WIP Wednesday: Cuff to Cuff Sweater

My knitting time is basically nonexistent now that I’m nursing Jellybean. But I manage a few rows here and there when he is napping or chilling in someone else’s arms.

Since my last post on this sweater I had completed the sleeve and now I’ve finished the first front/side panel (depending on how you look at it). I’m now working the back portion of the sweater!

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(The true color is closer to the first photo)

These few stitches here and there really help me find my center in the midst of baby poop, crying, laughing, and nursing. This motherhood stuff is no joke and I’ve never been so tired in my entire life. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Pardon me while I go take a short nap whilst Jellybean is down for the count as well!

Happy Knitting!

Sometimes It Just Doesn’t Work Out

I finished my Simple Baby Pullover this week…..but something went terribly wonky. My sweater is huge!

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Pattern: A Simple Baby Pullover by Erica Kempf

Yarn: Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton in Pistachio

Needles: US 8

Size: 0-3 months (But this didn’t turn out)

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Now, before you ask, I didn’t swatch for gauge. But this is a yarn and needle size I use a lot so I was comfortable skipping that step. Now I don’t know if I should have done that or if something in the pattern is wonky. The pattern is the same for all sizes in the beginning when you are working the yoke section. The larger sizes get more raglan increases than the smaller sizes. And of course the lengths are different.

I should have come out with a 17 1/2 in chest. I came up with a whopping 22 inches (1-2 yr size). Then the pattern wanted me to work to a total sweater length of 8 inches. Well with my width that would have made this sweater a baby midriff, lol! So I worked to a total of 11 inches to match the 1-2 size that my chest measurement came out to.

I should have only used 1 or so skeins of yarn. But I consumed 2 full skeins! That translates to 206 yard or 170 grams. I had plenty enough yarn so it wasn’t a huge deal.

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It’s a pretty FO, but I was disappointed. Not sure if I did something wrong or the pattern needs to be adjusted for yarn/guage? I noticed on Ravelry (after the fact) that there were a lot mods in other’s projects. But at least 121 other people have worked this sweater so it can’t be all bad!

My verdict? It’s a nice sweater but not a pattern I would knit again. I have some others in my queue that need testing….(rubbing her hands like a disney villian)…..

Happy Knitting!

Sometimes….It Just Doesn’t Work

I have bad news for my Jericho Blanket….it’s hit the frog pond.

This pattern is gorgeous, but I just wasn’t feeling the yarn/pattern combo. I just didn’t feel the drive to keep working on it and I didn’t even get past my first color change. I didn’t want it to languish so I pulled the plug.

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Instead of a written pattern, I have decided to move forward with an improvised pattern of my own. I cast on a bunch of stitches (you like my exactness? lol) and started working back and forth in stockinette. I will work 3 inch stripes of each color (black, grey, wheat, and cream) until I run out of yarn or the blanket gets big enough.

Then I plan on picking up and adding a seed stitch border in black around the outside. I’m slipping the stitches on each side so that they are easy to pick up later. I feel much better about this project and I have the mojo to keep working.

And I will donate my blanket to the local animal shelter!! It’s cold out and every fur baby deserves a good snuggle blanket. Don’t you think?

Happy Knitting!

Progress: Abalone!

Remember the other sweater I was going to finish on Christmas vacation? Yeah well, this is that I got done on my Abalone

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I finished up the last of the stockinette body section (right at 17 inches) and promptly separated for the sleeves. God bless stitch holders!

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Now I get to work just under 8 inches of arm/shoulder sections. They are worked separately and then seamed together using a three needle bind off. I’m well on my way to meet my January 15th deadline. And this the second to last project I need to finish for my 2013 stashbustin’ projects, yippee!!!

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Now if you will excuse me, I have some quiet knitting and coffee sipping to do before I head off to my big kid job!

WIP Wednesday: Nutmeg

My Stashbustin’ #37 or my Nutmeg sweater finally has matching sleeves!

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After yesterday’s sleeve folly, I worked all night to finish both sleeves. Gotta love the speed of bulky yarn. I chose to knit garter ribbed cuffs on both sleeves. It really provided a nice and neat finish to the sleeve and kept it from rolling

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Now I just have to cruise along on the body section and I’ll be finished! I’ll work the same garter rib at the hem of the sweater. I still have 1 1/3 skein of yarn left so now worries about running out of yarn. It’s taken a turn for the cold here in Kansas so I’m itching to wear this sweater!!

Happy Knitting!

WIP Wednesday: Sleeves

My Nutmeg sweater or Stashbustin’ #37 is getting sleeves!!

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I was swimming along the body section and noticed my yarn quickly disappearing. I decided to pause on the body and work the sleeves (oh the joy of interchangeable needles!) lest I run out of yarn.

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I’m one sleeve down and quickly dispensing with the second. They are quite lovely and are giving me the tight fit I was missing on my Brick sweater. I am finding once again that I have to cut out a few pattern repeats on the sleeves to fit my shortish arms. I also opted for garter ribbed sleeve cuffs.

Now, when I’m done I will then work the remaining body either to my desired length or until I run out of yarn, lol. And I’m definitely going to use the garter ribs for the hem. I think it looks very sharp!

Happy Knitting!

WIP Wednesday: Nutmeg

WIP Wednesday: Nutmeg Sweater or Stashbustin’ #37

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I have finally conquered my early hurdles in this sweater. I am finding that I like lifted left and right increases for top down raglan sweaters. They just look much neater to this knitters eye. And I can knit them “twisted” so I can reduce the appearance of holes.

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Pardon the dog hair. I have a white dog and his hair is EVERYWHERE!!! No matter how much I dust or vacuum. Nonetheless, I have finally divided for the sleeves and I’m working down the body. Miles and miles of stockinette but I find that it suits me and my current mood.

For a bulky sweater, this is creating a fairly dense fabric. This will definitely be a warm sweater for this winter. I haven’t been working monogamously on this, but it is growing!

My only decision left is if I am going to work the hem as written with a rolled edge to match the neckline? I am waffling….perhaps a 2×2 rib for a few rows?

Any thoughts out there?

Snails Pace Sweater

WIP update on my Stashbustin’ #38 sweater, Sophisticate!

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At my last post, I had just divided for the body and separated the sleeves. Since then I have only completed the waist decreases section.  I’m afraid I have a case of the “too many WIPs” and this sweater is suffering.

I manage a few rows here and there. So I’m showing you guys to keep myself honest. I don’t want this to fall to the bottom my knitting pile. I really want to wear this sweater this winter.

Anyone else have a case of the “WIPs”?

FO Friday: Brick

Stashbustin’ #33 is complete!

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Love love love this sweater!! Despite all the ups and downs it came out wonderfully.  And after a bath and some drying time it’s ready to wear just in time for fall!

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Nice and roomy and I had just enough yarn for the project. Only have a skein left! I used 452 grams or 4 1/2 skeins of Berroco Vintage DK. That’s about 980.8 yards of yarn in one garment! Start to finish I think this garment took about three weeks?

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My one complaint is that the sleeves are still pretty loose even with knitting the tapered instructions. As I have said before my arms are not necessarily proportional to the rest of my body, lol. So as I was knitting I noticed the sleeve getting very long and I still have an entire decrease section to do before the ribbing. I measured and confirmed my fears. So I only worked five total decreases in the tapered sleeves with the final decrease having only 8 rows of stockinette following it. This solved my length problem but I feel the sleeves deserved to be tapered more to fit my arms.

I managed to make both sleeves match this alternation. So I didn’t have the heart to rip out and re-do. Besides this is going to be my cozy winter sweater anyway!

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P.S. Totally wish I was headed to Rhinebeck and this was my sweater….

TGIF and Happy Knitting!!!

A Brick Update

Huzzah! I have one sleeve complete!! And it’s a pretty one to boot, if I do say so myself! It only took me a couple evenings to finish one sleeve since I picked up at the armholes.

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This pattern has tested my patience, but I’m finally feeling in the groove. Here’s hoping I can slog along on the second sleeve and have this sweater ready for a bath by the weekend!

I did have to do some pattern mods to shorten the sleeve. But I’ll wait to finish the second sleeve before I post them.  Here’s hoping I can make them match! Apparently I have moderate T-Rex problem when it comes to the length of my arms in relations to my torso. Ugh…

Until then, Happy Knitting!!!