There's nothing like starting over

Remember that sweater that I was knitting for my husband?  Well ... I've had to start over.  Completely. From. Scratch.  Essentially, even though I begged and pleaded for him to try it on before I got too far along, he kept saying, "Nah, it'll be fine, just keep going."  Over the holidays I got up past the armholes and MADE him try it on.  Know what he said?  "Um, I'd like it a little bigger."  GAH!  So instead of frogging what I had, I just cut the yarn and started over.  This time I am using slightly bigger needles and knitting the next size up.  That should give him PLENTY of ease since he's a guy that fully believes in layering (it's not uncommon for him to wear like 4 shirts at a time!).  I'm making decent progress, though, even though I may not be completely finished by the end of the month.  With a vacation day today and a holiday on Monday, I foresee plenty of quality knitting time in my very near future!

2012 knitting plans/goals

Once upon a time, I decided to essentially quit making New Year's resolutions, and make plans instead.  This applies to the various aspects of my life ... personal, professional and crafty.  So I thought I'd write down my current knitting and spinning plans for the coming year.

• Knit 12 sweaters
• Start the Sheep Heid tam on 1/1/12
• Spin all of the Gomez fiber (the wool which is English Leicester x Border Leicester is from a sheep named Gomez)
• Knit the Gomez yarn into a sweater -- not sure which one yet
• Finish that "Block O" blanket for my new niece or nephew, who's due to arrive at the end of July.

Quite an ambitious list, actually.  12 sweaters will be a challenge in itself, for sure.  But first, it's time to pull my husband's sweater out of "time out" and see what needs to be done to fix the gauge problem.

Happy New Year, everyone!

12 sweaters redux

I've updated my queue of possibilities for the 12 sweaters in 2012 challenge.  This updated queue (Rav link!) includes at least one sweater for every letter of the alphabet.  Come join us!  Sweaters of any size count (adult, children, babies, even pets!) and so do works in progress.  The idea is to *finish* 12 sweaters.  If they're already started, then all the better!  Some of the group members are challenging themselves to start AND finish 12 sweaters in the year.

As of now I'm still working on my husband's pullover, and recently had a bright idea.  The sweater is knitted in the round from the bottom hem up to the armholes, and then the front and back are knitted flat and seamed at the shoulders.  The sleeves are to be knitted up from the cuff to the armholes, then attached to the body of the sweater.  My idea is ... why not pick up the stitches around the armholes then knit, in the round, down to the cuffs?  Since this appears to be a regular drop-shoulder sweater, I think it should work fine, and allow me to finish my beloved's sweater faster :-)

But first, I'm lengthening the sleeves -- just a bit -- on  my Shalom cardigan.   I wore it a couple of times last week and felt the sleeves were just a wee bit too short for my taste.  I noticed the first time that I wore it that I had dropped a stitch on the cuff  of the right sleeve (which I secured with a stitch marker so it didn't unravel), so since I had to fix that anyway, it made sense to lengthen the sleeves too.  So last night I took apart the cuff and ripped back to where I started the twisted rib and knitted 1.5" in stockinette.  Now to finish up the twisted rib and garter stitch edging on the cuff, try it on, and then do the other sleeve.  Easy peasy!

My my my my Shalom-a!

Sweater update

Thought maybe it's time to post an update on my husband's sweater.  The sweater is knitted in the round from the bottom hem up to the armholes, and at that point I decided I should steam the sweater nice and flat in order to get a more accurate measurement:

Look at how that colorwork just POPS!  My current dilemma is whether to go down a needle size because now that I'm knitting the front and back separately, I am noticing that my gauge is different.  I'm not sure yet how to fix the problem aside from changing needle size and then, how far down do I go?  Not sure that going from 9 down to 8 will work but as soon as I finish my Shalom Cardigan, I'll sit down with this one and decide what to do.  The pattern looks pretty straightforward from here on out but I do worry about the size of the armholes and the sleeves... some folks have said the sleeves are too big for the armholes.  I think in a couple of weeks (during winter break) I'll be able to put some serious time into this sweater and finish it before I start on the insane 12 sweaters in 2012 challenge (see the post below for more on that).

Since Shalom only needs one sleeve (which is easy to do!) I will concentrate on finishing that SOON so that I can focus on this sweater for hubs.  One of my knitting goals -- which I'll post later this month -- involves focusing on one project at a time, and eventually getting down to only 3 projects in progress at once.  One knitting project, one crochet project and one spinning project.  Of course. that also means I need to finish or "frog" many items that are in danger of never getting finished.  But that's a post for another day.  For now, good night!

~mz

2012 is the year of the sweater

So.

I currently have 2 sweaters on my needles.  One for my husband which I wrote about in my last post (and have made significant progress on) and one for myself (which needs a left sleeve before I can call it done).  While stalking Ravelry recently -- in my constant quest for new patterns to use up some of my kind of ridiculous stash -- I got hip to a group called 12 Sweaters in 2012.  The group is exactly what it sounds like -- a group of people who are challenging themselves to knit 12 sweaters next year.  You don't have to be a math wiz to figure out that that is 1 sweater per month.  Insanity.  In-san-i-ty.  And guess what else?  I have enthusiastically joined the group.  Not only that, I've made a queue of all of the yarn and patterns that I've paired up over the past year which have just been sitting around waiting to be knitted up.

True story.  I couldn't make this up.  

Currently my list has 17 potential sweaters and vests on it.  Have a look for yourself but keep in mind that most of the links below are Ravelry links.  They're listed in alphabetical order.

• Abigail -- rose-colored Jojoland Baritone
• Basic Chic Hoodie -- Elann Superwash Worsted in an avocado green color
• Buttony -- variegated turquoise Lanaloft worsted
• Chandail -- turquoise MadelineTosh Vintage
• Corrie Fair Isle Vest -- forgot all about this kit that I bought from KnitPicks. I have the neutral colorway
• Dark and Stormy -- may be a good choice for the yarn I'm spinning
• Deep V Argyle -- KnitPicks Merino Style in Moss and Edamame (I have delusions of knitting this TWICE -- also in pink and brown). Call me crazy!!!!)
• February Lady Sweater -- Jamieson’s Shetland Heather in Mallard
• February Fitted Pullover-- Louet Riverstone light worsted in red
• Juliet -- Elann Peruvian Highland in spiced wine?
• Kerrera -- Neighborhood Fiber Co Studio Worsted in Easterwood
• Kurasun Vest -- Mirasol Sulka
• Owls -- Aussi Wool in charcoal
• Ravinia -- Dolce merino in a gray-blue color
• Shalom -- Malabrigo worsted in hollyhock (sort of lavender)
• Sky Isle cardigan -- JUST discovered this in the Winter 2011 Knitty. Steeks AND colorwork … wheeeee! I think I have enough Jamieson’s yarn in charcoal and ivory to make this
• Tembo -- PERFECT for that cream colored Cleckheaton Country 8-ply
• Zephyr -- not sure about yarn yet ... 

I know this sounds ridiculous and over-ambitious, but there are methods to my madness, really.  First of all, even if I don't get all 12 sweaters finished, I will have more hand-knit sweaters in my wardrobe than I do now, which is only two!  Secondly, These will stretch my knitting skills because most of them require me to learn new skills, such as steeking, colorwork in an entire garment, installing zippers, clever construction, etc. Some, like February Lady, are just grown-up sizes of the same sweaters that I've knitted for babies and therefore won't require me to learn anything new but will be satisfying nonetheless. Most of the patterns I've chosen use worsted or aran weight yarn, with the exception of the Corrie Fair Isle Vest, which is made with fingering weight.  Skinny yarn AND all-over colorwork ... yay!  

If my husband's sweater isn't finished by January then it will be my first finished sweater of the year but aside from that 2012 will also be the year of selfish knitting.  No doubt that a gift item or two might also get finished during the year.  After all I'm knitting the never-ending socks for my brother and a cable-intense scarf for one of my BFFs.  


There may also be some other knitting-related "resolutions" on my list for next year but this 12 sweaters thing is really the biggest and most ambitious.  


And since I haven't knitted a stitch today, maybe I'll step away from the computer and knit for a while before I zonk out for the night.


Ciao for now!


~mz

Spartan pullover

IMAG0027.jpg, a photo by mzundercover on Flickr.

Here's a pic of my progress on the sweater. Not too bad eh? I already wish I'd done the hem as a folded hem, rather than garter stitch so that I could knit his initials on the inside! I'll be sure to do that on the next one, though.

Maybe I can get a bit more done on it tomorrow. But now it is way past my bed time. G'night!

~mz

It's time ...

... to finally knit my husband a sweater.  I don't know if you all have heard of the sweater curse, which basically says a knitter shouldn't knit a sweater for his/her beloved until they are married, else  the loved one will break off the relationship shortly afterwards or before the sweater is even completed.  Not sure which would be worse!


Several months ago, I chose this pattern to knit for him. When I went to the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet festival in February I bought the yarn to knit it.  I got Louet Riverstone yarn  in a lovely mossy green (to bring out his eyes!) and a pewter gray for the contrasting colorwork.  Did I bother with a swatch?  Nooooo!  I just cast on and started knitting. I'm making the smallest size, with a chest measurement of 41-3/4" -- his chest measures somewhere between 38-39 (he's a tall, slim fellow).  I asked him whether I should keep knitting as-is, or try to make it smaller.  He said to keep going, so keep going I shall.   I just started the colorwork (don't really have enough to warrant a photo yet), and so far all is well.  This will be my first sweater done in pieces, though the body is knitted in the round up to the arm holes.

So ... I'm going to earn some knitting time.  There are some household chores that need to get done, so off I go to do them and then sit down and knit on hubby's sweater for a while.  Perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon, don'tcha think?


~mz

Black & yellow!

I'm getting ready to cheer my STEELERS to victory this season!  I made my husband a hat in the same colors ... he loves it!

I got married!

Here are the rings ... Will post more later!