Watercolor Sweater

I've always been the kind of person that ate their least favorite candy first after Halloween, saving the "good stuff" for last. I did my least favorite homework first - usually math- and saved the reading until the boring stuff was done. I use up the plain instant oatmeal first, and save the apples and Cinnamon for last. If I clean, (notice I said "if") I do the worst task first - the bathroom. I have always been like this. I didn't realize i was like this in knitting, until I went to knit this sweater.

It shouldn't have been, but it was a total surprise that I enjoyed knitting a sweater that had all the boring stuff at the beginning, and saved the "good" stuff for the end. It was like a huge bonus for getting through! The body and sleeves are knit in Stockinette, flat. Then, you seam the raglan bits, pickup some stitches, and knit the yoke in the round. Now, because I like to get all the boring stuff done first, if at all possible, I did all the seaming before I did the yoke. Oh how the yoke was sweet, sweet reward!

Name: Watercolor

Pattern:Yoke Detail Sweater by Debbie Bliss

Yarn: Fiesta Naturalle Wool in Dyer's Bugloss

Needles: Knitpicks Harmony size 6

Notes: This pattern was well written, and frankly, really easy. The only change I made was to knit nupps on the yoke instead of bobbles, and I did one more set of decreases. Aside from being a PITA, bobbles are weird looking on grown up clothing to me. Accessories - fine, but sweaters? Nah. The neck, as written, was kind of a boat neck, but I thought the intended recipient would like a crew neck better, so a little more decreasing, and voila!

The yarn is really nice to work with. It is soft, and lofty - so smooth. I can't say anything poor about it! I choose it for this sweater because my brother's fiance is in school for Zoo science, and always concerned about animals and environmental impact. Fiesta Naturalle is dyed with natural, plant derived dyes, with minimal impact to the environment - something that I knew she would appreciate! I plan to include a label for her, not only because of washing instructions, but also because it has information about the plant, and the earth friendly processing!

Overall, I'm very pleased with this sweater although, I randomly guessed on the size, so everybody cross your fingers!!

edited to add: Yeah totally not going to fit her. I am instead giving it to someone else, and knitting her a different sweater. More on that next week....

I HAZ SWETTERZ

I'm a sweater machine

and I don't work for nobody but you

ye-ah baby!

I've been cranking away on the sweaters, semi-recently. I can't really say "recently", since I am including the near 2 months of almost total blog silence. Although, in knitting time, 2 months isn't that long....

I digress. I've been knitting, and surprisingly, completing sweaters! I've completed 2 adult size sweaters, and am rounding towards home on a third!

First up, my sweater KAL sweater!!

Name: Iceberg Lettuce

Pattern: Lettuce Sweater from Custom Knits

Yarn; Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted in Silver Sliver, 6 skeins

Needles: KP Options, 9, 10, 10.5, and 11

Notes: To quote the Yarn Harlot, "If I change the decreases on the sleeve, make the bust bigger, add shaping and short rows in the front and knitted darts to the back, subtract some length, leave off the collar, and change the neckline to a V... when/if it doesn't work out, I do not have the right to speak ill of the designer's abilities."

yeah. My sweater, besides the back yoke and front to the bustline, in no way resembles the pattern i set out to make. it has short rows, the skirt starts further down towards the waist, the sleeves have different cuffs, and the skirt has a different stitch pattern AND is shaped totally different as well. wee! I only had to rip back three times to make it fit properly...

But, I love it. I got it finished in time for Rhinebeck, and before the end of the KAL. Lamb's Pride is one of my favorite yarns, but man does it shed the first few times you wear it! The seat of the car I was sitting in on the way to Rhinebeck was coated in a nice thick layer of silver wool hairs. heehee.

I also knit a holiday gift sweater for my Mom!

Name: Mom's sweater

Pattern: Classic Open Silk Cardi from Classic Elite 9098

Yarn: Filatura Di Crosa "wave" in colorway 11

Needles: Knit Picks Options 5 and 7

Notes: My mom isn't a "fussy" sweater person. She likes clean lines, a little detail, and semi-fitted shapes. Mostly, she owns fine knits in Stockinette, maybe a few cables. Finding a pattern for her is oddly hard. But, I think I found a winner!

Purple is her favorite color, and this is one she should be able to wear well, based on her coloring. It knit up very quickly, even if it was a tad dull to knit. Frankly, this would be a great travel knit, since it doesn't require much thinking at all, and the pieces are small enough to be pretty portable. let's hope she likes it!!

Last up is another Holiday gift:

I'm to the part where I join the body and sleeves, and do some yoke knitting magic! This sweater is very... um.... plain to knit, until this point. It is like you get a treat for making it through the SS slog. good thing my "soon to be SIL Kate" is a small person. I also hope she likes it. She is a little bit tomboy, and a little bit girly - just like this sweater feels to me. (cross your fingers that she feels the same way!)