Back to School Sweater...

I'm baaaaaaaaack.... (think Poltergeist). I know - it's been a while & I'll use the usual excuse that I've been crazy busy as is expected with the beginning of a new school year. So let's just cut to the chase & share with you a F.O. I've designated as my "Back to School Sweater" well - because I wore it on the first day "back to school". And yes - the school year is going well; classes are large, but my students seem to be a great bunch, thankyouforasking.

Project Details:

Pattern: Kiama by Berroco. This was "harlotized" earlier this year & I was fascinated by the drape and construction.

Yarn: Origami by Berroco in the "Canteloupe Freeze" colorway (I think...) Very interesting mix of fibers - acrylic (!), nylon, cotton, and Linen. I've yet to officially block the garment, so I can't report on how well it softens up. I can say that while the yarn has a different feel than wool, it wasn't hard on the hands & the finished garment has a nice feel to it.

Needle: US8

Size: S/M

Overall - I very easy knit. You essentially knit starting at one sleeve, increase for the arms, knit flat for the back & then decrease for the other arm. Arms are seemed together up to the armpits & then stitches are picked up & you knit back & forth in a ribbed pattern for the collar & skirt of the sweater. Pretty easy even though I'm convinced I've made some mistake somewhere as the ribbing on the shawl portion goes in a different direction than the collar/skirt portion. I think it's a little too long in the back & the Yarn Harlots suggestion of doing short rows at a certain part of the pattern would have been a good idea. Love hindsight and all that. I figure that with standing in front of teenagers all day having a slightly longer sweater certainly isn't a bad thing.

I think it looks fine & I've received plenty of complements. It fits well & is surprisingly 'in style' - I've notices lots of similar type cardigans being worn this fall - full & drapey in the front.

Of course - since it's the beginning of the school year (or at least it was - the first day of school around here was August 18) I must include the requisite first day of school photos in front of the fireplace (I planned ahead this year - no last minute shots in the driveway before we zip off to school!)

First - My 3rd grader:
Pretty cute photo if I do say so. He is often uncooperative with photos - perhaps I threatened him this time? Can't remember...

Next - my 5th (!!) grader. How is it possible I have a child who is 10 years old?

He is more comfortable and cooperative in front of the camera.

"Hey boys - let's get a photo of the two of you together":

Grrrr.... Fortunately this was really all in jest & that most of the time the following photo best captures their true relationship:

I'm a pretty lucky mom.

I plan on less blog silence and more knitting (another wee FO & test knitting FO to share) coming soon.

Ciao!

Road Trip Sweater FO

As promised - a post about my 3rd Road Trip knitted finished FO, albeit much later than intended. We've been home for a few days now, but haven't had the weather cooperate enough for a photo shoot. So - when the skies finally "cleared", I grabbed my sweater, camera, and photographer and set out to finally get some photos so I can finally write this blog post.

Details:

Pattern: Mondo Cable Pullover by Chic Knits. Before our road trip I was looking for a pattern that would be an easy knit for the road. Luckily for me, my knitting/blogging friend at OneMoreRow shared that she was currently knitting this & I thought "That's Perfect!" (And it was!) Thanks HollyJo!


Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts "Peru" - A blend of silk, angora, and merino wool. Total yarn yumminess! The yardage on the skeins of Peru are so generous (500 yds/skein) that I only used 1.5 skeins for the entire sweater! I think I used one skein for the entire body of the sweater & only dipped into the 2nd skein for the ribbed edge of the body & the sleeves. My knitting goals for the road trip knitting were to complete as many projects as I could (check!) and also reduce the stash. I thought knitting a sweater would be the perfect project to destash. So - it looks like to fully complete my goal I have to knit another project with this yarn. I'll share that project soon, I hope.

The Raglan Detail - My First!

Needles: US8 on my knit picks options (love them!) I only chose the 8 because it was the recommended size for this yarn & seemed to give me the gauge I needed for the size. After completing the sweater & blocking it, I think I could even have gone down a needle size. However - the size 8 created a nice drapey fabric - perfect for a sweater that I can throw on in a pinch, or pair with a nice pair of slacks or a skirt for a more dressy occasion.

Have I mentioned how much I love cables?!?

Mods: This was my first top-down sweater (!), so I didn't want to embark on any drastic changes. However, the original design is more of an "A-shape", and I thought with the yarn, perhaps a more fitted shape would be better. After searching ravelry for suggestions, I decided to do some decreases rather than all of the increases called for in the pattern. Then, as I neared the bottom, I increased again to help account for my hips. I think it worked okay, not perfect, but okay.


Overall - I think I'm going to get a lot of wear out of this sweater. It's so soft, comfy & warm. Can't wait until it's sibling project is complete. It was the perfect choice for knitting on the road & other than having to learn how to graft live stitches to a cast on edge (for the neck), I think I did pretty well.

Happy Day - more reports of our travels coming soon (I hope....)

Ciao!

Tangled Yoke Not-Cardigan

Finally - a knitting F.O. to share. This project started out as my spring break knitting & knitting "while-I-recover-from-meniscus-repair-surgery-since-I-can't-do-anything else." I actually made quite speedy progress until I got to the cabled yoke pattern. Apparently I have a hard time counting to 13 (let's not dwell on the irony that I've taught math for several years) & had to rip back hundreds of stitches to fix silly mistakes.

But alas - even after starting another project (cough*tapestry cowl*cough), I finally picked-up & knit the collar, thus finishing the sweater.


Details:

Pattern: "The Tangled Yoke Cardigan" published in Fall 2007 issue of Interweave Knits

Yarn: Cascade 220 Tweed - Don't ask about the colorway - I've had this yarn for years & finally decided to do something about it. I call it "Confetti" because tiny flecks of different colors are interspersed throughout the neutral color of yarn. It was originally intended for a different sweater, but I think the pairing works quite well. Remember - 2010 is all about the stash here at chez Arctic Knitter.

Needles: US5 for ribbing & main body, US 4 for collar.




Modifications: Well, as you can see - this is definitely not a cardigan. Since I've knit a few cardigans already, I wanted another pullover. This pattern seemed easy enough to modify & I was looking to some easy, knit in the round, minimal purling, knitting. I came across a project knit by The Rainey Sisters using a similar idea & followed her modifications (for the split neck, etc).


What I learned while knitting this sweater:

#1: Swatches lie. Hasn't the Yarn Harlot warned us of this before? Here's the irony - I normally don't swatch. I just choose the size that looks closest to my measurements & knit away. Normally this works great. This time, according to the swatch & some math I needed to cast on 210 stitches to get the appropriate size. Well - when all was said & done, the sweater was a smidgy too big, especially in the bust/yoke area. I can live w/a loose fitting body, but a baggy bustline isn't too attractive. Sooo....

#2: Cascade 220 is a great felting wool. Warning: Only the strong at heart should read ahead. I let the sweater soak in the washing machine w/some Euculan. Since it was sopping wet and I wanted to somehow magically make the bust/yoke a smidge smaller, I thought I would throw it in the dryer (yeah, I know) for a wee bit. I put it on the setting using only air & no heat. After a short bit of time the sweater still seemed a bit damp (boy am I impatient), so I reset the dryer & this time used the setting w/heat (gasp!!) meaning only to leave it in for a couple of minutes. I have young children, so of course I lost track of time & the sweater stayed in for far longer than I had intended. While it didn't felt 100%, the sweater was smaller - and *Fit As I wanted it to!!*

#3: Felting diminishes the depth of cables & ribbing. I pinned out the still kinda damp sweater to get the shaping settled & could tell the cables & ribbing don't "pop" as they should. At first I was a bit sad - lots of work put into knitting a sweater only to diminish it's beauty by my stupidity. But a friend stopped by & gushed over the sweater Friday night. I thought "she's right - this is a pretty nice sweater". So - I threw it on the headless lady (my dress form needs a real name - suggestions?) & have been admiring it all weekend.

So - it's finally too warm (for Alaskans) to wear wool sweaters for any length of time, so I'll carefully put it away for the summer & be pleasantly warm come next fall. I think I might even knit this again, but perhaps go down a needle size on the yoke so I don't have to resort to drastic measures. It worked once, but I don't think I need to tempt fate.

:0) Ciao!

Gold Medalist!!!

I've done it! I've earned the Gold Medal in the Yarn Harlot sponsored Knitting Olympics! According to the rules, I had to cast on a project that would be somewhat of a challenge during the opening ceremonies. I then had to finish the project before the Olympic flame was extinguished during the closing ceremonies.

My friends - I have done it. When I opted to join the Knitting Olympics, I knew it would be work. When I finished the sleeves ahead of my "schedule", I thought - no sweat. When I wasn't even halfway through the body as of Tuesday, I began to sweat bullets & doubt I'd make it. I was sure I'd "trip & fall" as the finish line approached.

But - I'm happy to report that as of 5:00 AST, during my finishing class (how apropos!) I wove in my last end & tried on my new sweater.

Introducing my "Olympic Eastlake"

Pattern: "Eastlake" by Norah Gaughan - **Errata available**

Yarn: Dream in Color, Classy - "Happy Forest". A great, superwash 100% Merino wool. Oh how I love this yarn! I first met this yarn when I knit the Baby Tulip sweater. So soft & sproingy.

Needles: US5 for the ribbing & neck; US7 for the body...

Mods: I took a leap & transferred the pattern to be knit in the round rather than in pieces so I could A) Avoid as much purling as possible & B) Avoid seaming as much as possible. I just knit in the round to one row past the eyelet row. The pattern includes a funky neckband extension - I'd certainly leave that out if I were to knit this again. I'd also learn how to use short rows to knit the sleeve caps for a better fit.

Happy to be done - perhaps now I can get my house back in order. At least the dilemma of what to wear to work tomorrow is solved! :0)

~Ciao

Tickled Pink!

That is how I feel about my latest FO: My February Lady Sweater.

Please forgive me if this post is especially photo laden. I'm absolutely ecstatic about my latest finished object.

Details:

Pattern: February Lady Sweater - an adult version of Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Sweater.

Yarn: Tahki Yarns New Tweed (60% Merino Wool, 14% silk, 26% Viscose) Great yarn, small balls - 50grams/92 yards per ball, so you feel like you fly through this yarn. I was cutting it close at the end.

Needles: US 8

Size: Medium - I have the newer version of the pattern. Apparently the earlier versions were a bit sketchy when it came to determining the correct size, so several knitters knit sizes XS when they normally knit a size M. No way in the world am I an XS!

Modifications: Left out the eyelet row before the start of the lace. I think the eyelet row was originally intended for weaving a piece of ribbon, but that's not my style at all. The color pink is already pushing the envelope. 15 lace repeats on the sleeves, 19 lace repeats on the body.

Let's admire the buttons, shall we? What a great find! Sometimes details just fall into place.

The lace pattern is the famous "Gull Lace" pattern - very simple to memorize, so this project was perfect Sunday English Premier League knitting. What I didn't like was having to purl back a gazillion stitches (perhaps just a slight exaggeration). The yoke is straight garter stitch w/increases at the shoulders. I did a kfb for the increases - very simple, blends in well with the garter stitch & leaves no holes.

The back fits just perfectly. I was worried the neckline would sag, or maybe even ride up. But nope - all sits as it should. I think perhaps the hard blocking I gave the sweater last week helped out a bit. Last year when I was at Madrona Fiber Arts retreat I met a woman wearing a FLS & it sagged all over the place. The ravelry forum for the FLS warns against how the lace grows. I haven't noticed this happening yet & the sweater has been hanging for several days while it waited the adornment of buttons. I'm going to fold it neatly rather than hanging it in the closet, just to be safe.

This week is "Spirit Week" at our school & today's theme was "Girls in Pearls & Guys in Ties". A perfect day for my sweater's Maiden Voyage. My friends, colleagues, and students all admired with lots of 'oohs and ahhs'. You know you've done a good job when students say they want one (wear something that a teacher wears? Highest praise from teenagers!) & that it looks like something they might find at Nordstroms. Several conversations today went something like this:

Colleague: "You Made That?!?"
Me: "Yup, Why yes I did..."
Colleague: "Nu-uh!" (how do you spell that?!?)
Me: "Uh-huh!!"

Anyhow - I was very pleased with the responses & complements my sweater & I received today. If I'd known earlier how well this would turn out, I would have finished it much, much sooner!I leave you with my "Bio" photo I'll use in the engineering notebooks of my FTC robotics teams (we all have to add photos + biography). I'd like to think that my role on the FTC teams is that of kind, yet effective, Project Manager. After having to ask a couple of students not to return since they were hindering progress & my constant (yet gentle) reminders for the teams to focus & stay on task (I can even say it in ASL as one of my students is hearing impaired), the students on the teams have dubbed me, "The Hammer".

The smile and the pink kind of softens it, don't you think? :0)

Ciao!!

It's Go Time!

The Babies & Bears Sweater KAL has officially begun. I know - crazy to think about a sweater project when holiday knitting should be forefront in my mind, but that's just how I roll, I guess. Also - my BKFF & I thought we'd make this a nice and loooooooong KAL (through Feb) so that folks can get the holiday knitting completed without having to stress over the KAL progress. Since I haven't really started any holiday knitting, I figured I'd start right away.

Here's what I have so far:

Not too much - cuff #1 is done (who knew 2" was so big?) & 2 sets of increases of the sleeve are done. The construction is interesting as the sweater is knit from the cuff to the middle of the back & front, repeated for the other side & then the backs are grafted together. Pure knitting genius, I say. Right now the knitting is fairly straight forward & brainless - good t.v. knitting for sure!

Meanwhile I'm plugging away on the TTL Mystery sock as well as sock #2 of some instant gratification knitting.

More later - it was an in-service day today, so I'm actually home at a reasonable time. Kids & hubby aren't home yet, so perfect quiet atmosphere for some quality knitting time.

~Ciao

FO: Hey Teach!.... Again...

Few patterns harness my knitting mojo and make me want to make it more than once. Monkey Socks, Leyburn socks, the Danish Ear Flap Cap are the ones that spring to mind. And now - Hey, Teach! Joins the list. Last year I jumped on the bandwagon & knit Hey, Teach only to underestimate my size & the finished project was too small. So - I ordered the same yarn & set out to knit it again - a size larger - for me. And finally - I have achieved my quest.



Details:

Pattern: Hey, Teach! (knitty - Summer 2008)

Yarn: Knit Picks Shine, Worsted

Needles: KPO US 8

Mods: Nothing except the three-needle bind-off.

Lots of finishing around here. Another project is on its way to FO status. I think that gives me the green light to cast on a new project.


This is some Malabrigo sock yarn, remnants from the Jeanne Shawl that I'm going to use for the 2009 Mystery Sock KAL designed by Kirsten Kapur of Through The Loops. Come along & Join us!

~Ciao

Inviting...

Isn't this a picture? Doesn't it make you want to just run outside & bask in all of the glory of nature?

Bright gleaming sunshine...

Snow-covered Chugach mountains...

So idyllic, no?

Okay - here's a few more photos to tempt you into the great outdoors of Alaska:

This photo was taken from my front doorstep while I was facing south:

Doesn't the blanket of snow just make everything look so clean, so inviting?

Perhaps you may want to reconsider:
No - this is not the work of photoshop. This is what our thermometer read this morning at 9:58am (disregard the time displayed - the clock is set by the atomic clock & doesn't account for Alaska Standard Time). Yes - it was -14.6°F this morning. And yes - our heater is having to work overtime to keep us warm - I think the heat had been on all night & only reached 61.7°F upstairs. Unless you are a serious die hard, used to bone-chilling, skin-freezing, snot-solidifying temperatures, this is just plain COLD, COLD, COLD!! I took these photos soon after showering & my hair actually froze during the short time I was outside. Yikes! So yes, going outside with wet hair is just plain dumb & I don't recommend it.

You learn early living in the 49th state that clear, sunny skies during the winter months = cold temperatures. Anchorage temperatures don't usually bottom-out like this, however. These are temps usually experienced by Fairbanks - approximately 360 miles north of here.

Wow!! It's -29°F right now in Fairbanks. Okay - makes the current temperature of -11°F seem more tame.

We were supposed to go out to my parent's cabin yesterday, but the extreme weather changed our plans. It was -20°F at the place where we leave via snowmachine. The cabin is about 2 hours by snowmachine from Deshka landing. With high winds in the forecast combined with negative temps - good sense prevailed & we opted to stay home. Too bad - I was really looking forward to spending time with my parents & enjoying relaxing & quality knitting time. Perhaps we'll be able to squeeze in a trip before the winter vacation is over.

So - let's look at warmer things, shall we? Like a couple of Christmas knitting finished objects:

Danish Earflap Cap in Dimond High School colors

Yarn: Cascade 220 in Maroon & Gold
Pattern: Danish Earflap Cap from Hats On!

My hubby - such a good sport to stand outside to model his new hat. The 'earflaps' are more like cheek warmers in the large size.

Elka Icelandic Sweater from Best of Lopi

Yarn: Lopi Icelandic Wool
Recipient: My stepmother - she'll have to wait to receive it as they are at the cabin & we're not.

The yoke detail.

I was very glad to finish this project. While it was a fun & relatively fast knit, the amount of finishing - knitting separate button bands & sewing them into place, sewing on 6 buttons, weaving in ends, kitchner stitch the underarms, knitting collar & sewing in place was a bit taxing. Overall - I'm glad with the result. I felt the button bands pulled on the stitches a bit, so I'd like to improve on that the next time I tackle a similar project. There was no time to block the sweater, but since now we're not heading out to the cabin, I might set it in the tub for a good soak.

Okay - thanks for sticking with this long post. I think we're off to brave the cold & check out the ice sculptures downtown. Then back to knitting for me. Next up: the Druid Mittens from Vogue knitting.

Stay warm!! Ciao~

Eeeek-A-Steek

OMG! (That's what I'm reduced to after spending considerable time with teenagers). I've finally done it - I've gone and cut through my knitting. Yes, indeedy - I am no longer a steek virgin.

Last night was my 3rd (of 4) Icelandic sweater class. All major knitting was complete - all was left to do was turn a tube of intertwined loops into a cardigan.

The first order of business was to knit a few short rows to raise the back a smidgy bit. This went well. Next on the road to steek-dom was to baste in some stitches using a contrasting thread. They are to help guide me while I sew the knitting.

Next up was to sew reinforcement stitches so the knitting won't unravel when it's cut. There's some crazy talk out there that these stitches are unnecessary, but I don't think I'd leave it to chance. Our instructor brought along her Husqvarna sewing machine - boy is it slick! At a touch of a button, the machine cuts its own thread. How nifty is that?? It almost makes me want to do more sewing just so I can have a machine that cuts its own thread.

Below you'll see the reinforcement stitches in white thread. The nifty sewing machine has a knit function, so it does a tiny zig-zag w/a straight stitch. This allows for a bit of stretch. Nope - my old machine doesn't do that either. Hmmm - sounding more & more like I need one of these fandangled machines. Turns out I just used the left hand knit stitch as a guide - the red thread wasn't really needed. Perhaps it was just there as a security blanket to make me feel better. Tricksy teacher.

Here I am - doing the deed. Scissors in hand and a deep breath - snip, snip, snip.


And all that without a glass of wine or a shot of whiskey. Brave (or blissfully ignorant?)

Next - knitting button & neck bands. I'll sure to report back when I'm all done.

Ciao~

Dang...

Whoa - it's been almost 3 weeks since my last post?!? I'm such a slacker... Rest assured dear reader(s) that I while I've sadly neglected my blog, knitting has been fast & furious. Let me fill you in on the past three weeks:

1) Elka - my Icelandic sweater. I *think* I mentioned I was taking an Icelandic sweater class. It's been fabulous - we've met twice thus far. At class #1 I learned to swatch in the round by knitting back & forth & not joining in the round. Weird, but accurate. Gauge was close enough to use size 10.5" needles for the Lopi yarn. Yes - size 10.5" + bulky Lopi = fast, fast knitting. Our instructor wanted us to finish the body of the sweater (knit in the round w/steek stitches added in) by class #2. Being the type A, overachiever that everyone accuses me of (okay - guilty as charged), I finished the body & sleeves by class #2. At class #2 I learned how to attach the sleeves to the body so I can knit the yoke. Slick as roads at 32°F. So - after some tricky math (how embarrassing since I taught Advanced Algebra for years) & help from another knitting teacher, I finished the decreases & am ready for tomorrow's class #3 and STEEKING!!! Ahh - I'm going to actually cut through my knitting. You know that's worthy blog fodder. Here's what it looks like so far:

It might be a bit snug on me (I kept thinking I was knitting the medium when I looked at the pattern in the wrong spot & ended up knitting the small size) so, I might be able to cross off another Christmas gift from 'the list'.

2) The Central Park Hoodie from the 2006 Fall edition of Knit Scene. I've had yarn in the stash for this project for months. So - cast on a couple of weeks ago & as of this evening, I've finished the back, learned how to add short rows to the back rather than binding off, knit the left front w/short rows at the shoulder, three needle bind off left front to back, and cast on & knit about 8 inches for right front. Not too bad... I'm trying to get all pieces knit & blocked (this will take some serious 'Frankenblocking' since the cables pull in a lot) before my next finishing class (November 3). I'm hoping my finishing class teacher can show me the correct way to sew in sleeves - I kind of winged my way through the last two sweaters. Here's the evidence so far:

3) October is time for Socktoberfest which means I felt the need to try to knit a pair of socks. I've really fallen off the sock bandwagon lately. I still have about an inch left of the RSC Cleopatra socks to finish - I just haven't found the impetus to pick it up & finish. Luckily, those clever knitters over on Ravelry kicked off a Socktoberfest KAL. Kirsten of Through The Loops wrote a mystery sock pattern. I was hooked! Each Wednesday she posts a new clue for the sock - I started a week late, but was able to catch up w/both socks by today's release of clue #4 (the foot of the sock). It's been a lot of fun - here's where I finished before clue #4.

The yarn is from a purchase I made during our road trip: Dream in Color - Smooshy. The color is Lipstick Lava - fun name. Clue #3 was the heel which turned out to be an Eye of Partridge heel - I've never knit one, and it was pretty cool.

And of course, because three projects (that are getting attention) can't be enough, I told Iain that I would *make* his Halloween costume this year. He and Orion are going to be:

Calvin & Hobbes!! What a sad day it was when Bill Watterson stopped creating this masterpiece of humor. Orion will be Calvin (easy, peasy - red shirt w/black stripes, black shorts - done). Iain will be Hobbes. This costume is not quite so easy - it will involve sewing. Yup - the things I do for my children.

Here's the costume so far:


Yeah - still lots of work to do. It won't be ready for this weekend's school carnival, but should be done by the actual date for Halloween. Wish me luck....

No sewing tonight, as I need to get to bed so I can get up before God so I can be at school tomorrow at 5:45 to kick off our Mole Day celebration. More blog fodder! :0)

So I hope you see why I've been away so long. Shouldn't be such a long hiatus before my next post.

By the way, please go visit OneMoreRow and wish my great blog friend a happy birthday!!

Ciao~

Not one, but two

I'm on a roll now, baby! Within a week of finishing Hey, Teach, I finally finished the sweater originally cast on for my new year knit-o-lution. Not Your Standard Issue Sweatshirt, Take Two c'est finis! This sweater has been a pile of sweater pieces for months now. Since May all I've needed to do was finish knitting the front and do the dreaded finishing (seaming...) Then the road trip got in the way, so the sweater just sat.

and sat...

and sat..

Until I finally got it in my mind to finish the darned thing. Finishing Hey, Teach gave me such a thrill that I brought this sweater to some knit gatherings so I could finish it up. On Saturday when the sun made a rare appearance in Anchorage, I sat in the middle of a sunbeam shining onto our living room floor and took the plunge - I seamed the darned thing together.

What a chore. The sides of the sweater are done in seed stitch and for the life of me I could not find a decent tutorial on how to seam seed stitch together. I muddled through and think it turned out okay. Of course - wouldn't you know it - as soon as I sewed the back to the front, I found I'd forgotten to add the last cable on the middle section. Oops - I guess it's now a design feature as there's no way in the world I was ripping anything out. Then there was the issue with attaching the sleeves - I still haven't mastered that. I thought about waiting until my next formal finishing class at our LYS, The Yarn Branch, but I just couldn't wait. Have you ever had a feeling that you just had to finish a project NOW? So a formal tutorial on how to attach sleeves will have to wait for another project (Central Park Hoodie is in my queue - yarn is stashed & ready).
Next I had to sew the hood together, attach it, and then create a place to insert the draw string (i-cord) which meant even more sewing. The photo above shows sweater before hood. I was just tickled pink to have a sweater to wear - so I wore it while I kept sewing. Of course, I haven't taken a picture w/the hood (looks a bit too elfish for my taste - I almost prefer it w/o the hood) & now the sweater is drying after a good wash to clean off the months of dust & get those stitches to lie the correct way.

While it isn't the most flattering sweater - makes me look a bit too bulky, it's quite warm & I adore it. It's mine; I did it. I love cables, I love green. It's mine. Did I mention that I knit it?

Gory Details:

Pattern: Not Your Standard Issue Sweatshirt, Take Two from The Yarn Girls Guide to Beyond the Basics.

Needles: Knit Picks Size 8 (for bottom) and Size 10

Yarn: Classic Elite - Dutchess (40% merino, 28% Viscose, 10% Cashmere, 15% Nylon, 7% Angora) Soft & very warm... Holds detail like cables extremely well.

Colorway: ?? #1097, Lot #221

Modifications: Did a three needle bind off. I just love this for attaching the back to the front.

Thursday night is the 2nd Icelandic Sweater class. Is sweater #3 not too far behind?

Ciao!

Hot For Teacher!

Yes - it's taken 9 months, but my new year's knit-o-lution to finish an adult sized sweater has been fulfilled! So sorry I've been gone from the blogosphere for so long - work calls, children call, and the siren song of yarn prevented me from logging on. I figured you dear readers will forgive my absence if I had a FO to share. I finished it last Sunday, but today provided the 1st opportunity for a natural lighting photo-op.

My 1st Adult Sized sweater is Hey, Teach! designed by Helene Rush for the Summer 2008 edition of Knitty. This was a fantastic project & I'm surprised how quickly (for me...) I finished it. I originally intended the sweater for me, but alas - it's a tad small - so, instant Christmas gift for my youngest sister! As soon as I finish up some other projects (another FO heading to the blogosphere very soon!!) I'm going to order more yarn & cast anew in a bigger size.

The Gory Details:

Pattern: Hey, Teach!

Needles: Knit Picks Size 8

Yarn: Knit Picks Shine, Worsted Weight. This is a cotton blend and is such a dream to work with!!!

Colorway: Mallard. (I might choose this color again for my sweater)

Modifications: Used a 3-needle bind off for the shoulders. Why anyone would bind off and then choose to sew the shoulders together is beyond me. Seaming is the kiss of death, so I avoid it like the plague! I think next time I'll also add a few rows in the ribbing and lengthen the sweater from 13" to perhaps 15".

The downside of a dark colored yarn - I needed a headlamp to find those little bars for the mattress stitch!

Well - I'm off to do a bit more finishing on another project. I promise not to stay away so long. Perhaps I'll write next using my new computer!

Ciao!