What I'm knitting right now

Hello,
not much to say these day...too busy with the new schedule of work. I am back to work since 2 full weeks and it's a whole world of adaptation for baby and me. She's now going full time to daycare and it's been a bit of stress for me. I was worried about her being there for such long period of time and 4 to 5 days a week but she surprised me well. She's doing giant step in her development while watching other kiddos and she's doing well. She's really tired at the end of the day and need time to relax at home, but we all do after a day out of home.

The bigger downstep of being back to work is having less me time and time to knit ! At least I have bigger pay check and will be able to buy some yarn in the future... :-) which is always good news.

Meanwhile I am still knitting two projects :

first a very boring black ribs sweater for my husband that he wanted for so long... umm I said it before but it's boring !

and a very pretty and soft shawl/scarf made of pure silk which is a joy to knit

let's just call it balance.

FO : from 2010 finally got pictures

Yay another FO from 2010 made it to the WEB !!!

I am proud to present you my nephew Zachary wearing is very cool hoody ! Go boy and enjoy...

Spec :

Pattern : What a Character Hoodie by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence (bought as a kit on Knit Picks)

Needle : 4.5mm

Yarn : Knit Picks Comfy Worsted in color Jalapeno, Peapod and Fedora.

Notes : forgot the character part of the pattern I wasn't pleased and thought it would be more wearable without. Made the 4 years old size and it's big enough and he have plenty of room to grow into (I was afraid of making again a sweater too small for him!). I hate the way the hood is attached to the body, if I do it again I would simply go on from the body to the hood instead of knitting in 2 parts. I add bias tape inside to solidify and used a zipper.

The yarn is simply soft and can go through washer and dryer which is very good ! Loved working with it and I already bought some more.

FO : Little Bubbles for Florence

Yay another FO and this time I took pictures right away... good me

Second time I knit this pattern and with the same kit I only switch colors to fit my leftovers. I have barely 30 cm left of the purple and almost nothing of the green yarn too ! Yay 2 points for using leftovers :-)
 
So here are the spec of my brand new FO who made it the same day to the blog...

Pattern : Little Bubbles Baby Set Pattern by Nina Isaacson (unfortunatly no longer sold as a pattern alone or a kit, it's now part of a ebook on Knit Picks website)

Yarn : Knit Picks Simply cotton sport in haze heather, camel heather, malted milk, green tea heather, duchess heather.



Needle : 3mm circular

Notes : I really enjoyed knitting it for the second time. Since the pattern is made very small I decide to go for the biggest size but with some addition here and then to lenghten and widen it a bit to fit a real 12 months size. And compare to other clothes in my daughter closet is closer to a 18 t-shirt in popular brands. So she have a little room to grow in it.


First for the body I made one more bubble pattern at the shoulder. Then 17 rows of green, 12 rows x 3 of one row stripes, 6 knit rows and cast off. I pick up 70 sts at each side and k for 6 rows, for the button row (at the 3rd row) : k4, yo, k2tog, k8 repeat 6 more times and k4.

For the sleeve : pick 7 sts under the arm on each side instead of 5 (making the kimono sleeves). K for 7 rows, decrease row on row 8 (k1, k2tog, k til 3 sts before the end, ssk, k) and on row 16. k one more row (17 total). Then one row stipe 12 of each color combo. k 1 row in purple, p 1 row repeat 3 times and bind off all sts.

I highly recommand to weave in ends a few times while knitting this if you don’t wanna be frustrated at the end of it… :-)

Bubbles again

I am knitting a Little Bubbles cardigan for Florence with the leftovers of the one I knitted for my niece Rosalie (2 points stash busting + using leftovers). I am only the color in a different order to make it look completely different from the first one. I hope to be done soon to be sure it will fit her... if you remember the size 6-12 was barely fitting her at 4 months and a half, now at almost 6 months I hope that the bigger size (12-24 months) will be just right for her.

I am already in the fourth of fifth bubble row when you read this so quick knit and this time I remember to weave in end not only at the end of the project.

Just need to shop for cute button... they don't count as stash huh?

FO : Little bubles cardigan for Rosalie

Last September, on the 17Th to be exact I became an aunt for the second time of a charming little girl named Rosalie. This little one is the second child of my brother and they have everything for her. So it was pretty difficult to find an idea of gift for her birth. I am a bit late with my post and gift too but I manage to knit an adorable little cardigan for her.

I choose from Knit picks in sale the Little Bubbles set in purple, it was under 10$ when I got it, just perfect ! I quickly cast on for the cardigan itself but since I did it just before we left for France,I didn't bring it so it slept in my knitting bag for about 5 weeks and at the beginning of December, I finally went around and finish it in a breeze. Super cute and adorable, but TONS of ends to weave in which is a bit annoying to me.

Here are the complete specs :

Pattern : Little Bubbles Baby Set Pattern by Nina Isaacson (available on Knit Picks website)

Yarn : Knit Picks Simply Cotton Sport

Needle : 3mm

Here it is modeled by Florence

I adore the buttons my mother found for the cardigan ! Rosalie is much smaller than Florence (she was born 40 days later) so it fit her just perfectly, I am very proud ! The 6-12 months size is barely a 6 months in regular clothing size, so be aware of it if you plan to knit this. I will try to see how much yarn I have left and maybe do the cardigan or the hat for Florence. Just repeat to myself weave in end often during the process to avoid procrastination at the end in finishing ! :)

FO : Secret Cobblestone

Yes I made it !!! The surprise was perfect, he never had a single though about my plan in his back... Let say with the pregnancy it has been quite easy to hide while on maternity leave, and before that I cast on and work on it when I was on lunch time at work, while waiting for him when he's playing tennis or soccer... I am pretty proud of my surprise ! :-)

 

Let's see the spec of my new FO.

Pattern : Cobblestone Pullover by Jared Flood

Needle : 4.5mm

Yarn : 10.5 skeins of wool of the andes worsted weight (KnitPicks) in mist color

 

Cast on May 21st

Cast off : July 22nd

The Man love his new pullover and wears it a lot in the past few days, I am already thinking about a number 2... maybe for Christmas ... ;)

Almost FO post

Finally cast off the Cobblestone pullover for my fabulous boyfriend's birthday. Actually it's been kind of hard to keep it secret and keep on knitting other projects enough that he won't know what I am knitting while he's at work. Plus the fatigue due to my pregnancy I am pretty happy to be done one week before deadline.

Still have to give it a good bath and block it in the only place he don't go too much : the laundry room and keep my fingers crossed that he will not have the brilliant idea of helping me out on laundry task without prompting by me !!! Or just that baby girl will finally comes out and keep us busy until my lover's birthday on July 29th.

So FO post to be done with my Nicolas wearing it after July 29th !!! So excited !!!

Progress on secret knitting

Still working on my secret project, I need to work on it more and more because it have the same "due date" as my growing belly : July 29th. So far I am at 15'' on 16'' before working on sleeves and I love it ! I was smiling today because Nico kept asking if I was doing him a sweater soon and that he would like to have a dark gray one !! LOL I think I took the best color for him and I know him well.

And so far I used 4 balls on the 12 I bought originally. I think I will have plenty and maybe a little leftover too. I will kept you posted when I am home alone and since I still work it's not that often, almost 34 weeks pregnant I will be more than happy on maternity leave, soon, very very soon...

FO : Pea Pod baby set

Yes finally got buttons and time to put them on too...

Specs of my new creation

Pattern : Pea Pod Baby Set by Kate Gilbert

Needle : 3.75 mm

Yarn : Cascade Yarns Eco + in kiwi green about 0.6 skein

Cast on November 28th 2009 and cast off May 4th 2010 (doh!)

Size : 6 months

Mods : none except using very cool buttons... :)

Pattern is very clever but once more I think than arms a little strange and makes a bulky seam to attach the arms too. Anyway I'll have my own model to play and make adjustements soon enough now...

Secret boyfriend sweater...

No I am not affraid of the sweater curse !!! (I do consider than being 31 weeks pregnant is almost like being married anyway). I did it, finally cast on for the secret project for the 31st birthday of my love : the Cobblestone sweater in the perfect "man yarn" Knitpick Wool of the Andes (worsted) in mist colorway.

So far I did almost 7 inches and I can only knit when he's not here because it's a complete surprise to him I would like to offer him at his birthday which is also my due date for belly baby. So I don't think he will get any birthday party this year and he deserve a sweater to show him my love and appreciation.

Already 2 balls in it, fast and mindless I will be done in time no problems... :)

Double FO : Baby Jacket and Aviatrix hat

Had this little Cascade yarn coming by the mail 2 weeks ago and I made a promise to myself : use it as soon as possible to make the baby's jacket and also use those uber-adorable buttons receive from South Africa in the favorite thing swap last year. (by the way thanks again to my spoiler if you read this) So mission accomplished and double accomplishment by also making mods on a pattern AND made a second project to match the first one and use the last button.

Specs of the jacket :

Pattern : Seed Stitch Baby Jacket by Elinor Brown

Needle : 4.5 mm

Yarn : 1.65 skein (165 grams) of Cascade 220 Heather in color Aster

Size made : 6-9 months

Cast on May 4th and cast off May 15th

Mods : First of all the most obvious....no hood, I preferred to make a collar instead. Also opted for a regular button placement one under the other one to make adjustments easier and to facilitate my life too with baby girl.... Then I made a little brodery of a cat on the sweater to embelished it.

Can't wait to try it on my girl :)

Then specs and pics for the second part of the show...

Pattern : Aviatrix baby hat by Justine Turner

Needle : 4.5 mm and 5 mm

Yarn : 0.40 skein (40 grams) of Cascade 220 Heather in color Aster

Size : 6 months

Cast on May 15th and cast off May 16th

Mods : I made the worsted weight instructions except that I had a repeat of the 12 rows section because I found that was a little on the short side and I prefer to be sure that the back of the head will be well covered too. The only comment less positive about that pattern was the cast on suggested (cable cast on) not enough strechy for a hat so next one will be in a strechy cast on and cast off.

BUT my overall comments are : superb, cute and addictive pattern ! I am already planning making one for my nephew. :) It was also a very good refresh on wrap and turn too.

FO : Tilted for Olympics

Over a month ago during the Olympics I did challenge myself to knit not one but two complete sweater during the event and I did accomplished the whole thing but I never posted about sweater number 2, the proof that I knitted like a crazy to achieve my challenge !

Here are the specs of the Tilted for Olympics

Pattern : Tilted Duster by Norah Gaughan (published in Interweave knit, Fall 2007)

Needles : 6 mm

Yarn : 5.2 skeins of Cascade 200 in white

Size : 40.5 medium size since I grew from everywhere with pregnancy...

Cast on : February 16th

Cast off : February 28th during curling finals

With my 24 weeks and 2 days belly ...

I love, just love this sweater and it's a perfect fit for a maternity sweater since you can wrap it around the belly if you are cold or keep it open with buttons attached... The only thing I am glad to had thing before casting on, planning on growing breast too, I knitted a little bit more ease for breast and now it's full !!!

Also second time with Cascade 220, it went smooth again and I still understand why it's so used : not expansive, impressive choice for coloways and also fun to knit with. A must for your stash and your future projects !!!

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...

Frog pond

A long time ago, on February 2ND 2008, to be precise, I cast on for a lovely project : Cherie Amour published on Knitty... I choose the exact same yarn that the pattern called for at once and I even made a gauge of the lace and a gauge of the ribs... but I don't know why it doesn't came out gorgeous as I hope for. Body was too short and the sleeves a mess. So yesterday morning I took my courage and decide to pull out the project from the hibernation and try it a last time and finally frogged the whole thing...

Sometime don't you think it's the only thing to do !

Now I am feeling GREAT and he good new is that I have a lovely yarn in stash to use for a cool new project. I originally bought 5 skeins but I gave the 2 news one to my best friend for her birthday with cool patterns so now what can I do with 3 gorgeous balls of yarn.... Future will tell soon....

Fo : Shalom cardigan revisited

Sometime you look at a pattern on Ravelry and he speaks to you and Shalom Cardigan told me, I want to be a sweater !!! I told, speak... not it yells at me to do it that way only... so I listened and I was knitting all the way down to the end of it. Here is how I did it my own way.

First of all as it's an FO post, the specs of my little baby :

Pattern : Shalom Cardigan by Meghan McFarlane

Yarn : Cascade Eco + in color Baked apple that I bought at kitknit last year. I used about 90% of the skein and I still need to figure out was to do with the leftovers.

Needles : 6.5 mm circular needles

Time : Cast on July 20th at night and Cast off on August 1st in the early morning

Mods : I did knit the yoke as intended by the pattern it's after that it comes interesting for us fellow knitters...I did not wanted to have any sewing involved after the knitting so I knit in the round after the yoke adding one stitch in the middle and using it as the middle of the round. I used the leaf pattern of hapichick as Nordly did (Ravelry nickname). Then after it was long enough I had another stitch and 5 rows of twisted ribs and I cast off using EZ sewn cast off and voila !!! I have a new sweater and it's 27 degrees outside, very practical ;). I did plan some buttonholes but finally I like it better without buttons.

Happy one with a new cool sweater !