Fun with Knitting (and Quilting)

FO: Favorite Cardigan

Well I've had cast on fever and procrastinator-itis...Have I have several projects that are ALMOST finished and I keep procrastinating finishing them up!

But I have one completed item! The Favorite Cardigan from Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard.  I started this way back in June..and was knitting away when I realized that my gauge was way off! So I ripped it back to the neckline and started again..I was a bit worried but in the end it fits great!

The yarn is Dream in Color Classy in Some Summer Sky and well it really does look like a summer sky. Hopefully it can help keep my cheery through the winter! It took me a least a month to pick out my buttons, I ended up ordering them from House of Anoria (she has some great buttons over there!) cause I couldn't find any I really liked at JoAnn's. The fabulous Robin recommended her! Then they came and it took me a few more weeks to decide how I wanted to sew them on..then I procrastinated sewing them on.

Now the weather has turned cooler and I decided I needed to wear this sweater..so I sewed the buttons on last weekend and now it's ready to wear!

My only real mod was that I mirrored the cables on the front and sleeves. I also made the sleeves 3/4 length. All the rest of the details are over on Ravelry of course!

Hopefully I have a few more FOs very soon! Owls just needs it's button eyes sewn on, and I have like 3 other sweaters close to being done, as well as a shawl, and some slippers, and some other stuff too!

Seriously I'm going to get some things done this weekend!

...Like say post to this here blog...School starts and my fun stuff seems to come to a screeching halt for awhile, while I re-adjust to getting up at 6 again every morning. (I am not a morning person) I have been doing a fair amount of knitting...but here's what I've been up to!

Dyed some yarn for the Owls sweater. I so love the RYC soft tweed and when it was discontinued I went a bit overboard and have lots...this oatmeal color really not so good on me.So now it's a lovely grape color. (What a surprise right Pam?)

Finished my Corona Sweater. I was a bit worried about how it would come out, but I'm really happy with it... I'd post my mods and stuff but I'm feeling lazy so head on over to the Ravelry page for them if you want. It is knit out of Dream in Color Classy in the color Good Luck Jade. I think this will be a great sweater for fall winter!

I've also started the Heather Hoodie Vest from the Fall09 Knitscene as a Kal with my girls over on Cleveland Knits West.

I need to finishmy pink hoodie..the knitting's been done forever...but no button band reinforcement and snaps put in. (I'm just trying to decide how to put it in..by hand or by machine. I'd rather put it in by machine but need to put it in by hand I have a feeling)

AND Seam up my gray short sleeve cardi. Before it gets to cold to wear it. (though I think I'd be cute under a long sleeve tee too.)

I should but probably won't straighten up my sewing room and my yarny mess.

Plus clean up my house and get out a few of my Halloween decorations

I have high hopes, since hubby is taking some classed Sat. and Sunday and I have NO plans this weekend!

Boxing day

So summer has arrived here in Ohio! It is finally into the upper 80s to near 90! so now the AC is on and I can't knit outside. This afternoon I was bored and I'm still waiting on a box bag I ordered forever ago (it has supposedly been shipped)to arrive and wanted one..so I perused the internet and found this fabulous & easy tutorial at Drago(Knit)fly for making a box bag..and I had all the supplies so off I went to make one! It took me less than an hour to whip it up. It was really easy and fun and it's super cute. I wasn't real careful with my sewing and it came out really nice. Perfect size for a pair of socks I'd say. So I had to run to JoAnn's right then and there and get more fabric, zippers, interfacing.. and well now I have enough stuff to make at least 5 more! Hmm obsess much? I looked around a bit more and found this site with some clarificationon how to make the bag. I think I'll pull my serger out for the next batch! So I'll follow that when I make some more tonight or tomorrow! I may play with the size a bit too. Then I went from there to the llink for this cute little pencil bag. Might have to make some of those too! They'd be great for notions!

A of little this and a little of that

So where on earth has summer gone? I can't believe I go back to work in a week and a half! Wow..I guess it's that the weather has been really cool this summer(not that I'm complaining-cause I'm not). We did finally have 2 days above 90!

So I've been working on many things...I did finish my ultra cool "laptop bag" to use for school. It really came out cute. I still am looking for a button that will work for it. The yarn is Lion brand Wool-Ease in Sea spray. The pattern is loosely based on The Aran Laptop Cover. But mostly copied frm my good bud PKJewelry.  Oh and by the way all the awesome row counters you see here are hers from her etsy shop! Check them out! If you do tell her I sent ya.

Also socks...I finished my Oatmeal socks awhile back and started on a Blueberry waffle sock. I'm just over 1/2way done with the 2nd sock. I also cast on for the Summer Lovin sock my friend Dawn designed. The yarn is Malibrigo sock...and it is yummy!

I'm moving along now on the Favorite Cardigan. I did knit it longer than the pattern and am going to make the sleeves 3/4 length. It is really coming out pretty. I love the Dream in Color  Classy it is so pretty!

Then yesterday I drug hubby to Soft n Sassy a LYS I'd never been to and I saw the "lace-panel cardigan" and needed to make it RIGHT now..so I bought they yarn for that and cast on right away!

 the yarn is called Jeans and is a weird cotton tape yarn  but it really knits up nicely! and feels a bit like well jeans

Oh yeah..I also dyed some yarn...It was Oatmeal Fisherman's wool by Lion brand..now it's this... a lovely teal! Destined to become a cardigan of some sort probably!

Well I guess that is the catch up...

Wresting along

OK so I've been trying to wrangle my WIPS into submission!!

Finished Miley!

Can you see the purl increases on the side? The yarn is Seduce, I used size 5 and 7 needles. It was really easy pattern.

Finished Toe-Up Socks!

Just a basic toe up straight stockinette..(good car knitting) They yarn is Austermann Step.

Frogged-Favorite Cardigan-it was way to small..I ripped it back to the neckline. I need to swatch and move forward again (I'm sure It won't get done this month now-but that is OK)

I'm hoping to finish my little purse here soon too but my focus has been on Hey Teach. I'm on the last sleeve then to seam it up! So it should be done by the end of the week.

I did cast on for another pair of socks. I need to have my easy car knitting with me at all times. I have resisted the urge at this point to cast on for Sandrine. but I really want too!!!

I also made and finished my baby quilt for my friends baby shower last weekend. The couple were both really excited. (Of course I forgot my camera so I don't have a picture)

I'm still plugging away on my "summer cottage" quilt too. I really need to take my sewing machine in for a tune up before plugging on. but I'll probably work on it some more today!

UP next my fabulous prize from WEBS, but that deserves it's own post!

FO: Indigo Ripples

Well It's done! And I LOVE it! I wondered about knitting a skirt, and well I saw so many cute ones on Ravelry that I finally cast on! I've had the yarn for about a year. I intended on knitting last summer but it never happened. It fits just great!

 

So the stats!

Indigo Ripples Skirt from Spring 07 Interweave

Yarn: Elann Den-im-knit in dark indigo, for some reason I bought 13 balls but used just over 10. The yarn bleeds like mad. My hands were blue the whole time I was working on it! I've thrown it in the washer twice now and it did shrink up (just as the label says-I planning for it!)

Size: Well that is hard to say. Mostly XS, I did the mods most did for the lower waist.

Needles: size 5 for the stockinette, and size 6 for the lace.

MODs, well as already stated I followed the mods of many for the lover waist. I also knit 18" of the stockinette (because I have very long legs) and then 40 rows of lace before the ruffle.  You can read the rest over on my ravelry page!

This project may have changed my mind about knit skirts. This turned out to be a fun, flattering, easy, fairly quick knit!

 

And OH PLEASE don't forget to vote for my school on the Lots2Give website!!!

FO: Ingenue too!

OK so as promised here is Ingenue too. If you recall back in the fall I made myfirst version of this sweater which I love. The colors are a bit flashy on it and I wanted a more subtle one. So I grabbed up some Classic Elite Waterlilly and started.

So the stats:

Pattern: Ingenue from  Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard I knit the 40" bust (and of course threw in a few short rows for the bust.

Needles: Size 8 knit picks options

Yarn: 12 skeins of Classic Elite waterlilly which is a wonderful yarn! so soft and springy. I started out with 8 skeins of this yarn, and quickly realized that that wouldn't be enough. So I ordered 2 more, and as I was nearing the end of the body I needed to order still two more! I started to panic a bit because 1. I didn't swatch and 2. because I didn't swatch I didn't wash my swatch & I worried that  the sweater was going to turn out gigantic when I washed it, but nope all was fine!

I was relieved!  Can't you tell?  Raveled here!

I (almost) can't wait for fall so that I can wear it! It is now neatly stored away awaiting it's official debut!

FO: Liesl

So here it is: Can you tell I LOVE this sweater!? It's Liesl!!!!!!!!!

I debated on knitting this sweater for like a year until I saw Alanna's and I had to have one.

Since I wasn't sure how it would look on my body I didn't want to use expensive yarn. So I ordered myself some Knit Picks Shine Worstedin Laurel. I bought 8 skeins since I wasn't sure how many I'd need. I ended up using almost all of 6 skeins. I of course used my Knit Picks options needles, and oh Yeah I ordered the size needed 10.75 (7mm). The yarn is so soft and wonderfully drapey, perfect for this pattern. I started this pattern April 24th and finished it May 6th..gotta love a fast knit! (I did have to restart twice till I finally got the hang of the increases in the lace pattern!

This pattern is very customize-able. I knit the 42" size since I didn't want the buttons to pull. I used a cable cast on and cast on for the wide neck.  I knit 35 rows then split off for the sleeves. (That was really my only complaint about the pattern was that it didn't really give you any idea of how many rows to knit before splitting off the sleeves.) I knew I didn't want it cropped so I tried it on as  I went. I think mine's about 14 inches or so. I didn't use the picot bind off but just bound off loosely. I decided I wanted elbow length sleeves so that I can get a lot of wear out of this during the summer..in a chilly restaurant or outside on a cool evening! Really it fits perfectly and I am thrilled with it. (and OH yeah it's machine washable!!) People at work were incredibly impressed by it. I may have to make another!

As always you can find more here...

Abby is embarrassed by my silly photos!

Spring Break..what break?

So here it is Saturday night already, where did my spring break go..Oh lets see. I had hubby's family all here for Easter so that took up most of my first 3 days! Then oh lets see Monday morning hubby and I left for Vegas till Thursday. No pictures of that 'cause you know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. LOL Except for maybe the germs, because apparently I now have a cold. Yesterday was mostly spent doing the mountains of laundry we seemed to have accrued over 4 days of being gone! We did do some shopping while there and saw the Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian which was outstanding!

I did almost finish my first spring forward sock but it is too tight across my foot so I have to rip back to the heel and adjust. Not a biggie as I knit the whole leg on the flight to Vegas. So since it was a wash I went back to my Ocean Bolero I started wayyyyy back in August last year when we went on vacation to Florida. I put it down because the weather got cooler. So yesterday while doing laundry I finished it up! I can't believe how quickly I got it finished. I can't believe I let it sit around so long! I really think it came out cuter than I expected!

So here are the stats:

Pattern: Ribbed Lace Bolero

Yarn: Cot'n Corn by Bernat. I love the colors on this yarn, but it was very splitty. Not Bad, especially for the price. I used just over 3 skeins.

Needles: Knit Picks Options in 8 and 10

I pretty much followed her pattern exactly as she wrote it. I did the lace pattern for 13" instead of the 12" called for. and I'm glad that I did. It makes the bolero hang down a little more in the back.

Over all this was a fun and easy knit. It really zipped along on this and wish I would have finished it sooner.

I've also been working on my 2nd Ingenue which is coming along great, but I'm worried that I'm going to run out of yarn! (see Pam's really cute row counter! It's awesome) I may have to get some more! I've already used 7 skeins and have 11. We'll see I'm holding my breath! I'm trying to get it done before the weather turns too warm to want to work on it.  So because of that my steeked cardi is languishing..I will get back to it soon, I want to finish it so I can wear it on chilly spring evenings.

But what I've really been wanting to start is Liesl by Ysolda Teague. I got some Knit Picks Shine worsted in Laurel and want to start it. I saw Alanna's version and now I have to have it! But I'm trying to make myself finish up a few projects first! I'm also wanting to start the Knit Picks Classic Lines Cardigan.

So today I'll leave you with a picture of Toby. He says "Hey it's spring lets go play ball!" He would play fetch all day if I would let him!

I should really blog more often then I could do shorter posts!

FO: Francis Revisited

Well I've been remiss in posting lately! I really have no excuse other than laziness. Well that isn't entirely true. I was out of town for a conference for work, and then hubby had surgery, and I had parent teacher conferences and a nasty cold..enough excuses? But the whole time I wasn't blogging I was knitting! I finished up shalom, and then went back to Francis, a sweater I'm thrilled with how it came out! (now I'm trying to find a  dark green cami to wear underneath!)

Pattern: Francis Revisited a great free pattern!

Needles,: 9, 10, & 7 Knit picks of course

Yarn: Andean Silk by knit picks

Size: ?? my size really

Mods: My gauge was way off so I just sort of fudged the pattern as I went along. It was really easy to do with this pattern. I increased until the arm area would tough under my arm. I also added 4 rows of short rows for the bust. For the sleeves I knit 8 inches before starting the increases. Then I mostly followed the pattern other than that.

It was an easy to follow pattern and well written. I think this sweater is flattering on everyone I've seen it on. I just love the cowl too! It is sooo soft & cozy. I hope it's cool enough so that I can wear it for St. Patrick's day! I want to make myself another one out of Eco wool perhaps.