Not so WIP anymore – part 1

I’ve been a busy girl lately and have finished quite a few of my WIPs.

Over the weekend I finished my Calvert. I love it and have worn it a few times already.

I used a bit more than 10 balls of Sublime extra fine merino dk in the Colonel Mustard colorway. I wasn’t sure how about my choice of yellow but I’m very happy with it now. It’s nice to have something different than blue, black or grey. It looks great with grey and “grellow” just happens to be one of my current favorite color combination.

I modified the pattern a bit like so: I knit the 2 fronts and the lower back in one piece and I knit the sleeves in the round. Instead of binding off the lower back I put it on a holder until I was ready to seam the pieces together. In the pattern, the lower back is bound off, then gathered (it is wider than the back yoke) and then seamed together to the back yoke. Instead, when I was ready to seam I put the lower back back on a needle and decreased evenly so as to have about the same amount of stitches as the back yoke. I then bound off and seamed it together. I really wanted to do pleats but couldn’t figure out how to do it so instead did it that way. It took me 2 tries to get it how I wanted it but it was well worth it. My last change was to make button holes in one of the front bands so as to be able to button it that way instead of buttoning it through the lacework in the front panel as written.

Another modification I made was to add 2 inches to the length of the body. I’m very pleased I did this, although I wish it was even a bit longer. I haven’t wet blocked the cardigan yet though, and I might be able to get an inch more if I did that.

I ended up using the antler buttons that I bought at Stitches East, even though I tried many other options, it was still the best combination.

Last year I knit the Hourglass sweater, and although it fits well enough, I haven’t worn it much. I find that this cardigan works much better for me and will get a lot more wear. I enjoyed knitting with the Sublime extra fine merino dk, even though the woven in ends keep sneaking back out. I don’t know yet how it will wear but have high hopes for it. I definitely would work with this yarn again.

Now I’m thinking of my next sweater… but first I have to finish a bunch of socks!

WIP Wednesday

I’ve got 2 big WIPs that are battling for my attention. I would like to have both finished by the end of the month, hopefully I will succeed!

My first WIP is a knitting WIP, my Calvert cardigan.

I’ve knitted the fronts and both back pieces, you can see them below blocking on my new blocking board.

I’ve also started working on sleeve #1. I’ve only 12″ to go before the sleeve cap so it shouldn’t take too long.

After knitting the second sleeve I will have to assemble the pieces together and then knit a band around the fronts and the neck. I’ve already tried fitting the existing pieces together and it looks like it should fit, so I have high hopes for a nice cardigan.

My second major WIP is sewing WIP and made of 23 parts.

12 small box bags

and 11 large box bags

I try to do at least one step a day and I definitely see progress being made.

Tonight I have to decide: will I sew or will I knit?

10 things that make me happy

1. After 3 days of non-stop snowing and the resulting 2 feet of snow, I am now sure that we’ll get a White Christmas
2. A pretty gold and bronze Christmas tree



3. Setting up my little paper village on the mantel



4. Knowing that all the Christmas shopping is done
5. Finally making headway on my Calvert. All that’s left is finishing the 2 fronts; I’m at the armholes now, knitting the back yoke and the sleeves and a little bit of assembly.



6. The quickest knit, a headband for my manager’s birthday which she really liked. I’ll definitely be making more of these. Ravelry details here.



7. Knowing that even though I couldn’t find a single copy of the latest Knit 1 anywhere, someone on Ravelry bought one for me and is going to be shipping it to me.
8. Sewing the last 2 pillow covers for the couch. I had fun with both of these and made them a bit more involved than the others.



9. Cutting up fabrics for 20 new box bags



10. Getting another quilt ready for quilting

WIP Wednesday

I currently have 5 different projects on the needles:

• 3 socks
• 1 hat
• 1 sweater

The first sock is sock #2 of my Snowflake Lace socks that were started back in January. All I have left is the leg, so hopefully it wont take me until January of next year to finish the pair.

Sock #2 is the Vesper sock with the afterthought heel. I’m about halfway down the foot of sock #2 but I forgot to take a picture.

Sock #3 is the sock I just couldn’t resist, the K1C2 Ty-Dy sock yarn. I’ve worked on it quite a bit so I’m up to the leg now.

The pattern is something I made up on the spot, just a simple rib here and there to make it more interesting.

I cast on yet another project a few days ago. DH has been wanting a hat for a while and after showing him a couple pattern he decided on the Turn a Square pattern by Jared Flood. I picked up 2 skeins of Silk Garden for him to choose and a skein of Ella Rae Classic as the contrasting color. I couldn’t really figure out how to work the jogless stripe so I am working it as is. I have enough yarn for another hat so I’ll figure it out by then.

It’s a very quick knit and will probably work on it exclusively until it’s done. Hopefully by this weekend!

Before I cast on for the hat I got a bit of progress done on my Calvert, I have about 4 inches done on it.

I don’t get to knit very much, maybe one hour at night and I don’t knit very fast, so this last project is pretty long term!

WIP Wednesday

After horrifying a lot of you with a picture of 6 single socks I cast on for 2 new socks… Don’t worry, they’re not new, new socks, but the mates to two of my 6 singles.

I cast on for one charted pattern to work at home while watching TV and one plain stockinette one for when I’m on the road or just waiting around.

The sock on the left is Knitterly Things Vesper Sock yarn that I got in this summer’s sock club knit in a plain stockinette with afterthought heel. The one on the right is Lotus Yarns Aura in Walking With a Ghost in the Snowflake lace pattern.  I’ve noticed that most patterns go much faster the second time around and a few months down the road, and this time is not an exception. I knit the first Snowflake Lace sock back in January and now, 8-9 months later, the lace pattern goes much faster.

After finally making a decision on the color, knitting gauges to find the right needle size, I finally cast on for my Calvert. After discussing with a friend the feasability, I decided to cast on for the cardigan in the round, not in pieces. I tell you, casting on almost 300 stitches does take time! Especially when you finish your long tail cast on and then go on and cut off the wrong tail and have to start all over again!

Each row takes about forever but I have 4 rows of ribbing done! And after finishing the ribbing I get to start decreasing, so I’m looking forward to that time.

I’m quite happy with the yarn, I am using Sublime extra fine merino dk, which is basically the same yarn as the recommended yarn. I picked a nice yellow that I think will be nice and cheery to knit and wear but still neutral enough to act as a basic sweater that can go with a lot of things. At least that’s what I’m hoping!

So I’ll try not to cast on anything else for a while, or at least until I’ve got some good progress done on this sweater.

Big project ahead!

It’s been over a year since my last big project, and I think it’s time for a new one. A few weeks ago I received an email from Berocco advertising their latest booklet by Norah Gaughan, Woodland Gothic. I liked quite a few of the patterns but didn’t much more of it. Last Monday, I saw it again for real at the Iron Horse Farm store where Debbie was having an anniversary sale. After browsing through the patterns I fell in love with 4 patterns in the booklet and decided that Woodland Gothic was going home with me!

My 4 favorites are Eastlake, Loppem, Assemblage and Calvert.

Calvert is the one I will be knitting first, Loppem probably next. I even picked the yarn I wanted to use for it, except I can’t decide which color…

The yarn I can use is either Sublime extra fine merino dk or Sublime cashmere merino silk dk, in one of these 4 colors. My favorites are the grey and the darker pink, but the yellow could be really pretty too I think. What’s your favorite?

Click on the photo to see notes about the name of each colorway.

Now, even though I’d love to wear this sweater to Rhinebeck, I know it’s not going to happen. But maybe I’ll have a nice new sweater to wear at Christmas!