Cuteness

This little sweater was such a joy to make. I loved choosing the colors. I loved knitting the rows of garter stitch. I loved the silky feel of the organic cotton yarn in my hands. 

I loved seeing the stripes pop every six rows. I even enjoyed picking up stitches for the sleeves and tiny button bands. And I loved stitching those tiny milky green buttons on at the very end.

The Bio Sesia 5 is a lovely yarn, perfect for a baby sweater. I was drawn to the bleached white, but I knew I could not knit the sweater in white. I paired it with the heathery grey, and I am so happy with the way the tiny stripes pop. The yarn is machine washable, organic, and so soft. We have a really nice color range, including some soft neutrals and rich colors.

I used the Little Baby Sweater pattern, a freebie from the Purl Bee. This is a great beginner pattern. The only tricky bit is picking up the stitches for the sleeves, but that wasn't so bad. Just a few stitches, really. I enjoyed knitting this tiny thing so much, I think I need to cast on for another.

Moxie

I finished something!  A whole sweater!  And I love it.  This is my Moxie.  I thought that I had missed sweater weather, but it looks like I will still have plenty of time to wear this before summer actually hits.

Amy Christoffers is one of my favorite designers, and this sweater is another winner for sure.  Let me tell you about my version.

It took me awhile to choose colors, but I ended up blatantly copying Amy's original.  My orange is Cascade Heritage Sock, and the brown is Rowan 4 Ply Soft.  The 4 Ply Soft has been discontinued, but it's basically a nice washable fingering weight wool.  Almost any doubled sock yarns will do.  Here's my swatch, for an up-close look.

As I consider the next one (or several) that I'd like to make, I was thinking about how cool a color-blocked version would be.  I would choose one neutral to use for the whole sweater, and then three or four shades to create an ombre effect.  Or stripes.  So many possibilities.  A friend of mine is making her Moxie with a solid and a variegated sock yarn held together, and it's turning out great, too.

I was going for big, slouchy, throw-on-over-my-pajamas kind of sweater, so I sized up a bit.  I made the 41" with about 4 inches of positive ease from my actual measurements.  I also skipped all waist shaping and just knit the body straight.  Perhaps not as flattering, but just fine with me.

The pattern will also work perfectly with a single strand of standard worsted weight like Cascade 220 or Berroco Ultra Alpaca.  (I have recently re-fell in love with Ultra Alpaca...more on that soon.)  I used a US6 for this, which I originally thought would be way too small.  But, I swatched and washed my swatch like a diligent knitter, and I'm so glad I did.  The fabric relaxed so nicely with a little soak, my gauge was spot-on, and the texture is like a cozy, squishy sweatshirt.  Perfecto.

Here We Are

Hi friends!  Sorry about that inadvertent blog break there.  I was busy knitting my fingers off in preparation for Christmas.  I tried to keep things simple, but I did end up knitting a hedgehog at the last moment.  It happens.

I also had to finish the mini Groovy ordered up by my youngest.  I loved knitting one for myself in the spring, so it wasn't too hard to agree.  I used one skein of Berroco Weekend DK, and I just knit until I ran out of yarn.  It was so nice to work with, and she loves it.

Now that I have finished the frantically-knitting-for-others phase, my attention is turning to selfish knitting.  Let me tell you what I'm thinking.

I have four skeins of the most beautiful green Harrisvile Highland sitting on the shelf waiting to become Tea With Jam and Bread. I have not yet chosen my contrasting colors, but I'll see what speaks to me when the time comes.  There are plenty of options.

Photo borrowed from Knitty.

I was so excited to see Streymoy in the most recent issue of Knitty.  This cardigan is not for the faint of heart, but it's the kind of garment you would pass down to the next generation.  The designer included so many thoughtful details, it's hard to believe it's a free pattern.  The pattern calls for Cascade Eco Wool and Eco+, a yarn that we love and keep well-stocked.

Photo borrowed from O-Wool site.

There are a few smaller projects percolating in my brain, too.  I have seen several lovely versions of the Garfunkel Hat, and I am so excited to try it out in the Debbie Bliss BFL DK.  We have a great color selection, and I think the texture of the yarn would be great for colorwork.  It's hard to tell, but it looks like there are at least three colors involved here, and I love the double-thick ribbed brim. 

Another Shibui No. 10 is on the list, too.  The sample I knit for the shop is pretty great, and I am a little tired of the glass head getting all the good hats.  We figured out that four skeins will make two hats with a little creative rearranging of colors.

This is what's knocking around in my head.  Now that the new year is almost upon us, what are you all knitting?

On the Needles

Hello, yarn loving friends!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season full of knitting, eating, and relaxation.  It seems like no matter how low I set the bar for holiday expectations around my house, I still seem to be "needed" much more than I would like by many short (and tall) people.  Sadly, the knitting suffers a bit.  Now, after many lovely people in my house, too much cleaning, multiple colds, and way too many no-school days, things seem to be returning to a more manageable pace.  Time to evaluate what's in the bag and on the needles.

I have been working on a sweater for myself since October, and the end is in sight.  Kaari has been on my list ever since Berroco released Norah Gaughan Volume 1 several years ago (still the best volume in my opinion).  

After much internal debate on yarn and color, I decided on Manos del Uruguay Rittenhouse in Brick.  I love the A-line shape of the sweater and the big smock pockets.  I just have to finish seaming and crank out the neckband.  I hope to be wearing it by next week.  I'm a bit concerned that it's going to be a little tight under the arms, but hopefully a good blocking will relax it a bit.  This yarn is so soft and wonderful, and I only needed 5 skeins for the sweater.

I have been working on felted Elf Shoes for my big girl, and she is getting impatient.  I'm using Manos Wool Clasica for the main body of the slipper, and a little Cascade 220 for the sweet little trim.  These things go so fast, especially in the kid's sizes; I really have no excuse for these taking so long.  I blame the fat double-pointed needles for slowing me down.  The pattern is free and very satisfying.  Even though elf season is closed, I think my girl will still love them.

Because she is cold when we play outside, I started a sweater for her, too.  The littlest girl gets all the good handmade hand-me-downs, but the big girl is sporting a ratty hoodie passed down from our neighbor.  I had three skeins of beautiful purpley blue Dream in Color Classy laying around, so I started Rubble from Alison Brookbanks of 6.5 Stitches.  I like the swingy quality of the design, perfect for a girl who gets hot and itchy in clingy sweaters.  I plan to block the bejezus out of all of the ribbing to keep it loose and relaxed.  It's going pretty fast, so hopefully I can show you some modeled shots soon.

I have a few other sweaters for myself on the needles, too.  Apparently I am a selfish knitter.

I started a cardigan last spring, and I put it down over the summer when it got too hot to have a big wad of sweater on my lap.  I'm not sure why I didn't pick it up again in the fall.  I guess I was seduced by new projects, but I do love my V-Yoke Cardigan from Interweave Knits Spring 2011 by Amy Christoffers.  I chose to stripe the lower portion, because I really like how the stripes show off the unusual construction of this sweater.  I'm making mine in sport weight wool (maybe that's why I stalled out), although the original was designed with Classic Elite Firefly, a linen blend.  I need to finish the body of the sweater, complete a serious I-cord bind off, and make some sleeves.  I'm hoping to have this by February, but please don't hold me to it.

I'm also working on a really unusual pullover from Amy Christoffers (I love her stuff), and it's striped, too, in a way.  It's the Division Pullover, knit with fingering weight yarn held both single and double to create a really interesting texture.  I'm using some silk/cotton we had in stock years ago, but any fingering or sock weight would be perfect.  I screwed up the armhole shaping, so I needed a little break from this project.  I'd love to have it ready for spring, which seems pretty reasonable at this point.

I am working on a little headband pattern for you all, too.  Hopefully I'll have that in the next week or two, provided I don't get taken down by another holiday or school closure.

Little Girl's Shrug

I intended to make this as a shop sample, but things did not work out that way. My four year old is very persuasive.

I used the Little Girl's Shrug pattern (#288), a top-down raglan design from Knitting Pure and Simple. I often recommend these patterns to knitters looking to start their first sweater. This style is easy to customize and there is no seaming.

The nice part about these little shrugs is that you learn the basics of sweater-making with a minimum of knitting. This particular pattern provides a chart for a lace edging rather than the ribbing, if you are so inclined.

I used Classic Elite Wool Bam Boo, which met with approval from the child. It soft and shiny and apparently the perfect shade of purple. The size 6 only took 2 balls, so the whole project came in at about $25.

It was a quick knit, too, which is good. Apparently I need to make another for the shop.

ETA: I forgot to mention...congratulations to Kathleen who won the swift and ball winder in our May raffle. Thank you for supporting our little shop!

Inspiring Patterns for Meaningful Yarns

Manos del Uruguay has been admitted to the WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization) for their work supporting farmers and artisans through individual cooperatives throughout Uruguay. The co-ops provide benefits for their members, including health insurance and pensions, and each tag is signed by an artisan who made the yarn. You can read more about their mission and history here and here.

Since we recently received a great big Manos shipment, I wanted to share a few new books to go along with all of that fabulous yarn.

Adirondack Accessories is full of projects from some very popular knitwear designers, including Laura Grutzeck and Melissa LaBarre. There are mittens, fingerless gloves, hats, cowls, and legwarmers to entice those of you looking for a little bit of (relatively) quick gratification. Even though the projects are on the smaller side, there is plenty going on to keep your attention.

There is colorwork, cabling, and some interesting details and construction techniques. The accessories are knit in Manos Silk Blend, Wool Clasica, and Rittenhouse. If you have been ogling any of these yarns, this little book gives you the perfect reason to welcome a few skeins into your fold. This book and few lovely skeins would also make a thoughtful gift for a fellow knitter.

We also have a book of sweater patterns, Rittenhouse Merino 5-Ply Collection 2: Just off the Square. (We still have a few copies of Collection 1: Community Garden, as well.) The designers have really played up the textured stitches in the book with pullovers, vests, and cardigans. To top it all off, Fairmount Fibers has a whole page of free patterns. I'm thinking about the Handful of Berries Mittens knit up in soft and vibrant Maxima or the Botany Kerchief knit with either Maxima or Rittenhouse.

Manos del Uruguay provides fiber artists with the opportunity to create handmade crafts from beautiful handmade yarn. If this connection to other artists appeals to you, stop by the shop and get inspired while we have a wonderful selection!