Catching Up with a Few Projects

It's been a while since I posted about knitting, but I haven't stopped knitting ha ha. Here are a few recent and older projects.

The picture above is of a scarf/cowl/neckwarmer I made for Akiko a long time ago--her daughter Alicia (in the picture) borrows it from her all the time. I decided that Alicia needed her own version; here it is in blue below. Both are made of worsted weight wool, and the information about the pattern is in my previous post here.

The lacy shawl below is "Phoenix," and the yarn is a DK weight camel and silk blend called "Tundra" from Pagewood Farms. I made it for my ballet teacher, Tamara, and she wears it with a lot of flair!

The sweater pattern on the left below is called "Brynna" and is made from a light worsted weight cotton "Cascade Ultra Pima." On the right is "Summer Flies" knit with the beautiful sport weight wool by Malabrigo "Arroyo." Both are real hits and I wear them a lot. I wear the little shawl as a scarf wrapped around my neck. All the patterns can be found at ravelry.

A Little Bit Different Sort of Baby Sweater

This was a fun and quick project that had some interesting details and techniques. As you can see, it is a simple hooded baby cardigan or jacket. What is different is that it was knit in two pieces--each starting with the sleeve cuff and working towards the center. Then the two sides were grafted together using kitchener stitch (thanks to Greg for reading the directions out loud to me while I did the stitch!).

The pattern is "Babies and Bears" by Carol Anderson and Kristi Williams, and the yarn is my new favorite Juniper Farms "Sabine," a worsted weight wool and cotton blend. I used the silver buttons to give it a bit of a Nordic flair.

This is where the grafting was done on the back...can you see it?

More on the Berry Theme

Just finished this sweater: the pattern is a top-down style called "Laurel" by designer Marie Grace Smith with some of my own modifications. The yarn, a cotton wool blend by Juniper Moon Farm "Sabine," is a color called "Berry Farm." Below is a picture of the lace detail at the sleeves and hem.

Happy Fall!

Finished Project Roundup

Good friend and favorite knit-wear model Josie is back in Spokane for a bit, so we took some photos of a few of my latest projects. Some of these have appeared here before, but I can't resist showing them again so nicely modeled. The pictures were taken in our apartment--you can get a sense of the spectacular view I've been wanting to show you.

Lola Little Colonnade

Quick Sock Yarn Scarf

Quick and Cozy Cabled Cowl

Simple Ribbed Shrug

Catching Up with Projects

It's been a while since I've posted any finished projects, so tonight I thought I would try to remedy that just a bit. In addition to the things shown here, I've finished three pairs of socks, a dishcloth or two, and maybe even yet another scarf or shawlette. The picture of me is a little scary, I know.

This is the "Featherlishous Neck Warmer," designed by Victoria Myers and knitted with Araucania "Aysen," an absolutely gorgeous worsted weight yarn made of merino wool, alpaca and silk. I remember I just had to have this yarn, and then it took some time until I found a good way to use it (typical for yarn addicts!). I enjoy wearing this a lot because it is very warm and fits nicely around my neck without having to worry about wrapping and securing the ends (it is one circular piece).

Scarves, shawls, and shawlettes are very popular to knit and to wear right now--I make them often and really do enjoy wearing them. Here is Stephen West's "Little Colonnade" knitted in "Lola," a hand-painted, super soft worsted weight yarn. Because the yarn is so soft and drapes so nicely, I can scrunch this up and put it in my purse or bag and then put it over my shoulders in over-air-conditioned restaurants or stores. In the winter I will wear it with the bottom of the triangle in front and the ends wrapped around my neck.

Some time ago Akiko mentioned that she liked a crocheted tank top I had made, so I made one for her too. The pattern is "Sweet Tea" by Doris Chan, and the yarn is a silk and wool sport-weight blend by Mirasol Yarn Nuna.

And here's "Edwin's Sweater II" for the son of friends in Munich. The pattern is called "Children's Neck Down Cardigan,"  by Diane Soucy and the yarn is Paton's "Decor," a wool and acrylic blend that is self-striping. I used my favorite method of sweater knitting for this--it is made all in one piece with no seams.

April Update

Life has been very busy since I got back from New Zealand three weeks ago. It seems there are never-ending household chores to attend to, and now there are even more since we decided to put the house up for sale. Then there are the dogs...they'll take as much care and attention as you can give them. Then there are the miscellaneous things, like trying to open up the cabin for the season, discovering the pipes had frozen, and dealing with the consequences of all of that...sigh.

I've also been translating poetry in my spare time and reading and translating Old English. I've put together a panel presentation for the fall conference of the American Literary Translators Association as well.

But, of course, I'm still knitting! I've been trying to do some serious stash busting. Above is a scarf I made out of mohair purchased in New Zealand, and below is "Fran's Sweater."



On Monday I leave for another semester in Munich.

I'm back in Spokane!

I returned home on Thursday after the usual grueling 24 hour trip across the big pond. It's great to be here with my little dogs...now if only my husband would return. But I'll see him soon, as I'm leaving to New Zealand in just one week!

A couple of finished projects are posted below. The sweater is made of two strands of light worsted weight wool held together (purchased in Munich...I forgot to note the brand name); it is really warm and fun to wear. I found the pin holding the fronts together at a small shop in Munich where the owner makes all kinds of jewelry from polished stones.

The socks are made of a self-striping sport weight wool and nylon blend by Schoeller Stahl and called "Limbo Mexiko." I like the way the stripes don't quite match.

I've always wanted to feature finished projects by friends, as well as my own, and here's an opportunity: The cross stitch teapot was done by Karen; I found it as a surprise early birthday gift in my mailbox yesterday. I love the warm red and yellow colors.

New Year, New Projects

During these two weeks at home I had planned to get so much knitting done, but somehow, I managed to do very little. However, I do have one finished project to show off...the third of the five Christmas stockings for Sigrid has been completed! I love the colors she chose and am enjoying seeing how each different pattern works up with these colors.

On my desk below you can see my other projects that are lined up: I've started a pair of socks for me, the purple yarn that is supposed to be Fran's sweater is there, and in the bag are several balls of a super-bulky off-white wool that are waiting to be turned into I don't know what.



This reminds me of my New Year's resolution: not to have quite so many projects going at once! I'd like to limit it to two at a time (a quick one and a slow one), instead of the current 4 or 5 at a time, which inevitably leads to such a loss of interest in a couple of them that they are later frogged and turned into something else or the yarn is stashed for a good long while.

I wish you all a happy and productive New Year, and good luck with your resolutions (if you have them)!

Edwin's Sweater and a Warm Scarf

As busy as I am here, I try to fit in knitting almost every day. It's my therapy! Here are a couple of recent finished projects.

Friends in Munich just had a baby, so they got a little blue sweater with some cute sheep buttons.



Here's a close-up of the very soft yarn (Lana Grossa Cinque, worsted-weight, wool and acrylic blend) and the cute buttons. The pattern is "Babies Neckdown Cardigan" by Knitting Pure and Simple.



I found some fun yarn on sale and made this very warm scarf/shawl. The yarn, called "Gedifra Seymor Double," is a bulky-weight wool and acrylic blend; the pattern is from ravelry: "Merino Stripes Wide Scarf."



Speaking of scarves, I frogged (unraveled) the mobius! I really liked it, but when I tried to unravel part of it to fix a mistake, I started unraveling at the wrong end, and then it was impossible to recover the rest. So now the yarn is sitting in balls waiting to be turned into another scarf or mobius.

A Couple of Finished Projects

The Christmas stocking is for Greg's sister Sigrid and her family; it's the first in the set I'm making for her in colors that she chose--burgandy, forest green and off-white. The pattern is from a knitting magazine from the 1990s, and the yarn is Lamb's Pride worsted weight wool.

This is yet another Stefanie Japel sweater from her book Fitted Knits. I made it before in the bulky weight yarn the pattern called for, but I thought it looked terrible on me (I gave it away to a friend who says she loves it!). I liked the style of this cardigan so much that I wanted to try it again, so this time I did it with worsted weight wool, and I lengthened the ribbing and started it just under the bust line. I also changed the short sleeves of the pattern to 3/4 length. Like all Stefanie Japel patterns, this sweater was knitted from the top-down in one piece. The yarn is Moda Dea washable wool.

Now I'm concentrating on finishing a nice warm scarf for me here in Munich--it's already very cold!

At Last, Some Knitting News

Today I actually have a couple of items to post about my knitting activity. The first is that I finished this shrug in just a matter of weeks. Participating in a "Knit Along" (KAL) that I found on the Lion Brand blog helped this go so quickly. I was eager to do this particular KAL because one of my favorite designers, Stefanie Japel, was leading it. The pattern for the shrug was the first post, and then each week, she posted pictures of the progress of the sweater and detailed instructions. Other people following the KAL could post their pictures as well. It really kept me motivated to finish the sweater and not get side-tracked and bored, as I often do. (Friend Josie is modeling for me--actually, she got the sweater because it looks so cute on her).

The yarn is "Cascade 220 Heather," 100% wool. Here you can see the interesting texture of the shrug:



Below I have a picture of some new stash! It's called "Linea Pura" by Lana Grosse and is a worsted-weight, subtly variagated blend of soy, bamboo, and cotton, all organic. The drape is lovely.

Baby Sweater

Here's the sweater I just finished for Joanna's new baby. The yarn, a nubby cotton acrylic blend by Plymouth in a DK weight, came with the pattern and the buttons. The sweater is very soft and is machine washable.

Chan Vest and Akiko's Sweater

It did not take long to finish the Doris Chan vest after I decided to apply myself to it, and here it is...it looks very cute on, but I didn't want to post yet another picture of me in a vest! Crochet is really a lot faster than knitting, but I had a lot of trouble with the beginning of this. Now I have the confidence to try a sweater with sleeves of Chan's.



Here's Akiko modeling her new sweater (she really makes it look good!):



In other project news, the past week has been very hectic as I had to prepare and submit two grant applications. This meant I had to revise and fine tune several pages of my latest translation project to turn in with the applications, and the actual process of applying is quite elaborate as well. It's highly unlikely that I will get either grant (I'm not being modest, just realistic!), but I'm so glad I did this because it was really a learning experience, and now I am ready to apply for grants in the future. I am amazed at how much I am learning in life at this late stage, but it's exciting because I appreciate it so much now.

Olive Vest

The vest I started just before Christmas is done...I worked on it a lot in California. It is warm and comfy and fun to wear, but I think it would look better without the cast!

Christmas Plans and Projects

We are on pins and needles here, wondering if we will all be able to fly to Southern California to spend the holidays with Greg's parents. Greg and I leave on the 24th early in the morning, so I think we'll just make it before the coming snow storm. Chris is scheduled to leave on the 25th from Spokane, and Conrad on the same day from Seattle. I think the Seattle airport is having a harder time getting its flights out than we are because they weren't at all prepared for snow, whereas we more or less are. I hope all of us, and all of you, get to our holiday destinations!

To add a little holiday cheer, here's one of my favorite Christmas pictures of "Strohsterne," typical German tree decorations.

And now...a finished project! Here's a picture of Akiko's ballet sweater. I'll post another one later of her modeling it.

What would an entry be like without a picture of yet another WIP? I just started it yesterday, but I've had the yarn for a while. So in a way, it's not really a new project (I mean, I haven't spent money on more yarn!). It's a vest that I am knitting in the round, from the bottom up. The pattern was downloaded from http://www.tahkistacycharles.com/ and is called "Rocky Knit V-Neck Vest with Olympic Trim." The yarns are "Rocky," a thick and thin light bulky weight wool blend with bits of color blended into the main color, and "Olympic," a worsted weight wool blend. The pattern calls for knitting the front and back in two separate sections, but I decided to make it seamless, in the round. When I get to the armhole shaping, I will change to knitting each side separately. I especially like the bottom ribbing which is twisted.

We wish you all "Frohe Weihnachten!"

Early December Progress

Akiko's sweater now has sleeves, and most of the body has been knitted. I still have about an inch more to knit on the bottom, and then I will add a ribbed band and a collar. The sweater is meant to be short--it's actually more of a bolero. It's exciting to see it this far along!

Here's a picture of the crochet vest I've started from the Doris Chan book. The straps and neckline will be added after the body has been worked.

I just got back from meeting my good friend Larayne (from our Montana days) in Coeur d'Alene. We haven't seen each other in several years, and we had a lot of news to catch up on. We also happened to find a yarn store, and, well, you know how that goes...I now have some beautiful gold yarn in my stash! Here are the details: it's made by Cascade Yarns, is called "Lana Grande," and is 100 % wool. It's a bulky-weight yarn that knits up at 2 stiches to the inch, so my project will go fast, once I get started.

It's Taking Shape!

Akiko's ballet sweater now has the sleeve stitches on pieces of scrap yarn so that I can finish working the body of the sweater. Then I'll go back and knit the sleeves in the round and add a collar.

I should be farther along on this, but I have gotten distracted, as usual. I ordered the book by Doris Chan called Everyday Crochet and have been trying to make a vest in it. Chan's sweaters are absolutely stunning, but her patterns are very difficult to read. Reading knitting and crochet patterns is a little like reading a foreign language; I would say that Chan writes her patterns in her own special crochet dialect. Anyway, I got pretty far along on the vest and had to completely unravel it. This wasn't only because the pattern was hard to figure out--my guage was off. I knew it was all along, but I thought I could compensate for it. I should have known better!

Ballet Sweater Beginning

The adult ballet-style sweater for Akiko is currently on the needles! The yarn is wonderful to work with--I'll definitely use it for other projects in the future. Maybe I need a ballet sweater too?...

You can see how this sweater is constructed--it is knit all in one piece on one circular needle. Soon I will work on the sleeves (on the left and right sides of the piece) separately, and then I'll continue with the body. It's kind of hard to explain, but the pictures will make it clear, I think.

And the second sock is progressing, although now I'm completely obsessed with the ballet sweater, so it may not progress very quickly. In the picture you can see that I've worked and "turned" the heel. The turning of the heel of a sock is an almost miraculous process, not difficult to do, but nevertheless astounding. After the heel is turned, there's only a little shaping left to do, and lots of knitting round and round, so the sock is soon finished--provided one works on it!

Josie's Sweater

Josie stopped by recently wearing a sweater I gave her last summer. The pattern is from Stefanie Japel's book Fitted Knits, and the yarn is Lion Brand's "Thick and Quick." This sweater was so much fun to make because it knits up quickly and because it is knit all in one piece. There are no seams to sew at all.

I think Josie should take up modeling!

More Projects

Akiko really liked the pink ballet sweater, so I offered to make one for her too. The problem is that I couldn't find an adult pattern that was similar to the child's sweater, and I'm not very good at figuring out how to knit things without a pattern (although I'd like to learn how to do that at some point). But then we realized that Akiko is so small--maybe a size 0 or 2--that we could use the large size on the child's pattern. So that's the plan! I could probably figure out how to lengthen the body or sleeves a bit if needed. Here's a picture of the yarn I bought for Akiko's sweater:

It's a worsted weight 100% wool called "Cascade 220." It's very soft to the touch, and the pink is absolutely luscious.

Like any good knitter, I have several WIPs (Works In Progress) to show as well. I wonder how bad I am about starting a new project before I've finished the last one--I usually have 3-4 going at once. That's why I don't finish my projects very quickly I suppose, but it keeps it interesting for me. I wonder what the average number of WIPs is for knitters...

Below is a recently started vest for a little boy (Tracey, this one's for you). I'm making the smallest size, which looks like it would fit a 2 year old. I like to give baby gifts that the kid can grow into, so this would qualify since the baby is only 3 months old right now! The yarn is a softly variegated worsted weight wool made in Italy called "Vero." It's fun to knit with because you can see the stripe pattern develop as you go, and this yarn feels marvellous--soft, yet substantial. The pattern is from Naturally Fashion Collection #FC21.

Finally, here's a picture of a lace scarf I started during the summer. The yarn is a wool and silk blend 2 ply from Naturally called "Dawn." I've never knit a lace pattern before so I chose this very easy one to start with. The pattern is also from Naturally, #N1089.

I'll save my other WIPs for a later blog (yes, there are more).