This Marc Jacobs pullover was in today’s “What’s new for you” email from Net-a-Porter and I immediately fell in love with it. I like the neutral color palette and the traditional motifs, and the use of the horizontal solid stripes is interesting and sort of innovative. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that sort of striping used in a fair isle design and I wanted to examine it further. When I clicked through to look at it in more detail (did you know you can zoom in on all the items at Net-a-Porter by clicking on the picture?) I realized that this sweater is inside out! And by that I mean that it’s purposely inside out, not that it was photographed that way by accident. You can see the yarn floats from the “wrong side” of the fabric but the seams are not inside-out, so that means the “wrong side” was intended to be the public side all along. What a cool idea!
It looks like knits will continue to be prominent this fall and winter and I couldn’t be happier. Too bad it’s a million degrees and 100% humidity again today in NYC . . . makes it seem like cool weather will never come . . .
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This is what I was referring to in the last post when I said my knitting ADD is pretty much as bad as ever: I started another new project! This is the Metro cardigan by Connie Chang Chinchio from the latest issue of Twist Collective. When I saw the latest issue this pattern jumped out at me more than any other. I absolutely love the simplicity of the design and the small cable detail at the neckline, and I’m excited to try top-down set in sleeves, too!
The yarn I’m using is String Classica cashmere which I’ve been hoarding for over 3 years for just the right project. I only have 10 balls but I think that should be enough. I’m just past the waist decreases and on the second ball, so that seems to bode well for having enough to finish the whole thing. This past week we finally had a break in the weather and it’s become possible to think about the coming fall . . . I can’t wait to wear sweaters and scarves again! This summer’s been absolutely brutal and I’m really hoping the cooler weather holds out.
As for the pattern itself, it’s incredibly well-written and brilliantly thought out, down to the last detail. Following a pattern like this is pure pleasure and I’m looking forward to getting to the top-down sleeves to see how they work and how the instructions are written. If only I had more time to knit I would be making more of Connie’s designs for sure!
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A few days ago I realized I’d never taken formal shots of the Leila shawl I knit in Laceweight Malabrigo so I took advantage of the gorgeous sunlight to get some good photos. The funniest thing happens to me with projects sometimes: by the time I get done knitting I’ve moved on emotionally from the design and I barely enjoy the finished item because I’m focused on the pattern-writing and photography stage of designing. Looking at this shawl a year later I can now appreciate just how nice it is! I can’t wait for the weather to cool off so that I can wear this again . . .
Knitting the full-size shawl in laceweight results in a small shoulder-warmer shawl that’s larger than a scarf. The great thing about laceweight is just how LIGHT the whole piece is — wearing it feels like you’re barely wearing anything but you still get the warmth of wool. And the Malabrigo lace has such a lovely hand that it feels like a luxury to get to wear it around your neck (well, not in 90+ degree heat of course).
I knit this particular design so many times that I feel like I could knit it again just from memory, and I actually have an urge to do just that! There is something about diagonals that really speaks to me design-wise, which I guess is no surprise given how often I use them in my designs. Looking at the border detail now reminds me how much fun it was to come up with it originally . . . and I’m currently working on two new designs that use diagonals, too.
Speaking of which: yes, my knitting ADD is just as bad as always . . . I am trying to focus though . . .
Project specs:
Pattern: Leila Shawl
Yarn: 2 skeins Malabrigo Laceweight in color 92, Little Lovely
Needles: Size US 3
Started: May 25, 2009
Finished: June 13, 2009
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I actually finished these weeks ago but only gave them to the new mom on Monday so I didn’t want to post them just in case. She loved them and I think was truly touched that I made them, which is exactly the reaction we’re all hoping for when we give something handknit! Her baby is so adorable, hopefully he won’t grow so fast that he’s not able to wear these before the summer heat breaks . . .
I was actually able to make two sets of booties out of one skein of Koigu, so that’s a very very affordable baby gift, note to self! I knit the second pair to keep just in case someone else announces they’re expecting a boy.The pattern is the old-fashioned type that’s wordy and doesn’t have many “next row” type instructions, but it’s easy to follow and I didn’t find any mistakes. If I were to change one thing it would be to shape the soles into a bit of an oval shape, these are squares and the corners are a bit too square for my taste. It’s a minor thing though and I didn’t think of it until after I’d picked up stitches for the second one, so I wasn’t about to rip it all out to fix a small detail no one else would notice!
Baby knits are SO cute and quick to knit, it makes me want to make a whole closet full of gifts to hand out in the future! But the thought of having a closet full of baby knits is also sort of creepy . . . I wonder if Arnold would be up for wearing booties . . .
Project specs:
Pattern: Christina’s Baby Booties, no modifications (shock!)
Yarn: 1 skein Koigu KPPPM in color P415
Needles: Size US 1 dpn’s
Started: July 3, 2010
Finished: July 17, 2010
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Long time no post! Sorry all! I’ve been swamped at my new job (did I mention I started a new job last month?) and have had a surprisingly busy social calendar recently, meaning most of my evenings are spent out with people instead of home knitting . . . which is so weird! I have been making some progress on a few projects though, and am getting ready to release a new pattern as well! Here’s a sneak peek of that new pattern, which I’m calling City:
Can you tell what it is? No? Well that’s the point! All will be revealed shortly, I promise. The pattern will include two versions, and I’m currently knitting the second one. And have already written the instructions! So it really is close to being done. Hopefully within the next few weeks.
And here’s another sneak peek into the pattern I plan to release after City:
Not much detail in this one either, huh? I’ll tell you what it is: a mitten! I have the first one completely finished and the second is about half done, but haven’t even started on the pattern yet, so this one will not be out all that quickly. I love these mittens and have already started planning a second pair in a completely different colorway!
Both these designs are knit with St Denis Nordique yarn, which I absolutely adore. The hand is woolly yet soft, the color range is awesome, and each color is gorgeous and unique. Perfect for colorwork! I plan to come up with several colorways for each design and sell kits with the yarn. I’ll take a picture of the Tower O’ Nordique and share it soon, you may just choke . . .
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This past Saturday I went hiking with some friends up at the Sterling Forest State Park and had a great time! Even though it was one of the hottest days EVER, and by that I mean that it was in the high 90′s with nearly 100% humidity, we still all enjoyed being outdoors in the gorgeous surroundings. I brought only my little point & shoot camera because I didn’t want to lug the SLR around, so the pictures I took really aren’t that good, but they at least give you an idea of what we saw. The picture above is of the big lake where we dipped our feet and chilled towards the end of the hike — there were lily pads all over! And mosquitoes, too, but those didn’t make for as good a photo op . . .
Here’s the giant tree branch I sat on to take that picture:
Isn’t this the perfect limb to climb out onto and then jump in the lake?!? The only problem with it was that it was positively covered in ants. I would show you the ants, but my attempts at photographing them were completely unsuccessful due to the aforementioned point-and-shoot camera.
Here’s a view of the same lake from way up at the top of a hill:
This picture absolutely does not convey how gorgeous the scenery was at this spot! Looking at the picture now makes me wish I had taken the big camera up there . . .
We hiked about 10 miles in all and were pretty wiped out by the time we found our way back to the car. We finished the day up with fresh local ice cream from Bellvale Farms to make the day even better! I can’t wait to go back up there and explore some of the other trails.
Oh and knitting-wise? I’m working on a few new designs but suffering from some severe design ADD at the moment. I may or may not have a pattern ready to release in the next few weeks . . . stay tuned.
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It’s a totally random coincidence that after finally photographing Shana’s blue Koigu Nutkin socks the next project I picked up was also in blue Koigu, and also for someone named Shana! What you see above is one bootie from the set I am making for my other friend Shana who just gave birth to an adorable baby boy. I’m using the Christine’s Baby Booties pattern which I’ve made before and they’re just as cute as I remember. Every time I knit something for a baby I’m again shocked at how tiny and cute baby stuff is — I know it’s obvious but when I’m actually holding a tiny bootie in my hand it’s still shocking to see just how little it is! What you see above was the first bootie of a set which is now finished, but when I realized I had about half the skein of Koigu left over I went ahead and started another set. It’s always good to have a baby present in the closet for a last-minute gift, right?
Oh and you see the book that’s open under the bootie? That’s The Happiness Project and I’m on the last few pages. I haven’t been able to put this book down since I started it: I’m loving it and it’s making me think and examine my own life and attitudes. The author, Gretchen Rubin, decides that she has a great life on paper but that her mood doesn’t always match, so she sets out to make her regular life happier by making small changes. She blogs about the process here but the book documents her year spent focusing each month on a certain aspect of her life and adjusting her behavior and attitude to ensure more moments of happiness. What I really like about this book is that she doesn’t do anything drastic or scary (no moving to India or even quitting her job) to reach her goal, she makes tiny changes in common everyday behavior so that her life doesn’t change but her ATTITUDE does. Before embarking on this challenge she did exhaustive research into happiness and read everything from ancient philosophers to Oprah, and throughout the book she references these sources . . . I love that because it means I don’t have to go do the legwork myself . . .
As soon as I get to the end of the book I’m going to re-read it while taking notes so that I can start my own (much less intense) Happiness Project. If this description sounds at all interesting to you I definitely recommend browsing the book the next time you’re in a bookstore, I bet it will speak to you, too!
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It’s been months since I actually finished these socks but I didn’t get the last end woven in or pictures taken until this past weekend. Of course it’s much too hot for my friend Shana to even think about wearing these socks right now anyway so I know (hope?) she doesn’t mind the delay TOO much!
These socks had a rough time getting finished: They were restarted 4 times with different cast-on amounts, then when that was fixed they ended up too long and pointed and had to have their toes redone. All in all I think I knit these twice over before I was finished. In the end I added a pattern repeat to the cast on, worked the second sock’s pattern reversed to make them mirror images of each other, and changed the toe shaping completely. It’s surprising how much they still look like the originals even after all those changes!
You can see in this shot that the stitch pattern twists around, but I didn’t find a way to fix the problem and wasn’t willing to rip AGAIN to try to remedy it. If you’re looking at the socks on your feet it’s not very noticeable from the front, only from the sides. I thought it was interesting that they twist is in the same direction even though I mirrored the stitch pattern: amazing how there’s always something new to learn about knitting, even when you’ve been doing it forever!
As always, working with Koigu was a dream and I know Shana will get lots of use out of these socks. In the last few months I’ve been knitting for others more and I’m finding that I really enjoy it . . . definitely going to make it more of a habit in the future.
Project specs:
Pattern: Nutkin socks, heavily modified
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM in color P905
Needles: Size US 1 dpn’s
Started: January 7, 2010
Finished: Sometime in April, 2010
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by Ivete on June 27, 2010
in Yarn
UPDATED 6/27 with lower prices!
I’m streamlining and you get to benefit!
Here are the rules:
- Paypal only.
- Domestic shipping: Flat $6.00 no matter how much stuff you want. Packages will go out the next business day and will be mailed Priority or First Class, depending on weight.
- International shipping will be the actual cost for Global Priority. I will email you the shipping cost and you can approve it before paying for the item. Please do not ask me to lie on the customs form, I won’t do it.
- Leave a comment on this post letting me know what you’re interested in and whether you’re domestic or international. Everything is offered on a first-come basis. Once you comment I will send you a PayPal invoice. Payment is expected within 24 hours or your item goes back up for grabs.
Everything is from a smoke-free home, but I do have a dog. The yarn is all kept in a closet he doesn’t have access to, but there may be a bit of dog hair in it anyway.
Unless otherwise noted, multiple skeins are all the same color and dyelot.
1 Skein Koigu Mori 50/50 Merino/silk in color M729. Retails for $27. $13. $10
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