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This week is the first week that I’ve picked up my knitting needles and finished one of my lingering UFOs. 

Front

Pattern: Cherry Cardigan, 32-34″ by Anna Bell

Materials: Elizabeth Lavold Hempathy, 4.5 balls, Sz 3 and 6 needles

Buttons

Notes: Hempathy is soft and not very splitty, and I love the fact that it is machine-washable. I had initially started this cardigan way back when in May 2008, but didn’t get to finish it until this week. The only adjustment that I made was to cast on in Sz 34 for the hips, but gradually decreased to Sz 32 for the waist and followed directions for the rest of Sz 32. It is a wonderfully written pattern, and I can see this being a go-to cardigan for the summer (or what’s left of it).

Sleeve

Would love to stay and write some more.. but I have to ski-daddle now to the Radiohead Concert. Parking spots are supposedly hard to find!

It’s finally complete! 

Pattern: My own, a la Barbara Walker

Materials: 6 balls of Lane Borgosesia Knit USA (660 yds), 1.5 skeins of Cascade 220 in colorway 7814, Sz 10 and 10.5 needles, 8 metal buttons, 6 snap buttons

Notes: This jacket was knit from the top down, at a gauge of 14 sts and 20 rows to 4″. Cascade 220 was held double to obtain the same gauge using Sz 10.5 needles. I measured the width of my back for 13″ and cast on the appropriate number of stitches and short-rowed my way down for the shoulder slopes. Armhole length = 7″. When I reached the appropriate length for pockets, I cast on additional stitches for the pockets and knit down for 5″, and k2tog with the body stitches. No waist shaping for this jacket. Then it’s just more knitting until the desired length. Ribbing for the sleeves, jacket border and short row neck was finished off with tubular cast off. The button bands were knit in garter stitch to prevent curling (trust me, I tried stockinette and that didn’t turn out). I left the jacket untouched for days after blocking because superwash yarn has a tendency to stretch out and that wouldn’t be the best time to seam. Sure enough, the damn thing sprang back into shape after a while and I double checked before sewing the nylon lining in place.

Sewing: I decided that I was too chicken (this time) for a zipper, so I went with my original idea of snap buttons. The inside band was lined with nylon ribbon (ends were fused with a lighter to prevent fraying) to reinforce the jacket. I figured if I am going to pull the bands apart frequently I am going to need something sturdier. Yes, it helps.

Like I said, the pockets were a little high, but it doesn’t detract me from gloating. I like how it looks buttoned all the way up, and also when I leave the first two buttons out. It fits exactly how I imagined it would, and that’s no small feat when it comes to “winging” a pattern. This one is a keeper!

(And what’s a FO without side and back views!)

(Do not be fooled by this picture. That’s the most flattering angle of the sweater)

(Notice how I am not smiling in the pictures. There is a reason. The truth will be revealed soon)

(Way too oversized batwings.)

(Trust me, I can gain an additional 50 lbs and this sweater will still fit)

(The side that the French model never bothered to show you)

Pattern: Phildar Gilet No 416-T4-159, Sz 34/36

Materials: Jaeger Baby Merino DK (13 balls in Teal), Sz 4 circs, 2 el-cheapo Walmart buttons

Notes: The pattern, though French, was pretty straight forward because it didn’t contain complicated shapings. The finishing instructions though, were a hoot. Basically, this is what it said : “Attach fronts to the back piece. Don’t bother trying to match up the stitches because it is impossible. Look at the diagram and use it as a guide.” Hmph! Great. The yarn that I used is a superwash yarn, and when I wetblocked the pieces, it grew to monstrous proportions. What is it with superwash yarn and gigantic expansions? I think that’s what contributed to such a floppy looking sweater.

I had grand hopes for this sweater, and spent 8 hours seaming this beast. I was going to find a kick-ass furniture store and look for a similarly shaped couch that the model was standing in front of and do the exact same pose for kicks and giggles. And then, BAM!, I tried it on. “Meh…” was about the best emotion the resulting FO elicited. Just “meh”.

At first I wondered if I should just rip the sleeves apart, but it wouldn’t be a cardigan now, would it? I have decided in the end to just make peace with it and move on. Oh sure I’ll still wear it, we all need a tent sweater some time right?

And with that.. let’s move on to better pictures of the Pimlico shrug in the outdoors. This is a drastic improvement from my bathroom shots. We must end this point on a high note. Yes we must.

(ahh..much better)

(collar up)

(and again, what the pattern doesn’t show you in the book)

When did you first learn to knit? And why?

Back in 2005, I wanted a wrap sweater. I have long arms and a long-ish torso, and could not for the life of me find a wrap sweater that fits. On one fateful Saturday in WalMart, I picked up their “Teach yourself to knit” kit and that marked the beginning of a new obsession. After a weekend of casting on and binding off, I picked up the Stitch’n'Bitch Nation book and knit my first sweater – the Lucky Clover Wrap. Ever since then, I’ve knit several sweaters — cabled ones, simple raglans, boleros, and jackets.

Yet despite all that knitting, I have come to realize that the ones that I wear again and again, are the simple sweaters. Take for example, my Thermal. I wear it with a tank top underneath, or a 3/4 length shirt, and when the weather started getting a little colder, a long sleeved shirt. And my Raspy, a simple stockinette raglan that has seen numerous wears. And so when that Phildar Tendences 2007 issue arrived at my doorstep, this immediately caught my eye. But I really wanted to knit with Rowanspun 4ply – despite its slubby texture, and so I forged ahead.

Pattern: Phildar Tendences Printemps’07 Cardigan #18, Sz 34/36
Materials: 8 skeins (with lots leftover for seaming), 0 mm and 2.5mm needles, 3 3/4″ pearl buttons 

Notes: The pattern asks you to knit 8 pieces separately but I cheated. I knit the two front pieces and the back piece in one piece to the armhole, and continued separately. I added an extra stitch in the seam line to visually separate the front from the back, and also kept the beginning and edge of the rows with a selvedge stitch for easier seaming later on. Short-row shoulders, with a 3-needle bind off. The two front ribbed edges were attached to the front pieces using a crochet slip stitch (Note the slight puckering on one of the front edges), and the sleeves were knit the round.

The cardigan has 3 columns of stockinette detail in the fronts on a reverse stockinette background, so basically I would knit in the round in stockinette and just flip it inside out when I needed to seam. The collar was attached using simple backstitching.

(shown here: The knit column on the waist, and the decorative knit columns on the front)

(shown here: the right sleeve seam and the collar to body seam)

Now if you followed the pattern like I did for the buttonholes, that button size mentioned in the pattern will NEVER fit through the holes. Like, NEVER. So I settled for 3 el-cheapo 3/4″ buttons from Joann’s instead. Does the job if you ask me.

In the end, I like my yarn substitution. Wet-blocking Rowanspun really smoothed out the slubbiness and evened out my stitches, and I can predict many many wears in the future already.

And because I just totally raved about simple designs, I will now bite my own tongue and show you this.

(shown here: Fair isle swatch for my first Fair Isle Pullover)

It’s a hefty swatch. I’m having a hard time deciding which shade of grey to go with the yellow. The yarn is Harrisville New England Shetland: Cornsilk for the yellow, and Charcoal –> Dove Grey –> Suede (darkest to lightest). I am planning a simple shapeless potato sack pullover, something to lounge in for the cold weather, but in a bold brocade-ish pattern. Feel free to chime in and give me your two cents. All suggestions welcome.

And oh, in case you were wondering, I did get that pair of crochet slippers from my friend. He done good, y’all. The darn thing fits!

(pink feet make me happy)