Knitting Ninja

A few weeks ago Tin Can Knits announced a quick knit along.  The premise of it was to take a few weeks to teach yourself a new knitting trick.  As soon as I heard about the New Tricks KAL I knew exactly what trick I wanted to learn.  Steeking...

For those of you that might be unfamiliar with the technique, let me tell you that it requires cutting the knitting you've just finished.  It is not for the faint of heart.

Here's how Wikipedia begins their definition of it:

In knitting, steeking is a shortcut used to knit garments such as sweaters in the round without interruption for openings or sleeves until the end. After completing a tube, a straight line is cut along the center of a column of stitches, in order to make room for an opening or place to attach another piece.

So, essentially, you knit your item in the round.  Simple enough.  Then you reinforce the edges.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.  Then you cut straight up your stitches.  OH DEAR BOB! That's crazy cakes!!!

I have been looking at a few sweater patterns, somewhat obsessively, lately.  They're ones that I've looked at before and dismissed then come back to repeatedly only to dismiss them again as too hard because they require steeking and I couldn't imagine taking months to knit a sweater then potentially destroying the whole thing by cutting it up.

But trying it out on a small project that would only take a few hours of knitting time seemed a much less daunting and more manageable task.  So I cast on Steek this Coffee Cozy, a project designed for the very purpose of learning how to steek.

All knit and ready for the crazy business of steeking!

I finished the knitting awhile ago, but it's taken me some time to work up the courage to do the actual steeking.  But this morning I decided that if I didn't get on with it, the KAL would be ending soon and I'd never get it done.  I should really get my behind in gear and just do it.  In for a penny in for a pound and all that.

Crocheted chains to reinforce things

Following the tutorial on the pattern closely, I started by reinforcing my knitting with a line of crocheted chain stitch.

Take a deep breath and snip, snip, snip...

Once that was done, there was no way to avoid it, I had to grab some courage and take that first snip with the scissors.  GULP!

It didn't go too badly.  Nothing disintegrated,  nothing untoward happened at all and the earth did not shatter.  Amazing! I am a knitting ninja.

Ok.  This part is pretty easy!

Then it was onto the next step in which I picked up the stitches and knit the button bands.  That was easy enough!

I think my crochet reinforcement could be prettier, but c'est la vie.

Then I wove in all the bajillion ends, sewed on my buttons and gazed with admiration at my handiwork.  I've no idea what I'll use it for, this coffee cozy fits absolutely nothing I possess, but it was a great little project to try out an otherwise daunting new skill and teach myself a new trick.

Would you look at that?!?  All done!

If you'd like to take part in the New Tricks KAL over on Ravelry, there's still a bit of time left since it runs through until February 29th.  You can check out all the details over on the Tin Can Knits blog.  I highly recommend it!  There's nothing like a knit along to give you the motivation you need to tackle something new.

Summer Sweater KAL Works in Progress

Let me just say, first of all, that I am in denial that it is already September.  Summer has flown by at break neck speed it seems.  This time next week I'll be getting the boys lunches packed up, making sure their back packs are ready and mentally preparing myself for the first day of school.  It's going to be an especially hard one this year given my last baby will be off to kindergarten.  What am I going to do without my littlest side kick with me?  I'm going to really miss his non-stop chatter and stories.  (He tells the best, most involved stories ever!)  It's going to be an adjustment for sure and I'm pretty sure there will be some tears involved - mine, likely, not his.

So instead of focusing on that, I will, instead, focus on knitting.  Not only does summer holidays come to an end next week, but so does the Very Shannon annual summer sweater knitting KAL.  I always enjoy Shannon's knit alongs.  There's lots of chit chat in the thread on Ravelry, oodles of motivation and inspiration and it's just down right fun.

This year I was really eager for the KAL to start because I was planning on knitting Shannon's pattern Antrorse.  I'd purchased my wool with my birthday money and was chomping at the bit to get going on it.  I dove into knitting pretty much as soon as the KAL started, although I had some issues with getting gauge to start with - only because I was being really daft and kept going down needle sizes instead of up when I was knitting my swatch.  I was getting desperate and thinking there was something really off on the pattern when I'd gone down to about a 4mm needle (using bulky yarn none the less) and still couldn't get gauge.  I even posted about it in thread.  And then felt really, really silly, when I suddenly realized what I was doing wrong about half an hour after posting.  D'oh! There are days I should just put down the needles and back away slowly.  Ha ha!

Anyways, once that issue was out of the way it was smooth sailing.  I really love the Cascade Eco+ I'm using.  It's so soft and cozy but feels light.  Winding those gigantic skeins is a bit of a beast though.  Turns out my ball winder outright refuses to wind the whole 478 yards, quitter that it is.

Really?  That's as far as you'll go??? Slacker!

I was doing really great with the knitting and it was really coming along, but then it got really hot and muggy and I just could not face having all that bulky wool sitting on my already too warm lap.  So, what's a girl to do but cast on a different project?

Deck knitting Antrorse and drinking a wine cooler
(non-alcoholic of course, because alcohol and knitting don't mix!)

My second project is an Andi Satterlund design (Of course it is!  I can't resist her patterns!) I'm working on one of her newest patterns, Sunshower, and it's so pretty.  I had really hoped to finish it last week for my girls' night out with my sisters and cousins, but alas.  No go.  I made a pretty epic mistake in my pattern that required me ripping everything out from the start of the second pattern chart at the bottom of the sweater all the way to the beginning of the left front.  Oh how that hurt.  But on the bright side I learned my lesson.  You see, I got a bit cocky with my "reading" of my lace and started thinking I was off a bit on my stitches.  Things had been looking a bit wonky for awhile, but I put that down to it being just because all those stitches were squished on my needles.  But then I started fudging rows here and there because things weren't lining up the way I assumed they were supposed to be lining up.  Of course all that fudging led to a wrong stitch count and so my new pattern chart wasn't working out.  At that point I was advised (by (BF)G none the less) to rip it out and start again. Oh how smug he is that he was right about my knitting.  Ha ha!  Long story short, I am really glad I listened to him and ripped it out, because I would've been really disappointed in the end result otherwise. I quickly realized I'd been totally reading the knitting wrong, stuck to the chart, used stitch markers with wild abandon to make sure I didn't get off track with the increases and got it done.

After all that crazy push though to try and get it done, not only did I not finish in time for girls' night out, I ended up with really sore wrists and had to take a week off of knitting to let them rest.  I'm back at it though and have just finished up the button band tonight.  Tomorrow I'll launch myself onto sleeve island.  My plan of attack is my usual one.  I'll do the short row sleeve caps individually and then put both sleeves on the needles and do them two at a time.  No second sleeve syndrome for me.  No siree!

Body is done!  Sunshower just needs some sleeves!

After I finish up Sunshower, I'm going to jump back into finishing up Antrorse.  I'm so close!  Just one more pattern repeat on the body, then the garter stitch band at the bottom, then sleeves.  I'm hoping I can get both done by then end of the KAL, but that might be a wee bit ambitious.  We'll see!

So that's what's up for me in the knitterly side of life.  I've been sewing a bit here and there too - a few new projects and techniques under the belt, but I'll save those for another day.  In the rest of life, it's been a whirlwind of gardening, canning, harvesting garden veggies, (beware of zucchini and cucumbers... if you turn your back on them they multiply quickly!  At least I think they must!), visiting, and spending lots of time with the two littlest. I've even managed to have not one, but two visits with N and his girlfriend in the span of a week (He even cooked me lunch on one of those visits - having a chef for a son has it's perks!) and then G and her boyfriend were out too this past weekend.  Now all I need to do is pin the elusive J down for a visit and I'll have it made!

Splish splash!  These two little guys and I have had a fun summer!

I guess that's about it for me tonight.  (BF)G just came into the kitchen shaking his head at me likely for being a night owl again.  (I stay up way too late, then am always so darn tired during the day.  Go figure. He thinks I'm nuts.  He's probably right in that assessment!  LOL) I should probably hop to it and get the things done that I need to do before I head off to bed for the night.

So I'll bid you adieu and hope you all have had a great summer in whatever way you've spent it!

A New Sweater for Me?

A new sweater for me? Yes, please!! Especially if it's another design from Laura Aylor! I know there are certain designers I keep raving about, but I promise you, they are most deserving of all the attention I give them and Laura is no exception!

I've knit this latest sweater as part of her "In Winter" knit along in her Ravelry group.  She has a series of three In Winter patterns we could choose from and while the Woods in the Winter shawl really tempted me, I decided I would make my next choice Beach in the Winter instead since I am still in the midst of knitting my Sunstruck shawl right now.

I'm so glad I chose the sweater.  I absolutely love how it's turned out.  I worked really hard on this one to get exactly what I wanted, even though it meant ripping out sections more than once.  I modified it slightly by not adding any hip increases (thanks to Laura for figuring out my numbers for that mod within minutes so I didn't lose any knitting time!), lengthening the body (as to eliminate any risk of too short a midriff in the front - no need to be showing off my belly thanks very much!) and also shortening the amount of the short rows to have a much less pronounced hi-low hemline.  While I like the look of a hi-low on many people, I do NOT like the look of it on me.  It's a bit horrifying actually for whatever reason.  I had initially knit it as written for the short rows, tried it on, shuddered at the result in the mirror, but waited for confirmation from (BF)G before ripping it out.  His assessment was to stop knitting right there and then.  It was the perfect length in the back.  Unfortunately I still needed the almost three inches of the bottom section to get the front to length.  Another quick consultation with Laura in her Ravelry group - she's so awesome about helping figure things out - and back I went.  It worked out really well I think!

My other modification, if you can call it that, was to do a contrast for the cuffs and bottom band of the sweater.  I had seen a test project on Ravelry that used the contrasts and couldn't stop thinking about it so I decided to give it a try just to see if I liked the end result.  I was fully prepared to rip back again and knit it with the main colour if necessary. (Look at that! Fully prepared and rip back all in one sentence.  I'm such a grown up knitter now, wouldn't you say?)  I LOVE the orange! Love, love, love it!  My only decision I need to make is whether or not I want to reknit the collar in orange too.  I'm pretty sure I have enough of the Berroco Vintage that I used left to do it.  But I just can't decide.

I've not actually blocked my sweater yet.  Heck, if you look closely enough you might even notice I've not even woven in the ends yet. I'm not sure why.  I did wear my sweater for quite some time after getting the boys to assist with the photos - until I got way too hot.  It was a warm day and the sun was streaming in through windows.  Not quite the day for a worsted weight wool sweater!
This sweater is going to be perfect for the early spring weather we're having lately I think! It's a bit chilly today, but I actually wore my Hay Cove cardi all weekend. No coat necessary! Whooot!  Spring has sprung! (and I really, really hope I didn't just jinx it or I'll have a whole lot of people annoyed with me.  Stay away winter, stay away!!!!) I think it'll be great to have a good pullover to wear out and about in the fresh spring air when it's too chilly for a light jacket but way too warm for a parka!

And now that I mention it, I think it high time I go weave in those ends and give my sweater a bath!

I Really Do Love Me Some Lace!

I have a new cardigan and I absolutely love it. It's probably my number one favourite knit so far this year (and just for reference, I've knit 28 projects to date in 2013, so that's saying something!)

Hetty by designer Andi Satterlund is a sweet little retro vibe cardi - slightly cropped, fitted, with an all over lace pattern. I modified mine to be slightly less fitted and slightly longer, which was so simple to do as you switch from lace to stockinette as you do the shaping, so there's nothing complicated to figure out.

I have been hoarding some Arucania Nature Wool in my stash for over three years now. It was one of the treasures I received from my dear friend, Kristy's mom's stash. It also happens to be one of my favourite colours!  I gave been waiting for the right pattern to come along and as soon as I saw Hetty I knew that it was the one.

Timing was perfect too. Luvinthemommyhood's Summer Sweater KAL was still in full swing and just before it was scheduled to finish Andi's Ravelry group, Untangling Knots was going to be kicking off a knit along specifically for Hetty. I love knitting as part of a KAL, it really motivates me to keep going. Although, with Hetty I didn't really want to put it down anyways. It was a totally unique construction from any other thing I've knit. Top down with sleeves attached by picking up stitches and then doing short rows to form the cap. (I'll admit it made me feel brilliant when I mastered those short rows I've been so intimidated by!)

I finished it on Friday morning and it got a bath in Euclan then blocked and was ready to wear to my dinner date with my sisters last night.

Swatching - actually got gauge first time around!

Trying to knit... with  help -
Little Man took this photo the other day

Splish Splash getting a bath!

All Done!!! I love it!!!!!

Love the fit of my Hetty!

Greyson 2.0

A couple weeks ago I told you that I was knitting a replacement sweater for the one that fell on hard times at the hands paws jaws of Bella the Sometimes Very Bad Dog.

I'm very happy to say it's DONE!!!!! I'm also very happy to say I love it. More importantly, Baby Boy loves it! What he did not love was trying it on earlier today so I could take a few photos. Granted it was a ridiculously muggy +30C when the pouring rain had stopped and the sun came out. Hey! A knitter's got to do what a knitter's got to do right? I needed those pics for my Ravelry project page. Don't worry. He was only dressed in his jeans and long sleeved wool sweater long enough to snap two pictures, then I brought his sweaty little self in and stripped him back down and replaced his winter attire with more appropriate shorts and tee. Besides, I'm certain I can't be the only knitter who utilizes this particular brand of torture. He really is quite pleased with the sweater. Especially since he did pick out the yarn for it "all by mine self". I'm also feeling pretty happy that I finished well within the time frame of the Luvinthemommyhood Summer Sweater KAL. There's still almost three weeks left in the KAL. I might even be able to get another sweater in for it. We'll see! But back to Greyson 2.0!

Greyson, by Julia Stanfield, is such a fantastic pattern. The classic V-neck knits up really quickly top down and is designed for several different weights of wool to suit your fancy. I did Baby Boy's in worsted weight Berroco Vintage (the darker green) Valuruguai Supernova (the pale grey green). Both yarns are machine washable and wear really well. Perfect for a rough and tumble little fellow like Baby Boy!

In other knitting news, I finished my Miette cardi by designer Andi Satterlund. I had ordered two sets of vintage buttons because I couldn't decide which I liked better and had to wait for both to arrive before completely finishing it. I'd show it to you now, but I can't as I haven't taken any photos of it yet. It's way to hot to be parading around in a short sleeved cotton cardi while someone snaps photos... That would be all kinds of crazy. Ahem... (don't tell Baby Boy I said that - I have a feeling he wouldn't appreciate my suitable sweater weather double standard...)

That's about it for me in the knitting department these days. Now you'll have to excuse me... I'm dying to cast on a swatch for Andi Satterlund's new cardi pattern Hetty!  I absolutely adore her patterns with their retro vibe and feminine details! Cross fingers my yarn is going to work with it! I'm hoping to use some stash yarn I've been hoarding for a few years now!

Greyson - Version 2.0

Remember last winter I knit Baby Boy a sweater?  I was so very pleased with his Greyson.  It was such a great pattern, it fit really well and he loved it.  It was soft, cozy and comfy and it looked great on him.

Greyson Version 1.0

Well since then a few tragedies have befallen his sweater.  The first being in the spring I washed exactly as I had several times before, on gentle, in the machine.  Only that time instead of coming out perfect as usual, it came out ever so slightly felted in the Punta Merino Perfection variegated parts.  I wasn't sure why, but wasn't too worried.  He could still wear it, it hadn't suffered that much damage, the Berroco Vintage stripes were still soft and nice.

Fast forward several weeks.

We had a cool spell for a few weeks recently here on the prairies. (Seriously, summer vanished completely for a bit!) I thought it would be a good time to pull out the Greyson, but it felt sort of crisp and crunchy for lack of a better description.  A friend suggested a soak in hair conditioner might do the trick so into the sink it went for a 45 minute bath. It softened up beautifully. Even the slightly felted parts seemed to relax a bit.  It was almost back to it's former glory! I was so excited.  I set it on the kitchen island to dry, but then at supper time shifted it to the top of the dog's cage.  You know where I'm going with this don't you...

So sad :(

Yep! Unrepairable tragedy.  I could've cried. (actually I may have cried.  I also am pretty sure I said more than a few bad words). Really it's not the dog's fault.  I totally forgot I had left it there and the next morning decided to go to the loo first before letting Bella out of her cage.  Bella disapproves of anything being done before being let out of her cage, so she took that quick opportunity to haul the towel and sweater in through the bars.  The towel was completely unharmed.  Why oh why couldn't I have a dog that preferred towels to hand knits?????

Baby Boy was pretty sad too, so I promised I would knit him a new one, he just had to wait until we would be able to get to the city for some new yarn.  He did find something he liked in my stash for the stripes, but we had nothing he liked enough for the main colour.

We made a quick trip to Wolesley Wardrobe the other day and he picked out his yarn.  It was kind of cute. As I plucked yarns off the shelf suggesting this one or that he was rather non-committal.  Then I thought I'd found the perfect yarn. Oh it was a gorgeous shade of blue-green.  I showed it excitedly to Baby Boy, who flatly said, "No. I don't want that one. It's not the one I want." Then he picked another colour off the shelf and said emphatically, "This one," as he clutched it to his chest, nuzzled his face into it and started walking to the front of the store.  The front door was open and I guess he felt his job was done and I stopped him just before he headed straight out of it, then redirected him to the cash desk where he proudly put his selection up on the counter.

We paid for our yarn and headed out.  Every time he looked at his yarn he felt the need to remind me that it was his.  "That's mind.  I choosed it all by myself.  It's for my sweater." I guess in case I might somehow forget.  He also asks several times a day if his new sweater is ready. (Slave driver!!)

So I'm knitting as fast as I can whenever I get a chance.  I've decided it works well, too, for the Luvinthemommyhood Summer Sweater Knit Along, where Shannon encourages us to not forget our knitting in the heat of the summer, but to work on sweaters so that they're ready to wear come the cooler temperatures of fall. (Or in the case here on the prairies - what is supposed to be summer although to be fair, this week summer has suddenly reappeared after several weeks of absence!) Anyways, Greyson fits the bill, it is a sweater and has full length sleeves!  Whoot!  I really enjoy Luvinthemommyhood KALs.  Everyone is so friendly and encouraging, it's really motivating!

Moving right along with Greyson Version 2.0

Summertime and the Knitting is Easy

I cast off my Work + Shelter sweater this morning.  I started this a little under two weeks ago, suddenly inspired by the other variations that were popping up on the Luvinthemommyhood KAL's Finished Object Picture thread on Ravelry.  I had thought there was a chance I could zip through it between the 23rd when I cast on and the 29th when the KAL ended, but alas.  I am not that quick a knitter, nor did I have that much energy to stay up that late at night each night to accomplish a feat quite like that.

I knit it in SWTC Bamboo - a yarn I had in my stash for several years. I originally bought it online in a bag sale from Discontinued Brand Name Yarns to make my Josephine Top. This yarn is fantastic. I machine washed and dried my Josephine lots over the course of time and it still looks great. (I just don't wear it much anymore because I lived in it when I was expecting the little boys and now associate it with maternity wear even though it wasn't intended as such).

I did do a couple easy modifications on the pattern. I wanted a touch more length than the pattern allowed for so I added an extra lace stripe before attaching the sleeves.  This also allowed for the lace on the sleeves to line up with the lace on the body and I do love symmetry, so was happy that it worked out that way!  I also started the ribbing for the neckline early in order to have a lower, wider neck.

I feel like quite a "grown up" knitter right now.  I not only took the time to put all the stitches on waste yarn to see how the length would be once I joined the sleeves and reworked it to a proper-for-me length, but I did the same thing again at the neckline to see where I wanted it to sit. I didn't just blindly follow the pattern hoping for the best (which in this case would have been a short, high necked disappointment). Yay for putting in the extra effort!!  I LA LA LOVE my new sweater!!! I also la la love how easy it was.

Summer Lovin'... Sort Of

I decided this year I was going to take part in Luvinthemommyhood's Tops, Tanks and Tees Knit Along. I knew I wanted to knit Jane Richmond's Gemini and I knew I had some pretty DK weight in a silk, linen, rayon blend that would probably work. I couldn't wait to cast on!

I swatched ahead of time so that come April 24th I could dive right into knitting. It went along fairly smoothly pattern wise. Yarn wise was another story. I was using the long since discontinued Chanson from Grignasco, and was worried about my yardage to begin with. Then there were knots upon knots in almost every ball. Only one out of my eight wasn't knotted at least twice. So frustrating. And soooooooo many ends to weave in. Not to mention my knitting time was fraught with anxiety over playing yardage chicken.

As it turns out I had no need to worry. I had a bit left over from that last ball and it just so happens I should've made an entire size smaller. I have no idea what went wrong. Not a clue. I did choose a size with only 2" negative ease instead of 4" negative ease as suggested in the pattern. I don't really like tight clothes, but did still want a semi fitted top. You can imagine my horror as I cast off the last few stitches and finally got a really good look at my sweater. It said "Too Big" all over it. Then I tried it on thinking maybe it just looked deceptively large.

Nope. Nothing deceptive about it. It's a lovely, flowy, slightly A-line top. What the heck? It appeared to fit like a dream when I tried it on just after separating the sleeves. Now, don't get me wrong. I can embrace the fact it's not like I envisioned. I'm ok with loose and flowy. What I'm not ok with is a neckline that stretches as I'm wearing it so that suddenly I'm looking like I'm trying to pull off an Jennifer Beals/Flashdance look. I retired that off the shoulder, slouchy look somewhere around grade eight for good reason. There is no way I want to bring it back now in my 40s. Yikes!

So! I need to come up with a solution. My choices seem to range from ripping the whole darn thing out and starting over (the horror!!!!), attacking it with my sewing machine and a pair of scissors (which makes me want to run and hide under the bed just thinking about it), crocheting decreasing rounds at the neckline to snug it in (clearly the least painful option so far) or tossing it in the box with my other knitting fiascos I've had over the years (so sad because I really do love the colour of my yarn). Right now it sits on my dresser where I can glare at it while I decide it's fate. Which would you choose?

When Life Gives You Lemons Make Pajamas... And a Cowl

I thought I would stop in and catch up with a quick post today!

As I mentioned in my last post I had quite a few projects on the go.  The Simplicity blouse turned out a disaster. Instead of an airy summer blouse I realized what I had was an airy summer pajama top. But when life hands you lemons (or in this case an err in judgement when choosing fabric) you make lemon aid.  Or pajama bottoms. I made the bottoms. They're simple cotton capris length with inseam pockets and a contrast band at the bottom to match the top.  I also added some shirring at the bottom of the top to practice for my upcoming Washi tunic.

Pjs - unmodeled because posting a pic of my self in my jammies is just too weird

A quick word about shirring.  Save yourself a whole lot of anxiety, hair pulling and gnashing of teeth. Go buy Gutterman elastic thread before you begin. Heed my advice. I have learned the hard way.

So blouse/pajamas aside I've been motoring along on my knitting. My vest is currently in time out for bad behaviour, my Augusta Cardi is coming along quite nicely, I'm 11 1/2" into my Gemini (and nervously playing yardage chicken with yarn that is so full of knots that I'm quite certain is losing me precious yards with each ball) and my Amerind Cowl is finished!

I knit Amerind for the Sexy Knitter KAL. I have known of designer Sarah Wilson for years (I've had her Stargazer printed off since forever!). A few months ago she came back on my radar when she had a pattern giveaway on Ravelry. I ended up with my freebie and then bought two more of her patterns with the coupon code she offered along with the free pattern.

She has some stunning patterns and a great philosophy on women and self image. I highly recommend checking her site and group out.  I finally decided to join her group, then I saw she was hosting a knit along. My yarn had just come in from Little Knits so I cast on right then.  I really enjoyed the pattern. It was simple enough that I could easily keep track, but interesting enough to keep me going. I even learned another new trick! I have shied away from provisional cast ons in the past because the instructions left me confused, but this one, Judy's Magic Cast On, is so easy to learn!

Amerind Cowl

The yarn is the now discontinued Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran, which is a merino, silk, cashmere blend. As I mentioned, I ordered it from Little Knits. It was a ridiculously inexpensive price and the colour jumped off the screen at me. I knew I wanted it for my cowl.  After ordering I checked out the comments on Ravelry and was dismayed that there were so many negative reviews of it.  I consoled myself that at least it hadn't been expensive.  But then I got my yarn and it was beautiful.  A lot of the complaints were that it was too rustic - scratchy and full of vegetable matter. What I experienced was  quite the opposite, luxurious colour, with a soft hand, no veggie matter at all and great stitch definition.  I wish I'd ordered more.

I really love my cowl. And if this darn chilly weather doesn't head on out I may be getting some use of it over the next few days!

So cozy!