Fluffy Knits

It is currently a very gloomy evening, and the rain is threatening to start at any moment.  There has been a fair amount of precipitation around these parts lately, which means it is ideal knitting weather, or at least, it feels that way.  This sweater was blocked last week, and since I am doing my best to post in a more timely manner, here is the finished sweater.  I can't promise to have finished pictures posted any time soon, but baby steps . . .

I began this project in late November and finished it before the new year, which is a quick turnaround for me when it comes to knitting sweaters.

I previously made this design many, many years ago, and I tend to wear it when the weather is bad and I have no clue what to wear; it turned out slightly more oversized than anticipated, but it's easy to wear and extremely comfy.  So I figured it would be nice to have another version on hand.

Well, I finally got around to it.  And this Wonderfluff from KnitPicks seemed like an excellent pairing with the slouchy feel of the design.  

I decided to substitute a bit of texture for the stockinette stitch and used a double moss pattern for the body of the sweater, leaving the double rib as is for the hemline and collar.

This was a very easy knit, and just what I needed to keep my hands busy while watching silly television shows with a warm chihuahua on my lap and a cup of tea beside me on cold and dreary Winter days.

Most of the time I just have Tino on my lap, but Blue was visiting on the day that I began this project, and he was very excited to help (although he probably would rather I had both hands available to rub his belly).

The pattern calls for the the collar piece to be knit separately from the sweater.  It is slightly shaped and split at the front; the pattern suggests applying two buttons at the join.  I was planning to use circular needles to pick up my stitches and to create a seamless join for the collar, but then I remembered the green buttons that I recently acquired at an estate sale, and I thought they might make a good match.  It turns out, they are just perfect!  So I stuck with the pattern for the collar.

My least favorite part of this was applying the collar to the neckline.  Perhaps my subconscious remembered this from the last time around which would explain my reluctance to make the collar as specified in the pattern.  But I got through it in the end.

A quick dunk in the sink, and the sweater was finished.

Well, after it dried . . . which took a couple of days.

But now I have a second "Magnolia" sweater to add to the collection.

I am hoping that it will be as comfy as the first.  I suspect it may be even more cozy considering my fiber choice this time around.

The only real question is, what shall I wear with it?

And perhaps even more intriguing . . . will this be the year that I finally make myself a pair of trousers?

13 Reasons Why

One of my favorite things about knitting is the portability of the craft.  All you really need is a couple of sticks and some string; and if you want to use a specific pattern, it probably isn't more than two or three pages long.  I prefer to work with a photocopy of the pattern anyway because I tend to write all over them to remember row/pattern counts, which means that I am not dragging an entire book or magazine around.  When I knew that I would be sitting around as an extra on a television set a few years ago for an extended period of time, my first thought was, what knitting project shall I take with me?  Because I have my priorities straight!

Now, I knew that I would probably be distracted and have to stop and start frequently.  That excluded anything that was super complicated, so I am not entirely sure why I chose this particular sweater.  But once I got the columns of cables set up, the stitch pattern was pretty easy to remember.

So my pink cabled sweater came along with me to Mare Island, and I caused a bit of a stir around the extra's tent.  My fellow jurors on 13 Reasons Why came to be very familiar with this project and would ask about it if the needles were not in my hand while we were sitting around.  But there were a lot of other unfamiliar people that would come and go.

If you have ever knit in public, you are probably aware of the variety of reactions you get from strangers; most of the time people just stare.  There is also a fair amount of curiosity, and once someone breaks the ice and asks a question or two, the floodgates open.  In this case, I had a very positive response.  I think I may have even inspired one or two people to bring along their own knitting projects throughout the filming as more people started showing up with their own knitting bags.

The result of this is that I have a souvenir from my time on set.  It was absolutely fabulous to have something to keep me occupied for the many hours of sitting around that inevitably happens, and I will always remember my time with the production when I see this sweater.  Best of all, I will be reminded of the men and women who I most likely would never have met if we had not come together for the brief adventure that was being an extra for Netflix.  

I managed to get some photos of the finished sweater last December, and it has taken this long to get through them.  It was around this time that my camera started failing, so the images are pretty fuzzy, but it gives a fair idea of how the project turned out.

I love the color of the yarn, I love the cabled pattern, and I love the entire sweater!  I made a cardigan version of this design many years ago and it turned out fairly oversized.  After having made this version which has had a whole lot of play time this year, I am temped to make myself another.  I am fairly certain that I have more of the KnitPicks Stroll yarn in my sewing room . . . I should probably see if I can find it easily, because I may have found my next knitting project . . . the question is, shall I made the crew neck or the cardigan?

Sweater:  Made by me, "Symphony" by Marin Storey
Skirt:  Old Navy
Shoes:  Royal Vintage "Alice Oxfords"

Pink Cables

Ah yes, another sweater project that gets finished and then languishes in a drawer, unworn and unloved, for goodness knows how long.

In this case, the only real excuse I have is that I couldn't decide what skirt to pair with the sweater.  Ridiculous, yes, but I have a habit of doing this with sweaters that I knit.  And then after a certain point, I forget that they are waiting for their chance to see the outside of the bureau.

I repeatedly jump into projects with a color or a style that doesn't really match anything that exists in my closet . . . or, doesn't match how I imagine it should.

I made the cardigan version of this sweater many years ago, and it turned out a bit large so it doesn't get as much wear as it should.  But I love the cable pattern, so a few years ago I decided that I would make myself another, but this time the crew necked version.

One of the reasons that I chose this particular pattern was that the stitch pattern is very easy to remember; give me columns and a chart, and I am a happy knitter.  And because I knew that I was going to be on a film set sitting around for many hours during the day, I wanted an easy to remember knitting project to keep me busy.

I finished the sweater, I love the sweater, but the issue of the skirt to wear with the sweater was never resolved.

But I was determined to find something that would work, because I wanted to wear the darn thing.  Well, I finally found something suitable earlier this month.

And having finally worn the sweater, it is safe to say that I love it, and it's wonderful to wear.  Perhaps there is a more appropriately sized cardigan in my future (how many versions of the same pattern are too many?).  But first, I have to figure out which dress I plan to wear with it!

Cast On

This weekend I decided to pick up my knitting needles.

I have two other knitting projects that I should get back to, but casting on a brand new one seemed like so much more fun.  So that is exactly what I did!

When I feel like working with beads again, this sweater will get some attention.

But for now, a basic seed and stockinette stitch is just what the doctor ordered.

And I am beginning to think that this wrap sweater is not to my liking, so before I spend more time on it, I am going to have to reevaluate the design.

Just how many WIPs are too many? 

The Pastoral Life

Spring has finally arrived for my wardrobe!

And everywhere I look, I see toile!  

This always happens to me.  Start driving a different make and model of car and suddenly I see them everywhere.  Now that I found my new favorite show, I see vintage cars everywhere.  Buy a new pair of shoes, and they pop up in editorials and on the feet of neighbors and strangers walking down the street.  And I am suddenly noticing lovely toile fabric online, on blogs, and in magazines.  What the heck?!

I am so pleased with my new dress, and grateful that I waited for the perfect project to use my leftover upholstery fabric!

It is still a bit chilly to wear a sleeveless dress, so I added one of my favorite cardigans. 

This was one of my first experiences knitting with beads.  Yes, there are actually beads on there, although they are almost invisible until you get really close.  

So it was a learning experience – make sure to use contrasting beads to ensure they will be visible!  But I still love the sweater, so it was a very rewarding lesson, which is the best kind.

Years ago, I wore flowers in my hair all the time, and I thought this was the perfect outfit to reincorporate them into my wardrobe.

This is a really wonderful pattern, and I am sure that I will using it again.  I think that sleeves would be fun, or perhaps using the bodice design with a slim skirt.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend and enjoying some sunshine!  Happy Spring!

Dress:  Made by me, Butterick 5882

Sweater:  Made by me, “Chicago” from Rowan Magazine

Shoes:  Sacha London

Necklace:  Banana Republic

Purse:  Harvey’s Seatbelt Bags