This sweater is not actually that old. I started knitting it in January and finished weaving in ends about two weeks ago. I wouldn't call it finished because man, I can not figure out how to close this sucker. This was also the hardest thing to photograph, granted I am almost always shooting the pictures myself and that makes it even harder, but for some reason this was really hard. I just finally gave up.
Me looking dreamy. Close up of the collar
The low down
Pattern: I made this up. After searching Ravelry for patterns that matched my yarn/gauge I used several as guides but ultimately knit til it fit, divided for sleeves and body and then as I went shaped it just so in the middle so the fronts would meet. When all was said and done I didn't like it so I added a ruffle. For some reason this sweater reminds me of a Frilled Neck Lizard, so I'm calling this the Frilled Neck Cadi.
I did not put any buttonholes and now I have no idea what to do about how to have the cardigan close. Any Ideas?
Out of desperation I enlisted the help of my 4 year old. Can you tell?
I have no idea whats going on with my hands here but this one one of the "best" shots of the sweater.
On to the something new!! As I mentioned in my previous post I finished everything I had on needles and was waiting for yarn for my next project.
Light purple silky wool
It came last week and I jumped for joy when I opened the package.This yarn was better than expected! I love the pale lavender color and it's going to make one great summer top. Stay tuned.
I ran out of things to knit (i.e. my yarn has yet to come for my next project) I didn't know what to do with myself. I couldn't sew outside, well I guess I could have hand sewn something but no.
Insead I hauled out my spinning wheel, an Ashford Joy that I got in 2003 or something like that. It took me awhile to remember what I was doing but it came back to me, sort of.
I was in my driveway/patio spinning while the kids played.
Last week I found Loki trying to tie up his tools around his waist with my jump rope, but he kept yelling out "Oh NO! They just keep falling". To calm him down I told him I'd make him a tool belt. Um, ok so I made a promise of sorts and had to set about making a Loki sized tool belt. Oh boy, what did I get myself into?
Notice the "digger" in the background?
He was inspired to bring his tool belt outside for it's first test run.
I call this belt "slap dash" because I just made it up as I went and tried to get it done as quickly as possible. I measured his waist and added a couple inches for the fold over velcro fastener, but did not account for the space the tools would take up so it's a bit snug.
I used a canvas fabric for the belt part and a quilt weight fabric for the pockets and loops. I hot glued a velcro button closer so that it would be something he can put on and take off all by himself.
I think I'm going to have to make a second one for his lil' brother. So I will take another run at making a toddler tool belt and may try my had at a blog tutorial about it (if it turns out).
Pretty button that cost almost as much as the yarn
Really on a roll now. I knit this in...wait for it...a week from start to finish not including the dang blocking which this sweater does need.
Unblocked
I actually started this sweater on Thursday the 21st but had to frog and start over and I finished it on Thursday the 28th but didn't have a button and had to go get one on Friday.
Blocked, this sweater has an odd shaped when flat but looks really nice on.
I was hot to knit this because I'm teaching a class about top down sweaters at my LYS Knit Around in Ann Arbor in fact this very pattern. I have already made a Shalom once before but it was modified in all kinds of ways (sleeves, no waist shaping, short rows in the back). The challenge here was to knit it as written.
When I say challenge I mean it. It took everything I had not to modify this pattern, not because it's a poor pattern but as it turns out I don't think I've made anything lately that was as written. It's a bad habit I have of just changing stuff. Liking the basics but doing things to make it exactly what I want or how I like to knit.
So hard to take a picture to capture how nice it looks.
Probably didn't help that I was the model and Photographer.
This sweater is a great first sweater for any knitter who knows how to knit and purl. You learn a lot, you can finish it pretty quickly, and there are only two ends to weave in! If your interested and live near the Ann Arbor area sign up! Class is in the evening 6-7:30 May 25th and June 8th.
Recognize the yarn from these? Leftover from Birthday Bear!
Better late than never is really a saying I use too much but it's so applies to many things I (eventually) do. I made these socks for Loki as a result of teaching a two at a time, toe up, magic loop sock class (say that three times fast) this past January at Knit Around Yarn Shop here in Ann Arbor.
The low down:
Pattern: Custom as you go
Yarn: Koigu Kpppm
Gauge: not important, tried on as I went.
Techniques: Figure 8 cast on, short row heal , magic loop
I'll be teaching the class again in May over 2 Saturdays on the 14th and the 28th 10-12 class fee is only $35!
Yes, thats right another budgie sweater! I made two for his brother (one here and the other here) so I didn't want him to feel left out, plus I really enjoy this project. Although I must admit that what drew me to this project has also become what makes it take me so long to finish it. The ZIPPER, I actually finished knitting this well before Christmas but could not bring myself to put that dang zipper in. The only thing that finally pushed me into putting the zipper in was the warm weather that is going to hopefully be here very soon. Once I broke down and sewed it in, it really only took about 15 min. or so (smacks head).
Even though the blog has been kinda well, unloved as of late, it's not because I've been sitting around eating bon bon's or anything.
I'm working on all sorts of things but, see, well nothing is quite finished and I have a really bad habit of starting new projects before old ones are done.
Here is a peek at what I'm working on. Can you guess what they are?
I've been working on this since last summer.
This one is all done except for a way to close it.
This one I started a couple of weeks ago and am soo close...
Well this is embarrassing. I swore that my last post was in December but no..November..eek! Anywaaay...moving on.
2010 was the year of hats for me. I knit a total of 4 hats for people other than myself. The first one you may remember from this post that I made for Astas. I figured I'd start with the littlest of heads. After that I jumped right on up to the biggest head in the family,my husband, who is terrible ignored in the world of my knitting do to the fact that any project for him would take forever. A hat, I figured, would be the fasted thing I could knit for him.
I wanted something easy, but cool looking. I stumbled upon a copy of Stephen West Knits Book 1 and found the perfect hat, Piece Out. It is manly, interesting to knit in a worsted weight gauge and has a pop of color. Love It! I'd been looking the Daybreak shawl from Stephen for sometime and really love his work. i was glad to find something of his to knit.
The only the it's missing is the button, I'm still searching for the perfect one.
Next in line was a hat for Loki, he had just outgrown his hat that I knit for him when he was 6 months old (yes I said 6mo and yes he just at 3 1/2 outgrew it, I made it a wee bit too big). I really just madeLoki's hat up along the same lines as Astas' hat but less pointy and no fluff at the top.
Why yes I used the same yarn for both hats!
Didn't you say 4 hats? Yes, but the forth and final hat of 2010 I have no photos of. It made it in just under the wire (Jan 30th) and was presented as a gift to my boss still wet from blocking. I knit the Brattleboro from New England Knits, which might just be my new favorite book.
So when I found out that Budgie was not top down I knew that I was going to make two from the start. One mostly as written found here in part 1 and the other "from the top"! I bought yarn for both sweaters at the same time. As soon as I was done knitting the 1st (noticed I did not say "finishing") I moved on to figure out how the heck I would convert it to be a top down totally seamless venture.
NOTE: I totally just "cowboyed" this whole dang thing (which means I made it up as I went. Although when I looked it up on line to see if other people use this term, it has a whole different meaning. Mine is better and I'll stick with it) so don't go thinking I actually know whats going on. Mine turned out really great for me. Sure you can kinda tell where the increases are but I must confess I did not block this sweater. When it was done it went right into use because kids grow up faster than I can knit!
That being said here is how I went about doing the pattern from the top for size 18-24 (both sweaters are the same size)
The down and dirty details: Size: 18-24 months (it's in this post twice because I forgot it in the last post. Oops!)
Gauge: 21.3 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
: US 6 for main body US 5 icord trim Yarns: (Color A)Fibranatura Yummy 1 skein in grey dawn (370 yards)
For this version I played with adding buttons instead of using a zipper. I think I prefer the zipper but those fish were just too darn cute.
With Color C cast on 51 Stitches and knit 5 rows ( 3 garter ridges) Break yarn and join Color A
**Working in Straight Stitch and switching between colors A and B every 2 rows
1st increase Row (RS) K3, *M1, K2; repeat until last 4 stitches* M1 K4 (83 sts) P row in color A. Join color B (do not break color A)
Work 4 rows in pattern **
2nd increase (RS) K2, *M1, K3* (110 sts)
Knit 9 rows in pattern
3rd increase (RS) K2, *M1, K3* (146 sts)
Knit 11 rows in pattern
4th increase (RS) K2, *M1, K4* (182 sts)
Knit 8 rows in pattern
Sleeve row: knit 27 sts, place 36 sts on a piece of scrap yarn or holder, knit 56 sts, place 36 sts on a piece of scrap yarn or holder, knit 27.
Knit until desired length in pattern. I personally prefer to make my sweaters for kids and babies a bit on the long side. This way it covers their back when they reach up and play. I never understood why many store bought sweaters and sweater patterns are short and boxy.
You will end as Budgie begins although backwards from working 2 rows in MC to the bind off. You will do the contrast bind off instead of cast on. *NOTE If this does not make sense I'm sorry but I really wanted to be careful not to put the whole pattern up here. I am working on the assumption that you already have the Budgie pattern and are just looking to modify it for top down.
Sleeves:
Working in Straight Stitch in the round and switching between colors A and B every 2 rows
Place 36 sts from hold onto needles Pick Up 8 sts (44sts) from armpit area ( I'm bad at this part but I fix any holes when I weave in ends)
Knit in pattern until the sleeve measures 3 inches from armpit
Decrease round 1: K2, Ktog, knit to last 4 stitches, K2, Ktog. (42 sts)
Knit in pattern for 11 rounds
Decrease round 2: K2, Ktog, knit to last 4 stitches, K2, Ktog. (40 sts)
Knit in pattern for 11 rounds
Decrease round 3: K2, Ktog, knit to last 4 stitches, K2, Ktog. (38 sts)
(Done with decreasing) knit 11 rounds than finish as the sleeves begins but use contrast bind off instead of cast on. (*see note after end of body)
Finish as for zipper in Budgie or with buttons if you choose!
Wow, that was a lot of typing. I hope if you do try following these directions that all goes well. I did knit a second top down budgie and it was also fine. Good Luck!
A soon as I saw the pattern for Budgie on Grumperina's blog I though it was the pattern I had been searching for. Finally a baby item with a zipper! Yippee!
I quickly downloaded the pattern and read through it so I could gather my yarn and needles to start right away and then ... BAM! In my mind it was a top down seamless sorta thing with the amazing addition of a zipper. No, sorry, it is a bottom up patten and the sleeves are knit flat.Ok, ok I am not going to let this stop me because the sweater is too darn cute.
I decided to follow the pattern with one minor exception: I knit the sleeves in the round using the jogless stripe technique from TECHknitting. I felt confident in my ability to pull this off since I used this very same technique during my pant madness last winter.
The down and dirty details:
Gauge: 21.3 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
: US 6 for main body US 5 icord trim Yarns: Fibranatura Yummy 1 skein in grey dawn (370 yards)
Liliy Chin Gramercy 2 skeins in light blue (254 yards) Elsebeth Lavold Cool Wool 1 skein in orange (109 yards)
The low down
