FO: Whisper Cardigan

Pattern: Whisper Cardigan by Hannah Fettig Sprin 09 IK
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace ~1.5 skeins
Needles: US7 and US 4
Size M

Whisper is finally done and I love it. Very soft and very light. I didn't make any real mods, I think I bound off the called for amount of stitches for the arms at the beginning of two rows rather than breaking and reattaching the yarn. I added some length and did a few rows of garter stitch at the bottom to prevent a lot of rolling, the arms I like the rolled look so I left them as written. The construction of this is pretty cool and it was an easy knit. It seemed to drag on a bit towards the end with the ever increasing rows but it was so worth it. I do wish I had bound off a little more loosely around the neckline, it is a hair to tight. You can tell that I used two different dye lots but I don't think it looks too bad, the color is much more intense than these pictures, it got a little washed out in the evening light. I'm happy with this, love the yarn and would use it again in a heartbeat. I do hope it wears well. I seem to be in a red mood, I also have some red socks on the needles but I have also just cast on for a zickzack tunic. I love that sweater and will get some progress shots as soon as I start the lace part. I'm about three months behind the IK magazine :)

FO: Bina's Shrug

My sister asked for a shrug to wear to some weddings this summer and requested that is be silver and sparkly. I picked up this sugar cane yarn at Woolworks that I think is lovely. A slight shimmer is all you need some times. I went through my Barbara Walker stitch dictionaries (I now have 1 and 2) and we decided on this simple four row lace repeat with some ribbing at the sleeves and garter stitch around the opening. It's just a simple scarf sewn up at either in. She seemed to like it and I may just have to make one for myself. I have about the same amount of yarn left over :) I'd like to write this up maybe with a few modifications, I just need the time!




Yarn: Queensland Sugar Rush ~3 skeins I think.
Needles: US5 and US3

FO: Sweet Lilly Shawl

My have I been gone awhile. I finished this several weeks ago and hoped to get some pretty beach or mountain shots but alas, our vacation was hampered by poor weather. There are only a few poor pics since the bugs in our yard have an insatiable appetite.

Pattern: Sweet Lily Shawl by Kritstin Omdahl
Needles: Knitpicks US6
Yarn: Kool-aid dyed baruffa cashwool

I do love the color of this shawl and ma glad I untangled all that yarn. I used it held double and went down two needle sizes to conserve yarn and get a slightly smaller shawl. I like the size but I could have gone with US7s, I haven't weighed the shawl but I do have a decent amount of yarn left. This was an easy knit, the construction was cool and I actually managed to memorize the wedge pattern. I most definitely was sick of knitting those wedges by the end but I really wanted the shawl. I also changed the knots to nupps since I can make one of those much easier and I'm all about easy these days. Overall this is a great knit, I would recommend it to anyone and can't wait to actually wear it.

I have another item to show, I'll try not to be so lazy and post it much quicker. I'm working on a Whisper cardigan in Malabrigo Lace (mmmmmm) but I am slowed by some really bad wrist pain. I got myself a brace to wear at night and the Twilight series to force me to take some time off from knitting. Sigh, it sucks to miss out on yoga and knitting but hopefully I can finish the sweater in enough time for it to see some wear.

FO: Printed Silk Cardigan

Finally done and worn to work today.

Pattern: Printed Silk Cardigan by Connie Chang-Chinchio
Needles: Knitpicks US4 and Clover US3
Yarn: Ella Rae Silkience

Holy finishing Batman! There was a lot of sewing involved with this sweater. I can't believe it but I started this cardigan a year ago. The body went pretty fast but those 1x1 ribbed sleeves took forever. The cotton yarn hurt my hands when doing ribbing so i had to take frequent breaks, and it was just too much ribbing. I don't seem to tire of stockinette but ribbing, not my cup of tea. I had to fudge the sleeve caps to account for a difference in row gauge, I can't tell you what I did but it worked. I actually took the time to do the sewn bind off but it was way too floppy. I ended up crocheting around the neckline bind off for stability and modesty. The weight of my cotton yarn was making this way too boobalicious for me, it was sagging below my bustline and I wouldn't have worn it. I think it looks neater than the sewn bind off anyway.


I do like the finished product, I think it was probably worth all the work. I do doubt that I will make something with ribbed sleeves any time soon. The one thing I wish I had done was a hem or something at the bottom, I foolishly thought the cotton wouldn't curl but it is and it's bugging me. Maybe once it gets washed it will relax a bit. The buttons are from Joann's and were amazingly the perfect color. So overall I am pleased and I think this will see quite a bit of wear, it feels good to finally get this out of the WIP pile. This is already the second item I have made from the spring 08 IK magazine, one of the better issues in my opinion, and there are a few more to get too.

FO: Ilene Bag

I finished this awhile ago but waited until I could get some actions shots to post. Inside our entire haul from the first day of our local farmer's market.

Pattern: Ilene Bag by Hannah Ingalls
Yarn Louet Euroflax sport 1 skein
Needles: US5 and US3

I went down a needle size only because my 6s were otherwise occupied and I wanted a slightly tighter knit bag. I got this yarn in Portland Maine last summer and used all but a few inches of the skein. Despite the fact this thing killed my hands to make I'm really pleased with it. It is comfortable to wear and easy to knit. It also stretches like crazy, it held: Cabbage, collard greens, kohlrabi, beets, cucumber, broccoli, and spinach. Then we went off to pick some of these to make the most wonderful honey sweetened preserves (amazing on ice cream):

I love summer :)

A Case of the Mondays

Just as I sat down outside to get some knitting done my husband pulled in and it was time to start dinner. That just fit in with how the rest of the day went. I did have a chance to snap this quick photo of the shrug my sister asked me to make. She wanted Silver and sparkly, Woolworks did not disappoint as I found this Sugar Rush yarn made from sugar cane. It is great so far and more silver than this picture. I took this as an opportunity to come up with my own pattern and stop in to the anniversary sale...I think it looks good so far, hopefully she'll like it.

I meant to post this Friday but time got away from me. And I'm lazy lately. I stopped into a great place, Silver Circle Studio in Putnam on the way home from work Friday. I needed something to cheer me up after a long week so I got this awesome Annie Adams shawl pin, isn't it cool? It is a bit heavy so I guess I'll just have to make a sweater to go with it :) An interesting side note: The owner of the place is the sister in law to the pin creator so I got to learn a bit about how the jewelry is made. I highly recommend stopping in if you are in the area, there is some amazing art there.

New Distractions

My husband and I discovered an amazing place recently, a tropical greenhouse that specializes in container gardening. Logee's is such a fun place to walk around, they have lemons that weigh 5 pounds! We've been there twice already and have picked up a few fun items.


From left to right we have a Rex Jasmine, a pepper plant (the kind that give black pepper corns), Passiflora Possum Purple which will have purple fruit, Euphorbia milii 'Splendens' "Dwarf Crown of Thorns", an Arabica coffee plant, and a tart orange plant that already has the beginnings of tiny oranges. We got sucked in what can I say? The thought of growing edible products in the house was just too appealing. They seem to be doing well so far so I have high hopes. It also gave us an excuse to make a nice table together and spruce up the living room. The legs and wood plank were prefab but we assembled, sanded, and stained it ourselves which I think counts enough. I've become pretty obsessed with these plants, I love checking for growth and I may tell them they are pretty from time to time... Here is a close up of my favorite, the dwarf crown of thorns, aren't the flowers pretty? I love how it is both beautiful and dangerous :) I do highly recommend this place, it is truly amazing inside and we are lucky to be close. Be warned, even though it is a big place that will take awhile to get through it is a little cramped and impossible to leave without something... or several somethings :)


I have started knitting again, for awhile after making a tote bag out of linen I really couldn't do much. Hopefully this will be a calm week and I can show some of my stuff off.