Persnickety

January 07, 2008

Sensual Knits

I feel like every time I post nowadays it’s to apologize that I haven’t posted in months and months nor have I stopped by anyone’s blog to say hi. Well, this time I have a really good excuse, which involves various personal wars with Comcast, some biological happenings, and good ol’ family holiday time. There are SO many things I want to post about (and I will shortly – I promise this time, cross my heart), but I wanted to just pop up real quick and say how excited I am that the book is out!

(I guess it’s been out since late November, but I’m somewhat behind the ball here). This is my design:

This definitely was a LOT of hard work and an eye opening experience. My yarn arrived really late in the process and I was just knitting my fingers to the bone for like a week straight to get this finished by the deadline. That is a feat in and of itself but then all those cables! Man oh man, was I beat. But I’m so happy with the result and I’m going to make another one for myself one of these days (the sample size was for tiny little models, I am not so much that small these days). And if you can at all get away with it, try out some of the Pear Tree Merino that is available through Yahaira’s yarn store at Pure Knits. It is one of the most divine yarns that I have worked with (besides a pure cashmere) and the color variations come out exquisitely in the finished product.

So all in all, I am thrilled to be published and thrilled to have a design that I adore out there with my name on it. And I can’t wait to knit some of the other patterns in the book! The cover design is one of my favorites and that is going on my list, for sure.

I’ll be back soon with more information about what’s keeping me away from the blog so much and I hope to get by your blog soon. Miss you all!

08:31 Posted in 2007 Finished | Permalink | Comments (5) | Email this

May 08, 2007

Cherry, Cherry, Bo Berry...

Fun with the photo features :)

Design: Cherry by Anna Bell

Yarn: Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton in a red whose name I cannot recall... (I'm so horrible about losing the yarn bands...anyone else have that problem?)

Needles: US 5s & 3s

Size made: 36

Begun: March, 2007

Finished: May, 2007

Ok, Kara, I may have lied a little bit. It did tend to pucker a bit at the bust. But you know, I think I like it better open at the top. Otherwise it's a tad too straight laced for my taste.

Notes....I ran out of yarn! For the first time ever, I actually was not able to finish it out to my tastes. I had the correct amount of balls called for but for whatever reason, it just was not enough. So the collar suffered. It should have been about an inch high and as you can see, it's only a couple of rows high. Bummer. Even my husband commented on it. I love those..."you know, you should really make the collar longer..." (I KNOW! I RAN OUT OF YARN! GAAAAHHHHH!)

And because of that too, I wasn't able to use the same yarn for the belt. So I busted out with a black ribbon and some black buttons. I like the contrast. I'm unsure if I'd like the red on red better, so I guess that's a good thing.

Also, like I said, it's a little gapey around the bustal area. Maybe the girls are just a little too large for life these days. Button-up tops are not my friend. I don't know what my deal is. I really haven't gained weight. My mom thinks it's just my turn to catch up to the rest of the busty women in my family.

This yarn is beautiful! It knits up so pretty and creates and nice fabric. I bought it on super sale from Webs a while back which is why I decided to make this, but I think it's available on quite a variety of web sites.

On the whole, Anna's patterns are wonderfully written. She is clear, concise, and to the point. Everything makes perfect sense and I ran into no snags the whole time.

The sweater itself is great too. I'll wear this a ton, as soon as I fix my button problem. It's a little gapey in places so I think if I move the buttons closer to the body of the sweater it will work a little better. The sizing was right one. One size up would have been too big around my shoulder and one size down would have been way too small. I generally wear a 36 so that's accurate. If I made it again I would probably add an inch to the middle of each front to avoid the gapage.

Overall, a cute little sweater that will be perfect for summer over some capris and flip flops or at the office. Love it!

(see the Flickr page for more photos)

13:45 Posted in 2007 Finished , Cherry , Finished | Permalink | Comments (19) | Email this

April 23, 2007

What I've Actually Been Doing With My Time...

Instead of writing the papers I'm supposed to be writing or doing the spring cleaning that my apartment desperately needs, I've been knitting. Granted, one of these was necessary. I had a baby shower Sunday that required a cute girly item to be gifted. Hence, this Elizabeth Zimmermann baby sweater:

Design: Baby Sweater on Two Needles, in Knitter's Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmermann

Yarn: Knit Picks Elegance in Wild Rose

Needles: US 6s

Begun: April 19, 2007

Finished: April 22, 2007

I am starting to get the EZ mania. I wasn't sure what to expect, but her book was not it. She intersperses patterns with stories about the garment's creation and other notes. I love the hand written charts and the minimalist directions. So different from the splashy, graphic design oriented pattern books that are popular now. It strikes me as a throw back to a generation of women who all knew intrinsically how to knit and didn't need step by step directions. They just did as they went. I had a few 'what-the-crap' moments when reading ahead in the pattern, but as I got to that point in my knitting it all made so much sense. The construction is really nice, as the only seaming involved is up the sleeves.

The sweater turned out better than I could have expected. The lace 'gull' pattern is just adorable. And let me tell you, that Knit Picks elegance is an unbelievable yarn. It is SO soft and the fiber makeup allows the stitches to just pop. Knit Picks hits another one out of the park. It was a huge hit at the shower and I got another round of, I can't believe you made this! I'm apparently taking on a knitting apprentice this summer too :)

I would highly recommend this piece to anyone needing a baby gift (and thanks to Karma for recommending it to me!) It knit up so fast, I did it in an evening and an afternoon. The skills involved include basic garter stitch, some basic lace, and the ability to decipher an EZ pattern. A + + +

And how cute are these buttons?

In addition to that, I've almost finished Cherry. I need to find some buttons and a ribbon to weave through the waist detailing. I tried it on to see how it was shaping up and I think this might be my favorite knit object I've even made for myself. It fits unbelievably well and has a certain shexy librarian quality that is adorable. I cannot wait until it's finished! Plus the Chicago weather is absolutely perfect right now for a cute, short sleeved cardi.

This mess of mohair is the making of a vest. I saw a mohair vest on some girl while I was in London over a button down shirt and thought it was so adorable, so I'm trying my hand at a re-creation of some sort. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm trying it at a large gauge with some cabling up the center. It could be really cute or a total disaster.

And lastly...I joined Li's Knitterly Letter Swap. I forgot to take a picture of the letter I sent (this picture is the one I received) out but I'm hoping she got it by now. She lives in Canada so who knows how long the post will take. It is so much fun to send and receive actual letters. Hand written on pretty stationary in long hand letters. When I was younger, I had so many pen pals. Girls I had never met who all shared a love of horseback riding were matched up through this magazine I got. I was obsessed with checking the mail every day to see who responded to my letters. Seeing someone's handwriting makes it so much more personal than email. You can also see how well they actually can spell!! I'm looking forward to getting a response from my letter and also to writing a response to my first pen pal. That is, when I actually get my final projects and papers finished for school. Wish me luck and focus!

09:45 Posted in 2007 Finished , Baby Gift , Cherry | Permalink | Comments (13) | Email this

April 04, 2007

Babies, babies, babies!

It seems like every one of my friends is growing a child right now! I attended a shower this weekend (my first baby shower ever, it was very exciting) and gifted a bonnet and booties to my friend's almost new little girl. Sadly, I was in such a rush to get it all finished and pretty that I didn't snap any final photos (what a bad blogger am I...).

So here is it in pieces...

And here are the details:

Design: Both are from Erika Knight's Knitting For Two. The book is full of glamorous baby designs. It's going to be fun to knit from this when I'm expecting my own! The bonnet is the "Lacy Bonnet" and the booties are the "Dainty Booties." Both super easy to knit and really fun.

Yarn: Lana Grossa Novella (a cotton/wool combo yarn in place of the Rowan called for)

Needles: US 5s
Begun: March 1, 2007
Finished: March 30, 2007
Size: The bonnet was a one-size-fits-all dealie, and I made the smallest size for the booties.

Man, I wish I had a picture of the finished product! They turned out SO cute. And I took a hint from Karma and stuffed the booties with some tissue so they looked adorable coming out of the package.

The gifts were a HUGE hit. Everyone was raving over my knitting ability and telling me I should sell the stuff. I guess I never realized how few people really are crafty and capable of creating things. There are so many knitters/crafters out there in blogland, but in 'real' life, most people I know don't do crafts. I was trying to explain how I only give my knitting to people I love because no one would actually pay the $50+ that my time was worth in creating the stuff. Non-crafty people just don't get it though. Knitting for others is such a labor of love and the mom-to-be was really honored by the gift, which made me so happy. That's what I gift knit for. The smile, the wow-I-can't-believe-you-made-this-for-me factor. Not the bucks. Because really, we can't all be Suss.

10:10 Posted in 2007 Finished | Permalink | Comments (9) | Email this

March 28, 2007

Ready for the Beach

Carla is finished, but strikes me as more of a beach cover up than a sweater...

...on me at least. I've seen it look awesome on other people, but it turned out a lot bulkier than I expected. (Oh yeah, I chopped off all my hair too)

Design: Carla from Rowan's It's a Tape Thing
Yarn: Rowan Cotton Tape, which is unfortunately discontinued...
Needles: US 11s & 13s
Begun: January 1, 2007
Finished: March 1, 2007

Carla pretty much jumped off the needles. It was so much fun to knit. However, I'm not so thrilled with the final product. I don't know if I should maybe have made a size smaller (or maybe 2 sizes smaller...) to reduce the bulkiness. Like I said above, it reminds me more of a beach cover up more than a sweater I'd wear on a regular basis. Or maybe I like my clothes a lot more tailored than this fits me. In the end, I think it's a so/so finished product. The sleeves are really pretty though...

Good thing I have another knit in progress, which is much more tailored and right up my girly alley:

I'm using the same cherry red Jo Sharp yarn she used in the pattern and it is really, really lovely. It's been working up so fast that I'm almost finished with the back now! I've found that using the non-cable needle cabling technique really fast-forwards the process. Hopefully a new sweater will be debuting soon...

14:20 Posted in 2007 Finished , Carla , Cherry | Permalink | Comments (6) | Email this

February 27, 2007

Surprise!

So the reason my knitting has been stressful is that it had a deadline. Yahaira is currating a book of knitting patterns. I thought it was a long shot but I put togther an idea I'd had for a long time and submitted it for consideration. She and the publisher actually liked it! I couldn't believe it, I was so floored. So for the past few weeks I've been knitting my fingers to the bone. Thrilling, but a bit stressful when you have to have something finished by a specific date. The book is full of knitters much more talented than myself and it sounds like it will be full of some incredible pieces made with incredible yarns. I'm not certain when it will be coming out but congrats to Yahaira for putting together a wonderful thing. Now my knitting can get back to some semblance of normality!

13:55 Posted in 2007 Finished | Permalink | Comments (10) | Email this

January 17, 2007

Keepin' the head warm

First, thank you all so much for your overwhelming compliments about Lucky. I am beyond thrilled that everyone loved it so much. So thank you, from deep in my heart.

And I have something else to show you now! This was so fast that I didn't even have time to post about it!

Design: Shedir by Jenna Wilson from Knitty.com
Yarn: Plymouth Galway in black
Gauge: slightly larger than the pattern calls for so I only did 3 repeats of the main cable pattern
Begun: January 10
Finished: January 14
New Skills: cabling without cable needles, knitting a hat

A nice, warm, comfy, cabley hat. This is the first hat I've ever done and it turned out oh so well. I see quite a few more hats in my future, that's for sure. You could consider this an early addition to the Feb/March project spectrum choice of Black.

It was also the first time I'd tried cabling without a cable needle. I'm hooked. There are so many tutorials all over the web that I won't even bother putting another one up. But it's a technique that's well worth trying, so here are some that helped me out quite a bit:

Wendy shows techniques for 3 different kinds of cables: six stitch cable with a right twist, seven stitch cable with twisted rib and a right twist, and six stitch cable with a left twist.

Another Wendy give just a general technique for the process.

ExplaiKnit offers a much better summary than I am attempting with some great explanations.

I don't know that I will ever use another cable needle ever again after figuring this out. It does take a bit of intuitive processing, as none of these ladies explain every kind of cable out there. However, once you get the basic idea down, you can tackle any cable out there!

Top of Shedir

I would suggest this hat to anyone. It works up quickly and is super flattering as far as hats go. It is also a wonderful knit to practice cables and following a chart, if that's not your forte. Personally, I love charts. I just bought the Chart keeper from Knit Picks which is an unbelievable help at place keeping. Every time I turn around, there is yet another tool I want to buy. Sheesh.

13:20 Posted in 2007 Finished , Shedir | Permalink | Comments (15) | Email this

January 10, 2007

Finally...Lucky!

Design: Lucky Clover Cardigan from Snb Nation
Yarn: Rowan 4ply cotton in Bloom
Gauge: Exactly what the pattern called for on exactly the right needles! Score!
Begun: I can't even remember...sometime in 2004 I think.
Finished: January 1, 2007. It's a new years' baby.

I am ecstatic to have finished this. Ecstatic I tell you! Much along the lines of everyone else who has posted about this sweater, it has taken forever. I am not sure whether this is because of the tiny yarn and tiny needles or if it is just a heart breaking sweater. There are miles and miles of neckband. A wrap sweater is never short work either. Combine that with 'lace' (or really pseudo lace) and trying to match a slanted neck band with a slanted lace pattern and mayhem ensues! (see notes below for more on this nonsense)

Notes on the Clove:

Overall, I really like this sweater. There were some hang ups throughout, but the fit is really great and the color I picked out is really awesome. One of my especially favorite parts of this knit was the tubular cast on I used throughout.

Isn't it pretty?

That being said, now begins the nit-picking. I added about an inch to the bottom of each front and the back. That ended up being fine as it's a wrap sweater and you have to wear a shirt underneath anyhow. But the sleeves ought to have been at least 2 inches longer! I blocked the sleeves about 1 inch longer than directed to begin with. After seaming they were way too short (they looked like 3/4 sleeves) and so I reblocked just the sleeves to add another couple of inches. Still too short for my liking. They look pretty good in the picture but they ride up a lot. Word to the wise, knit longer sleeves for this pattern.

The rowan 4 ply cotton is fabulous to work with. No knots, no funny pieces, no fluffy bits that weren't fully spun. It did bleed quite a bit though. The water in my sink was bright pink after the 20 minute soak I gave each piece before blocking. It must have it out of its system though because it didn't mark up the white tank I wore under it for a whole day this past weekend.

Wearability is a major plus with this knit. It fits so well and hides awkward buldges in the bod. If not for the sleeve issue, I would be totally comfortable wearing this sweater for long periods of time and not worry about it at all.

Ah, the neckband. Here was yet another issue with length. I knit the specified length. It was perfect. After blocking the ribbing was just gorgeous. Not a stray knit stitch in sight. But oh no. It was about 5 inches too short after seaming. How does this happen??!! So I tore out my cast off edge, added more inches, reblocked that piece, re-seamed and moved on. Sort of. I'm still a little bit bitter but luckily (or smartly) for me I started on the side that shows. So the wonky addition to the neckband stays hidden, nestling with the love handle. A small note, and something that's not included in the pattern, is that my ribbed edges are not terribly pretty. Since a neckband is a noticeable piece of a garment, I made an amendment. For every side stitch that would not be seamed and was a knit stitch, I slipped. That same stitch got purled on the flip side so was carried up and made a beautiful side. If you've never attempted this before, that might not be the best description and something that would be better served with some photos. None of which I have to show.

The pieces are shaped differently than any other sweater I've done before. The tops of the sleeves form part of the neckline and so the front pieces come to a nice little point. The points did not want to lay quietly or really be seamed at all for that matter. It must have been something I did but the seaming of this took quite a bit of finagling. Also, I had read that quite a number of people had issues with seaming this sweater. Mine actually came out perfectly the first time after taking note of what knitters like Winnie did. It does make sense after thinking about how to picking up stitches for a neckband or seaming a round piece. I used mattress stitch on the whole whole sweater for nice even seams, and here was no exception. I sewed into 2 stitches on the neckline for every 1 stitch on the neckband. And just like magic, a nice v-neck appeared!

I remember reading that a few people knit the neckband extra long so that it would wrap around the back of the sweater for a more fitted look. I have to admit being slightly baffled by the fact that the neckband just ended at the left front edge. It makes more sense to me for a wrap sweater to have bands that weave through, wrap around the back, and tie at the side. But this works too, sort of. My problem is that the front piece which wraps underneath often pokes out the bottom. I think a small tie to the inside seam will fix that problem nicely. But it's still a problem with the construction.

Ok, final issue, I promise. This was more with my knitting skillz than the pattern. See exhibit A below. Notice how nicely the clover hole pattern sits to the edge of the front. So close, so nice. No gapes.

Notice then, exhibit B. Giant gapes. But no where to put a clover. Strange. No comprendo.