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January 28, 2014

Knit Night Successes

Since we are half-way through the second year of "Knit Night", I thought it would be fun to share some of the knitting and crocheting successes from our group.

The "Bubbles Headband", a free pattern that can be found as a free download on Ravelry.  I designed this crochet pattern for Girl's Camp, and several of the girls and leaders took them home.

Chris's slouchy hats. Her own design, and knit for her nieces.

Tiffany's crocheted blessing blanket. Modeled by her niece.

Shara's twirly scarf. This one was a work in progress (WIP).

The dress Jill knit for her six-year-old daughter.

Joan's "Cabled Embrace Vest".


The cute Sweater Valentines Carolyn made us all for Valentine's Day last year.

All of the fun and yummy treats everyone brought for our Valentine's Day "Knit Night".

The little, argyle vest Kristen knit for her newborn son's Blessing Day.

Joan's "Emery" vest.

Erica's "Hot Water Bottle Cover".

The knitting themed cupcakes Jennifer made for our Christmas Party. You can place an order too, at: "Jen's Sweet Treats".

Shara's mixed media sundress, with a knit bodice.

Joan's knit "Junonia Skirt".

Tiffany's crocheted needle case.

Laura's crocheted "Gatsby Headband".

Tiffany's crocheted turtle baby hat and matching turtle shell blanket.




 
 
 
 

We have had such great times together. Knitting, laughing, sharing our projects and our knowledge, eating great treats, and celebrating holidays. We meet once per month, and some great friendships have been made. Many additional projects have been completed, but these were the only ones I remembered to take pictures of. We are always looking for new members, so please feel free to join us. Everyone, ages 10 to 100 are invited. We hope to see YOU next month! Happy Knitting.

January 21, 2014

2014 - A YEAR OF KNITTING FOR ME - Sweater #1

It is FINISHED! Sweater #1 is knit, blocked, pieced together and is being worn today.

Here it is . . . just the way I like to show my sweaters. However, my year of knitting specifically for me, was meant for better than this. Anyone can knit a sweater to look good on a dress form. Dress forms don't have body flaws. So here it is, on the body it was knit for:
This body does have its flaws. This is the very first sweater I've knit for me, that fits me perfectly. I usually put my finished sweaters on the dress form and look at them for a few months, before I have the courage to try them on. Many of the sweaters I've knit for me, in the past, are in a box and have never been worn.

This is my first "Fit to Flatter" (F2F) sweater, knit from a pattern generated by Amy Herzog's Custom Fit software. You can generate and purchase your own patterns here: http://customfit.makewearlove.com/customfit/about/.  Amy walks you through gathering all of the necessary measurements and the software does all the math to write the perfect knitting pattern just for you.  You can see that my sweaters fits in the most important place of all (in the shoulders).  When, like me, you have an over-abundance of curves in the lower quadrant of your body, it is always difficult to get a good fit in the shoulders.  Nothing says "poor fit" like slouchy shoulders. 

The lace pattern comes from Brooklyn Tweed's "Peabody", and it is knit of KnitPick's Swish DK in Garnet Heather. It has been interesting to ponder Amy's concept that we have the same shape body from birth to death. It is good to know that if I am able to muster the willpower to lose the pounds I've gained over the past year, that I can simply take in the seams, and I'll still have the perfect fit. Whether you are thinner or wider, your body always maintains the same basic shape or bodytype.
Here I am, getting ready to put on my coat and head off to work this morning.  This was a surprise photo, taken by my husband, and there was no fussing about with the sweater before he took it.  I wore it comfortably all day, and I'm already thinking about what I can wear it with next.  I think that box of cast-offs is going to see some unravelling.  There is a lot of great yarns in there, and I can now see they were all knit to a standard "Jane Doe" set of measurements.  "Jane" is definitely a different size than I am.  Standard knitting patterns or ready-to-wear garments, have to be designed to a standard.  I wonder if "Jane Doe" actually matches anyone out there in the world.  I'm guessing she is just an average of many woman in a certain range.

SWEATER #2:

Sweater #2 is planned to be Amy Herzog's "Afterlight". It is on the needles (US2) and well underway. Knit of Lorna's Laces - Soulmate in the color Harrison. It is a fine, sock weight yarn in a hand-dyed colorway. I'm learning to alternate skeins, to prevent color pooling. It is a fine gauge, and I think I'll just love it.
This design is knit all in stockinette stitch, so the body shaping is easy to execute, without much thought. However, Sweaters #3 and #4 both have stitch design elements, so I'm doing some thinking about how the shaping will be incorporated, without compromising the stitch pattern. Hopefully I'll be able to figure this out.

Wow . . . I am sure learning some great knitting skills, and I hope your 2014 will be filled with lots of knitting knowledge too. My next post will include all of the great projects produced by my "Knit Night" buddies. They have all been working hard, and it will be fun to show off all of their efforts. Happy Knitting!

January 02, 2014

My Knitting Review of 2013

Happy New Year Everyone! 2013 was a great year for knitting, and I look forward to 2014, when I will be knitting exclusively for myself. Sweater #1 is well underway, but I wanted to take a minute to look back at 2013, and remember some of my great knitting adventures.
2013 began with the "Steven" sweater. It was knit for my Husband, and is modeled by my Son. I learned some great technique for creating "chain cables".
The "Katrina Rib" sweater.

Two new babies in my life, and two "Lotus Baby Blankets".


Lots of "Practical Baby Bibs".

The "Angela" tank.  Inspired by a sweater worn by a co-worker, I designed and wrote this pattern in May/June.

The "Hayden" sweater and bonnet.

The pineapple headrests for my new chairs.
More "Poor Baby Sweaters".
This one is my all time favorite. A different color for me, but it turned out so cute!

Crocheted "Gatsby Headbands".



"Peabody" for Barbara.  An adaptation of a sweater turned cardigan.

The early beginnings of my 2014 knitting. Sweater #1 in the "Knit for ME" series.

It has been a great year for knitting, and I expect 2014 will be the same. Sweater #1 is nearing completion. Sweater #2 is swatched and the Back has been cast onto the needles. Sweater #3 has been selected, and the yarn has been ordered. Sweater #4 is ready to be swatched. I'm trying to not get ahead of myself. As you can see, I love the planning phase of a knitted sweater.

We just received our 2013 batch of alpaca yarn. Some beautiful combinations were produced, and these yarns will quickly find their way into my "Knit for ME" series.

Sadly, we lost "SPUD" just before Christmas. We weren't really sure how old he was, but we suspect he contracted a virus, and in the cold he wasn't able to overcome it. We will miss him and his goofy look, as well as his premium fleece. RIP Spud.

Happy Knitting in 2014!