mostly be wearing these inside when I am wearing a 3/4 length sleeve sweater and want a bit more warmth.

 The pattern took a while before it became intuitive but I like it!

I really like how the ribbing flows into the cables at the top and the bottom.  I wish mine were a bit longer, I started to run out of yarn so I had to stop.  I still like them.  They are the perfect extra bit of warmth on a cold day.

Curling Sweetheart

 I love to watch to watch curling. I've only curled about twice in my life but I love to watch curling and knit.  I think I like it because it is a slow paced game but there is always something to listen to. Perfect for doing while knitting so I decided to call this my Curling Sweetheart.

 I started knitting this at the beginning of the Canadian Women's Curling Championship, called the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.  I knit through the Men's Championships, the Brier and continued to knit through the Women's World Championship and finished up before the end of the Men's World Championship.

Pattern: Sweetheart Pullover
Yarn: Swish Bare Bulky by Knitpicks

 I think my favourite part is the neckline.  I like how wide it is and the details.

 It's really comfortable.  I love the yarn.  If I was to make it again I might add an inch or two in length but overall I really like it.

I made some modifications for the edgings and raised the neckline.  Here's my Ravelry page.   I thought it would be too warm to wear at this time of the year but actually with the 3/4 length sleeves it's just the perfect layer.

This is sweater number 4 that I've finished this year. I think my favourite thing to knit is sweaters? Anyone else love to knit sweater?

10 Sweaters - 10 months

 I started out the year with just 2 handknit sweaters in my closet that I actually wore.

I had several sweaters knitted that I didn't wear because they weren't quite right so I frogged all of those ones and started out to rebuild my handknit sweater wardrobe.  I didn't intend to knit 10 sweaters in 10 months but somehow it happened that I averaged a sweater a month.  Some took longer than that and others less time but here I am in a new year  with 12 new or re-knit sweaters that I love.  I'll link to my Ravelry Project page if you want to see more details and I'll list the yarn if I remember what it was.  I wasn't very good at keeping yarn labels.

January

En Pointe Pullover, a fingering weight yarn I bought several years ago.

February 

Icy Blue Cardigan , Swish Bulky Yarn, dyed with Kool-Aid

Spoked Cardigan

 

March

Long Sleeve Grey Cardigan  Americo, copeto medeo

April

Grey Star   Knit Picks swish worsted

May

Regatta Tee , ** cotton/wool blend worsted weight

June

Gathered Front Tank: pattern from Interweave Knits - hand dyed yarn bought at my LYS 

(This one I only fixed the straps on, I didn't re-knit the whole thing)

July

 Sweet Tee, ** Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino

 

August

Coral Rose Cardigan, Sweet Georgia Yarns DK

This is my third favourite sweater.

September

I Heart Purple  Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label

This is tied for my most favourite sweater. 

October

Grey and Sunnyside  Tanis Fiber Arts Yarn Green Label

And my other most favourite sweater.  I wear this all the time!

And that's when I lost steam.  I still can't believe I knit 10 sweaters in 10 months for myself.  My last 3 sweaters are my favourites.  I've learned that I like v-neck cardigans or shawl collar, rather than round-neck cardigans.  I like cardigans.  I like mostly seamless designs.  I like patterns with some detail, but not too much detail.  I am more motivated to knit when I have a pattern to keep track of and rows to check off.

I will be going back to work full-time as a kindergarten teacher in March so my knitting time will decrease drastically.  I'm going to knit some sweaters next year.  A really warm brown one, a lighter brown one, a white one and a blue one.  I have the yarn for all but the white one.  Knitting in those colours will let me mix and match with most of my wardrobe I wear for work or home.

And I will be then only knitting much smaller things, socks, scarves, hats . .  .and sweaters for my kids as they grow.

If you are reading this thank you for following along and if you are a knitter I hope you sneak in a few rows each day.