Onslaught of finished projects

I debated with myself about whether I wanted to blog about some of the projects I've finished so far this year.  I settled on a few that I really wanted to share because I enjoyed them so much!  Also, I must apologize in advance for looking so melancholy in these photos, I have no idea why!

I have been wanting to knit another Gemini for ages, I knit one two years ago and I loved both the process of knitting it and the finished product so much.

The pattern is Gemini by Jane Richmond, published in Knitty, Spring + Summer 2012 and there's something about the simplicity of this pattern that makes it so appealing to me.

The yarn for this top was some that I have treasured for a while now, it was some upcycled cashmere yarn that me and my mother worked together to save.  It was a wonderful process that I detail a little more in a previous post (I estimated that I saved at least $43 a skein by upcycling!).  Knitting this old favorite with such a special yarn made this project particularly memorable.

I also really enjoyed knitting this Rockfall Sweater, which I finished in April.  I love sweaters with an interesting construction and detail, this one is definitely following one of my favorite fashion trends, strategically placed mesh and lace.

The pattern is Rockfall Sweater by Mari Chiba, published in Knitscene, Spring 2013.

Although I love the end product and this was a fun pattern to knit, I was frustrated by a couple aspects of this project.  For one, I think the sizing runs a little small, if I were to knit this again, I would go up a size for sure.  Secondly, the neckline instructions were vague in places and made it very frustrating.  I ended up having to frog, rewrite, and knit the section several times to make it look right.  I would definitely recommend planning out the neckline before you start on it.

Berroco Vintage dk

Both of these projects turned out so wonderfully and I'm looking forward to Fall when I can start wearing my new Rockfall sweater!

Gemini

I decided to make posting today a priority after a night of dreaming about flow cytometry outputs.  I really need to stop forgetting about my super secret weapon when I get too focused, knitting!

I have finished my Gemini, although not in time for the end of the Ravellenic Games.  But it is now complete and I am certainly happy with how it came out.

The pattern is Gemini by Jane Richmond, published in Knitty Spring + Summer 2012.  I've struggled with Knitty patterns in the past, but this one was very clearly written and a simple knit (I might even suggest it to advanced beginners).  I knitted this one in size Small, and like the relaxed fit of that size combined with the drape of the yarn.  I did have to play with the gauge a bit to get it to work though (go me for doing a test swatch!).

The yarn used was one of my all time favorites: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy (41% Cotton, 34% Hemp, 25% Rayon. DK weight), it just seemed like such a natural yarn choice for this project.  I definitely think it was a good match of yarn to pattern.  The one thing about Hempathy is that it often feels a little rough after knit up and needs a couple of washes to soften up, it takes a little extra love, but the resulting fabric wears really well, especially for a top (I know this from my experience with my Buttercup).

I think that I will be wearing this one to the farmer's market this weekend to celebrate the end of Summer and start of Fall!