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I finished the long-term fingering weight sweater! It was a saga. Sometimes it was a slog. But it’s finished and I LOVE IT.
Pattern: Made up as I went using the contiguous sleeve method
Yarn: Recycled J Crew merino and about half a ball of Red Heart Sashay in Jive
Needles: US 2/2.75 mm
You guys. This sweater. The placement of the ruffles and where you’d think it would be pinned (along the top in the middle) make my hips look ENORMOUS. I am already distinctly pear-shaped thanks to years of sitting and slow boob-growth, but it this sweater? HIPS BABY. I don’t even care because the ruffles are so damn fun and I adore the low, wide neckline. LOVE. And it’s great that I love it because it certainly took me long enough to knit for a short-sleeved sweater.
Let me tell you about the construction. I used a top-down contiguous for the sleeves, both as a test of the method and because I wanted set-in sleeves. I knit down the shoulders, increased for the fronts, and knit merrily along til I got to the ruffles. After trying several joining methods, I ended up purling the yarn in and then I sat down to look at my creation. Only to see that the sweater did not even remotely fit around me. There was like a five-inch gap between the fronts that was not going to close. So I picked up some stitches, cast on 25 more for the front, and knit along, decreasing one of the picked up stitches at the end/beginning of every row until I had a panel that made the sweater actually fit. And then repeated along the other side, obviously.
I actually really like how the front panels came out. They drape really well and provide a large area for me to pin. I actually ended up sewing a twisted cord loop and button to the fronts just under the bust for a fastener after I took these photos, but on the off chance I wanted to pin the top of the neckline together for serious hippage, I could. I mostly wear my sweaters pinned just under the bust, so that’s where I put the clasp.
It’s a fun sweater. If I don’t wear the right clothes under it, I look hella pregnant, but it’s definitely a fun sweater.
In other news, I start my job full-time tomorrow. Tonight, I’m running to the thrift store to get some more office-appropriate skirts and pants (I particularly need some black pencil skirts), as well as probably some sweaters because I am nothing if not impulsive with yarn purchases. There will probably also be some mourning of the loss of my free afternoons. I guess I have to join the realm of real 9-5 (well, 8:15 to 5:15) workers. I will certainly get less Netflix-watching done. That’s probably good for my productivity anyway.
We interrupt this steam of FOs to bring you some WIPs! I’ve been working on a bunch of things, but I’m a little bit away from having something finished to show off. There’s a little bit of everything in here.
These are the Heart to Heart socks by Wendy Johnson from Toe Up Socks for Every Body in Cascade Heritage. They’re a bit further along than this, but they’re good knitting for when I want to pay a little attention, like when I’m watching stuff on Netflix.
Socks with long ribbed cuffs in Deborah Norville Everyday Soft Worsted acrylic. They’re for a swap, along with a couple other pairs of acrylic socks. Simple, easy knitting, and the Deborah Norville isn’t too bad to knit with. I knit on them at work, actually, as I’m fortunate enough to get some knitting time on the job.
This is the fingering weight sweater I keep referring to. There’s a whole saga with it, but I’ll talk about that when it’s done. I’m working on the sleeves now, which is the last part as I’ve already done the edging. It’s a recycled merino and Red Heart Sashay. FUN. It will make my hips look enormous and I don’t care.
Aaand some weaving. My first foray into clasped weft. The warp is some recycled wool/rayon/cashmere/nylon, and the weft is Knit Picks Palette. I adore it. It’s a lot slower than my usual tabby, but I like it. It’s a trial run for some clasped weft that I really want to do–blue rain drips on a black background.
In fandom news, Joe and I finished Choices of One and started I Jedi. Excite. I’m kind of reading Black Fleet Crisis, but I don’t know how much I like it. I started watching House of Cards, which I’m sure I’ll have finished by my next post. It’s really interesting and Kevin Spacey is great. I kind of gave up on Voyager, but I might go back at some point and just skip to season four or so. I dunno, things are okay. I’m making lots of stuff. Til next time.
The parade of FOs continues! I knit a sweater.
Pattern: Betty’s Tee from the Summer 2010 Interweave Knits
Yarn: Recycled cotton/wool/nylon, which I bought solely for the buttons and was pleasently surprised by the fiber content
Needles: US 8/5 mm
Mods: Added two extra body blocks so the top would be long enough and replaced the knit armhole and bottom edging with crochet. Oh, and I added a drawstring around the neck made out of a twisted cord
I’m pretty pleased with this top. I wore it to work the other day over a black and white polka dot dress. Pretty snappy. The bottom edge is a little tight (not because of the crochet but because of my cast on) so it poofs out a little and makes my tummy look bigger than it actually is. If you make this, you should definitely use a super loose cast on. I was worried, judging from the CO number, that it would be too small, but it fits really well everywhere else.
It was a really fun knit. As it is with entrelac, before you have a chance to get bored with the section you’re on, you have to do something different. I knit this in two weeks (exactly according to Ravelry). I wouldn’t necessarily make it again, but I’d definitely like to make another entrelac top.\
For those playing along at home, this is sweater number nine, making me two months ahead of the sweater-a-month challenge. The fingering weight cardigan plods along. I would say that’ll be ten, but let’s be realistic: I’m gonna make at least one more whole sweater before that sucker’s finished.
You guys, I am really bad at blogging. Apparently we’re making this a once a week thing because I can’t be arsed to type anything up more often than that. In my defense, I’ve been kind of busy. I work four whole hours a day! And I have to watch Star Trek and make things I don’t blog about, apparently.
Anyway, I made a hat.
Pattern: Woven
Yarn: Louisa Harding Ianthe, a 50/50 merino/cotton blend. About a ball and a half.
Needles: Like fives or something? I dunno.
Mods: None, knit as written
This hat is for the gift box I totally have. (I do not have a gift box. Per se. It’s more of an idea at this point). I have too many bloody hats but no desire to stop making hats and anyway, it looks weird on my head.
I don’t really rock a beanie very well. Of course, when it’s cold, I don’t much care what I look like, but it’s 90 degrees outside, so… I still don’t care, but I have opinions on the hat at least. So it isn’t for me. I have no idea who it is for since I don’t know a tremendous amount of people and I’m not really the gift-giving type.
The buttons I put on the hat are pretty cool. Here’s a close up:
They are (I believe) Norwegian military buttons. I got them from a yard sale in a big collection of buttons. I have a bunch of various military buttons, but a lot of them are gold colored and I don’t particularly care for them. The insignia are pretty cool though.
In life news: The new job is going really well. Things are pretty slow because of the summer (which is AWESOME) and I wish I was working full time, but I’ll take what I can get. I’d really love to be able to move somewhere that isn’t a basement (or at least an actual basement apartment), but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to afford to do that.
In media consumption news, I’m reading Choices of One with Joe. I’m also reading Scoundrels, another Star Wars novel by Zahn, which takes place shortly after A New Hope and right before Allegiance. I finished watching Deep Space Nine (OMG IT IS THE BEST EVER) and have started Voyager. Y’all, you really have to want to watch Voyager. After the premiere, the first couple of episodes are TERRIBLE. It gets much better (I’m a little more than halfway through season two), but even I have to skip a few of the first ones in the first season. And I have a ridiculously high tolerance for crappy television. After Voyager, I’m going to go back and watch all the Next Gen movies, probably starting with Generations. Maybe I’ll watch the original series. I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do with myself when I’ve watched everything in the Star Trek franchise. Start over with Next Gen again, I guess. Anyway, make things and watch Star Trek. It’s what I do.
I finished a thing! A really big thing. I started it back in May sometime and finished it the other day:
Pattern: Hemlock Ring Blanket
Yarn: Recycled wool from a really big sweater
Needles: US 11/8 mm
Mods: None? I used the crochet bind off though.
OMG you guys. I really enjoyed knitting this and I really love the finished object but JESUS was it a pain in the ass to block. It just barely fits on my bed and the loops kept jumping off the pins. I ended up putting a heavy object in the middle (some barbell weights) and steaming the middle section then stretching, pinning, and steaming each of the arms individually. It took a long time. But it did work out really well.
Queen sized bed, y’all. Seriously.
Because July is exactly the time for heavy wool blankets. And I mean heavy. This thing is over 700g and the yarn is SUPER thick and rustic. Like bits of veg matter rustic. I love it though. It gets cold sometimes in the basement, even in July, and it’s a perfect extra layer over my snuggly cashmere blanket.
In non-blanket related news (specifically science fiction reading), there’s this Kickstarter. It’s for an anthology of time-travel short stories, and it includes stories by Timothy Zahn, Michael Stackpole, and Aaron Allston. Understandably, I’ve pledged about as much of my money as I can, but I need you guys to kick in. If you like science fiction, books, time-travel, or Star Wars novels (ZAHN, STACKPOLE, AND ALLSTON), I need you guys to contribute. There’s like three days left and I want to hit the $20k goal. SECOND VOLUME. NOVELLA BY ZAHN. I need it. NEED. So do me a favor and give them some money. DO IT FOR STACKPOLE, YOU GUYS. Because he is the best.
I made another sweater! It worked up so fast I don’t think I even showed it as a work in progress.
Pattern: Liesl by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Interlacements New Mexico in Summer Fruit
Needles: US 10/6 mm
Mods: None, really. I did garter cuffs instead of the picot hem
It looks a wee bit odd over this dress here, but that’s what I had on and I wasn’t going to change just to photograph a sweater. Good enough. It’s a lovely little sweater, light and airy and perfect for over-air conditioned offices. I didn’t put in any buttons; I have a shawl pin stuck in it here. I’ll probably wear it open mostly, but I might get a big safety pin or a belt for the future. I need to get some shawl pins.
I cast on stitches to make one of the medium sizes because I used a lighter yarn and smaller needles. The neckline still came out super small despite using the wide neck numbers. I had this problem the last time I made this sweater too–either the numbers are weird or I cast on freakishly tightly. Everything seems to lay alright, so I don’t <i>think</i> it’s me, but who knows.
I also made the body of the sweater pretty short. I didn’t want a fully cropped sweater like a shrug, but I think the shorter length works better with dresses. Especially with my freakishly long torso. Maybe the cropped length will shorten my torso and lengthen my legs. That’s the hope, anyway. I’m not too fussed about it though since I’m generally not too concerned with my appearance (I have been known to wear my jammies out and about because that’s how I roll).
This makes my eighth sweater of the year, for those keeping track at home. I’m like two months ahead at this point. But my next sweater (unless I cast on another one, which I very well might) is that fingering weight one and it’s only about an inch past the sleeve separation. I am working on other things though. I’m sure I’ll proceed to cast on nine other things (at the very least) before I finish that sweater. Plus I recently warped up another scarf on the little loom. As you do. Too many crafts, not enough time.
I have made seven sweaters so far this year. That’s kind of ridiculous seeing as I already have too many clothes, but I do like making sweaters. Here’s number seven:
I am completely ridiculous. Just go with it.
Pattern: Paradise Beach Cover-Up from Custom Knits
Yarn: Recycled cotton/tencel blend
Needles: US 10/6 mm
Modifications: Didn’t go down a size for the ribbing and I probably changed the length, but I mostly knit as written. Oh, and I used a crochet chain instead of twisted cord for the tie.
I had wanted to finish this in time to wear it while I was at the beach a couple of weeks ago, but I didn’t finish it in time. Instead I wore it to a pool party last weekend. It was perfect for that too–just the right amount of warmth for a cool summer night.
I don’t do a lot of beach or pool going these days because of where I live, but I think this works pretty well as a top, as I’m wearing it in these pictures. I have to wear a tank under it because of the lace and large gauge, but it’s super comfortable as a shirt.
I’m also quite pleased with the tie I made:
The beads add just the right amount of weight to the tie. And I think the colors are pretty summery next to the gold, especially the turquoise.
In other knitting news, I am still working on that fingering weight sweater I mentioned before. It’s pretty slow going. I’m using the contiguous sleeve method and I need about an inch and a half more sleeve width before I separate them out. I also cast on a Liesl so I could have a quicker sweater in the works. I’ve already separated the sleeves for that. I’ve also been spinning a lot, mostly that fleece I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. It’s going pretty quickly, actually.
Fannish news is pretty much the same as the last time I mentioned it. I’m currently watching season seven of Psych. I stopped watching after season five and I really love the show, so I’m getting back into it. Oh, and I got the receptionist job! It’s apparently only part time til August (bleh, I need the money), but it’s better than nothing I guess. I start on Monday. Fingers crossed everything goes well.
Sorry for the unintended gap in posts. I was out of town for a week. And I have no excuse for the second week. Anyway, I made a thing.
Pattern: Evenstar
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK
Needles: US 4/3.5 mm
Mods: All I used from the pattern is the cable chart. I pretty much just made everything else up as I went. Plus I added fingers.
I made these for a WWFY swap because Lord knows I need more yarn. (Actual fact: I do not need any more yarn). But they were quick and the yarn was pretty and I liked making them. Maybe I’ll make some for me. (I will probably not make any for me).
I am pretty keen on the cable though. Pretty. I don’t have a tremendous amount to say about them.
On to other news! I recently read Isard’s Revenge and Starfighters of Adumar because I am completely obsessed with the Star Wars Rogue Squadron books. Especially Wedge, Tycho, Wes, and Hobbie. LOVE THOSE BOYS. Anyway. Joe and I are currently reading Allegience and Choices of One (we’re about halfway through the first one). I started watching True Blood and am all caught up and ready for season six. I have not seen the new Star Trek but I really really want to. Movies are too damn expensive. But I might have a job soon! A real proper nine to five (well, eight-thirty to five-thirty) office job as a Receptionist. Temporarily anyway. Fingers crossed, folks.
NEVER ENDING FOS okay, maybe they’ll end soon if I stop weaving and other quick crafts. Okay, so maybe never ending FOs. Though I do have a sweater on the needles out of fingering weight yarn so if I focus on that, it’ll be a while before I finish another thing.
Anyway, I made a vest:
Pattern: Mina’s Tuxedo Vest from Custom Knits
Yarn: recycled merino with a glorious twist
Needles: US 4 and 5 as called for in pattern
Mods: none, I knit as written. I even knit the ribbing on smaller needles as instructed, which I hardly ever do.
For those keeping track at home, this is my sixth finished sweater-type object, making me officially ahead of the knitalong. Which is good because I’m at the beach next week doing very little knitting and my current sweater in progress is in fingering yarn. Okay, there’s a bulky swim cover-up too. But still.
This vest came out way too big and I had to take in the sides (no, you cannot see my seams). It fits much better now, but it still looks a lot better on Elizabeth than it does on me. I made it to wear over sun dresses, but it looks a little odd without sleeves, so maybe I’ll just wear it over blouses as the pattern intends.
I need to stop making vests. Not that I make a lot, but I don’t tend to wear them. I wear the hell out of all my knit tanks though. Need to knit more tanks. And cardigans. Not that I don’t have enough cardigans, but I do wear them a lot.
I actually made this a while ago to wear for Steampunk World’s Fair, which was May 17-19th. I didn’t get any pictures of my costumes, but they weren’t very good anyway. I mostly just wore clothes. It was fun though.
Pattern: Handsfree Handbag/Look, No Hands from The Knitter’s Bible: Knitted Bags
Yarn: Schachenmayr nomotta (Regia) Extra, a DK superwash wool
Needles: US 3
Full disclosure: I got this book out from the library and liked this pattern (and several others) so much that I immediately bought the book off of Amazon. Including shipping, it was only about six bucks, but still. Then I waited for the book to arrive before I could start the project even though I had the yarn all picked out and everything.
I’m kind of in love with this bag. The zipper is a little sticky because my hand sewing is only so-so (sew-sew? Ha, I’m hilarious), but I like it. I even put in a lining:
I ended up carrying it around all weekend. It was the perfect size for my phone, money, gum, chapsticks, and little purchases along the way. Including some buttons with sheep on them.
Anyway, I just slung the bag on a belt, which I wore around my waist. Perfect. It definitely fit in with my outfits and general steaminess.
Oh, and I did take one (terrible photo) while I was there. Not of me, but of someone’s amazing cosplay/costume:
Steampunk Tigger. Because why not.
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 