Category Archives: sweater

Almost A Finished Raglan

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Hello yarn chicken, my old friend. I am cruising through body of PB’s Good Ole Raglan but I am almost out of black yarn.

The sweater is still kind of short for my long bodied child. I think my plan is to knit until I am almost out of black yarn and then use some of the blue Hedgehog Fibers for the bottom ribbing band. It’s going to have to be a skinny band because I still need to knit the sleeves with the blue. Almost certainly they are going to be short sleeves to maybe three quarter sleeves.

I am confident I can eek out a manageable sweater out of this yarn. But darn I think it’s going to be yarn chicken all the way!

Cast On: Good Ole Raglan

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After finishing my Radiate I looked at my leftovers and thought “I bet I could make PB a sweater from that.” So when I was attending the 2020 Nomad Yarn Virtual Retreat I decided this was going to be my “retreat project”.

I found simple top down raglan patter on Ravelry that fit my gauge and yarn yardage. It was the Good Ole Raglan by Karen O’Hanlon Cohrt. I grabbed my needles and just dug in. This pattern has a very interesting approach to raglan increases that I have never tried before. I’m intrigued to see what kind of fit this approach gives.

I am making the 5-6 size in the pattern. PB is running in the 4T to 5T category so I erred on the “too big” side of caution. I am going to do the yoke in this Hedgehog Fibers Deep End colorway and then I will use my remaining TreasureGoddess black yarn to finish the body to mimic my Radiate sweater. At this point I am not sure how far the black yarn will get me. I may have to do the sleeves in the contrast color or perhaps even stripe them? I’ll just figure that out when I get there, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Progress ON DK Ripple Bralet #2

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After my first and failed attempt at the DK Ripple Bralet, I have successfully cast on and I’m well into my second attempt. This one is two sizes bigger than before and my gauge is in the zone.

I powered through the twisted 1×1 rib and I’m comfortably into the body of the bralet. I didn’t bother winding my yarn into a cake and I’m just working from my ball of yarn I made while frogging. I have virtual accounting leadership conference coming up soon and I’m hoping to power through more of the body.

Though it does take my brain some thinking to do 3×3 rib when my autopilot instinct is 2×2 rib. But after 10 years of knitting, my fingers can feel when I am trying to do the wrong stitch and it’s pretty easy to switch. Fingers crossed I can get this done before true winter sets in here in Kansas.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Saturday: Radiate

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Don’t mind me, I’m over here on cloud nine and reveling in fall weather. My Radiate is complete and I am over the moon. Thank goodness for portrait mode in iPhone and actually putting on jeans and makeup. Really gives a good mood boost in the dumpster fire that is 2020.

Pattern: Radiate by Jojo Locatelli

Yarn: Hedgehog Fibers DK in Deep End (blue) and Treasure Goddess Yarns DK Treasures in Gundpower

Needles: US 6s

Mods: Split hem at the bottom instead of a bottom solid band

I may have lengthened this sweater to cover my shelter in place enhanced bum. But I think the length really ends up flattering around what is usually my thickest section. I couldn’t be more happy with how the indie dyed black yarn played out. Absolutely no issues with pooling, flashing or lines between my skeins. But I did alternate skeins using the helical method.

I used less than one skein of the blue color and just under four and a half skeins of the main black color. All told I used 1,380 yards of DK weight yarn for the large to extra large size. I honestly can’t remember what I picked. But all told I it’s five skeins of DK yarn.

I wore this sweater to my virtual knitting retreat this past weekend and I got lots of Ooohs and Aaahs from the attendees. I can’t wait until it’s cold enough here to wear to work!

Happy Knitting!!

Blocking Radiate

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It’s blocking time humans! My Radiate is complete except for the binding off of the sleeves. I have blocked this baby in a nice sink bath and I have set it in front of a fan to dry.

I am really pleased with how the yoke blocked out and the sleeves did grow a bit. I am glad I didn’t bind off the sleeves first. The yarn really softened nicely and this is going to be a lovely thin lightweight but warm sweater.

For this to be a FO I need to bind off the sleeves and convince my husband to take some real photos. Fingers crossed I get that done this week!

Happy Knitting!!

Almost A Radiate Sweater

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Knit night zoom knitting did the trick. I have an almost finished Radiate! And don’t worry the sleeves are the same number of rows and do actually match. I made sure to mark my decreases and count my rows to match on the second sleeve.

I have not bound off the sleeves as the body is superwash yarn. I plant to soak and block the sweater to see how much it is inevitably going to grow. That way I can add or subtract sleeve length if needed.

I do need to weave in the ends still. But otherwise I’m SUPER happy to have an almost finished sweater. And it helps that this a ton of yards of yarn out of my stash and clearing my needles for the 2020 Pigskin Party KAL that started 9/25.

Happy Knitting!!

I Found A Knitting Group

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I have reached that point of 2020, as great as I get along as an introvert, I needed PEOPLE. And I needed MY people. A few of the knitting podcasts I listen to have been referencing Zoom knit nights that are open to anyone and I finally bit the bullet and showed up to one.

I was nervous because I didn’t know anyone on the call. But I grabbed my Radiate and a glass of wine and showed up anyway. And like most all in the knitting community they were kind and welcoming and it was an amazing night. I mostly just enjoyed seeing other people’s project and listening to the banter. I didn’t feel like I was intruding and they seemed genuinely happy to have new people in the group.

Bonus, I also made good progress on my second Radiate sleeve. I might have a finished thing soon!

Happy Knitting

Just Be A Sweater Already

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Hello from DK weight yarn sleeve island! It’s a balmy 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in Kansas and it’s hampering my desire to knit with a full sweater in my lap. I really am ready for my Radiate to just magically turn into a sweater already.

Sleeve number on is complete with all my decreases marked with super fancy paper clips. And I’m roughly halfway through the decrease on sleeve number two. I have plenty of yarn and I’m not seeing any discernable pooling with the black. So I think this is the home stretch. I just need to find the mojo!

Happy Knitting!!

Recasting On DK Ripple Bralet

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I got over my disappointment for my first attempt at the DK Ripple bralet and re-cast on. I went up two whole pattern sizes this time to account for my gauge in the first go around.

I managed to complete the stretchy cast on again and get working in the round for the 1×1 twisted rib. Twisted rib is not my favorite but it doesn’t last long for this project. I think I may sit this one aside for a bit until I can finish the sleeves on my Radiate pullover. I really feel like I need another FO win to boost my mojo.

So for now, I think I’ll stick to one sweater a time! Happy Knitting!!

Radiate Sleeves

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My Radiate body is complete and I’m squarely into swimming on sleeve island!

I managed to slip on this garment and I’m pleased to report that it fits. It does need a good blocking for the fabric to relax into that good sweatshirt style fit I want. I’m super pleased with my alternating skeins of the hand dyed yarn. I can’t discern any pooling or flashing in the sweater body. I do not plan to alternate skeins on the first sleeve. I have enough yarn left over that I can knit the full sleeve from the same skein of yarn.

I can FEEL this sweater almost being done. So I’m hoping to power through the sleeves so I can have another fall sweater.

Happy Knitting!!