as Veronica would say…Couldn’t you just eat this color up?!

As you might have guessed, I had another sweater on needles before I even had the buttons sewn onto the last one. It took a lot of searching to find something suitable for this new Rock Creek Park colorway from Neighborhood Fiber Company. It is the most amazing jewel green color (you really have to see it in person). After much debating, I decided to knit the Lauren pattern from Ann Weaver. The pattern is a $6 download on Ravelry. Because it is a raglan, I am modifying it to a top down yoke construction. Raglans and my shoulders just don’t work.  I am also knitting off gauge.

Photo courtesy of weaverknits

So..there was a lot of math here. Luckily it appears to have worked. If anyone wants to modify this as well, come in and chat with me. I can help you change it up. I did use the Wendy Bernard Custom Knits book for guidance on the percentages to increase in the yoke and at what point. If customizing this project scares you, just use an aran weight yarn and knit it as its written! This is a wonderfully written pattern.  You will need to get 16st to four inches for gauge. Malabrigo worsted, twist, Cascade Eco Wool, Louisa Harding Aran and a few others will work nicely. I am hoping to knock this out quickly before the yarn for my next project arrives in the mail…which is going to be any day now.

I think this little guy is my favorite!

Tonight is our regular Thursday night Stitch in Space. Stop by and hang out with us! Our crochet coral reef is continuing through out the month of August. We have several amazing pieces in the shop already and the window display should be done any day now (ahem, Kel!) If you haven’t started a piece of coral yet, do come in on Thursday nights and we will get you started. It is amazing simple and has been a wonderful way to get the knitters started on crochet.

The Callie Bib Tee is complete. You can see that there are several modifications. First, I added waist shaping and extended the overall length of the project. I also knitted the lace sections in a complimentary second color and increased the length of the sleeve and body lace sections. I am super happy with how it turned out, despite it being yet another brown sweater. (aren’t you all supposed to keep me from knitting in brown?)

There was quite a bit of finishing to this project. It is worked in pieces (two front lace panels, one front, one back, and two sleeves.) As I was sewing away, Phillip asked me what I was doing. I explained that I had to seam everything together but that I hated finishing. He said that maybe he would learn to do finishing so that I wouldn’t have to do it but that he didn’t want to be called a “finisher.” He wants to be called “the closer” instead. My husband is hilarious. I have no delusions that he will learn to seam sweaters together. None whatsoever.

Photo courtesy of Connie Chang Chinchio

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Veronica lives off King Street in a second story apartment and was informed by her landlord (after signing the lease) that she would be responsible for getting a mother duck and her hatchlings from their second story balcony / patio to the river every year. Since ducks are rather dumb, a mother duck has been hatching eggs on their roof deck for years, and the residents of the apartment have been responsible for boxing up the ducklings and getting them down a flight of stairs and to the street, where they then have to make a five or six block trek down King street, over several roads, to get to the river. This morning was duck hatching time. So if you saw some crazy person herding ducks down the hill on Prince Street to the river, it was Veronica.

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On Friday, I finally seamed up the sleeve of my March sweater (third for this year…). Here is the finished sweater and its details:

Pattern: February Fitted Pullover by Amy Herzog

Available: free online here as a free Ravelry download

Yarn: Neighborhood Fiber Company Studio Worsted in Truxton Circle colorway

My Hempathy sweater is now done! I am so excited to have completed something from Olga’s newest collection: Ori Ami knits. Olga’s brain works in mysterious ways. The sweater is worked from the bottom up, with the pocket openings being knitting in scrap yarn that is later pulled out to reveal live stitches for working the pockets. Once the A-line decreases have ended, a provisional cast on at each underarm starts the sleeves. Then, instead of binding off at the beginning of several rows to create the sloping tops of the sleeves, Olga has you work short rows instead and then graft the tops of the sleeves from the front with the tops from the back, creating a seamless sweater, essentially. If none of that made any sense, I won’t hold it against you. It was kinda like following a series of clues for a treasure hunt, not knowing where I was going to end up in the end. Now that I have done it, it is just brilliant! I chose to add pewter buttons around the neckline, like the pattern suggests. Here are the details:

The pockets:

Pattern: Trapezium Pullover

Available: Part of the Ori Ami knits collection available for download here

Yarn: Elsbeth Lavold Hempathy (gauge was 24sts instead of 22 sts, so I worked a larger size) and Louisa Harding Mulberry silk for the pocket and neckline accents. The shine of the silk against the flat Hempathy is wonderful!

Mo Rocca learns to knit from a ten year old and Debbie Stoller (of Stitch n Bitch fame)
If you didn’t catch this story on CBS Sunday, here it is:

In other news, I have finished something…and it isn’t my March sweater or the Easter basket. This is the In the Land of Oz scarf, a straightforward scarflette that starts out super simple and ends with a feather and fan pattern. I blocked it last night and am super excited to finally have a “pointy” scarf. Phillip saw it this morning and asked “So how long did it take you to knit that?” Ladies, beware of this question. What this means is that this person is contemplating you making this project again…Phil thinks that his mother would really like the scarf because it looks “bat-like” and she is very very into Halloween.  So now I think I am commissioned to make it in black. Project number one on the list for holiday knitting. Have you all started your holiday knitting yet?

Anyways, the yarn is known as “unobtainium” or Wollmeise, which can be bought online from Germany or LoopyEwe or purchased from nice people who have it already and are willing to sell it to you.  This color is stunning and really can’t be captured on film.

I have been itching to knit with the Hempathy since it arrived last month.  The yarn is all animal free and natural – 34% hemp, 41% cotton and 25% modal.  It is much softer than your average hemp yarn. I think that my “March sweater” will be finished up tonight so I am allowing myself to take home the hempathy for my next project. I did a bit of research on my options. Here are some finds. The first two are by Heidi Kirrmaier.

Vesper – This roomy little top really got me with the contrasting stitching on the neckline and pocket!

Photo by PiPiBird

Buttercup – I love the neckline on this one. It is one of the few raglan constructed sweaters that I would wear because the raglan lines are so vertical.

Photo by PiPiBird

The Razor cami by Katy Marcus looks like a great way to dress up one of the 20 or so tank tops that I have in my closet. I might have gone a little crazy at a Banana Republic sale a couple of years ago. I own a lot of tank tops. With this cami, I could probably get away with wearing them to the shop. The hempathy would give it more structure, although the Sirdar baby bamboo that it calls for would also be lovely.

Photo from Oh My Stars!

And lastly, Connie’s (is Connie famous enough to go by just her first name?) amazing Apres Surf Hoodie, which as been on my list since it first appeared in Interweave Knits. The pattern is now available as a download.

Photo by Interweave Knits

So what did I decide to knit? Well…something from our dear Olga from her new Ori Ami Knits collection. I couldn’t resist. I fell in love with this top when the trunk show was here. It is the Trapezium pullover. We have the most amazing pewter buttons in the shop for the top of it…The collection is currently available online and will be in print soon. We hope to have it in the shop as soon as it is available in print form.

Photo by Ori Ami Knits

I am using a nice contrasting color in the Louisa Harding mulberry (100% silk) for the neckline and the pockets. I think it is going to be awesome! Now I just need to finish this other sweater…

The Cosette Wrap by Alana Dakos

It’s brand new! Only one project but it looks like great TV knitting and a wonderful accessory.

Photo by Alana Dakos

Materials: 500 yards worsted weight yarn in one or two colors. We recommend Madeline Tosh Worsted (now renamed “DK”), Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted, Miss Babs Yowza (only one hank!) or Neighborhood Fiber Co Studio Worsted.

$5 download on Ravelry.

I thought I might start a new feature on the blog – Found on Rav. There are so many patterns on Ravelry but sometimes you trip across one that is just really amazing. Today’s “find” was submitted by Beth and is a great sweater option for the upcoming warmer spring months. It has a great name as well!

The Saucy Librarian

Photo by bluebettyknits

Yarn options

Worked up in Mirasol Tupa, silk and merino blend. This is available at the store. Other yarn options include Sublime Baby Bamboo and Malabrigo Silk Merino.

Availability

On Ravelry only as a $5.50 download from designer Amanda Jensen.