FO Friday: Brick

Posted on October 18, 2013 by atangledyarn84

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!

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?

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!

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

TGIF and Happy Knitting!!!

A Grown Up Sophisticate

Posted on October 15, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Remember the secret project I mentioned I started at my friends wedding? Well, I finally made enough progress to merit an update. Albeit, a small one at that.

After making a few baby sophisticates, I decided I deserved one in my size! This is Sophisticate by Linden Down and will be #38 in my stash-busting efforts. I had just not quite enough Caron Simply Soft in Grey Heather….so I had to hunt down two more skeins in my dye lot. Having conquered that, I grabbed my needles and cast on!

I’m making the medium size and I’m still in the yoke section. I have a feeling that this will feel like it’s taking forever after making the mini size!

Happy Knitting!

A Brick Update

Posted on October 11, 2013 by atangledyarn84

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.

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!!!

Foiled Again

Posted on October 10, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I’m been on a HUGE sweater kick as the weather is slowly turning to fall. And I have had The Nutmeg Sweater in my Rav queue for a while. I’m pretty close to finishing my Brick sweater do I thought, what the heck and cast on! After all it’s a bulky sweater and will go crazy fast right?

Oh, the knitting hubris. Remember when I had all the trouble with my increases in the body of Brick? I’ve been foiled again!

The pattern didn’t specify what kind of increases to use in the raglan portion of the yoke. And I was in too much of a hurry to check Ravelry notes, so I just clicked along using the backwards loop cast on method. Don’t know why…just did.

After a whole evenings knitting and tv watching I looked down and what did I see but holes at the increases! Now this is black yarn and I’m very pale. Therefore with any stretch these holes will become readily apparent with my skin underneath. Sigh.

To the frog pond I went and ripped back the whole thing. On the next go round I’m going to use the make one left, make one right increases as explained by Twist Collective.

I really should learn faster. This is probably one of those “fool me once and so on” moments. Good thing it’s bulky yarn and I had some chilled wine in the fridge!

This will be Stashbustin’ #37 and I’m using Knit Picks Brava Bulky in black for those who are interested.

I Am The Master Of My Own Knitting

Posted on October 9, 2013 by atangledyarn84

For this WIP Wednesday I give you, Stashbustin’ #33 aka Brick is finally making serious progress!!

After some major frogging and frustration, I think I have conquered the body of my sweater. And being of top down construction, I have tried it on and it fits exactly how I want. It’s loose without being baggy. I’m shooting for a cozy sweater to cuddle up with on weekends this fall/winter.

I have picked up the stitches for one of the arms. And based on the size of the opening and numbers of stitches, I’m definitely going to knit the sleeves with a taper. Otherwise I think they would just be WAY to big and loose. Good news is that I’m going to have enough yarn. Maybe even enough leftover for a small hat?

Happy Knitting

All Increases Are Not The Same

Posted on October 5, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I have been working my Brick sweater. And things were clicking away, until this….

I had originally opted for a straight waist with no shaping. But I have what I like to call Scandinavian hips, so I opted to throw in a few increases at the bottom of the sweater before I started the 1×1 ribbing. The pattern called for K1fb or knit one front and back. This left ugly holes in the fabric. Not sure if I was doing them incorrectly but I hated them none the less. So I frogged and inch and a half of work….

And this go round I used “lifted” right and left leaning increases. I had to google how to do those because I only vaguely remembered them from another project. These increases make a much prettier fabric and leave no holes. I am much happier with this stitch.

So being happy, I managed to move on and complete the stockinette portion and all 30 rows of 1×1 (painful) ribbing. I popped the sweater on and discovered two things:

1. I didn’t take into account that the beginning of the round was NOT at the side of the sweater. And therefore my increases were in front and back of the sweater instead of along the sides

2. The increases weren’t even necessary, the sweater will fit without them!!!!

So after a glass (or three) of wine, I frogged six inches of sweater. And I am going to re-knit. I want a sweater to be proud of and doesn’t have mistakes I can stare at. It’s just going to take some deep breathing….

Sweater Season!!

Posted on September 30, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Fall is officially here and I feel the need to move up from baby sweaters to a nice cozy adult sweater for me!!

At my LYS this summer I found a sale on Berroco yarn! I picked up five skeins of Vintage (worsted weight) in yellow.

After perusing my Rav queue and much debate, I settled on Brick by Clare Lee from Raglanify.

(Photo courtesy of the Brick Ravelry page)

This pattern is awesome and is written to give you lots of options to customize. I am knitting the medium size with no waist shaping. I want a nice comfy FO. I haven’t decided if I will knit the sleeves with or without shaping….decisions decisions

In the span of the weekend I have knit the entire yoke and divided for the sleeves. I’m in the body section of miles and miles of stockinette. But I will persevere! I cannot wait to get this done and to wear it!!!

Happy Monday!

Coffee Update

Posted on September 24, 2013 by atangledyarn84

My Little Coffee Bean Sweater is almost done!!

This is my Stashbustin’ #30 for those keeping track. I followed the pattern as written except for the color changes. I knit the body in solid blue and the ribbed edges in yellow.

I used 85.5 yards or 45 grams of Knit Picks Dishie Solids in Creme Brulee (yellow) and 180.5 yards or 95 grams of Knit Picks Dishie Solids in Jay (blue). It was a pretty quick knit as well. I’m just needing to do the buttons. But I can decide!!

So here is where I am asking the wisdom of the knitting community. Do you like the white stars, yellow stars, or blue stars?

FO Friday: Snug #2

Posted on September 20, 2013 by atangledyarn84

My second attempt at Snug is done!! This pattern is by Hinke.

This is not my first swing at this pattern and it won’t be the last! I used 212 grams or 288.3 yards of Knit Picks Brava Bulkly in Peapod. That’s just about 2 skeins plush a little of a third skein. The body is worked flat. The sleeves are done on DPNs. And the hood is knit flat and closed withe Kitchener stitch.

I was not has happy with this sweater as I was with my first sweater. The shoulders are ugly to me. For whatever reason, I didn’t get the arm decreases placed very well. They are visible along the top. And the the sewing I did on the seams on the shoulders is not as clean as I would like. But I am assured by my husband that he can’t see it. Oh…#knitter problems

The part of this sweater that I really love is the buttons. I spotted them at JoAnns and I was in love!! The watermelons really save this project for me. I deviated from the pattern a bit and added four buttons instead of the pattern request of three.

Into the FO stash this one goes. I love having some cuteness hidden away for a rainy day! Happy Friday to all!!!

WIP Wednesday: Snug #2

Posted on September 11, 2013 by atangledyarn84

My Snug #2 is coming along swimmingly!!! I am now in the hood section. How can you not go fast with bulky yarn on size US 10 1/2 needles, lol? This Knit Picks Brava Bulky really works up fast and is easy care for momma and baby. I just need to finish the hood and seam it closed. Then it’s just a few flicks of a crochet hook to add button loops and sew on the buttons.

This is Stashbustin’ #29 in my 2013 projects. It doesn’t have recipient yet. I think I’m going to stash this one away for a rainy day or a special baby.

I found the CUTEST buttons at Joann’s the other day. I think they are an adorable match to my green sweater! What do you guys think?

My Tangled Yarn Knitting Adventures

Ramblings from an obsessed knitter

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