Holiday Bolero

Yarn: mostly Caron Simply Soft
Pattern: Holiday Fantasy Bolero in November 2007 issue of Crochet!

This pattern was easy to follow, and I really enjoyed the fabric that this bobble stitch produced. I did lengthen the sleeves a bit for the intended recipient. This looked fabulous with a little bit of jewelry and a blank tank underneath. It would be perfect for a holiday party.

Ta Da

My migraines have slowed down. This may sound a little strange, but what has helped is a magnesium powder that I add to hot water and drink before bedtime. It helps me to sleep deeply and no bad dreams either. I have finally uploaded all of my photos and in the following posts, I will show you what I have been doing.

This is my Willow sweater finished!!!! It fits great, except I didn't like the sleeve length so I added a little charcoal gray in a crochet ribbing. I coordinated a crochet slipstictch around the sweater edges and added gray buttons too. The green yarn is Lion Brand's Woolease Chunky in willow, and the charcoal is some leftover yarn. I think it is a chunky shetland tweed from Paton's, but I can't be sure. What do you think?

New Willow Cardigan

After much consideration, I have realized that the pattern I chose wasn't really what I wanted, even after I tried to modify it. I made some mistakes, like knitting 11 inch arm holes instead of 9 inch ones, but my gauge was what was called for in the pattern. I just don't think the pattern had the appropriate shape, and I made it a size too large. I have ripped out the other sweater, and I have chosen a new pattern (Thank you ravelry.) Last night I cast on the back panel. I'm hoping this works out. I am knitting a medium, instead of a large, but I am going to try to hold it up to my figure a little more often to avoid ripping out an entire sweater. I guess I'm in good company on that one. I think I have read about the Yarn Harlot ripping out entire sweaters. The new pattern is Berroco's Gretta.

Ribbit, Ribbit

The Willow Sweater will be frogged this weekend. Except for the ribbing, all of the dimensions are just too big. My gauge must have gotten looser and looser as I knit it. I hope the next time I knit it, it will go as fast as the first time, except that it will actually fit. I need to do some measuring and planning before I knit it again. Maybe before I rip it, I should take some stitches per inch calculations to help with my design. Some of the changes I made to the pattern were experimental, and sometimes experimental means trial and error. I guess this just turned out to be more error than trial. Oh, well... back to the drawing board.

Willow Sweater

I've been working on this basic cardigan in Lion Brand Yarn Woolease. The color is Willow. I'm taking a pattern that was in pieces, and I joined the front pieces and back piece into one on a circular needle. I also didn't want a completely boxy sweater so I added some waist shaping. So far it's been going incredibly fast because the yarn is chunky.

Knitting Vacation

You know you're a knitter when ... you pack your knitting (at least 3 projects) and prepare a special bag just for your knitting, and it gets preferential treatment to the other bags packed for vacation.

I'm currently on vacation and I brought 3 projects. I am knitting another cardigan sweater in Willow green. It is just a very simple stockinette with ribbed bands around the edges. Also I brought some yarn to make a scarf and my brown & turquoise faux cable sweater.

So far, I knit all of the yarn I have with me for the willow cardigan. I am starting on the scarf, and then if I finish it, I will work on the other sweater.

Of course, we went yarn shopping, but the LYS was closed for the Holidays so we ended up at Michael's. We bought yarn for a bolero for my SIL. It is a crochet project, and I am very interested to see how it turns out. We just chose Simply Soft and I've used this for blankets, but not for garments. I think that the acrylics of today have great improved over the acrylics of yesterday. This project could prove me right or wrong.

BTW I have pictures to post when I get home. :-)

Cable Cardigan

My Cable Cardigan is finished at last!!! I started this last fall, but I ran into a few bumps. Anyway, I have learned so much with this sweater, and it is now finished. I did put it down for the Spring and Summer because the yarn is Ultra Alpaca, and it was just too warm to knit.

Coming out of Knitting Hibernation

Last Winter I started a cardigan, and I worked on it throughout the Winter & Spring. When the weather became hot, then the warm alpaca sweater was just too warm to knit. So I put it in hibernation. Now that it is finally gotten cool, I broke it out today.

The cardigan was on the cover of knitsimple Fall 2006, and I am knitting with a beautiful deep rust Berroco Ultra Alpaca. The whole cardigan is a simple cable, and it has really helped me to overcome cable intimidation. Cables aren't that difficult to learn, but I think it takes a little practice for them to become routine. If a sweater is too much, then pick a pattern from a stitch dictionary and make a scarf or even a dish cloth.

BTW, dish cloths or wash cloths are great ways to learn new stitches.

Back to the sweater, I'm finishing up the second sleeve. Then I only need to sew the pieces and add the collar. Finishing takes patience so I'll post more when I get to it.