New Patter: The Unbiased Llama

My first knitted pattern!  I'm very excited to offer to you "The Unbiased Llama"!  This pattern is unbiased in it’s love between simplicity and complexity (it’s knit diagonally on the bias but it’s look is simple), between lace and texture (a simple garter and yarn-over ribbing), and for which piece you’ll get more compliments on (the cowl/snood or the mitts)! 

I designed this Cowl/Snood and Mitt set specifically for three skeins of pure Llama fiber that I handspun.  But this pattern works well for any weight of yarn!!  A perfect pattern for an advanced beginner and anyone else looking for a fast but beautiful project.  

You can visit my Ravelry shop or just click the link to the right to download!  Happy knitting!

Ending Summer with the Chiton Pullover

Summer has come and gone, my friends.  I haven't been posting on this blog very well and I've neglected putting my own designs and patterns up here.  But times have been busy and I can barely find enough of it to think of any original patterns as is!  But I have plans on designing my own cardigan for some hand spun yarn I have in the works.

To close up the summer I finished a little selfish knit project that I had my eye on since the KnitScene Winter/Spring 2011 magazine came out.  Melissa Wehrle's "Chiton Pullover".  It has been my desire all year to knit this top and I've finally done it!  Originally I was going to knit it with some hand spun yarn that I've been working on since February, but the spinning has taken forever because of all the aforementioned babies, etc., that I had to knit for.  My mom and dad came for a visit Labor Day weekend and we naturally stopped by a yarn shop where my mom gifted me four skeins of Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima.

It's a super soft 100% pima cotton yarn.  What I love about this yarn is that it does not feel like your typical cotton yarn.  It has a wonderful silky sheen and feel.  The drape was great for this project and I'm hoping that I would get any pilling.  I love this yarn!  It's going on my yummy list!

As for the pattern: LOVED it.  It was very simple and easy to follow.  I loved how there were a total of four seams the entire piece, since seaming is not my strong suit.  I wonder if there isn't a way to close up shoulder seams with a kitchener stitch... something to experiment with... My pick ups around the belt weren't very pretty either but it worked.  The smallest size given was for a 35 1/4" bust.  I am nowhere near that (closer to a 32"). When I went to check my gauge I saw that with a US 5 needle I was getting 6 stitches per inch where the pattern wanted 5.5.  I decided to go ahead with the gauge I was getting instead of going up a size needle and reworking the math/stitches/etc.  It was so much simpler and I'm glad I went that route.  I kept the stitch counts, increase and bind offs all the same and it fits perfectly!!  All around a great pattern, perfect for the advanced beginner!

Slip Stitch Ridges Socks : Silvery Fern

Remember this yarn from earlier this year?  The green one?  Well, it's finally been made into something!  I couldn't be more proud of how they turned out!

The Hubs is pretty happy with them too.  They're a little big even though I used US 2 dpns instead of the US 1 recommended in the pattern because I was right on with gauge with them.  The pattern is from "Teach Yourself Visually: Sock Knitting" and is called Slip Stitch Ridges Socks.  It is a very easy, simple pattern to follow.  Great for sock beginners.  There is an error in the pattern though.  When it comes time to turn the heel it should read for Row 4: sl 1, p to 1 st before gap, p2tog, p1, turn.

The yarn itself was fabulous!   I can't believe I knit a pair of socks with yarn that I spun myself!  It's one thing to knit up something made from bulky yarn that I spun, like the Eggplant at Sunset Mitts, but knitting something from a yarn that needs to be fine enough for socks is such an accomplishment in my book!  I'm not completely sold on the huge blocks of color, but I'm getting over it because of the mixing bands where two colors come together.  My favorite combo is the silver and neon green.  Maybe next time I'll do smaller color repeats!

Sexy Vesty

The season of having to knit/crochet baby things has passed!!  I completed my last baby gift of the season! To my knowledge no one else is knocked up that I have to make anything for!  Which means I've had more time to either finish projects I've had to put on hold (like the Old Man Sweater for the Hubs), and to start a selfish knitting project.  Selfish knitting does not have a bad connotation, by any means.  The purpose of having any talent which produces something in the end is to share it with someone else.  So I have been more than happy to make things for others' little ones.  But I think I deserve a little something now.  So I finished a little vest:

Forgive the poor pictures quality, I did take it with my phone.  It turned out more of a little cap sleeve top and I would never really wear it with the shirt shown, but I just needed to take a picture of it quick so I could post it on Ravelry and here.  This is the vest I was working on in the Nauvoo pictures.  I really like the way it turned out.  The only unfortunate thing is I don't have much that I can wear it with.  I have two button up blouses the Hubs thinks would work well, but one is a long sleeved top and I get really warm at work...so it may be a little while before I can fashionably wear it.  So now it's back to knitting and crocheting for others.  I have a million socks to knit for the Hubs and one baby gift I completely forgot about....

The Kick Spindle

While sitting in my brother's apartment waiting for things to start I dinked around on the internet seeing what was new.  I found my way to my favorite spinning website Woolery and came across something I had never seen before: Mother Maggie's Kick Spindle (I've also seen it called Mother Marion's, not sure which is the correct title).  I was intrigued when I saw this and after watching the video, I'm completely convinced that I want one. It has the portability of a drop spindle, the space saving capabilities of a drop spindle, but it seems it has some of the ease and possible speediness of a spinning wheel.  

Yeah, I think I'll have it!

The Old Man Sweater

So for a long time I promised The Hubs a sweater... way back in February... Well, I've finally finished it!!  Lots of people were having babies and then I just got bored with the pattern and unfortunately his sweater got left by the wayside.  But I persevered and overcame my C/KPADD and gave him what I promised!

For this project I used the pattern from Lion Brand "Forever Classic Heirloom Cables Adult Cardigan".  It's a mouthful of a title and a mouthful of a pattern!  The cable repeats become pretty memorable after a little while and over all the cardigan doesn't look that bad.  I do wish that it had been written in a "no seaming" form, like raglan, etc., because stitching this together was really a pain.  The fabric was heavy and the cables made the pieces cinch terribly (it probably/might have helped if I had blocked the pieces, but at that point in time I just wanted to get the darn thing done with!).  Having to knit and sew on the collar band at the same time was tedious and not something I am ever anxious to do again.

The yarn I used was Fisherman's Wool of the same company.  Not a bad wool overall.  The Hubs picked it out himself because it was scratchy and a tweed kind of color.  All trademarks necessary to make the quintessential old man's sweater.  As a fiber to work with it wasn't too bad.  It did rub on my fingers some, but it didn't pill and is easy to rip back with no troubles.  But it is really scratchy.  So while I probably would never choose it again for a garment that is to be worn next to the skin, for a project such as this, a cardigan to be worn in the winter over longer sleeved shirts, I say it fit the bill.

The Hubs is happy with his old man sweater and I am glad to be moving on!!

Little Pink Riding Jacket Accessories

Yet another baby coming our way!!  This baby shower kind of snuck up on me and I only had a week to prepare something.  Because of lack of time, and because of all the baby stuff I've been having to make, I just didn't have it in me to go the extra extra mile and make something really grand (sorry dear friend).  Not to mention I'm also running out of yarn and money to purchase new yarn!!  So this poor friend of mine only got a knitted hat and mittens set for her baby boy.  I used the left overs from the little jacket from the previous post.

The patterns for the hat and mitts also come from "Chic Knits for Stylish Babies" and is in the same pattern run as the little jacket from the previous post.  I really like this set and hope that some day I might be able to make it for my own child.

The pattern is pretty simple, though I wish specific points for decreases, etc., would have been given.  Especially since my gauge was a tad larger and I had to fudge around with the numbers again.  It would have been nice to figure out a ratio for decreases in comparison to where they were in the pattern.  But overall I think the hat and mitts turned out pretty good and had a great reception with the mother.

But now I'm taking a break from baby things and finishing up a cardigan I promised my husband and started way back in February.  Once it's finished he won't be able to wear it for several months!!  Poor guy.