4.28.2009

For Your Little Girl...


Ever since I was young I wanted to someday have a daughter of my own. While I was pregnant I was of course desperately hoping my child would be healthy but also secretly hoping whatever was in there was female.

Well I got one of those things. A sweet baby girl. With loads of health problems.

Now my baby is three years old (and doing fine healthwise) and I have to say having a girl is so much fun. Especially knitting for one!

That's why I cant help but turn out little girl designs. She inspires me all of the time to create new feminine little things. Over the past week or so I have been feverishly knitting this new design.

"The Spring Garden Tee"

To me this design concept and color reminds me of "all things little girl."
Flowers, cupcakes, tea parties, etc.

It's finally done and I've sent it off to the Tech Editor. It will be available for purchase shortly.

Just like all of my other recent designs, it will be sized from 3 months-size 6.

This is a fun little project. It takes hardly any yarn, (the size 2 took less than 2 balls of Rowan Calmer) and it is knit in one piece from the top down.

I love the fluttery lacy cap sleeves. They are so reminiscent of springtime flowers.



I cant wait to try it on my daughter.

4.25.2009

Chickens Are Coming!

Has everyone seen this adorable Knit Chickens pattern by Susan B. Anderson?
The first time I saw it pop up on Ravelry, I fell in love.
I knew that some funky brightly colored chickens needed to have a place in my daughters knitted toy collection.
So recently I started the first chicken. This will be the "Mama chicken".
(I have a whole family planned here.)
Here is a "strange-in progress-What the heck IS that thing-picture" for you.

I worked on it some more last night. I realized that the poor little chickens head was cockeyed
and off center from its chicken body so I had to rip out and redo.
Such a pain. But now it looks correct.
I was so intently knitting this chicken last night that when I looked up at the clock it was 2 AM!
Its crazy what chicken knitting will do to a person!

4.18.2009

Sienna Cardigan


Wow. Its done. I can't believe I wasted 4 months thinking that this Sienna Cardigan was not going to turn out right. It looked so small before it was blocked and seamed. I was convinced that it was going to turn out toddler sized. But no! Isn't it wierd? It totally fits!


This project has really taught me that you just don't know until you finish something.
Blocking really does amazing things.
Look I can even button it up!
So. Wierd.


I am really pleased with how this sweater turned out, especially since I wasn't expecting anything from it. Really.. as I was washing it I was writing out a tragic blog post in my head.. this was going to be the project that failed.
But I truly love it!
Here are the modifications I made to the pattern.
The pattern originally called for a bulky weight yarn. I wanted a smaller fit so I knit it up with Zara Plus (from the stash) which is an aran weight. It turned out being around a 32-34" size instead of a 36".
I also made mine longer. I did an extra repeat or two of the cable pattern.
Also I did something stupid. Well. Its not really a stupid concept. I just carried it out stupidly.
This pattern originally is a straight up and down sweater, no shaping in the body. I've found that super straight fitted sweaters can ride up as you wear them and not lay right. Since this fact was concerning me. I added waist shaping. Well. Alot of waist shaping. I went a little overboard and shaped this sweater for a model with extremely curvy proportions.
So it fits me kind of strangely. Wierd puckering on the sides.
(I tried to hide it for the pictures.)
Wont do that again.

4.17.2009

Green Sleeves

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last knitting post.
It was so great to get everyone's opinions about which pattern to choose for my silk yarn.
I thought that I had made my mind up. Last night I was quite certain that I was going to knit the tank. Then I saw this picture.. and I started feeling conflicted once again.
So I guess you'll just have to wait and see which one I choose when the time comes.
Thank you again though for all of the great input and suggestions. Funny stuff.

Meanwhile. I have 2 green sleeves now.


I just have to attach them to this... and well.. Ill have another green sweater to add to the wardrobe.
Because we all know that I don't have enough of those.



It feels so good finishing this.

4.15.2009

NeverNotKnitting Podcast : Episode 17 : The Problem Shawl




Episode 17







NeverNotKnitting Ravelry Group

The winner of Episode 16's Rowan Summer Tweed drawing was Lumie! Congratulations!
She won 5 skeins of Summer Tweed from Dancing Ewe!


For those of you who didn't win.... Dont worry! The sale is still on for Rowan Summer Tweed!
Dancing Ewe Yarns is offering a special discount of 20% on the entire selection
and free shipping for all orders that include this yarn.


This offer is only valid for the month of April and is exclusive to the Nevernotknitting podcast listeners and blog readers.


In order to receive your discount, click on the Dancing Ewe link and in the checkout process enter in the special code " NNK1 "




Click HERE to download the MP3

4.10.2009

Mountains of Orange Silk

If you also listen to my podcast, you'll know that I went to Stitches West this year. At this Stitches convention a slight lapse in sanity occurred and I ended up leaving with this alarming amount of Debbie Bliss Pure Silk.

Um... yes 1,370 yards to be exact.




Since the weather has been warming up a bit, I've been thinking of this mountain of silk more and more and have been wanting to knit a summery top from it all. I feel like I should use this yarn first before my other stashed silk. I feel guilty about buying all of it and I feel like if I use it up really quickly it will somehow make this impulse purchase "ok".

Here are the two tops that I really like from the Debbie Bliss Magazine Fall/Winter issue of 2008. They both are made up in Pure Silk and I have enough yarn to make one of them, not both. I cant decide which one to make.
The bolero is definitely more my style but maybe not very functional. It looks as though it needs a nice button or closure on the front. Without something holding it together it looks like it could be a bit baggy around the bustline. Not a super flattering look. I love the stitch patterning though! It looks like its really fun to knit
The tank might be more functional.


What do you think? Which project would suit this color of Pure Silk more?

4.03.2009

Liesl


Today we went to the beach and I thought it was an awesome opportunity to photograph Liesl.



I loved making this pattern. It was such a simple quick knit! And the end result is so cute...

A nice, feminine, springtime sweater.




The great thing about the Liesl pattern is that there are so many variations and options available to make the sweater your own.


I chose the wide neckline-full-length-longer sleeved-buttoned version with no picot trim. I love it. Well. I love it mostly. I kind of regret not making longer sleeves. I think that a few more inches would have been a bit more flattering. Oh well. I don't feel like ripping anything out, I'll just deal with it.




The buttons I picked out were shell buttons, perfect for the look I had in mind.

The Rowan Summer Tweed also gives this sweater the springtime quality I was hoping for.

To me this sweater just looks beachy.





I think that Liesl translates nicely with a casual jeans and tee shirt look or like this over a summer dress. I know I will get lots of use out of it this season!



4.01.2009

NeverNotKnitting Podcast : Episode 16 : Circular Struggles

Episode 16






Shownotes:




























*Dont forget to enter this episodes drawing!


If you are interested in trying out Rowan Summer Tweed, the yarn I used for my Liesl sweater, Dancing Ewe Yarns is offering a special discount of 20% on the entire selection of

Rowan Summer Tweed and free shipping for all orders that include this yarn.

This offer is only valid for the month of April and is exclusive to the Nevernotknitting podcast listeners and blog readers.


In order to receive your discount, click on the Dancing Ewe link and in the checkout process enter in the special code " NNK1 "



Click here to download the MP3





Its not Green.. its LIGHT OLIVE



Liesl is finished! I will be posting modeled shots of it this weekend.

Let's just pretend I didn't make another green sweater, ok? Do I have a problem or what?

Is there a green sweater addiction group available?


This project went soo fast. It could easily be knit in only a couple of days! It also only took 4 skeins of Rowan Summer Tweed. I will be reviewing this yarn in Episode 16 of the NeverNotKnitting podcast, which will be airing later on tonight.




It was a fun fast knit. I'm looking forward to wearing it!