Chuck Sweater

Pattern:  Chuck by Andi Satterlund
Yarn: Malabrigo Rios

I knit this along with the Selfish Sweater KAL hosted in the Untangling Knots group on Ravelry.

I made this sweater not quite sure about how often I would wear it but I think I may become a convert to having some cropped sweaters in my collection.  I made this corduroy skirt to go with it.  The skirt is high-waisted  and works really well with the cropped length of the sweater. 

Modifications:  The armhole was really huge.  I followed the pattern directions exactly.  I should have joined the front and back panel together when the measurement was 9 1/2 inches but instead I joined it later when the first cable pattern ended.  I didn't want to rip back and fix it so instead I just seamed the side closed a bit more under the arm before picking up the armhole stitches.  When I'm wearing the sweater you can't tell that I did that quick fix.

Other than the armhole problem it's a great pattern and so quick to knit with the cropped body and cropped sleeves. I would definitely make another one of these.

Evergreen Socks

What a quick, fun sock pattern!  This is the fastest I have ever knit a pair of socks.  I found knitting the lace pattern absolutely addicting and kept wanting to knit  more.  This was the #EvergreensockKal on Instagram.  It  was fun seeing everyone's progress on their socks and all the finished versions.

Pattern: Evergreen Socks by Madeline Gannon of Little Mount Yarn Co

Yarn: Tough Love Sock by Sweet Georgia Yarns

Modifications:  Did 2 rounds of lace repeat and added a tree lace on the top of the foot.  Fish Lips Kiss Heel, just because it's faster for me.

As much as I love my purple evergreen socks I think I need to make some in a greenish yarn that reflects the name of the pattern! 

What's your favourite sock pattern?

January Kid Sweaters (and some sewing!)

 So this is what happens when I get out my button box to find buttons to put on sweaters. My daughter wants to learn how to sew buttons and my son throws them everywhere!

 After the kids were in bed I managed to get the buttons sewn on.

 Baby Sunnyside Sweater adapted to a pre-school size by using a worsted weight yarn instead of a sport weight yarn. I did a test swatch and some math and figured out if I knit the 6 month size and added length I would have sweater that is big enough.

 Perfect fit!!  I used a Knit Picks Swish yarn and dyed it myself with food colouring.

 My daughter has gotten taller recently.  All of a sudden all her t-shirts looked like crop tops . . . not a look I like for little girls. She mostly wears t-shirts as undershirts right now but she needed some new ones. I bought this pattern, Zee'sTee by the Tie Dye Diva in a pattern bundle.  I love it.  Its got 12 month to 12 years.  It has two t-shirt versions.  This yoke version here and a pocket tee.  It has short or long-sleeves.  The yoke version is great for using up off-cuts from other projects.

For my son's sweater I made the Latte Baby Coat By Lisa Chemery a.k.a Froginnette

I made the 12 month size and made the arms and sleeves longer.  For the buttonbands at the front he pattern calls for a lattice stitch.  This time I used a seed stitch.  I only did one row of buttonholes but I think I might need to  rip it back and add the second row because it is gaping a bit.

Still warm enough to layer under winter jackets.  So far this is my favourite baby knit.  What is your favourite knits for kids?

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. 

Top 5 Goals

Goals

I'm not really setting any definite goals for sewing this upcoming year.  I'm not sure how many energy I will have for sewing when I return to work and don't want to create any pressure on myself to do anything specific.

That being said I do have some things I would like to try in the next year.

1. Trousers/pants

Trousers that I can wear to work, that are almost as comfortable as jeans but aren't.  I'm on the search for a trousers pattern that has a higher rise in the back, slim fitting through the upper leg and has the option of a straight leg at the bottom.  If you know of one like that let me know or tell me you favourite trouser pattern.  I do have the Thurlow Trouser from Sewaholic to try.

2. Bras 

I've been wearing nursing bras for so long now I don't have any regular bras that fit anymore.  I was going to go and buy myself a really properly fitted expensive bra but then I saw a bra making class on Craftsy, which I bought instead and the fabric to make myself several bras.

3. Button up shirts

 I had decided that I don't like button up shirts but after making some non-buttoning blouses (Natalie Top) I've come the the conclusion that it's not the button up part that bothers me it's that for me to get a nice fitting shirt around the bust area it is usually really snug on my arms.  I'm interested in trying to make an Archer and the new pattern from Sewaholic.

4. Capsule Wardrobe

 I started thinking about/making things to fit into a capsule wardrobe.  I really like the idea of a capsule wardrobe.  Sometimes I feel I have way too much clothing.  I'm going to continue to try and make garments that will fit together.

5. Blog

 I think I will continue to blog.  I'm treating it more like a journal because I think only about 5 people read this, including my wonderful mother-in-law.  It's more challenging than I realized to take pictures, get good pictures, edit the pictures and then write a blog post.

Striped Trap

Pattern:  Striped Trap

Yarn: Berroco Folio and Berroco Boboli Lace

 I loved using a busy variegated yarn, alternated with a plain yarn. I find it really shows off the variegated yarn rather than just being busy.  I will definitely be using this technique again for other variegated yarns.

It doesn't look like much when it's layed out flat.  It's a trapezoid.  I got to a point when I was knitting it when I wondered if I would wear it but it's one of my favourite knit scarves.  The ends stay tucked into place and don't fall down. 

 I wear it like this all the time.  With the larger section down to the front and the skinny end wrapped up around my neck.

I could wear it this way with it over my back, as more of a shawl but scarf style is more me.

Cozy, warm, colourful: perfect for winter.  Have you made anything warm for yourself recently?

Fairisle Anything Cowl

I used this free pattern, called Fairisle Anything Cowl on Ravelry.  There is no gauge listed in the pattern but I used 4 mm needles and a worsted/aran weight yarn and my gauge was 7 sts/inch.  

It fits perfectly under my coat as a neckwarmer.  

 The grey I used is leftover Graphite Tanis Fiber Arts Yarn Green Label Aran weight.  The self striping yarn is a Noro Silk Garden leftover from a vest I made my daughter.

Perfect for a Canadian winter.  My mom likes it so much that she's asked me for one . . . and she hardly ever wears anything handknit. Have you knit anything warm recently?