All In The Details

My DB Sweater is finally done! I spent yesterday afternoon determined to seam up the last remaining side and work in the few remaining ends. I also felt like I was in dire need of completing a knitting project. My time has been split between several projects so nothing was on the FO list, and gosh darn it, I was determined to get something on it quick.

I truly enjoyed knitting this sweater. It gave me the opportunity to really use the knitting skills I have accumulated over the years and put them to the test. Several parts of this sweater had been started, frogged and restarted several times while trying to get the sizing I wanted and needed. It just shows the even with a gauge swatch things still don't turn out like they are suppose to.

The sleeves gave me a bit of a hard time. Thank goodness I had the knowledge to try and figure out the number of stitches I needed when and where to put the decreases to get a sleeve that would make me happy. In the end, they are still baggier than I would have liked.

Incorporating all the elements that DB liked in his favorite sweater made this really fun for me. I gave him the hemmed edges along the bottom of the sweater and sleeve cuffs. The collar was a simple rib and he got the set-in sleeves that he preferred over the raglan. There's even a little extra detail inside the back neck edge. When DB saw it, he said, "It definitely was.".

Pattern: My Own with help from "The Knitters Handy Book of Sweater Patterns"
Yarn: Shelridge Farm Soft Touch W4; Colorway: Blueberry (7 skeins)
Needles: Knit Picks Option Size 6 and 7
Started: October 22, 2009
Finished: December 5, 2009

The flash on the modeled photos makes the sweater look stretched and holey, but it definitely isn't. The fit was pretty close to perfect. The most important thing to me is that DB is happy with it and will wear it over and over again.

31 Days

I find it absolutely amazing that tomorrow is Thanksgiving and that Christmas is only 31 days away! I have been unemployed for nine months, but yet I feel this year has flown. Maybe it's because I have a particular special someone in my life that took me all over the place this past summer and continues to brighten my life each and every day - even when we're not together.

So as we go into celebrating our thanks tomorrow with family and friends, I want to share some knitting updates.

I have finished another Christmas gift. This one is the Vanilla Toe-Up socks for one of my nephew's. Even though his foot is bigger than mine, it didn't stop me from modeling them for you.

Pattern: My own plain vanilla toe-up
Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug - Colorway: Toscana
Needles: Knit Picks Size 1.5
Started: November 7, 2009
Finished: November 17, 2009

It's been a long time since I've done a toe-up sock. Knitting this pair up reminded me why I love toe-up's so much. They knit up SO fast!

Great progress has been made on DB's sweater. Everything has been knitted, blocked and seaming has begun. As of right now, I have one sleeve attached. I have some gripes about the yarn, which I will share in a post of all it's own, but am thrilled to almost have the sweater done. DB is really looking forward to wearing it too!

I started, and almost finished, another Christmas present yesterday. One of my nephew's wanted an earflap hat so I thought I would knit up a Thorpe for him. The pattern calls for a chunky yarn, but I substituted a worsted weight.

Before MB left NY, we decided I would knit the medium on size 9 needles. After finishing the knitting yesterday I tried it on. It fits me really well and I fear it will be too snug for his head. I even had DB try it on last night and it was snug on him. Sooooooooo, since I have plenty of yarn, I am going to cast-on for another and this time knit the large for my nephew.

This one will become mine. I just need to tackle the crochet edging to call it an FO.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

C.S.K.

Can't. Stop. Knitting.

Yes I know my fingers are flying all over the place with all the knitting that is going on in my little ol' apartment these days. I guess this is better than pigging out on chocolate all day long, right? I really only have 5 weeks to get all of my Christmas gift knitting done. That leaves me with 1 week and 3 days to allow for shipping for said gifts to arrive in their appropriate destinations.

Right now the only thing I am knitting that isn't a Christmas gift is my Darling Boyfriend Sweater. Great progress has been made on that. I have one completed sleeve and the other is about half done. I could of had the second sleeve done over the weekend, but I got completely frustrated with the new hank of yarn I was using for it. Seems like this one was a dud. Every few inches I go there is a HUGE slub of yarn that has to be cut out before I can continue. Never fear though I will prevail and kick some yarn slub bootie!

That is a 27.5" long sleeve! DB has some looooong arms.

In regards to Christmas knitting, I started the socks I want to gift to one of my nephews. He has asked his mom why she hasn't knitted him socks yet. I told her I would take care of it. I am using my Vanilla Toe-Up Sock pattern. One sock is done and the other has some good progress on it.

I started a Hemlock Ring Blanket yesterday. I am planning on making two of these as Christmas gifts. I got the yarn I needed at $24 a blanket. Really an inexpensive gift that will hopefully be treasured for a very long time. I'm currently up to Round 41. Can you see the flower in the center?

Proof of Life

I have been dutifully knitting away these days. Can't believe we are in November already and Christmas will be here in 7 weeks. Those of you who know me are aware that I generally knit my Christmas gifts. This year is no exception. While juggling Christmas projects, I have also been working on a sweater for my DB. I'd like to say right here that if anyone mentions the "Sweater Curse" I will send them a cyber smack. ;-) So onward with my current projects.

I found the perfect yarn at Rhinebeck for my Darling Boyfriend Sweater. I couldn't wait to get started. After discussing with DB his likes and dislikes on his favorite sweater, I decided the best route to take on the sweater was to create one of my own design, with guidance from "The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns" by Ann Budd. After 4 attempts of getting the right number of stitches for cast-on on the back, things have progressed rather nicely.

The Back.

The Front.

The 1st Sleeve Attempt. The needle in the middle shows that I was getting ready to rip back 24 rows because I wasn't happy with the width.

The sleeve as it stands now.

I am truly enjoying knitting this sweater. It has required me to think, focus and come up with a way to get the desired outcome I am looking for. I am looking forward to having it complete and show pictures of DB modeling it.

There have also been some FO's in my house. Well 1 completed FO and 1 Half FO.

The Half FO is my Froot Loop Sock. I grafted the toe closed on Sock #1 yesterday. I started this sock back in June and procrastinated on getting it done. I had a couple of motivating factors recently to get this sock off the needles. 1) I purchased Cookie A's sock book last month and have drooled over several of the patterns I want to knit up right now (but won't until Froot Loop is done) and 2) I need the needles to knit up some socks that will be a Christmas gift. Until the gifts socks are done, we will just be looking at Froot Loop Single Sock.

The completed FO is, of course, a Christmas Gift. One of my nephews has wanted a scarf for a good bit now so I decided that I would oblige and give him one this Christmas.

Pattern: Men's "Merino Silk" Scarf (Last Minute Knitted Gifts)
Yarn: Manos Silk Blend (2 skeins; Colorway 3104)
Needles: Knit Picks Options Size 6
Started: October 20, 2009
Finished: November 4, 2009
Mods: The original pattern called for a worsted yarn. Since I used a DK yarn I casted on 31 stitches instead of 21. I also knitted until I ran out of yarn. The finished dimensions are 5" wide and 63" long.

Something else on the needles is this little black lacy number. My niece requested a thin black scarf for Christmas. My sis passed this info on to me along with the pattern to be used. I am knitting the "Lacy Accent Scarf" from Glam Knits using Zephyr yarn. I currently have only 5" of the required 72". I move a bit slower on this knit because of the delicate lace yarn (it's really like thread). However, I know that somehow I'll get it done.