Matchy-Matchy

You all know about the Quercus Socks? Well, when I originally saw the Oak leaf motif and decided to reverse engineer it to the oak leaf and acorn motif, my plans were for a sweater for Bill - who has a thing for Oaks. But at the time I didn't have the money for a sweater's worth of yarn, so I contented myself with making him a pair of socks. Then our birthdays rolled around (they are about a week apart, so we we make it a week long celebration) and my Mom - who had admired the socks and listened to me babble on about how much I love the pattern and had really wanted to make a sweater - gave me the money to buy yarn!

I spent weeks reading through my Elizabeth Zimmermann book collection and scribbling diagrams and calculations on post it notes, and finally it was time to cast on.





I settled on a mash up of EZ's Saddle shoulder sweater and Saddle shoulder hybrid with shirt yoke constructions from Knitting Workshop. Using some slightly altered numbers for EZ's Percentage system from Jacqueline Fee's Sweater Workshop.





the Oak panel is modified/reverse engineered from pictures of several different sweaters featuring one similar, and an Oak leaf motif (with no acorns) available at the The Knitting Fool The side cable patterns are from Barbara Walker's Treasuries with only minor tweaks to help them fit.





Overall I stuck to the regular saddle shoulder pattern (every round body eating, then sleeve eating, then a few more body eating, before doing the saddles) but made the saddles a bit wider – somewhere between the with of the normal saddle shoulder and the width of shirt back variation – by doing fewer sleeve eating decreases, and then just knit the back half of the saddles over the back of the sweater to meet in the center like the shirt back variation.





I was originally going to do a full width oak motif on each sleeve, but I decided to only do half, which made fitting everything in a bit easier, but I still wanted it mostly centered on the side of the arm, so what I ended up doing was knitting the panel centered on the outside of the arm and doing the increases so that they formed a sort of visible seam along the inside of the arm, but then working the last two increases on only one side of this ‘seam’ to push the motif towards the back. (I attached the sleeves to the body with the center ‘seam’ well… centered)





This still left the motif a bit more centered over the top of the shoulder than I wanted so I converted a handful of the single body-eating decreases into double decreases to eat up the extra back sleeve/saddle stitches - effectively shifting the ‘center’ of the saddle towards the front. I still ended up with the back saddle one stitch wider than the front, but I don’t think it’s terribly noticeable or detrimental to the fit.
I had so much fun knitting Bill's sweater that I started to really want one of my own, and since Mom had given me more than enough yarn money...





I made a few minor tweaks: making the arms shorter and the upper arms a bit bigger around, adding a few more stitches around the body and more short rows across the back.





I Love the sweaters and now Bill and I can be all Matchy-Matchy when we go the Rhinebeck this year!





Yarn: Knit Picks WOTA Superwash in noble heather and persimmon heather
Needles: US size 6 (4mm) for the ribbing and US size 7 (4.5mm) for the rest.
Ravelry project pages: Green, Orange


Bill's sweater has about 4-5 inches positive ease and mine has about 1 inch negative ease.





I made a Ravelry pattern page here for the sweater and you can download the rough recipe I used and the charts from there. Just be warned it's really rough and I don't know how well it will adapt to other sizes. No matter what, you should really read Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop sections on sweaters, especially the saddle shoulder variations, or my instructions may not make very much sense.

Socks and other exciting things.

So It's been a while since I posted about them – my poor toe-up Bayerische have been languishing while I worked on other things. But I finally got my behind into gear and got working. Once I sat down and worked on them exclusively the knitting sped past and it didn't hurt that I was very eager to wear them. I love the pattern!




yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Kettle Dyed in Jay
pattern: Toe-up Bayerische (rav link)
Ravelry Page


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And in other sock news I've been designing again!


First up:
Is It Spring Yet?





I had a lot of fun putting these together, I love the lacy twisted stitch and cable flowers and the lovely Lacey vine ribbing on the back give the leg lots of stretch.





from the pattern page:


Winter just seems to keep going. Everything is cold and covered in snow, and all I really want to do is get outside and see some color! These socks are all things I wish I could be seeing outside by February: bright flowers and trailing vines and leaves of spring! The front of the sock sports flowers highlighted by twist stitches and cables, while a twining cable climbs up the side and an undulating vine rib decorates the back.
This sock is 72 stitches around, please feel free to knit a a gauge that will give you the best fit.
Options for both a Short Row Heel and a more traditional style Gusset/Flap Heel are offered.


Available via Ravelry for $3.00







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and even more exciting, I have a pattern for sale via Knit Picks too!


Quercus Socks





I designed these with Bill in mind. I Love the oak leaf motif, and Really wanted to make a sweater with it, but didn't have the yarn for one. The oak motif would not get out of my head, so I finally gave in and started poking around a sock idea and this is what I came up with.





from the pattern page:


This is an earthy toe-up sock, originally designed for my husband. The central oak leaf and acorn panel is flanked by an engaging yet simple twisted stitch braid, with a lace style ribbing on the back of the leg reminiscent of rows of little acorns. The pattern invokes feelings of hiking through an English forest.
This sock is 73 stitches around, please feel free to knit at a gauge that will give you the best fit.
options for both a short row heel and a more traditional style gusset/flap heel are included.





you can purchase this pattern for $2.99 via Knit Picks

I knit bow ties now, bow ties are cool

sorry, I couldn't help myself.




this was a fun little knit. Quick and cute!


pattern: Eleventh bow tie (rav link)
yarn: leftover Knipticks Stroll
needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm)
Ravelry Page


I knit the first half as written, but then the second half I just made a big rectangle ti give the bow tie a bit more body, since the ones I saw that knit both in the pattern looked a bit too thin/floppy about the middle.





Bill Loves it! It took him about a hour of back and forth between computer with instructions and bathroom mirror to get it tied properly, but he's already planning a Halloween costume around it.

A tale of two shawls.

One day while my parents were down visiting, Mom mentioned that Grandma was always complaining of being cold, so I decided to knit her a shawl.

I knew I wanted it to be warm so I decided to go with fingering weight over lace, and I had the perfect yarn already in my stash. It took me a while to finally pick a pattern but I eventually settled on Zilver.





Yarn: Knit Picks Memories in Rocky Mountain Dusk
Pattern: Zilver (rav link)
Ravelry page


The knitting went pretty quickly, and while I was working on it TW was fascinated, and asked several times for me to knit a green shawl for him.


I had a random skein of Knit Picks Bare so I took some Wiltons cake dyes and dyed it up in shades of green.


I wanted to be sure to get the most out of the yarn, since I couldn't get any more, and I knew that TW would get more use out of a shallow obtuse angled scarf shaped 'shawl' than a deep right triangle type shawl, so I went with the Baktus construction and weighed my skein frequently and saved just enough yarn to make some cute tassels for the ends.


TW was so happy when it was time to block it and I laid it out that night. Then he got up extra early to check if it was dry yet the next morning. I think it's pretty safe to say he loves it, and it will be a perfect scarf come wintertime!









Pattern: Baktus (rav link), with a few modifications to make it longer and narrower.
Ravelry page

More knitting for yarn

After TW's Wallaby I didn't really have any big projects so decided to pick up a few more knitting jobs just to have something to do (and hey, more yarn!)

first up was a really nifty colorwork tam:





Pansy Garden Tam (rav pattern link, web link here)


the pattern came in a kit with pre-wound balls of jaggerspun wool. It was very clearly written, and while a few of the colors came a bit close to running out, it turned out great. I love color work, and this was such a pretty design!





Rav project page here


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After the Tam there was a nice trip Through the Woods!





The Through the Woods hood (rav link) was great fun to knit. And I think I want one for myself too!


I was almost done when I ran out of yarn, so the great lady I was knitting for sent more, with the request for a pair of matching mitts:





Thorough the Woods Fingerless Mitts. (rav link) by the same designer.


Both of these projects were a lot of fun, the cables were simple, but very classic looking, and I just love how the hood turned out.


Project links: hood, mitts.

A Wallaby for TW

after knitting the last three projects I had earned enough yarn for a Wallaby! (rav link, purchase online here or here)


I had purchased the pattern even before TW was born, and I’m so glad I did.





The pattern is written in a very chatty manner, but after a few read-throughs it was really easy and everything went together very nicely!


I knit with a slightly thicker yarn than called for (Manos Del Uraguay Wool Clasica – which is Aran weight), and about a size and half bigger than TW's current size, so it is nice and warm and should fit him for a couple of seasons.





He loves it, but says that it 'tickles' (itches) so he has to wear a long sleeved shirt underneath.


This was my first 'big' sweater and I had a ton of fun with it and it went by so quickly! I can't wait to knit more sweaters!
Ravelry project page full of more detailed notes, here

Knit for hire

So, I've wanted to knit a new swater for TW for a while, but money is tight and we don't have the spare cash to buy any new yarn. What is a knitter to do?

Knit for it!

There are a few "Will Work For Yarn" and bartering type groups on Ravely and I've been putting my self out offering my services in hopes of earning enough yarn for a sweater.

And I did! More on that later though. First, here is what I've been making:


Denver Cowl




yarn: Miss Babs Yowza! What a Skein in Copper City
needles: US 8 (5mm)
Rav project link

Lovely yarn and easy fun little pattern.


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Herringbone Poncho




yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted
needles: US 17 (12.75mm)
Rav project page

this one was hard,the big needles were really hard on my wrists. And I've hard so many good things about the yarn, but it took 7 skeins, and 4 of them had knots! And it was spun in such a way that there was very little spring to it.


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Lovely Ribbed Cowl




yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca Suri Merino
needles: US 7 (4.5mm)
Rav project page

Super easy knit, and OMG amazing soft yarn, I looked forward to knitting this it felt to nice in my hands!

a smattering of small(ish) things

Hey there!

I've got a few FOs for you today!

Let's see...

I finished the Gentleman’s Socks with Lozenge Pattern for Bill:

he loves them, it just makes me so happy to make socks for him, he really appreciates them, I need to make more socks for me, but I keep picking out yarns for him, because it is so fun to see how happy they make him.



Pattern: Gentleman’s Sock with Lozenge pattern by Nancy bush (found in Knitting Vintage Socks)
yarn: Knitpicks Stroll in Wine
needles: US 1 (2.25mm)
I modified the pattern a bit to be able to knit them toe up, two at once, and good thing, too, because I ran out of yarn! You can see the ravelry page here


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then I knit a little blue sweater for Bill's brother and Sister in law, because they are having a little boy and we are all very excited!



this was a great little pattern, I really loved the cable detail. I continued the cables down under the arms, and mirrored them, because I'm like that.

Pattern: Sunnyside by Tanis Lavallee
yarn: Bernat Softee Baby Solids & Marls held double
needles: US 5 (3.75mm)
ravelry page here


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after the sweater it started to get a bit chilly here, and I had promised TW that I would make him a new hat since he grew out of his pixie

so I knit him an owl:



this was a fun little hat, but since my yarn wasn't to gauge, I needed to make a lot of adjustments, I cast on for the adult size and then added extra rows to the owl body and head.



Pattern: Chouette by Ekaterina Blanchard
yarn: Schafer Lola, held double
needles: US 9 (5.5mm)
ravelry page

Introducing Camembert, our new Doorstop Mouse

we like to keep the windows open as much as possible, but on breezier days that almost always means doors getting blown shut.

We've had Marmalade at our bedroom door for ages, but TW's door has been kept open by random object for far too long, so I finally decided to make Marmalade a companion.

Isn't he adorable?



Yarn: Bernat Baby Softee, held double
hook: G (4mm)
pattern: Amigurumi mouse doorstop

I stuffed him with a nice heavy rock I found while out on a hike and lots of polyfill.
He seems to be settling in nicely, and TW love him, every night before going to bed he has to stop and say 'hi' to his mousy.

Hey! long time no see!

So I've been super busy living life and enjoying my time with TW, but I have a ton of stuff to share with you!

Still no progress on the shawl, I really should get myself an audiobook and buckle down, but until then, I’ve finally finished the big blanket!

For size reference, that's our queen sized bed.

(yes, I had to stand on a chair to take that picture, it was scary.)

It's nice and soft and cozy and warm, and I finished it just in time for a summer heat wave, so it hasn't gotten much use yet, but I foresee lots of cuddles come winter time.

And just because, here is TW modeling it for you:

Yarn: my hand dyed hand-spun

Needles: size 10.5 (6.5mm) knitpicks options

Pattern: a bastardized Shetland Shawl construction: I cast on three stitches and knit the middle panel, increasing every row until it was big enough, and decreasing back down. (a la Grannie's Favorite Washcloth). Then I picked up stitches all along the edge and knit in the round increasing at the corners until I ran out of blue yarn, then I did a sideways knit on edging in white, ending it back at the beginning with Kitchener stitch.

It's meand to be big and warm, and not need any blocking if it needs to be washed.  I can simply squeeze out the water and pat it out in a rough square shape and let it dry.
(My poor pi blanket got dirty soon after TW was born and it still hasn't been blocked since we don't have the room for it here.)

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Bill's socks are coming along nicely, I have one more pattern repeat and then I start the ribbing.

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And as the weather has finally started to cool off a bit we can start turning off the AC and opening the windows, which means pleasant breezes... and slamming doors. So I’ve had to get back to the little mousy doorstop. I picked up a nice heavy stone for his base today while out on a hike so I can stuff him and finish up the rest of his head. Then its just a quick nose and a couple of ears!

(although I do have to admit that he looks a bit creepy right now.)

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In other crafty news, my poor juggling balls have been sitting on my bedroom bookshelf for ages, ever since the old bag fell apart in the wash, so I decided (with the inspiration from my new friends on the FB Project Project group (hi guys!)) that it was time to make them a new bag.

It was super simple, just the leg off of an old pair of PJ bottoms, and a kumihimo cord made from cotton yarn. But now my juggling stuff has a happy new home, and I have more room for books on my self!

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Before I made the juggling bag I decided to try my idea out on a pair of jeans first. Then I got the nifty idea to make it a set, so I whipped up a few denim bean bags to go with it. (the aren't filled yet, since I need to pick up some of those little plastic pellets first, but I have a craft store trip planned for the near future for some other crafty projects, so I'll pick some up then.)

I have a friend who juggles also, and since I certainly don't need any more balls, I may give them to him.

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I have a few more crafty ideas in the works, and I'm trying to keep up knitting regularly, (even with the lack of a weekly get together) so hopefully I'll be back soon with more updates!

Slow progress is still progress

with the lack of Monday knitting, and Bill's work schedule landing on a few Saturdays, I haven't had as much knitting time as I would like. But I have been making progress, because i can still knit simple things during date nights (we cuddle up after TW's bed time and watch a few episodes of British TV)

the shawl is still stuck in the trees, so no pictures of that yet, but I’ve almost finished my hand spun blanket!

One problem...I ran out of white yarn.

I have a tiny ball left over from when I knit the center and I think I may have a hank from when I was doing test spinning, but I don't think that will be enough. I also have a bit of blue left, so I could just finish the last corner with that, but then it would probably drive me nuts. We'll see. It's in time out right now as I ponder my options.

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I've started a new pair of socks for Bill as well, perfect waiting room knitting and for date nights.

Knit Picks Stroll in "Wine" on US 1 (2.25mm)

Nancy Bush's "Gentleman's Sock with Lozenge Pattern" from Knitting Vintage Socks, slightly adapted to make them toe up.

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TW is starting to outgrow his pixie hat so I need to plan for a new hat for next year. I think I want to do Chouette but I wanted to be sure I understood how the cables work, and to check for any mods I would have to make (a lot of people mentioned needing to add rows to the body and head of the owl) so I knit a mini prototype:

knit with one strand of random acrylic on US 7s (4.5mm) I did the smallest size and this would probably fit a newborn, super cute. I added two rows to the body, but I think it probably could use four, and maybe a few extra in the head too. (ravely page)

there’s a basket for donated baby/preemie hats at Saturday knitting, so I’ll probably put it in next time I can go.