On the picovoli bandwagon

Here is my finished picovoli!


Pattern: picovoli, size 32" bust (I was warned the yarn is stretchy)
Yarn: Interlacements Kansas
Needles: size 5

I really enjoyed this pattern (thanks, Grumperina). While I don't mind seaming as much as some people seem to, I have to say it was great to cast off and then be done right then and there. I think I'm going to knit that hoodie I've been talking about for a while next with Cascade 220 I have in my stash and now I want to knit it in the round. Woohoo!

Here are some pictures of me modeling it (got Dave to take a couple pictures this morning before he left, but didn't have time to dry my hair first).

I'm a lucky woman

Oh yes, this man deserves to be knit something special...

No cold heads this winter!

A good friend gave birth to a little girl on Friday. I probably won't see the new mom and baby for a couple of weeks, but I am already prepared with a knitted gift (yes, Diana, I did knit something after all).
Here it is : a hat for Hattie
Yarn: I used the leftover brown Encore Chunky from the sweater for Owen and got some Encore Chunky in red for the intarsia heart.
Pattern: the basic hat pattern from Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns; for the heart, I just figured out how many rows high I wanted it and sketched it out on scrap paper until I got the proportions correct
Needles: size 10.5 dpns

But then I had to do something with the skein of red so here is Owen's heart hat, but this time the heart is in relief with some purl stitches. I plan to make some mittens for him too.

Sweater and apple season

It's that time of the year again -- apple season! We took Owen on his first apple picking excursion. This morning I made a big batch of applesauce from those some of apples.














I think he liked it!



















But back to knitting...
Even though I have 4 projects on the sticks I am, as always, thinking ahead to the next project to start. Last year I made a vest for my husband. It was my first foray into sweater making, but I chickened out about doing sleeves on my first attempt.

I think it came out well. Dave actually wears it. I used Cascade 220 in a lovely green color. I had 4 skeins left from the vest, and then I bought 2 more at a Webs sale so I have plenty for a sweater for me.


But what sweater should I make?? I haven't come across the perfect pattern yet so I am open to suggestions. I am really enjoying the top down picovoli. I do have a pattern for a neck down pullover for women from Knitting Pure and Simple, but I'm not crazy about the neck on that (a rolled edge turtle neck). I know I can modify that pattern if need be. I might be more interested in some sort of challenge involving cables or lace. Any suggestions for a pattern that would work well with this yarn?

Works in Progess

I've been knitting and knitting and knitting, but somehow I have nothing finished to show for it. If you're interested in what I've been up to, read on.

First, I have been making progress on my backburner project thanks to two weekends of road trips. Remember that blue yarn my mom got for me at Rhinebeck last year that I've been making into a scarf for myself? Well, it's been a while but here's what it looks like now.
Bad kitty! Get off!
Okay, there it is. I think I have about 25 inches or so to go. I really like how it is turning out. I'd like to get it done before the Rhinebeck S&W this year so I can say I used up all the yarn I got there last year and therefore need more (not that I wouldn't buy more yarn anyway, but I just feel better about myself this way).

Then there is the picovoli (sans picot edging) I started with the yarn my friend Bia gave me last time she visited.
I had gotten off to a good start on this when it was time to change from the 16 inch circs to the 24 inch circs. Oops, all I had were 31 inch in the size I needed. I know I could have just run over to Webs and bought what I needed, but that seemed like a waste since I have a set of Denise Interchangeable Needles. Unfortunately, one of my size five needles snapped at the end when I was picking up and knitting the very long collar for the baby wrap sweater I made for LL Bestitched (it was worth it though). Happily I noticed that Denise has a lifetime guarantee and, after following the instructions on their webpage, I received my replacement within a week. Back in business!

And then there has been some secret knitting. Click here for a hint of the closely guarded secret if you are NOT related to me. I'm afraid it won't be revealed until December though.