Finished Objects

Return to Knitting Universe

I began knitting sometime at the end of 2004. Right now, I’m estimating around November. (?) All projects finished pre-August 2005 will be backdated.

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick 099
Fisherman colored Chunky Wool Blend
Needles: #9 straight “sticks”
(All materials kindly donated by Sara Burch)

No picture of this one, as it was soon unraveled to make a hat for my sister, but you know the drill: a little of stockinette, a little ribbbing, etc.

est. date: November 2004

Pattern: The Classic: K2, P2.
Yarn:Patons Classic Wool Merino
Dusty Pink and Heather Gray merino weight 100% wool
Needles: #9 straight

My first ever project! The ribbing made this scarf take forever!! There are some classic signs of a beginner: a random hole (made by unknowingly increasing and decreasing) and some general unevenness. Despite this (or perhaps because of?) this is certainly my most worn item.

est. date: January 2005

Pattern: Broken Rib (RS: K all; WS: P1, K1, P1)
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Grande 3317 and Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick 099
Sky Blue Chunky 100% Alpaca Wool and Fisherman-colored Chunky Wool Blend Needles: #10 Acrylic Straights

This project, while one of my quickest, definitely had the most learning in it. First of all, I discovered that Alpaca is the sofest wool in the world, and fell in love with it. It was a good thickness partner with the LionBrand, but they clashed completly in softness, which led to an interesting product. The broken rib sequence is now my preferred quick-knit-gift stitch; everyone should use it instead of plain rib. It’s much prettier, and knits up much faster. I was using acrylic needles, which I LOATHE. The wool sticks to them! This was also the project which taught me about the glory of blocking! The broken rib will tend to curl in, and I was so scared until I learned that a little water would cure that problem. Now I block every last thing that I make. I gave this to my sister as a Valentine’s Day gift, and she was delighted.

est. date: February 10, 2005

Photo coming soon!

Pattern: Twisted Rib Hat in Ready Set Knit
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino
Dusty Pink and Heather Gray merino weight 100% wool
Needles: #9 straight

This was the first pattern that I followed: and, of course, I edited it dramatically by entirely changing the gauge (it called for #17 needles on a Super Bulky yarn!!!!) because I loathe any and all large-gauge knitting. (NB: this “changing the pattern” has become a frequent pattern in my knitting.) I really enjoyed doing all the math, but that’s just typically me. The bottom of the hat is an adorable and easy twisted rib pattern: k1b, p1. The rest is simple st st, and I learned how to decrease! (The hard way.) I originally made the hat too short because I was afraid of running out of yarn. Little did I know that once you start decreasing, you hardly use any yarn! I finished this project quickly because I had one of those mid-night knitting urges and had an all night knit-a-thon one night. Now, I love this hat because it matches my scarf exactly.

est. date: Februrary 30, 2005

Pattern: Broken Rib (RS: K all; WS: P1, K1, P1)
Yarn: Bouton D’Or (I can’t believe I lost this tag!) in some multicolored chunky weight, 100% wool
Needles: #10 straight acrylics

Very Simple—my favorite scarf pattern. I used three balls and barely had enough for a basic scarf, but this is definitely very functional.

est. date: May 2005

Pattern: From Knitty
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino
Royal Purple merino weight 100% wool
Needles: #9 straight

This was the first time I ever increased! (Seems kind of strange!) I changed the gauge on this pattern too, because, again, I prefer slightly smaller/denser stitches. This led to a slightly thinner width, and I added 12 extra rows to make the length appropriate. After blocking it, I realized that I accidentally left off half of one of the decorative deges in one row, but you can’t tell entirely. I really enjoyed making the cords for this! What a quick, easy, fun project. I have even used mine this summer as a handkerchief, worn behind my ears, to keep my bangs out of my face when I need to!

July 20, 2005

Pattern: From Knitty
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino
Winter White merino weight 100% wool
Needles: #9 DPN (!!!!)

My first ever knit-in-the-round project! (Also, technically, my first ever cabling project, although I had done a cable swatch before.) Quite fun and easy. This will definitely go into my gift idea stash. It took me a while to get the provisional cast-on correct. Also, I discovered a hatred of kitchener stitch. I’ve since read up about how to make that seam a little better on the cable band. I did change the cable pattern a bit, though. (No Surprises there!) I wasn’t sure that the thin modern-y look of the cable would fit my basic-wool yarn as well as it fit the pattern’s beautiful angora yarn, so I wanted to make the cable slightly more traditional. To do that, I just made the rim slihtly larger on both sides. (I believe the cable has a border of K2 P2 on both sides; I changed that to K3 P3 on both sides, therby making the cable 4 stiches wider.) KitR with DPN was fantastic, after I got my laddering problem straightened out. One nice thing about the flip-up cable part is that it hides the first few rounds of KitR, so you can’t even tell that I wasn’t pulling tight enough for a few rounds! I really can’t wait to wear this hat when it’s cold. It will be warm and so versatile (I can just see a match up with my hippie scarf!)

NB: I am now entirly spoiled and addicted to wooden needles…sigh…they are so light and smooth, and they don’t let yarn slip!

July 27, 2005

Pattern: From Knitty
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Grande 3317 and Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick 099
Sky Blue Chunky 100% Alpaca Wool and Fisherman-colored Chunky Wool Blend
Needles: #10 Acrylic Straights

Finished this last night, in a few hours. This gauge was slightly BIGGER (!) than the pattern, because I was using the Alpaca to match the scarf from last winter. Incidentally, I like this one even better than the one I made for myself in a smaller gauge! So much so that I bought a ball of chunkier yarn to make one! I used the white to make the cords, so that it would match the scarf exactly. This project reminded me that I really really need to replace those darn acrylic needles.

Photo Coming Soon

Pattern: My own—Moss Stitch 5 rows, twisted riib 5 rows, repeat.
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino
Royal Purple merino weight 100% wool
Needles: #8 straight

This is something that my SnB group is doing. We all make little 4’‘x4’’ squares, and send them here. The idea is to make a garmet by hand to show support for all of the people working under terrible conditions who make Nike products. Mine is just alternating 5 rows of Moss stitch and then twisted rib stitch. This was my first time I’ve made moss stitches, and I really like it! (So simple and fun, but very cool bumpy feeling.)

Pattern: From Knitty
Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Lion and Lamb Silk/Wool Blend
Uptown (turquoise, purple and hot pink)
Needles: #8 straight (clover bamboo—I think they broke the yarn!)

I love this pattern. I decided to do one less repeat of the increase section and one less repeat of the decrease section, because I’d like to keep the length and sacrifice the width. This ended up being perfect for me, because I have such a small neck that I don’t think I would be able to wear anything thicker as a scarf!

I love wearing this thing. The dropped stitches really are a fantastic example of a combination of form and function—they look so pretty, but they also help the shawl to drape perfectly wherever you put it.

In the past few weeks since I’ve finished, I think I’ve worn this shawl more than any piece of clothing I own. It’s just so useful! A while ago, I wore it to a cookout when we had some weird cold weather, and when I went inside, I wore it as a belt instead. So useful. I particularly like taking it to the grocery store because I always get so cold near the refrigerated section (I know, weird).

Here is a close up of the wip, showing the color best:

And now the final pictures…

A close up of the purl side (left) and the knit side (right)

Showing off the project’s excellent drapery:

August 15, 2005

Pattern: From Knitty
Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Lion and Lamb Silk/Wool Blend
Icehouse (Blue, light blue, and green)
Needles: #8 straight (the classic susan bates metal—worked like a charm)

Not much to tell here—I took my time on this one, but managed to have it sent out in time for her bday. I imagine that she’ll love it, since it’s so useful! I made this the same size as my other one. No picture this time!

Pattern: Hopeful
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton in a bright purple
Needles: #6 24” circular and #6 straights (Susan Bates)
Story: Top four reasons this was my choice for first ever sweater:
Raises money for breast cancer
Cute neckline
perfect for early fall

I was so busy knitting this that I didn’t post updates as they came along…so I will need to make up for it here.
1) I learned how to knit continental for this sweater (there were so many inches of stockinette in the round that it just made sense!) So far, I like continental because it’s so much faster, but I would definitely say that my knitting is looser and that I’m more sloppy when knitting this way. This shows up in the close-ups of the sweater.
2) I learned how to short rows to make the sleeves (I’ve done one so far) and I really like them. They are so cute!—And not hard to learn at all. I haven’t been hiding my wraps, though, so I should learn how to do that before starting Rogue I think.
3) I’m not very good at picking up stitches.
4) I finally got good at seaming—I did the mattress stitch and the seaming of the shoulders very well, if I say so myself (which I only can because I fouled up the seaming on that cable brimmed hat so much!)
5) Things that make this very much a homemade sweater:
In the wait shaping, I messed up the first round of increases (I forgot to ktbl after m1) so now there are these tiny tiny symmetrical holes right near the waist. I did the other ones all correctly, but it’s still funny.

Before blocking, when I tried it on, and I was a little worried about the length, but now that it’s blocking the length seems just fine. I wonder how that will hold, though, with the cotton content. After reading a little bit of Nancy Weissman’s finishing book, I definitely got better at picking up stitches. Around the neckline, the pick ups look great! I still bind off too tightly, because along the back neckline the collar is too limp and doesn’t stand on its own, because the stitches are too scrunched up. I actually like it better this way, because it kind of enhances the sailor-looking aspect of the sweater. (note: Marnie has a really fantastic way to short-row the neckline turn to stop this from happening.)

I have TWO balls of yarn left though! Looks like I’ll be making some of the small projects in my new copy of Last Minute Knitted Gifts! I liked the yarn, but it didn’t knit up very evenly. That might have something to do with the fact that it has so many plies, which also caused it to snag too much. I don’t know if I’d knit another sweater in this yarn, because it simply doesn’t feel hardy enough. (I guess I really am a 100% wool person!)

Pattern: Knit for Her Cure “Marilee” kit
Yarn: Muench Yarns Touch Me hot pink
Needles: Clover 16” size 8

This project was started at an event at my LYS. They had an entire “knit for her cure” day, with a dj, super food, and the whole nine yards. It was really really fun. This kit was in my price range, looked cute, and could become a chemo cap for my SnB group as well, so I jumped on it. This was the first time I have ever knit with novelty yarn. Let’s just say that although I’m impressed with Muench Yarn’s sponsorship of this project, I will most likely NEVER buy their yarn again. Touch Me is so so soft, and perfect for a chemo cap, but it has no stitch definition (at all) and kept making all these little lint balls in the air while I was knitting. I know that whoever gets this hat will love it for its softness, but it’s not really up my alley at all. I love to pet the hat, but I didn’t really like working with the yarn.

I loved the rib twist pattern, though. I had never done that one before. They almost look like simple cables! This was a great project to make after my first sweater—very easy TV knitting.