Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Spiced Pumpkin with a Cranberry Garnish


Here is my very first finished project from A Stitch in Time, Volume 2.  And you can be sure that there will be many more to come!


One of the things I especially love about both volumes of this book is that the original patterns are printed next to “updated” versions.  Using contemporary yarns with easy to understand and expanded sizing options and tension information, the updated instructions save a lot of research time and allows a knitter to get right to the fun stuff - the knitting!  


9 ounces of Patons Beehive Fingering, 2-ply yarn – what exactly does that look like?  Case in point:  I have abandoned this sweater because, having finished the back piece, I am quite certain that I do not have enough of my Colourmart turquoise cashmere.  Woe is me!  I am still not ready to frog the many hours of work I have already put into the sweater, so it is on hold for the moment until I figure out what to do.


I generally like to use the original patterns for the most authentic look possible.  However, this time around, I decided to live on the edge and go for the updated version.  It wasn’t nearly as painful as I anticipated! 


And after seeing the lovely styling from the updated photos of Theodora, I decided that the sweater needed a brooch on the collar.  However, nothing in the jewelry box looked right, so I decided to make my own.


On my birthday trip to a local thrift store, I found a little jar of mismatched buttons for 25 cents.  Paired with a bit of felt wool from the stash, and backed with a pin, here is my new accessory.


The orange color may not be in my palette, but it makes me happy, so I am going to wear it anyway!




Skirt:  Marshalls
Shoes:  Banana Republic “Patti” in Brown Comb
Tights:  Banana Republic
Coat:  Banana Republic
Brooch:  Made by me
Earrings:  Kate Spade
Bracelet:  Gift 

13 comments:

  1. Your sweater is lovely and the entire outfit looks wonderful on you. I have passed along the post to a friend who will want to copy your brooch, I am sure.

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  2. I am not a knitter so it's beyond my imagination how you could make something so intricate and perfectly fitted as that sweater. And you have such a good eye - the colors and details of the brooch add that little something to make the whole look exquisite and unexpected.

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  3. You made this for a quarter and some scraps, no less, and had it accent the sweater perfectly (PERFECTLY! [sound of teeth gnashing]), this only underscores your ability to create fashion for next to nothing [audible exhale].

    The sweater is truly smart looking in pattern, color, and style. The skirt, and it's Marshall's provenance (don't you dare tell us you got that for a song!), is the perfect pedestal for your handiwork.

    It seems to me, whether you are working with cashmere or cast-offs, you never make anything a jealous-neck could file under "crafty", it's all art; pure Laura Mae style. Though your readers might find it "interesting" to see what you would do with pipe cleaners and garbage bags, I'm just sayin'.

    Spitting spiced pumpkin seeds,

    Testosterone

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  4. The brooch is just great - think I have to try and do something like that myself!

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  5. So lOVELY! I just love that colour!

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  6. Laura that is Gorgeous! (with a capital G). It's so well fitted too. You make me want to try knitting! Yet another hobby to cheat on my sewing obsession with... :)

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  7. Oh, well done. I have yet to start anything from Vol 2, though I am thinking about it. Q uestion. the book is so heavy, did you print off the pattern first?

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  8. @fabriquefantastique Good point, FabriqueFantastique - I always make a copy of knitting patterns to work off. I have a habit of writing all over the pattern to keep track of row counts, etc. and I would feel terribly guilty marring the book. Although, it is fun to find antique books with notes written in, so perhaps I need to find some kind of happy medium.

    And I agree that this book is extremely heavy – I would not want to lug it around town! But isn’t it fun to have so many fantastic patterns in one tome?

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  9. You did a great job on the sweater - what a cheerful color too!

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  10. Your skill at knitting is so awesome. Have you been knitting for a very long time? I've tried to learn repeatedly over the years, but have never been able to master it. Crocheting is something that comes easily to me, but it certainly never turns out anything as fine as your sweater.

    Beautiful work.

    Debbie...(O:
    ><>

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  11. Beautiful! Is there anywhere where you can purchase a single pattern from that book? I would LOVE to make that sweater, but I can't afford the book (I'm 18 years old and have a very part-time job. Boo!)!

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    1. Emily: Unfortunately, I don’t think the patterns are available for individual sale, but I would contact Susan Crawford. (http://www.susancrawfordvintage.com/Contact.html) She is the author of the book.

      I know she has her own designs for individual sale, but I think there was discussion by the Stitch in Time group over on Ravelry that making individual PDFs of the patterns from the book was going to be too much work. But I would highly recommend contacting her – if that pattern is not possible as a single sale, I bet she can steer you in the direction of something similar!

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