seamless sweater

Here is a photo of a sweater I knit for DH some time back. I loved the pattern because it is completely seamless. Will have to dig it out... was inspired to post this by a post on knitty re. seaming sleeves (which I detest):



Yarn: brown sheep cotton fleece
Needles: 4mm circular
pattern: can't recall right now. It was a canadian outfit. Will dig it out.

next challenge

Still with the Goodwill sweaters... this is one I had picked up some time back but given up on because my (baby) sewing machine doesn't handle the sewing. Or maybe it would if I ever used it instead of going to the seamster...

(someone on a mailing list told me that the suffix -ster originally denoted the feminine. This in response to my wondering what the gender neutral term for "seamstress" is).

This time I'm trying to make a bulletin board to jazz up my (NGO beige) office. Work in progress...



I will spare you my rant on how much I hate sewing and how bad I am at it. However, I thank the kind people on the Knitty board and on the Woolly Thoughts mail list, some of whom were patient enough to read this rant and then kind enough to post suggestions and response. I have decided to sew this one using a matching thread and use it as a practice piece for the funkier coloured one I plan to do next.

recycled sweater bags

I was very happy to come across several wool sweaters in my (biweekly) pilgrimage to the local Goodwill. Here are my stabs at two bags made out of one sweater. Not completely sold on them, but it was fun to work on them and a break from blankie knitting.

1. Ocean's 13 (working title )


stats:
- background is deeper teal than it looks in the photos with the cheapo digital camera and the apartment lighting
- edging done with Noro Kureyon (lost label and don't have colourway) in crochet - hook size 4 mm
- starfish and other details mostly with same Noro in crochet
- I intended the handles to come out wavy but am not 100% on the look
- thanks to DH for his deep sea suggestion...

2. starfish up close



3. Neckless (I know... groan!)


stats:
- same sweater as above
- edging done in crochet with Brown Sheep Burley spun -Strawberry Patch, handdyed
- detail flower in Burly Spun - Orange you glad and can't remember the red colour, maybe Red Baron

4. detail on trim



This is rather addictive, actually. I hope to refine my technique shortly. Perhaps if I weren't doing this work in front of CTV Newsnet shouting at politicians it would be easier... at least I'm not inclined to pitch my mug at the screen that way!

there was a man and he did sing...

c-c-c-c-c-c-COLD!!!

But I digress... here is my latest chill buster, just in time for the (late) January deep freeze. The synthetics create super warmth without itchiness, strangely enough:



Yarn: Bernat Disco and some leftover DK blue wool from my stash (can't remember the brand)
Needle size: 6.5 mm - DP and circular
Time to knit: 1 1/2 hours approx
Pattern: mine

fuzzy Lara hat!!!

I am very pleased with this hat, which I whipped up in about an hour and a half after an excursion to Zellers - where I saw some cheap eyelash yarn. It will go very nicely with my new winter coat (reversible with a black plush side) - although I am quite bothered about the fact that half the buttons popped off the coat first time I wore it! My attempts to re-sew were disastrous - so will just have to wear this hat tomorrow with my black leather jacket.

The pattern is from "Hip Knit Hats" by Cathy Carron. It is meant to be designed after Lara's hat in Dr Zhivago... but I added some colour:

works in progress...

An update (for myself if no one else) on what I'm working on right now:

(a) Curve of Pursuit - log cabin style



This is my third attempt at using this huge lot of yarn I had bought originally for a Kaffe Fassett sweater many years ago and given up in complete disgust (with myself). I DETEST intarsia. I think all of the yarn will get used up this time! :-)

Yarn = Paton's decor. Needles = Addi Turbo (5mm - I'm trying to get this big enough to use as a bed cover)

(b) Diamonds geometric wall hanging



I am liking the way this is turning out, but the sewing is tedious.

... and a detail from the next row of diamonds...



(c) Glitzy scarf



Bernat eyelash yarn ... the colours do not look as "Hallowe'en" in non-digital land (not that Hallowe'en is a bad thing... !!!)

compulsions, redux

The knitting seems to be getting just a wee bit out of hand. Housework suffers (doesn't it always?), food (which I usually enjoy preparing) has become whatever I can excavate from the freezer and throw into the crockpot. Am (barely) managing to get to work in the morning - refrain from taking knitting on the (1/2 hour) commute because would risk staying on the tram and riding the rails all day.

As well, I seem to have swapped my yarn-purchasing habit (oh really? What about those 2 skeins of Cotton Fleece earlier this week?!? hmmm) for a needle fetish. In 2007 alone I have bought Denise needles and 5 (!) sets of Addi Turbo (having learned that I far prefer Addis to Denise needles). I fear I will not stop buying Addis until I end up forced to sell all of my clothing and drape myself in felted bags and blankets in order to scrape together some money to throw at the landlord in order to continue housing myself and my stash (not to mention DH!).

Did I mention, by the way, that I pay for all of my various habits by working as a tenant advocate? But I digress...

My stained glass and other mosaic tools have been moved to the storage locker to make room for the stash, which is slowly (well, not so slowly) taking over the spare room. I have swapped the pleasures of gleaming, smooth glass for the comfort of cotton and wool. Sometimes this saddens me, but I imagine the mosaic muse will strike again when least I expect it.

And then I'll *never* leave the house...!!!

AGGHGHGHGHGHGHG...

wall hanging - (almost a) quarter done!

I say "almost" because I ran out of patience in sewing the rest together this evening (I must confess that sewing in general rates on the "preferred things to do" list somewhere between cramming into a super-jammed streetcar in 35 degree heat, or is that 43 degrees with the humidex?... and going to the dentist for my 16th root canal. I must further confess that I'm not very good at it [sewing, that is!].

But I digress:

I am quite proud to have finished 1/4 of the knitting involved despite limited time of late (and despite whipping up yet another buttonhole bag, which I forgot to photograph before giving it away... oh well...).




Specs:

- pattern by Woolly Thoughts (a variation of Tilting at Windmills)
- each square is 6'x6'
- there will be 48 squares in total (really, there will be! If I keep telling myself this it will be true. Actually, the knitting is a pleasure. It's the sewing I'm not too fond of... did I mention that already? ahem).
- yarn = Super 10 mercerised cotton
- needles = 4 mm Addi Turbo 16" (started with 42" or something, but far too unwieldy so had to go buy some more...)
- TV viewing of choice: endless reruns of Law and Order (we all have our weirdnesses, don't we?)

first finished object of 2007!

I finally finished the mohair sweater. For some reason the neckpiece hasn't turned out properly - probably my fault as I put a double strand of mohair in that section thinking it would strengthen it. So, I'm going to embellish/fill in gap with some crochet or ribbon yarn.




Pattern by Interweave Knits - Winter 2006 issue - "Cabernet Ribs"
Yarn: Zara
Needle Size: 4.5 mm.

PS. Have done a fix on the neck insert - 1 row of single crochet and some stitching.

today's work...

I managed to sketch out a pattern for the Tilting at Windmills blanket which I will start whenever I have finished wrestling with the mohair (I have promised myself this much although am sorely tempted to abandon it)...



... and here is the cursed mohair. Might as well be trying to knit with cotton candy!



PS. (edited 8 January) I have already made a colour change to the pattern as I saw "imperial teal" at the LYS and couldn't resist... starting knitting tonight:

happy (belated)...

new year 2007!

A little progress/setback update:

- stopped working on the advent blanket because other projects beckoned (see below 26 December). Will probably take it up next year again!

- also stopped work on the log cabin below due to a frogging mishap and also inherent dislike of the yarn I was working with. Am stashing it in the storage locker for possible future rehabilitation.

- work in progress: a lovely frou frou mohair/merino sweater in hot pink... I feel like the knitting alter of Marilyn Monroe!



...and in detail...



This is a pattern from Interweave Knits Winter 2006 called "Cabernet Ribs". Yarn by Zara. I suspect it will end up rather form-fitting (ahem)... but isn't that what being a "sweater girl" is all about?!?

Right now have started work on sleeve 1 (in the mohair only). To be honest, this is slowgoing work for me - the first time I have worked using mohair only, and probably the last. However, I think the end result will be worth the taedium.

- another anticipated work-in-progress: a BIG blanket (to cover a queen-sized bed. It will be based on a pattern from the Woolly Thoughts web site (http://www.woollythoughts.com) but I'm not sure which one yet as I just ordered three. This project will help me cope with my ever-burgeoning Super 10 Butterfly stash...



- I have also started work on my first real "art" project... something using free form knitting/crochet. This is proving a real challenge as I have until late been a stickler for patterns! Stay tuned...

- I also have plenty of Brown Sheep worsted (in various blues) so will likely be churning out a felted bag or three in the near future.

- for Christmas a friend of mine gifted me with a funky mini shelving unit with about 40 spaces for small curios. I am going to turn this into a mosaic wall hanging with tiles. Again, stay tuned.

Lifewise (aside from knitting) I have just started a new job... a 3 month legal research gig. This is a welcome change from the hectic pace of my regular job. Also, it has the benefit of having an office located down the street from Loomis and Toles, where I spent too much money yesterday... buying graph paper for the blanket project plus any amount of sundry things for mosaic.

Everything else is low key as befits January ... although I certainly am enjoying the temperate weather! Sat on a patio the other day for lunch, of all things!

And that's about it...