Kennedy Sweater

Cold weather has finally reached the South! South Carolina had surprise snow and here in North Carolina we had a really chilly Halloween weekend. I am not a huge fan of the winter months, but it has been fun getting to wear all my warm hand knitted sweaters! 

I am thrilled to report that I finished my Kennedy sweater a couple of weeks ago, thanks to my mother saving the day. I ran out of yarn at the very end and was unable to finish the neckband. My mom, being the best, drove out to Webs and grabbed another skein for me and I was able to finish it.

I love this sweater even more than I thought I would. It fits perfectly due to the ribbed construction of the back and sides. The cabled details stand out particularly well due to the texture of the yarn. Most of all, this sweater is super warm and cosy! 

Kennedy is from the Fall 2012 issue of Knitscene and I loved it from first glance. The cabling just looked like a joy to knit. The pattern was clear and simple (although there is an errata for the cabling chart, beware!). I did work in a few alterations to fit my personal preferences though. I don't like turtleneck-like necklines on clothing, so I amended with a simple ribbed neck. I also made the sleeves less baggy because I like a more form fitting sleeve. 

The yarn is one of my tried and true favorites Plymouth worsted merino superwash. It is a super soft and durable 100% superwash merino in worsted. I have knitted another cabled sweater (my Beatnik) out of it and it has held up beautifully. I love how it shows off cabled details particularly.

Are you unpacking your winter clothes? Or are you now packing them away again to enjoy the summer? 

Charybdis

One of my Fiber Goals for 2013 was to knit Skew, but as I finished the first sock I was very disappointed with how it looked.  I just didn't like it, it didn't feel right.  I know that this happens to us all at one point or another, and I felt much better to know that Dina (Five Cats From Crazy) had a similar experience with Skew.

I decided that I liked Charybdis by Fiona Lucas much better, the design was less mysterious to me and it still had spirals.  I definitely like the end product better.

I'm enjoying my new pair of rainbow socks, and guess what?  I actually blocked them!  I must be turning over a new leaf when it comes to finishing technique.

The yarn was one that I had been interested in for a while Crystal Palace Yarns Mini Mochi.  It was nice to knit with, no Noro-like complaints when it comes to this yarn.  

It is single ply, which has just the correct amount of twist keeping it from twisting up on itself, it didn't pull apart either.  Perfection.

I'm quite proud of these, they definitely remind me of the many colorful pairs of socks Andi (My Sister's Knitter) has knit.  Although I'm definitely not as prolific of a knitter as she is!

Friendly KAL

Recently I have been knitting a pattern along with a dear friend.  I've known Rebecca for many years, we bonded over terrorizing our homeschool group when we were little (we were unstoppable troublemakers).  

We remained close even after I moved away to "somewhere over the rainbow" and she is one of those special friends that even if I don't see her for years, the second I meet up with her again it is like we were never apart.

When she suggested that we knit the Artemisia sweater together, I immediately agreed (she has excellent taste obviously).  I've found the pattern a little bit challenging and so I'm quite a ways behind where she is, but it is a beautiful pattern and I cannot wait to finish it.

I'm knitting it with Plymouth Yarn Worsted Merino Superwash Solids, one of my absolute favorite yarns, that I picked out during my latest Webs adventure.  It always produces the most comfortable garments.

We have grand plans to each wear our sweaters the next time we see each other.  Hopefully I can finish it by then!

Olive Handspun

Look!  New handspun!  It has been a little while since I have finished a skein that I really feel proud of, but here is a pretty example.

• Spun: June 2013
• Roving: merino/silk blend (Webs)
• Colors: Shiny olive green with specks of red
• Spindle: Schacht 3” Hi-Lo drop spindle (2.2 oz.)
• 3 ply, ~230 yards, ? Ounces, fingering weight

I had some of this fiber left over from my first spin-to-knit project, not enough to do much, but definitely worth spinning.  This is such a nice fiber to spin, it is slick and easy to coax into thin strands.  It is also very soft because of how fine the merino is and the silk content.  

You can also see one of my hairs sticking out in this photo, that frequently happens when I get distracted while spinning.  There is rarely a day when my long hair doesn't get in the way, I dread the inevitable day when one makes it into a lab experiment or a liver organoid starts developing hair follicles.

Age of Brass and Steam Shawl

Here's another finished project that has been hanging out waiting to be photographed and documented for several weeks now.

The Age of Brass and Steam Shawl was a quick knit when I needed something simple and relaxing to work on around final exam period. 

 

The pattern is The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief by Orange Flower.  It was exactly what I needed at the time, not complicated and soothing.  Now you can tell that I haven't gotten around to blocking this, one of these days I'll get my act together and have a blocking party. 

I dyed the yarn myself sometime last year.  From what I can remember, it is 100% superwash merino dyed using Jacquard.  I'm glad I had just enough for a small shawl!  Too bad it is too warm to get any use out of it for a while.

What do you find yourself knitting/crocheting as a soothing project?

Well, how about that?

This time last year I was sadly leaving Massachusetts having graduated from college.  Then a few months ago my parents bought their retirement home 30 minutes away from my college town.  The really funny thing is that I almost decided to go to graduate school at UMASS Amherst, only minutes away!

Massachusetts is a pretty wonderful state and I definitely miss being an easy walk away from Webs.  Getting to come back and visit Northampton was like coming home.  I don't miss the winters here though!

I knew the dangers of going on a yarn spending spree having been deprived of yarn stores for so long, so I limited myself to a few special yarns.

I bought one of my old favorites Plymouth Yarn Worsted Merino Superwash, a yarn I have written about before.  I picked out enough dark red merino goodness for a super special knit-a-long with a dear friend I consider my sister.

I've been wanting to try Socks That Rock for a while now, but Webs is the only yarn store I've been to that carries it.  Oh the colors and the texture!

I couldn't resist getting some madelinetosh merino light either because I have a difficult time finding it and everyone is always knitting the most gorgeous projects out of it.

Anyways, as of yesterday the house now has internet (even though the cable company did not seem to want me succeed) and I'll try and get some knitting accomplished when I'm not engaged in one of my family's favorite activities, gutting and then restoring old houses.

Spinning and new fiber

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A little over a year ago I spun yarn for a warm pair of socks for my mother.  I had some fiber left over that I had sitting in my "someday I'll get to this" craft box.

I needed something to start spinning this week, so I dug out the softest fiber I could find.

I'd say that a merino/tussah silk blend is pretty darn soft.  I'm spinning it as thin as I can with the ultimate plan of making it a lovely 3-ply yarn fit for a cowl.  I'm just in love with this color of green too, it is uncommon.

Speaking of lovely greens, want to see what came to me from Finland yesterday?

This gorgeousness is Polworth from indie dyer Lanitium ex Machina.  When I found this in my mailbox I was surprised to say the least.  First thing I did was text Lisa, my emergency fiber contact, because I had no idea where it came from.  Turns out she was the mystery fiber faerie!  I had a pretty crappy week last week and she went above and beyond to cheer me up.  Thanks again, Lisa!

I hope everyone has a wonderful fiber-filled weekend!

Winifred

This sweater has been finished for a while, but I've been too busy wearing it to get any photos.  I've mentioned in the past that this project means a lot to me.  The person who designed the pattern, the person who gifted me the pattern, and person who gifted me the yarn all made this sweater possible and I treasure it all the more because of that.

The pattern is Winifred by the prolific designer Sarah Ronchetti of Sezza Knits.  This pattern was such a fast and enjoyable knit.  I definitely enjoy patterns with fun little details to break up rounds of stockinette stitch, the large cable down the front was always fun to reach.  The construction is seamless and top-down, which is definitely my favorite.

I know I've mentioned it before, but the way that Sarah wrote and structured the pattern was excellent.  I loved that she not only included instructions for 10 sizes, but also separate patterns for both worsted and DK weights.  She also put great little suggestions throughout the pattern to help make an even more polished final product.  Many times I feel as though patterns don't deserve a higher price (or even a price at all) for what the pattern actually provides, this is definitely an exception!

 

The yarn is Knit Picks Swish (worsted version), which is 100% Merino.  This is the colorway Copper, which is a apt name for it.  I cannot really wax poetic about this yarn, it was inexpensive but other than that I feel completely neutral about the experience.  One thing that made me a little sad is that it didn't have that nice Merino smell.

Kitty is initially in shock that I would dare pick her up and then she told me that if I didn't put her down she would eat me.

So, here it is!  Another wonderful sweater to cuddle into, although not for long because spring is well on it's way to North Carolina!

Beatnik Sweater

After much cabling and seaming, I'm very excited to share with you my completed Beatnik Sweater!

I really enjoyed this entire project, and as you can see it yielded an attractive product.  I imagine this being a part of my presentation outfit in graduate school for lab meeting, it looks sophisticated and, dare I say it, just the kind of sweater a successful scientist would wear!

Pattern: Beatnik

Designer: Norah Gaughan

Published in: Knitty, Deep Fall 2010

 The pattern was clearly written and as far as I could tell, free of mistakes.  I can definitely see why it is such a popular pattern to knit because the cabling is highly entertaining and just challenging enough to hold interest for both the front and the back.

I especially liked how the collar was constructed, because it produces such a polished edge.  Basically it was knit twice as long as it needed to be, and then folded inwards and seamed to produce a nice clean edge.  Oftentimes I dislike how my bound off edges look and this is a great way around that problem that I will definitely keep in mind for the future.

My major frustration with the pattern was of course with the seaming, as it was constructed the same as most seamed sweaters.  However, this was even more difficult due to the fact that the edges of the garment were knitted in seed stitch, which is not easy to seam attractively (at least for me).  Luckily for me, I was able to solicit the aid of my mother, the master seamer and it ended up looking fantastic.  One thing that she suggested I do on future patterns with a complicated pattern is to knit a few extra stitches on each side in stockinette stitch to help make it easier to seam perfectly.

I used Plymouth Yarns Worsted Merino Superwash for this project.  Some of you may remember from a past post that I simply adore this yarn.  Both times I have used it, it has produced such an attractive, smooshy fabric complete with that irresistible merino smell!  I also think that the yarn was a great match for this sort of project because it should be very comfortable to wear and long-wearing.

I love this sweater and will likely wear it a lot, but I think this will be the last seaming I do for a while.

Speaking of Yarn: Worsted Merino Superwash (Plymouth Yarn)

I know that I have mentioned my love for Worsted Merino Superwash by Plymouth Yarn in the past, but would like to talk more specifically about why I love it.

This yarn is a glorious 100% superwash fine merino wool in worsted weight.  It is sold in a standard 218 yards per 100 grams skein and comes in 56 different lovely colors.

The first project I knitted with this yarn was a pair of worsted weight socks, which I adore and have been worn often with minimal pilling (oh how I hate pilling).  I am currently working on my second project using this yarn, my Beatnik.  The colorway I chose for my current project is a comforting navy blue with flecks of purple mixed in.  The thing I like about this yarn the most is its elasticity, it is the most springy merino I have ever worked with!

Overall, on Ravelry people seem to enjoy this yarn as well, people seem to like the feel of it (it has this texture that I cannot describe, I would recommend taking a look for yourself) describing it as soft and high quality.  There were some complaints of color bleeding, splitting, and pilling (don't put in dryer).  I have had it bleed during hand washing, but the color did not fade much.  I don't think that the yarn is splitty at all, but then again, I do not seem as bothered by splitting as some people.  I have had it pill a little bit, but only after quite a bit of wear.

Pros:
- Amazing stitch definition (especially with cables!)
- Super springy and elastic
- Pretty colorways
- Superwash and appears to wear well (at least for me)
- Rips out well (don't ask)
- Lovely merino smell!

Cons:
- Ends unravel a lot
- Expensive

Final thoughts: I have really enjoyed working with this yarn personally.  The texture of the yarn is irresistible to me.  I always look forward to knitting with it and would certainly buy it again!

*** According to FTC law, I'm required to disclose that I have not received free products or compensation for this review, and that my personal opinions on the product are represented here.

Spring break knitting!

Sorry in advance for the crappy photo quality and general rushed quality of my posts for this week.  I'm currently on spring break and galavanting around with some of my family. 

I've really been focusing on my Beatnik recently.  This may mean that I am a glutton for punishment, ie. one sweater horribly failed, no problem, start working on two more.  

I'm really enjoying this project a lot, even though it is working up very slowly.  These are some serious cables here and I forgot how long it takes to get length worked up on a project like this.  Pictured here is the back of the sweater (almost done) and part of the first sleeve, which I am working in seed stitch along with the pattern. 

I have also been reminded how much I love knitting with Plymouth Yarn Worsted Merino Superwash.  It has such a great texture to it and that lovely merino smell that I'm so fond of. 

I'm definitely going to take my time on this project and savior it.

Lilac Handspun

I have finally finished spinning up what was frankly the most frustrating fiber that I have ever had to deal with (well, besides silk hankies...).

I spun this up in a space of two weeks on my trusty Schacht spindle.  I would say that the weight ranges from sport to worsted because of the nature of the fiber I was spinning with.  It was almost as though the fiber was either tangled (not combed properly?) or felted.  I think that this started as 6 oz., but I cannot recall for sure.

I've agreed to send this single ply nightmare off to Lisa, where it will likely become a part of one of her many amazing art projects.

Now I get to start spinning up some fiber that I have really been looking forward to.
More on that to come!

Lagoon Merino Handspun

This pretty handspun has actually been completed for about a week, but I've only just gotten around to setting it.  As many of you probably know, I'm a college student, so I'm pretty busy as it is.  However, recently has been particularly hectic as I am finishing a honors thesis in the sciences and traveling twice a week for graduate school interviews.  In about an hour I'll be on my way to (warm, sunny) North Carolina!  So, I apologize if this post seems rushed.

Here is one of the more photogenic skeins of my thick/thin single ply handspun:

Spun: January 2012 
Roving: 100% merino wool (frabjous fibers) 
Colors: green, brown, blue 
Spindle: Schacht 3” Hi-Lo drop spindle (2.2 oz.) 
1 ply, ~? yards, 8.0 Ounces, 11 WPI (DK)


I haven't really had the chance to estimate how many yards of this I have, but it is likely quite a bit because I had eight ounces of the stuff.  You might remember that I recently bought this fiber at the cute little Winter Woolfest in Wamego, Kansas.  I have really enjoyed working with it even though I usually do not enjoy working with pure merino.  But this fiber was not very grabby at all and was wonderful and springy! 

Now I'm able to cross off yet another one of my Fiber Goals for 2012: Learn to spin attractive relaxed singles! 

Also, I wanted to thank everyone who left such kind comments on my last post about my year of spinning.  I don't fancy myself a good spinner, but I hope to one day reach that level and your encouragement really helps!

Spin-to-Knit - A Success!

A few months ago, I decided that I was at the point in my spinning career where I should attempt a spin-to-knit project.  I also really I wanted to make my mother a warm pair of socks for christmas.

This is where I started, with some balls of fiber larger than my head!

Then I spun, spun, had some weight consistency problems, and then spun some more. 

I ended up with some stunning 3-ply fingering weight yarn (which I now realize that I did not measure the length of...). I decided on 2 strands of 100% black jacob wool for warmth.  It was a absolute dream to work with and smelled wonderful.  Then I plyed those with a merino/silk blend for some flexibility. 

Then I began to knit this lovely fiber up into a pair of vanilla socks for my mummy.  I won't say it was easy and there certainly were moments when I wanted to give up so badly because things were not going my way, but I stuck with it. 

I must say that this was the most satisfying finish to a project that I have ever experienced.  I felt so relieved and accomplished when she finally got to try them on and they fit perfectly! 

I also really love how the green blends in with the natural Jacob wool color.  I'm reminded yet again of how spinning yields new yarns that I will never find in stores, yarns that fit a project perfectly because they were made for that purpose. 

So, in the end, this project was a lot of hard work and stress over whether it would all work out, but it was completely worth it.  My mother has been wearing them pretty much non-stop too!

I also get to cross off another of my fiber goals of 2012:

           - Finish a spin-to-knit project

Have you ever conquered a seemingly impossible craft project?  Please drop me a line or link in the comments, I'd love to hear about your personal triumphs!

Dyeing in the Intense Heat

The weather here in Kansas has been almost unbearable.  It has been a least 100 degrees almost every single day of July and we haven't had rain in my area since the 3rd of July.  So, I have been having a difficult time finding inspiration because everything outside has been brown and dead.
What did I decide to do? Dye roving! I ordered some superwash merino, which after some trouble I ended up being able to wangle into several braids for storage.  Despite the uncooperative nature of the fiber, I'm pretty happy with the product.

My mother declared this colorway "crazy", but I rather like it.

Finally Spinning with Silk Merino

I finally got my hands on a silk merino blend of fiber to spin with.  So far I am loving every second of it even though I only have time to spin about 10 minutes every other day.  I dyed the fiber myself with decent results, it isn't my favorite attempt at dyeing but it isn't bad either.  It is a little too light because I dyed with egg dye tablets.  I'm also a little suspicious of the brown...

 I also quickly mastered the two main methods of braiding fiber.  I'm on the go a lot and free fiber is often a recipe for disaster.  Regular braiding is nice, but doesn't work if you want to keep most of it in the braid.  The chain braiding method is way more practical for me and it still looks great.

The "I cannot believe I made this" moment in spinning.

I finished this yarn last month and was surprised at how nice it turned out.  It almost looks like something machine made!  Now I truly know why spinning is addictive (and dangerous).  Before I know it I will have accumulated dozens of spindles and spent way too much money on fiber (oh wait...already done that).  However resource consuming spinning gets, at least I know that I can make a truly beautiful product.

• Spun May 2011
• Roving: 100% Merino (Galloping Jester)
• Colors: blue and dark purple
• Spindle: Schacht 4” Hi-Lo drop spindle (3 oz.)
• 2 ply, ~300 yards, 14 WPI (Fingering (2))