Happy May

Wow, no posts at all in April, pretty sad. I've been knitting but have just been too lazy to sit and write a blog post. These were April's projects.

Up first is a Stockinette version of Haruni by Emily Ross. I used US5 needles I think, and Malabrigo sock in Cote D'Azure. I love everything about this shawl. After using the malabrigo sock it's the only thing I ever want to knit with again. I had the chance to stop in at Webs last month and grabbed enough for a light sweater. I can't wait to start that.



Next, which actually was finished first, is a simple vest of my own design in Reynolds Whiskey. I like it but as you can see the neck opening isn't low enough and the straps are too wide. I don't know if I'll fix it or not, I don't have much green left and I can't decide if it bothers me enough. I finished this just as we got hit with some very warm weather so I've only had the chance to wear it once, I'll decide in the fall what to do with it.

I was going to show May's projects but I just had to rip out my Indigo ripples skirt so that will have to wait until next time. Let's see if I can be less of a stranger around these parts! Maybe I'll even remember to take some pictures of my sewing.

FO: Bauhaus

Bauhaus Fair Isle by Mary Jane Mucklestone
Berroco Ultra Alpaca
US4 and US5

So I finally got some decent pictures of my husband's Christmas gift. Unfortunately the colors are a bit washed out. The sweater took about three months of monogamous knitting and was by far the most challenging thing I've knit. It did drag towards the end but overall I did enjoy it and I'm really proud of how it came out. After a good wet blocking my tension is very even and it has a nice drape. I used several colors of Berroco Ultra Alpaca and the maroon is a skein I picked up from the Coventry farmer's market two years ago. He picked all the colors and I really like the combo he came up with. I like this yarn for colorwork and would use it again. It is very dense but it's good for those really cold days. My only issue with the pattern is that the armholes are really big. Maybe my husband is thinner than most but there is more room than needed in that area. He still says it's comfortable but we know now to take a close look at armhole measurements for future sweaters. I've got the colorwork bug now though, after my Ravelympics sweater I stopped in to Woolworks for some yarn to make myself a color work vest. Hopefully I'll finish in time to wear it at least once this season.

FOs Felicity and Bella's Mittens

I have a few quick FOs to share, both completed post ravelympics. A few months ago I bought the most beautiful sparkly yarn, Plymouth baby alpaca glow. I started three different hat patterns before I settled on Felicity and I'm so glad I went with this pattern. It was a nice, easy knit and came out so nice. It has the perfect amount of slouch and looks very hip. This isn't the best angle but it really is flattering. I love how sometimes the most simple knits are the best looking. The hat was knit on US 5 and US7 and I cast on I think 10 extra stitches.


Next up a second pair of Bellas Mittens in Cascade Superwash Chunky 128, US8. I love this pattern. The mitts come out super cute and were great over a long sleeved shirt when walking on the beach. The flip top ones I knit in Perivia are warmer and don't let as much wind through but they are not wearing well.


.I felt very Twilighty walking on the beach in these mittens. We love it there in the off season because we can bring the little lady.

Re-entry

The blog has been quite for a long time since progress on my one project was very slow. My husband's sweater took forever, 3 months of dedicated attention but we think it came out pretty good. For all the work I'm waiting for good lighting so the pictures do it justice. This sweater was my largest colorwork project and was actually satisfying to knit. So over the last month I cut my first steek, eeee!


It really wasn't that bad. Then there were all those ends to weave in, that took a few days.



I finished the day before the Ravelympics. It was my goal to be able to compete in the sweaterboard cross and I just made it across the finish line. I was weaving in the last end as the closing ceremonies were ending. It's soaking now, as soon as we took the photos I was off to bed, I don't normally model my garments with PJ pants :) With any luck there will be a bevy of FO posts to come soon!

Penny's quilt

I mentioned that I had gotten a sewing machine for my birthday and I have been putting it to good use. I made some table runners for Thanksgiving and some Christmas gifts that I forgot to take pictures of. I got some really cute puppy themed fat quarters in my stocking so I decided to make a small quilt for Penny to use on the couch. I figure it didn't matter how messy it came out and it would keep her from licking the couch and getting too much fur on it. I cut a bunch of 5' squares and pieced them together. On some of the squares I appliqued a little shadow corgi. I found an image online and traced the outline onto freezer paper. I ironed that onto the fabric and used it as a guide for cutting. That stuff is amazing. It sticks until you peel it off and saves a bunch of time by eliminating the need to trace designs onto fabric. So I got to practice my applique skills and my free motion quilting skills. The swirls are a little hard to see in the image but they came out ok. It's definitely tough to maneuver the fabric around when free motion quilting and I think it would take some more practice to get really good at it. Overall I'm pleased with it and it was a good learning experience. I'm not sue how much quilting I will do in the future but I'm happy I know how.

I think Penny likes it :)