Tag Archives: sweater

Round and Round

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I have been in need of some zen knitting lately with stress and extra work of remodeling my kitchen and office flooring. And my Worsted Boxy has fit the bill!

After reading some other project notes, I decided to double the ribbing from four to eight rows. This was theoretically to prevent flipping of the hem. As I’m knitting I’m still getting a lot roll and flip. But I’ll withhold judgement until it’s blocked.

I’m about halfway through my first skein and I’m thus far with the fabric I’m making. This has been the only project I have been able to pick up and work on after I’m exhausted from flooring. And boy howdy does 200+ stitches take a LONG time to work a round. With luck I may have this knit by fall?

Happy knitting!!

Cast On: Worsted Boxy

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I consistently find myself late to any and all knitting trends. I mean I knit my first fade only this year and how long has that been around? I have been finding myself attracted to some boxy garments lately. I have been working on my post-PB baby weight loss and I find myself comfortable and pleased with a skinny pant, boxy shirt or sweater and a cute pair of shoes look.

So I decided to try knitting Worsted Boxy by Joji Locatelli in some Berroco Vintage from DEEP DEEP stash. My line of thinking is:

  • This yarn has tried to be several things and it has never quite worked. So why not a comfy sweatshirt style neutral color garment?
  • I’ll get this sweater quantity out of my stash for good if I finish this
  • A worsted sweater should go faster than the fingering weight boxy
  • If I finish it and it look hideous or the color doesn’t favor me…I’ll find it a good home somewhere!

I’m knitting the medium size in the pattern. It won’t give me quite the full ease that Joji calls for but enough ease that it fit loosely but still be flattering. I have managed to cast on the 200+ stitches WITHOUT TWISTING and I have started the ribbing. Based on reading other notes I think I’m going to double the ribbing called for in the pattern to prevent the hem from rolling. Wish me luck!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Charlotte Winter

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I finished an EPIC thing and I’m so thrilled I can’t stop smiling you guys. My Charlotte Winter is done and it fits like a dream! This is my first garment for myself in a long time. Having babies has been hard on my body and I haven’t always loved what I see in the mirror. But I for sure love me in this!

Pattern: Charlotte Winter by Carrie Bostick Hoge

Yarn: Berroco Chunky in Grey, Purple and Teal

Needles: US 13s

Mods: I added reverse garter stripes across the yoke to simulate color-work. I worked at a tighter gauge than the pattern and had to math out the size I needed.

It’s the most perfect tunic length and even in bulky yarn it is pretty darn flattering. I so love that I was able to get some finished photos with snow still on the ground. The rest of Kansas might not agree with me. But I’m happy for one last snow!

You can kind of see some extra fabric under the arms ala a dolman adjacent sleeve. My yoke stretched a little more than I had planned so my armpits aren’t in the armpits. That’s what happens with wet/heavy bulky yarn. But the fit feels good and I can always tighten this up a bit in the dryer. I LOVE how far the sleeves come down on my hand. It is so cozy! Plus I can always fold the cuffs up while cooking or typing. I always opt for cozy though…

I do see in this photo one stretched out stitch. It was easy to snag the garter bumps as I was turning this sweater around while knitting. I need to go back and pull the surrounding stitches back into place to close up that hole. If that doesn’t work I’ll duplicate stitch over it with some teal yarn.

I plan to give this an inaugural wearing and decide if I need to sew some grosgrain ribbon on the wrong side of the button bands. My top button is ceramic and very pretty but also very heavy. The bottom buttons are just plastic. I’ll see how it lasts during wear. Ooooo….I remembered when I was sewing the buttons down to leave room under the button for the fabric to slide under. Kind of like having a button shank under there. I usually just sew them down to within an inch of their life. But I feel like a proper knitter now!

Boy do I love this sweater…I gotta stop smiling!

Happy Knitting!!

Halfway Done With Sleeve Island

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This past weekend I managed to crank out a FO (finished object) that I will show you Friday. This finish really cranked my knitting mojo into high gear. It made me want to finish ALL THE THINGS. So I pulled out my Charlotte Winter sweater. I had been plodding slowly through the first sleeve trying to give my hands a break from turning a huge heavy sweater while sleeve knitting.

I was a good chunk through the decreases on sleeve one so I hunkered down and finished the sleeve. Purling in the round on huge US 13 dpns….NOT my favorite but I was committed.

I finished sleeve number one and immediately tried it on. It fits very nicely and snug. That’s pre-blocking of course. So I hope that means I won’t get a baggy sloppy fit after washing and blocking. I’m really hoping to get this done soon so I can get maybe one wear of this yet this extended winter.

Happy Knitting!!

Bulky Garter Stitch Sleeve Island

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I finished the body to my Charlotte Winter this week. I went digging into my project bag to pull out the double points for my sleeves. And I came out with US 15s….but I’m knitting this sweater on US 13s. Sleeve island is a real thing you guys, and I haven’t even started knitting them!!! Insert a D’oh here…

So thanks to a 50% off coupon and a trip to Joanns I am finally ready to tackle the sleeves! (And now I own needles I will probably only use once, lol.) I may take a tiny timeout on this project. The heavy sweater and big needles are really flaring up some soreness in my forearms and wrists. Nothing major but I think it will be prudent to take breaks and mix up the weight of projects I work on so I don’t develop a fully blown injury!

Happy Knitting!!

Body Complete

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 I finally finished the body of my Charlotte Winter!

Bulky yarn on this cord length really bunches up the work. It can be deceiving. I might have measured on or four times…

That my friends is 16.5 inches of bulky garter stitch! And now I’m off to bind off and try it on and have my my husband double check it is an appropriate length.

Fingers crossed!!

 

FO Friday: Mackenzie 5-Ply

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Jellybean has a finished sweater!! The battle of the Mackenzie 5-ply sweater is over and I won! It has two sleeves and a matching hemline.

I even went so far as to install the buttons, sew in my tag, and wash and block this bad boy. Though it’s largely acrylic and doesn’t need blocking. But after my grubby hands…it definitely needed a bath!

I just ADORE the side seam treatment. The little garter panel just makes it looks so polished!

And it’s safe to say that Jellybean loves it! He ripped it out of my hands and put it on before I could even put buttons on it!

It makes him look so grown up….sniff sniff….

Pattern: Mackenzie 5-ply by Rebecca Newman 

Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Sport in Eggplant. I used 2.84 skeins or roughly 317 yards for a modified 7 year old version.

Needles: US 5s

Mods: See my Ravelry notes for my sleeves mods.

I’m sooo happy to have this off the needles. I was frantically knitting this on Super Bowl Sunday in order to finish one last WIP for the Down Cellar Studio’s Pigskin Party KAL. And I managed to weave in the ends by halftime! And this FO has seemed to kick off my “let’s finish all the WIPs mojo” so I’m hoping to ride that wave for a bit. I haven’t even touched by scrap blankets in over a week!

Happy knitting!!

WIP Wednesday: Charlotte Winter

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I needed a little self care this week and so I set aside some quiet time to work on a project just for me. I haven’t touched this sweater in quite awhile, its my Charlotte Winter.

I had added a few inches right after I checked the fit way back right after Christmas. But I have been focusing on Jellybean’s Mackenzie 5-ply sweater since it was older than my sweater.  I was caught up in wool fever watching knitting podcasts in my craft room (aka the guest bedroom downstairs) and my sweater seemed a decent length. Or so Dex and I thought….

I slipped it on me while the needles were still in and it stretched to my butt. So I merrily cast off and finished my podcast. And I tried it back on….well without the weight of the needles it not surprisingly scrunched back up to a normal length. And it hit me mid butt cheek. Not the silhouette I was looking for. So I ripped back the cast off and got all my stitches back on the needles. I really need at least 3 more inches. I guess I’ll just need more podcast time!!

Happy Knitting!!

Two Matching Sleeves

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Finally after one false start and a lot floundering around on sleeve island. Jellybean’s Mackenzie 5-ply sweater has completed sleeves!

Thanks to my stitch markers and some row counting here and there I was able to knit the second sleeve with (roughly) the same amount of rows to match the first one. I was glad I chose to knit these before finishing the entire body. That’s a lot fabric to turn and turn and turn. Sleeves are definitely not my favorite but it was nice working on a nine inch circular and not DPNs. No ladders in these sleeves!!

I went ahead and knit the cuff according to the pattern. I toyed with the idea of knitting all ribbing but I think I’ll let Jellybean wear it like this. If need be I can always rip and re-knit the cuffs. I’m going to have more than enough yarn for this project!

Happy Knitting!!

A More Tapered Sleeve

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I managed to rip out re-knit the sleeve to Jellybean’s Mackenzie 5-ply sweater. It’s still a little huge in the sleeve cap area because there were only so many ways to deal with the number of stitches I started with that helped make sure the chest circumference worked.

I took out 20 stitches in total over about 6 or 7 inches of work. I tried to help myself for sleeve number two by putting a locking stitch marker on each decrease. My hope is then to knit a row by row copy of the first sleeve when I do number two.

The garter section after the ribbed section creates a little bit of bell effect. I’m not sure I’m totally sold on it. So I didn’t weave in the ends in case I want to pull it out and just do ribbing. I REALLY need Jellybean to slip his arm in before I start the second sleeve. Because if it’s still comically large then I will probably rip it out again. But four year olds have their own agenda…so not sure when I will convince him. Sigh

P.S. If these mods work I plan to put them on my Ravelry project page in case they help others.

Happy Knitting!!