FO: Derry Raglan & Cowl

I've managed to keep my Jump for Fall challenge alive by having a sweater on the needles at all times.  Wait -- correction:  now that I've finished my Derry Raglan & Cowl, I'll be searching around for a new winter knit to cast on, but for now, I'm basking in the satisfaction of another hand-knit sweater in my closet!

This raglan pullover was great to knit -- the pattern instructions are incredibly clear, sizing was spot on, and the lace detail running down the sleeves kept the knitting interesting.  With the removable cowl as an added detail, the pullover sports two different looks which is a bonus.

I didn't knit with a particular high-end, luxurious yarn.  Nope, I chose Paton's Classic Wool, a true workhorse yarn, and I'm delighted to say that it was a great match with the pattern.

Purloining from the Knitmore Girls' podcast, I happen to be in stitches today:  wearing my newly finished sweater and these! I'm so warm and cozy, I'm not even blinking at the next impending snow storm that's heading to the east coast.

Happy Feet in Blizzard Conditions

The snow has begun and the northeast is bracing itself for what the media is calling a historic snow storm.  Fortunately, I'm able to stay home today and continue my new-found obsession passion for sock knitting, but before I get too deep into my current pair of socks, I want to share what just came off my needles:  My Gia Socks!

Lion Brand Superwash Merino in Burgundy

I had so much fun knitting Mark's toe-up socks that I immediately cast on another for me, this time with US2 DPNs and in a dk weight yarn. By the way, this yarn is my perfect sock yarn:  soft but holds stitch definition, warm but not hot, and machine washable.

I didn't want a plain vanilla sock so looked around my various stitch dictionaries for patterns.  As I went through my Ravelry library, I came across the Gia Fingerless Mitts pattern that I had stored a while back and instantly knew that I could modify them for my socks.

The knitting went super fast as the lace panel is quick to memorize and with dk weight, the socks were finished in no time.  I love how these turned out ... I think the one lace motif up the front of the foot adds a Downton Abbey kind of vibe, don't you think?

Sock Bug

Have you noticed that sometimes your knitting or cooking or fill in the blank takes on a theme? When our calendars turned from 2012 to 2013, there was a flurry of posts about themes for the new year; some of us wrote about 2013 being the year of the sweater, the shawl, the hat.  Well, friends, I've been bitten, too, and for me I think 2013 is going to be the Year of the Sock.

Fiesta Baby Boom 

Guilt finally got me knitting Mark's socks, but once I finished them, I knew I was bitten by the sock bug. I knit these socks toe-up as I admittedly am not a fan of kitchener, but I know I'll have to get over that if I want to knit more socks.

Feeling in the mood to be free wheeling, I didn't follow a pattern but rather incorporated different techniques as the sock developed. Okay, call me lazy -- I didn't knit proper short rows but used this method instead to turn the heel (and it worked beautifully).  Yup, as the designer says no muss, no fuss.

The yarn did all the striping work and before I knew it, I was done ... and no second sock syndrome! With my mind completely overtaken with sock patterns, I was so delighted to listen to Knit Picks Kelly's recent interview with Frances Fisher, a soon-to-be 88 year-old knitter who has knit 200 pairs of socks (thats 400 socks, people) and is still knitting socks to this day.  Oh, and guess what?  She has never knit toe-up.  Kitchener stitch, here I come.

Fourteen

There's a special someone who is celebrating a birthday today, and when I think back to the day that she was born, I can hardly believe how quickly the years have rushed by.  So many friends (and strangers) have warned me about daughters ... especially teenage ones ... but I have to say that this daughter has only been joy, silliness, and great love.  Maybe it's because we have a lot in common.  Maybe it's because she's a great communicator.  Or maybe it's just because she's who she is.  Whatever the reasons, I'm thankful and wish her the best birthday ever today.

I wanted to knit Miranda something unique and thought about another pair of leg warmers to add to her dance bag.  When I came across this pattern for yoga socks, I knew this was it.  Most dancers also study yoga and Miranda is no exception.  This is a terrific accessory that will keep her feet warm while still giving her the grip she needs while practicing all those poses!

I don't have a lot of sock yarn in my stash but last year, while visiting with Erin in Boston, I couldn't resist this ball of Berroco Sock yarn, and it's perfect for these yoga socks. 

I'll likely knit these socks again, but next time, I'll add another inch to the foot section.  This pair has only three inches and for a size 7.5 - 8 foot, four inches would be perfect.  We'll be showering Miranda with gifts tonight so fingers crossed that she likes these!

*Comments are still open for this week's Winning Wednesday. Good luck!

The Squish Factor

Unlike some of you, I didn't knit all that many Christmas gifts. In looking back, I'm sure my list of knitted gifts was much longer in 2011. Instead, I decided to be a bit more choosy and picked only a handful of projects for a handful of loved ones.  At the top of my list was, of course, Miranda, who had asked for a gray cowl with one main criteria:  it had to have the squish factor.

Cascade 128 superwash chunky

Right around the time that she asked for this said cowl, Purl Bee published their gorgeous Fluted Cowl, and my search was over. This was truly a delightful knit in every way. I hadn't knit with Cascade 128 before, and while I would have loved to pop down to Purl Soho and buy the super soft merino they designed the cowl for, I needed to use my stash.  Boy, was I not disappointed.

This yarn has the squish factor and gave the pattern terrific stitch definition.  Speaking about the stitch pattern, the design is such that both sides of the cowl looks great. In knitting it, the pattern was easy to memorize and yet held my interest throughout.  Starting the cowl was a little tricky though -- the set up rows take some concentration, and I was a little distracted at first so had to frog and cast on a couple of times before developing a rhythm. Once I did, I was humming!

I'm happy to say that Miranda loves her fluted cowl and it's been her go-to accessory ever since she got it. It kept her especially warm during our day trip to Philadelphia over the holidays when the temperature went down to 30 degrees (see how she isn't even shivering?!).

*Comments are still open for this week's Winning Wednesday. Good luck!

It's All in the Details

I'm joining in Ginny's Yarn Along this week.

I've noticed that some of you get a little tired of your sweater projects once the sleeves are back on the needles.  After going around ... and around ... and around in what feels like an endless loop, the project starts to lose some of its appeal.  Yeah, I've been there, too, and being a petite size, my arms aren't even very long!

Here's where my new work-in-progress gets four stars. I've been faithfully knitting my Derry Raglan and Cowl and last night finished the body portion (I know!  I finished the main part of the sweater in less than a week). Picking up the sleeves has been such a joy as a lace panel adorns the top of each sleeve.  

It only consists of seven stitches so following the chart is a piece of cake.  But the interruption to the stockinette keeps me on my toes and the knitting fresh.  I like this detail so much that I'm now in search of more sweater patterns that have a similar sleeve design.  As always, I'm open to suggestions!

As for my reading this week, I impressed myself by finishing a new memoir in less than a day. At the start of my winter break, I bought home a stack of books from the library and the very first one I read was Stephanie Lacava's memoir of being an outsider in Paris. While I'm not someone who collects many objects, I can appreciate the importance objects hold for people.  Lacava's writing is like fairy dust -- simple but it settles over you.  

I'm now on my second book from the stack (and my first book of 2013) so clearly, I've had a good week of knitting and reading!  

A Knitter's Christmas -- Part II (Yarn)

Before Christmas, my yarn stash was already overflowing, and now I can officially say that my stash is out of control! There were so many amazing deals just before the holidays that were just too hard to resist -- yes, I succumbed but I'll blog about that some other time.  Today, as promised, is part II of A Knitter's Christmas:  my gifts of yarn!

One of my two sisters works at Michael's and she shares my love of all things crafty.  She's an excellent artist and creates the most beautiful cards and scrapbooks -- as you can imagine, she's much admired at her store and has a great time working there.  Esther is generous beyond belief and while the kids were opening their gifts on Christmas, she surprised me with a huge bag of Patons Classic Wool in three colorways: dark grey mix, oatmeal, and plum heather.  I love Classic Wool as it's a great workhorse yarn with good yardage, sturdy texture, and a great price.

As you can see from the photo above, Esther gifted me enough for three sweaters (size small, of course), and I'm starting to plan which patterns I'll cast on.  Before she gave me this stash, I had asked her to pick me up some basic black and cream, and yesterday I casted on my first of many sweaters that I hope to knit in 2013.  While I took advantage of yarn sales before the holidays, I also jumped on a great deal from Interweave Press and bought a digital copy of New England Knits which I had been coveting for months. Both Erin and Renee have knit beautiful items from this book.

I'm knitting the Derry Raglan and Cowl pullover in black, and while I already had to frog it once, I'm excited about this pattern and am now enjoying its rhythm.  I made a few minor mistakes when starting the set-up row and then fudged it but as Gigi of the Knitmore Girls always says, if you don't like it now, you won't like it ten rows from now. My goal is 2013 is to be a more mindful knitter and as this sweater will count towards my 2013 collection, I best start being mindful now.

ChiaGoo Stitch Markers

Yarn Along 32

I'm joining in Ginny's Yarn Along this week.

Have you noticed how quiet it's been here on Project: Stash?   Everyday, I've had good intentions of jotting down a few words and sharing a few photos but for various reasons, my (s)low burn has persisted. I've been awfully sad since last Friday, a sadness that has made it hard to concentrate on even the things I love to do (like knitting and reading), but I also know that being reflective and quiet can bring a little peace to a very noisy world.

I have done a little knitting as I don't want the holidays to pass without some hand-made gifts.  I'm working on a sweet project that has turned out to be quite meditative. I'm knitting my Winter White Kitchen Towel in Lily's Sugar 'N Cream cotton in the ecru colorway, and it's humming along pretty quickly.

I'll admit that I haven't had much mind space to read, but I have started The Red House by Mark Haddon. This is another brother-sister story told from the view of each character so it takes more concentration than I've had recently.  With a few days off in the coming week, my hope is to get into the heart of the book and finish it!  Hugs to all.

FO: BFF Cowl ... finally

My BFF Cowl was finished weeks ago (as was Gail's, my knitting partner) but a few things got in the way of my posting about it here.  Having a busted camera and too many WIPs on the needles left my beautiful cowl languishing at the bottom of my knitting basket, but one of my goals for the holiday weekend was to finish it, and so I moved it right up to the top of the queue. This was such a fun project (and easy, too) and I know my new cowl will keep me extra cozy through the cold weather months.

I knit the Seed Pod cowl in Cascade Eco Duo which is incredibly soft and lofty.  Gail knit the Cocoon cowl in Cascade Cloud which is equally soft but creates a denser fabric that will definitely keep out the cold.

The tones work so nicely together, don't you think?  Thanks, Gail, for knitting this with me.  BFF, always!

Cozily Engaged

Like you (I hope), I had the luxury of an extra long holiday weekend, and I spent most of it doing things that I love.  Every morning, I was able to get in a 5k run which always helps to set up my day. For my family's Thanksgiving meal, I baked one of my all-time favorite pumpkin cheesecakes from an ancient 1990 Gourmet recipe. I made my first ever Minnesota Wild Rice & Mushroom soup for a cozy fire-side dinner with very dear friends.  And last but not least, I gathered all my knitting projects together and spent a few hours each day listening to my favorite podcasts while finishing some WIPs.  Yes, in a nutshell, I was cozily engaged.

I'll be showing off my FO parade all week but today I'm excited to finally share my finished Duchess Bedford!

Madelinetosh DK in Duchess

I knit this pattern as a KAL with Wei Siew, but she finished weeks before I did.  There was a lot I learned while knitting this pullover which was exactly why I wanted to try the pattern.  Firstly, this sweater is knit bottom up with raglan sleeves that are added after the body is finished.  Secondly, I loved the twisted stitch pattern on the body portion which zoomed along.  Thirdly, not having knit reverse stockinette stitch before, I welcomed giving it a try.

I also wanted to follow a pattern faithfully from start to finish and it was such a nice experience to do so.  Where I was most nervous was in joining the sleeves with raglan shaping, but I read through the instructions several times, gave myself plenty of time and space to knit this section, and I am pleased to say that I DID IT! It's not perfect -- there's a little separation on the left-side shoulder -- but for my first attempt, I'm stoked!  Knitting with Madelinetosh is pure pleasure, and I'm glad I chose to use their DK weight yarn and US7 needles as the pullover is exactly what I was looking for:  snug and warm.
Miranda modeled my new pullover for this blog post but do not be mistaken:  this Duchess Bedford is mine.  Stay tuned for another blog post when I show you the yarn we bought for her Bedford. 

WIP: Fluted Cowl

Simply said, I couldn't resist ....

I cast on Purl Bee's beautiful Fluted Cowl with Cascade 128 superwash from my stash.  Bulky yarn, US 11 needles, textured stitch pattern, charcoal gray ... what's not to love?

Iced Coffee

Last night, by candlelight and public radio, I swatched for my new sweater.  After I posted yesterday about deciding to join in the NaKniSweMo challenge, I did a quick search for easy and quick sweater patterns and remembered that my dear friend, Erin, knit Carol Feller's Iced Cardigan recently and loved it.  I know that what I need right now, while reports say that my neighborhood may not have power until the weekend of November 10, is a comforting bulky knit project.

I have two skeins of Cascade Ecological Wool and got gauge on US11 needles so I've cast on and already feel the calm and peace I get when I start knitting.  Now more than ever, I really appreciate my stash! The yarn is a rich dark coffee color (hence the name of my project) and my plan is to have my fireplace going all weekend, coffee pot full, and knitting project by my side.

Now if I can only think of what else to cook for dinner besides pasta!

Safe and happy weekend everyone. xo

FO: Gray Day Pullover

When I set out to challenge myself this fall to knit my fall/winter wardrobe, I was really excited because I wanted to both push myself as a knitter and to add unique pieces to my somewhat spare sweater collection.  I had no idea how much fun I would have searching for patterns, adding favorites to my queue, choosing yarn, and casting on.  This isn't to say that I've not come across snags but overall, knitting me-size garments has been a terrific experience. My Gray Day Pullover is one such example, and I've already worn it out a few times in the last several weeks.

These photos were taken during a recent weekend jaunt up to Saratoga Springs, NY, which I'll write about soon and the weekend was more than crisp enough to wear my new cozy sweater.  The pattern is incredibly simple to follow although for my version, I eliminated knitting with two colors. 

Since I'm petite with narrow shoulders, arms, and hips, this sweater is a little large on me -- I should have knit the smallest size and will do that when I knit this sweater again, next time following the pattern more faithfully and knitting stripes in the yoke and along the bottom hem.

It's been a little warm here in NY, but I hear that this weekend will be perfect fall weather so I'll be donning this sweater while I work on my Bedford in the sunshine.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Yarn Along 29

I'm joining Ginny's Yarn Along this week.

I guess you can say that I am really enjoying knitting my Bedford.  It's been incredibly nice having only three projects on my needles:  my High Plains Drifter Shawl, a test knit that has to remain underwraps for now, and my Bedford.  So far, the pattern is sweet:  interesting stitch pattern on the body portion and straight-forward reverse stockinette stitch on the sleeves all of which has kept my attention without being tedious or overwhelming.  I'm also loving knitting with Madelinetosh DK in spite of the slight change in color as I knit from skein to skein.  I should have alternated between two skeins to start with (duh!) as many of you commented, but I forgot that helpful advice and am not bothered enough to rip back and start over.

This is more of a hump than a ladder

Where I did bother to rip back and start over was with my first sleeve.  I cast on with DPNs and didn't think I'd have the infamous ladder problem but why I thought I would be the one to avoid this problem, I just don't know.  Oh yes, where my stitches jump from one DPN to another developed the ladder effect or in my case the hump effect.

I changed to a circular needle but the damage was done, and I knew that the regret I would feel in not ripping back would make me sad every time I wore this beautiful sweater so rip back I did.

At first, I took the advice to spread my stitches over four needles rather than three but that barely made a difference.  I then decided to cast directly onto a circular needle and while it took a little more effort to knit the mere 45 stitches (I have very small wrists and thin arms), it worked like a charm.

I'm actually done with both sleeves and the body section so I'm ready to knit the three pieces together and begin the raglan shaping.  My additional skeins of Madelinetosh DK are caked and patiently waiting -- I can't wait!

As for reading, I'm nearing the end of Stone Arabia and am so moved by the way the story unfolds.  I was under the weather earlier this week which gave me the opportunity to read for several hours ... the plus side of needing to lie on my couch for an afternoon.

WIP: Bedford

I am completely devoted to knitting my Bedford at the moment. The pattern is clearly written and knitting with Madelinetosh DK is sheer pleasure -- what more can a knitter ask for?

 

There's one minor concern that I have though. I joined my second cake the other day and noticed a faint, rather large stripe that's developed.  As anyone who knits with Madelinetosh knows, the skeins are hand-dyed in small batches and don't have dye lots.  There's a lot of mottling (is that a word I just invented?) in the yarn which I love but it also means that each skein will vary in how the color is distributed.  Can you see it?  Should I be bothered?

Another small detail that I noticed is in the faux seam that is created on either side of the sweater -- I love it but based on the stitch pattern, it's not as smooth as I thought it would be.  I contacted Michele Wang, the designer, about my question and she was wonderful about getting back to me, but I think we're looking at this design element a bit differently.  It's completely fine as I'm happy with how the whole sweater is knitting up. As someone who is really interested in design and how designers make intentional choices, it's always such a great learning experience to hear how designers explain their work.

Hope you all get some solid crafting time this weekend! 

BFF Cowl: What a Difference a Yarn Makes

I was happily knitting along on my BFF Cowl last week, but I have to be honest -- there were moments when I wasn't completely sure that this design was suited for Cascade Eco Duo. This is the first time I'm knitting with Eco Duo, and as much as I love how soft and natural it is, the yarn has a lot (and I mean a lot) of loft which had me wondering if my links were going to be too drapey in contrast to Gail's which are being knitted in Cascade Cloud.

Still, I finished Ysolda's link, soak it, blocked it, and was incredibly happy with how it turned out. I then turned to Stephanie's link and hit a wall ... again ... and again ... and again.  I cast on and frogged that link no fewer than five times and kept wondering what I was doing wrong when I started to pay closer attention to the yarn and realized that the Eco Duo had barely any twist and was starting to unravel and fall apart. Back to my stash I went and fortunately found my skein of Berroco Ultra Alpaca in cream. Since Gail's links are knit with an Alpaca blend, I want to make sure my links are, too.

Berroco Ultra Alpaca in Cream

 What a difference a yarn makes! I cast on and my needles went flying.

So, lesson number one in my new journey to mindful knitting: even with small projects like accessories, swatch different types of yarns for different types of pattern stitches.  Not every stitch pattern works well or looks good in any type of yarn ... duh!

P.S.  I'm participating in Blogtoberfest again as it was such a fun experience last year.  If you'd like to join along, click on the cute Blogtoberfest button on the right for more information.

Jump for Fall FO: Isaiah's Bean Cardigan

While I've been knitting away at my two adult-sized pullovers, it's been a real joy to knit something in miniature!

Cascade 220 in Camel, Wool of the Andes in Currant

The Little Coffee Bean Cardigan pattern is super easy and super quick which was just what I needed. My other projects are much more labor intensive, either because of their size or because of the more complicated stitch patterns so turning to this cardigan was a great respite.

My Isaiah's Bean Cardigan had to be modified as I was committed to knitting from my stash.  I had to resort to knitting the bottom and front ribbing and bottom sleeves in the currant colorway and while I would have preferred to follow the pattern exactly, I think the cardigan looks adorable.

With only a little bit of the currant colorway left, I couldn't resist knitting a baby hat to complete the ensemble!  I can't wait to gift this to my dear friend (even though this gift is months overdue!).

Special Kind of KAL

I'm sure you've all seen the newest collaboration from Ysolda Teague and Stephanie of Tiny Owl Knits, right?  Their BFF Cowl hit the airwaves late last week, and there was a flurry of <3s and forum posts all over Ravelry.

I loved the photo spread that accompanied the pattern -- the lighting, colors, and poses were irresistible, so irresistible that I pm'd my friend Gail instantly and asked if she would cast on our very own BFF Cowls.  As only a true friend would do, she replied within minutes with a resounding YES!

Cascade Eco Duo, Undyed

Rather than surprise one another, we decided to coordinate yarns and colors.  I'm partial to neutrals and pale colors while Gail is prone to bright and saturated ones. Still, she sweetly headed in my direction -- we're co-blogging today so make sure to check out her post later today, too.

Seedpod Cowl

Without talking about it, we both cast on late yesterday afternoon and wouldn't you know it, we chose to start with different cowls -- we were stoked!  I'll admit that I didn't practice mindful knitting when casting on.  I had only skimmed the Seedpod pattern before picking up my needles, and sure enough, I hit a row with a stitch instruction that had me scratching my head.  What's 1 into 15, I asked myself?

I pm'd Gail, and she got back to me within minutes with the answer ... (note to self: read the pattern all the way through first like you promised you would!!)

I took my time after that and finished the first pattern section to create this gorgeous seedpod motif.  It takes a fair bit of concentration -- no Netflix with this pattern -- but I listened to a nice set of knitting podcasts that kept me great company!  More about that in another post.

Yarn Along 27

I'm joining in Ginny's Yarn Along this week.

Just in time for autumn weather, I finished my Sea Pines Pullover! I used Susan B. Anderson's formula for an easy top-down raglan sweater, and I'll definitely knit with this formula again (but with mods which I'll discuss below).

I knit this boxy pullover in Cascade Eco Cloud and absolutely loved how soft and lofty the yarn is.  The chain construction gives the knitted fabric a dense but not too heavy texture and I'm so happy with the color that I chose.

Some of you have commented on the fact that Miranda and I fit the same size ... I know, I'm 49 and she's 13, but we're both slim and I'm short petite.  She's on the tall side so you can see how the pullover is cropped on her torso. 

And so here's the rub. I should have cast on fewer stitches to start with and made the raglan section smaller.  I'm a 32" bust but the raglan numbers have made the pullover fairly wide, and I didn't do any shaping at the torso.  I suppose I could just lengthen the sweater overall but I'll be honest, I  can't bear to buy yet another skein of this yarn and increase the price of this hand-knit even more.

I wore it over the weekend on a date night with Mark and it was warm and cozy, but I'm a little worried that it will grow after a few washings.  I'm seriously thinking of re-knitting this and making it smaller.  I know, I know ... you're thinking that I've lost my mind but the yarn is gorgeous (and not cheap), and I'm trying to only add hand-knits to my wardrobe that I'll wear regularly and happily. I'll give it a quick wash and see how it fits after its dried.  But don't be surprised if I post about frogging this baby down the road!  Does this ever happen to you?  A project is lovely and wearable but it just doesn't feel completely right?  Yeah, this pullover is nagging at me a little and I don't like nagging. 

I've started a new novel as Egger's A Hologram for the King expired on my iPad (I borrowed the ebook from my local library).  During date night, Mark & I stumbled upon a great used bookstore in Brooklyn, and I picked up Dana Spiotta Stone Arabia which I'm totally loving.