FO : Knotty but nice, the tale of a hat...

My last FO of 2009 never had it's picture taken to this blog because of a simple reason : we though for weeks that my boyfriend lost it at the border when we head down there at the end of the year...but no, I was doing some changes in my condominium and I just found it !!!  So finally here are my FO post and pictures...

Spec :

Pattern : Knotty but nice by Nathalie Larson

Needles : 4.5mm

Yarn : .75 skein of Cascade 220 in dark gray

Cast on : December 16th 2009

Cast off : December 29th 2009

Mods : none

Comments : Umm if I ever do a hat with heavy cables, I'll remember to do it a bit bigger or knit looser because I think it's a bit thight. Fortunatly I have a very good nature and I will knit again for my man... :)

FO : February Lady Olympic sweater

Yes I did another attempt at this pattern and it worth it totally... :) I had a blast knitting this and I knit in a record time... let me tell me the story of my new sweater...

First of all, it is part of Ravelympic SO I had to cast on during opening ceremony last Friday February 12th and my hands were anxious to begin. I had make my balls out my skeins and check my gauge prior to event which was allowed. And I knit like a crazy one to cast off on February 15th, Monday night with second sleeve. I just slack on putting my buttons on it and take pictures but during week it's kind of busy right here so I had to wait before to show to you all.

Here are the spec :

Pattern : February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne

Needles : 6.5mm

Yarn : just  under 3 skeins of Malabrigo merino worsted in color Verdes, receive in December 2008 in a swap... let me show how much left I have :

That was VERY close from running out of yarn !!!

Mods : a few... I followed directions for a small but I remove 2 sections of 7 stitches to get a less swingy cardi and before I was aware of running out of yarn. I arrange the stitches where it suits me best in order to be confortable in it.

Here are some shots of it :

while blocking

front view

from the back

some proof of the baby belly

So glad to be done with my first sweater of the year and also have a sweater completed for Ravelympics !!! My challenge is now to complete another sweater for me before closing ceremony... I'll show you my progress tomorow.

FO : Trellis, well not really a Trellis but a cute toddler sweater...

Yes done done and done with my modified version of Trellis by Britta Stolfus Rueschhoff avalaible on Knitty Spring 2005 for free.

Before showing my version of the thing.... let me show the "real" one as by designer

Here we are, cute cardigan with buttons and everything.

But here is what I done with that inspiration :

a sweater with buttons on shoulder to accomodate head easily and also not the real sleeves neither.

Here are the spec of that little creation (with lot of work...)

Original pattern : Trellis by Britta Stolfus Rueschhoff

Needles : 4.5mm

Yarn : Knit Picks Swish Worsted in color Marine Heather, about 4.33 balls

Size : 18 months

Mods... be take a confortable seat because there are a lot of them;

First,

BACK === I did add 6 rows of seed sts on the right side before binding off to be able to reinforce the shoulder and accomodate the buttons later.

FRONT === since I didn't wanted a cardigan but a sweater, I followed the instructions for the back again until the armholes decreases; after binding off 13sts on each side(armholes) I did continue to work in pattern as set for 15 more rows ending with a RS row. Work 22 sts, BO 3, knit in pattern til the end of the row. Nezt 17 rows, I decrease one at the neck edging every other row. Then BO all and right front is done. Do about the same thing on the other side. At the end, I add 3 rows of seed stich then work 2 buttons holes and knit 2 others rows in seed sts and after BO all. Front is now done.

SLEEVES === CO 39 sts as set in pattern. Work 20 rows in seed sts. Then, add one sts at beginning and ending of the row every 12 rows (7 times). While doing those instructions also add the biggest cable from Chart A in the middle of the sleeve. After last increase row, work 5 more rows in seed sts and BO.

After just have to sew every pieces together.

At the shoulder, I did sew the extra rows of seed stich on the shoulder and sew buttons on for reinforcement.

Note : I also decide not to add any other collar because anyway it doesn't show a lot and it's clean like that. About the yarn I choose : I may buy myself a whole truck since I love it so much !!! it's soft and superwash, what else can I ask for ?

Yeah ! done and I will send it by mail to his little owner, my nephew Zachary.

Happy Knitting in 2010 !!!

I begin the new year while I still knit my old WIP from 2009...but I will keep knitting on them for as long as they took to complete them all, finally !

So take a look on those projects one by one :

First the highly modified Trellis sweater for my nephew Zachary...

I think that a button vest is not really well suited for a little boy who just want to play and run all around, so I decided to turn the vest into a sweater with a bigger head opening and I also modify the sleeves. I found the originals one to be too busy and distracted my attention from the body which I want to avoid. I will post all my mods with the FO post (soon enough I hope). I will finish the first sleeve today hopefully and cast on for the second one right after.

Then what about the Pea Pod Set for my own little one to be

I did finish the second sleeve yesterday and I still have to sew it on the body and then make the matching hat. The whole thing will need a good bath and blocking to open up the lace part. I already have many button in sight to finish the project perfectly...

And my last project in my current WIP bag are the plain man sock for my dad that I begun in *sigh* August of 2008... bad me ! At least he still want them and will be very happy in those socks. I turned the heel on the second sock and going great on the foot part, just have to sit and knit a bit everyday because it's not the most exciting knitting for sure !

Target end of project for the Trellis and Pea Pod are before the end of January, and the socks... right after I'm done with previous two, wish me luck !

Keep knitting, just keep knitting...

....yes just keep knitting and maybe I will be able to finish knitting all my gift for Christmas. *crossed fingers* The longer one is the cutest one : a Trellis vest for my 16 months nephew Zachary.

Trellis is a pattern from Knitty Spring 2005 with only 890 projects on Ravelry, but that was before Ravelry and for sure there is a LOT of work involded in this one so not everyone with little one have the time to do it !

I also have 3 others projects to finish before December 24th at night.... just keep knitting, just keep knitting...

Last swap of the year

Just received my last swap package of the year... but not the least fun ! I was again in Faves things swap (round 5 now) and I was matched with a pal from South Africa !!! Rozan did an amazing job spoiling me and I am so lucky to have her as a swap pal :)

She sent me gorgeous things very local for her : a shopping tote (I love the handle), 2 cards of buttons handmaidens by south African women, 4 balls of Vinnis Bambi cotton yarn (!!!), a South African calendar, chai black and green tea and ....

a wonderful pair of fingerless gloves in a soft soft, very soft yarn and look at the color !!! Little something in the picture above... did you see that I am poiting out South Africa ? :)

Travel to Riviera Maya part 2

Umm looking to these pictures makes me wanna quit everything and get back to Mexico !!! We had such a wonderful time over there and I wish we can go back soon enough...

I wanted to share some more pictures with you about what we can see over there and leave for a moment in my memories of sun, sea, farniente....


I told you we went to Tulum but we all saw some pictures of Mayan ruins one day or another so I decide to introduce what we did after visiting Tulum ruins. We hire a tour with Mayan Xtreme adventures and we had 3 activities in the afternoon : flying in the sky over the rain forest in a canopy,

let our self go down from the sky using ropes and rappel techniques and finally swimming in a cenote (pure water that is found underground in Yucatan peninsula).

On the Hotel site we had the chance to see a lot of wildlife including those swans.

What I miss the most is the ocean and the sound of the waves on the beach... watching boat, go for a little swim and dreaming all day long in front of it...

But back to real life, we needed to head back home and we found out snow and a little surprise : my mom had decorate our christmas tree in our apartment and now we are sure our neighbour think that we are crazy since we had automatics lights on our tree since October 15Th... LOL

I hope that I will be able to travel again soon and next time I will bring knitting and find a LYS to buy local yarn too... !!!