Category Archives: sweater

Two years ago…

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…I made this top.  It was too large and knew it would end up on the Island of Misfit Knitting.

So I ripped it apart and chose a different pattern: Drops Design Sunny Day Top #170/32.  It’s been almost finished for over a year.  What was the problem?

I had to weave in the ends.

The yarn is a 50g, 90-yard ball of a cotton/acrylic/nylon blend in DK weight.  I used almost all eight balls.  I have 28 grams left and I wish I would have made a top-down top so I could use every last inch.  Alas, that was not the case.

Saturday morning found me weaving in the ends.

And now I can call it FINISHED!

I’m a bit hunched over so you can see the eyelet details but I think I look like a linebacker.

Have you finished anything lately?

 

Something’s not right

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I finished the grey cardi and something’s not right with the button band at the neckline.  Blocking will not correct that.

It’s too, I don’t know, angular.  Too out there.  Plus it sticks up too far from the top button marked with the yellow stitch marker.

The button band begins at one bottom edge, goes up to the neckline and continues around to the opposite side and back down to the bottom edge. A total of 304+ stitches!

I did a kfb (knit in the front and back) of the stitch before the turn at the neckline and after to keep the corner from puckering.  I don’t like how it looks so I will rip out the last few rows of the button band and try to make that turn less sharp and more rounded.  Or move the buttonholes.

Then I can block it and find some buttons for the win.

Grey cardi

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I’ve been working on another top-down cardigan for myself following the same outline as the one I knit last April/May.  Yeah, the one that is too large but is still in sweater form.  I thought that it might fit better over a heavier turtleneck, however, I was wrong.  That sweater will be ripped apart and remade.  Someday.

Anyway, I bought enough of this Red Heart Tweed yarn ages ago* (maybe 15-18 years ago?) and tried to knit myself a sweater.  I loved the tweedy bits of aqua, purple, yellow and orange mixed in with the various shades of grey and white. 

I did a gauge swatch and it was off and thought that it didn’t matter all that much.  It did.  It was too small.  The yarn was turned back into balls and remained in the stash until I could face it again.  So I decided to try another top-down cardi after I knit another gauge swatch.  Yes, I did.

Most of the body is knit though I’m waiting to see how long I can make it once the sleeves are finished.  One sleeve is done and I tried it on.  Too tight.  I fudged a bit on the decreases as I thought the sleeves might be too loose and once again, I was wrong.  So I’ll be ripping back to the first decrease and FOLLOWING THE #@&% DIRECTIONS!  

* way before I became a yarn snob

Q and A time

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I don’t think I’ve ever snagged a Q and A before but I couldn’t help it when I read this post by Karen from NothingButKnit.

Her knitting mojo (and mine) is on vacation and she thought this Q and A might help find it.  Feel free to answer* regardless of your craft: knitting, crocheting, sewing, painting, photography, or whatever you enjoy…

  1. What technique were you surprised that you enjoyed?
  2. What technique do you want to love but don’t?
  3. What is your favorite item to make?
  4. You’re only allowed to knit with one yarn weight forever. What weight is it and why?
  5. What item that you made is your all time favorite?

My answers:

  1. Colorwork.  My first colorwork project was the Traveler’s Pocket by Nancy Bush.  I LOVED doing colorwork so much that I designed my own pattern based on her design.
  2. Hmmm.  I’m weird in that I’m not a fan of knitting with circular needles but I use them.  In fact I’ll be trying the 2-at-a-time sock technique soon.
  3. Socks.  And shawls are a close second.
  4. Fingering weight as it is so versatile.  It can be held double or triple to make a different weight.
  5. My Dots and Stripes purse is my all time favorite.  My first pair of socks is my second.

*Answer in the comments or link to your blog.  Thanks!