FO: Classic Red Sweater and How to Add a Faux Seam

Pattern: Oatmeal

Yarn: Cascade Eco + in 'Scarlet'

Needles: 5mm and 6 mm circulars (US 8  and 10)

Mods: Adjusted guage, added longer ribbing on the sleeves, and added faux seams on the body. My Ravlelry Project page can be found here.



As part of my 5 Small Goals for Winter, I wanted to knit a cozy sweater for myself. I had also been craving a super-simple bright red sweater, so this checked all the right boxes for me! This is a wonderful top-down sweater pattern for a bulky weight pullover, and knits up really quickly- I probably would have finished this much faster if Christmas hadn't happened. I don't know if your holidays are anything like my holidays, but mine are pretty far from relaxing- usually really busy with lots of people to see, things to do, and food to eat (maybe I'd eat fewer dessert squares if I held my knitting more?). Anyway, it felt so good to knit a bulky weight sweater- it's cozy, super comfy, and I love Cascade Eco, so it was hitting all the right spots.

This is the second sweater in a row that I've put faux seams into, and I have to say, I'm really liking how it looks and works- it makes your knit look more finished, and helps give the sweater some of the stability that real seams would. You can see the faux seam in some of the photos below:

How to Add a Faux Seam
To put a faux seam into a sweater, I purl a stitch in the same spot on each side of the sweater. So if you are knitting from the bottom up, and you have (for example) 180 stitches around, then I'd knit 89 stitches, purl, knit another 89 stitches, and purl again. It's even easier if your sweater is top down (like this one!). When you get to join the body again after the underarms, purl the stitch in the middle of the stitches you cast on for the underarm. Usually, you will need to cast on a few stitches after you have separated the sleeves and are rejoining under the arm to work the body in the round. The middle stitch of those cast on stitches is where you put the purl stitch. And now you have a faux seam!

As a side note, I was trying out Commentluv to see if that would allow me to better respond to comments, but it was a bit of a gong show and I had to take it off. Blogger really doesn't allow you to interact with commenters as much as I'd like, so I'm considering migrating to Wordpress. Any advice?

FO: Brixter

This was actually my last FO of 2013, but I didn't have a chance to blog about it before the end of the year! It was a Christmas gift for Guy. I don't often knit him things, mainly because he is one of those people that runs hot, and is always hot. Too hot for wool sweaters, too hot for mittens, etc. But you know, it's been a really cold winter, and this pattern is, in my opinion, the perfect hat pattern for a dude:

It was cold, Guy was blowing on his hands to keep warm. 

Pattern: Brixter

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label DK in 'Charcoal'

Brixter is a lovely cabled hat with loads of texture and takes about half a skein of DK.  It's not only a really quick knit, it's also very satisfying in that it keeps you interested without being too tricky that you can't watch a movie while you knit it.

This photo was taken on December 31st, when Lila was in daycare for a half day and we took the opportunity to go for coffee by ourselves. I had almost forgotten what it's like to sit in your seat the whole time and eat a croissant in peace, and not chase a little toddler around!

FO: Rosewater Pullover

I recently finished this sweater, which was part of a Knitalong for the Tanis Fiber Arts Ravelry group. I love how it turned out!

Pattern: Clear Creek Pullover 

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label in Hand Dyed One of a Kind skeins (2)

I made some modifications, most notably adding faux seams, which is where I moved the beginning of the round, so that I could easily conceal the alternating of the two yarns I was using. They were both hand dyed one of a kind, and although similar, they were quite different. Here's a shot of the two skeins when this was still a work in progress:

Oh, indoor nighttime photography! It just never looks as good as natural light. Never. 

See how one is more rosy, and one is more blonde? That blonde one looks like a mess because it was a center pull skein that had since collapsed in on itself. It's not as tangled as it looks, I promise.

Even though it's really cold out, I love, love, LOVE the light you get for photos when there is snow on the ground. The white of the snow reflect the light perfectly, it's like nature's photoshop for your skin!

FO: Rescuing a Moth-Eaten Sweater!

It's not a knitting FO, but I'm super pleased with how this turned out:

Remember the sad tragedy of my cashmere sweaters, all chewed up with holes? Since they were already ruined, I figured I'd at least try to rescue them.

And it worked! I picked out 5 colours of cotton embroidery thread, and just free-styled. I started with the larger patch on the bust- that's where the biggest hole was. I darned the hole shut, and then began working irregular shapes in different colours over it. I then used pairings of 2 colours at a time to cover up any of the smaller existing holes.

Once that part was done, I looked at the sweater and figured out where else I'd like a little tiny bit of colour, to balance out the 'design' and make it seem intentional, like it came from Anthropologie or something.

I like the amount of colour I ended up with- it feels like just the right amount, especially with the stripes. Once cashmere sweater saved, Another two to go!

FO: Aquae Tank

Pattern: Aquae Tank

Yarn: Cascade Ultra Pima, in white and fuschia

Needles: 3.75 mm circulars

Mods: Changed the neckline and armhole edging to an applied i-cord, rather than ribbing. Ravelry project page can be found here.

I'm glad I got this tank finished before the end of summer! I instantly loved this pattern when I saw it- talk about a great summer staple. I wanted something bright and fresh. I originally would have like a white and tangerine orange sort of stripe, but couldn't find the right shade of orange that I had in mind. This bright fuchsia is a good compromise, though.

detail shots of the i cord edgings, hem, and back shaping. 

If I were knitting this again, I'd make the ribbing a bit longer. And really, there was no excuse for me to not have tried it on- the whole thing is knitted top down, so I really should have put it on to figure that out. An extra half an inch of ribbing would have been a bit better- but I can always undo the hem and add it!

I love this tank, it's exactly what a wanted- a classic summer tank that goes with everything and feels effortless. I feel like I could knit a whole bunch of these for summer in different colours and be happy. But a word of advice, if you are knitting this- don't weave in your ends BEFORE doing the armhole and neck edging. I can't tell you how many times I went to pick up a stitch and accidentally unpicked a woven in end. This also tells me that I should probably weave in my ends a bit more aggressively, though.

Wee Wednesday FO: Lila's Legwarmers

Just a bit of a health update on my wee one. Things seem to be going well, her nystagmus is improving, and she doesn't seem to be having any developmental issues so far, which is a huge relief. Somewhere in all the follow-up testing, a specialist did note that she has a heart murmur, but considering what was being discussed at the beginning, I nearly laughed with relief. I'll take a heart murmur over a lot of other things. We've still got lots of testing to go, but so far, so good (fingers crossed).

Recently off the needles: a pair of fabulously little legwarmers for Lila!

Ravelry project page is here. 

Pattern: Lila's Legwarmers

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Pink Label Laceweight in 'Moonmist'

Needles: 3 & 4 mm dpns (US 2.5 & 6)

Mods: Used laceweight yarn held double, and added an extra half repeat for a little extra length.

Ah, chubby baby legs. They are so awesome. 

Knitting with laceweight held double feels a bit like pulling off a magic trick- it knits up at the dimension of fingering weight, but feels lighter and airier.  And hey, it was a great way to use  up the rest of the skein from this project.

The pattern was great- it was my first time knitting lateral braid before, and the designer has a link for a great tutorial right in the pattern, so it turned out to be easy-peasy.  The pattern is designed for younger babies (I'd say 3-10 months works great), so to make a slightly larger size for my 14 month old,  I went up a needle size and added an extra half repeat of the chart.

The shirt I'm wearing is from Zara. 

And she likes wearing them! I can tell because if she doesn't like wearing something, she attempts to yank it off somehow. I'd love to put cutesy headbands on her, but she pulls them off every time.

New Pattern: Lilacs for Lila

Way back in April, I knit this sweet little bonnet for Lila. I'm a sucker for knitted bonnets on babies, and I wanted something that would look vintage and gorgeous, but knit up super fast. It's perfect for using up DK weight yarn you have kicking around! It's easy to knit in a day or two, and you could make it even faster by using ribbon for the ties, instead of i cord. The pattern has sizing for babies 1 month- 4 years.

Check out the details on the Ravelry pattern page, here.

Wee Wednesday FO: Creamsicle Tee

I like orange on babies, especially my baby. I think she can rock citrus colours way better than I can:

Lila's awesome leggings were picked up over the winter at a City of Craft fair of the handmade in Toronto, and can be found here.

 Pattern: Marguerite

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label Fingering in 'Orange Blossom'

Needles: 2.75 and 4 mm (US 2 and 6)

I love this little tee pattern, particularly how the lace is used to create little puff sleeves. Some of the construction is a little unusual, such as the beginning of the round is in the middle of the knit, not on the side where a 'seam' would be. It's not the end of the world, but it means that you need to pay very close attention to how you weave in that end because of the high visibility location. There are a few things about it that I would change, if I knit this again- you use a larger needle for the lace and a smaller needle for the stockinette, which to me seemed odd. I'd use the larger needle for the stockinette as well, I think it would make for a better fit over chubby baby tummies. I also wish that I made this a bit longer, so I'm considering ripping back to the lace and redoing the stockinette in a larger needle and for another inch or so longer.

Also, in the 12 month size the pattern doesn’t totally line up the same on the front and back… and I ripped it back several times before I realized that it wasn’t going to match up, and just kept going. But overall, the tee is a very quick knit, and I love the style of it.   Ravelled here.

FO: Pei

Not pictured: Lila. I'm bent over holding Lila's little hands to help her walk around the room. 

Pattern: Pei 

Yarn: Queensland Collection Haze, Colourway 905

Needles: 3.75 mm (US 5)

Notes: I've had this pretty skein squirrelled away in my stash for a couple years now, just waiting for the right project. I don't usually gravitate towards cotton/plant fibers, so this was a departure for me- I got sucked in by the soft sandy shades in it that stripe very faintly and look gorgeous. It's earthy and lovely and I think I want more of it.

I love this outfit. But  let's face it- it's the mug that makes it.  Cowl is ravelled here. 

The pattern- it's beautiful, but I find that the lovely scalloped edging totally curls after you've been wearing it for a bit, and the whole design is pretty distorted once it's been around your neck for more than an hour. Which could very well be my yarn choice. I'd be interested to hear if anyone who knit this in wool found that the scallops stay put better.

I still love this cowl, but it's the yarn that makes me love it. Just a perfect sandy, beachy pink. It's pink for people who swear they don't like pink, yet find that they have quite a bit of pink in their wardrobes. Like me.

Wee Wednesday: Sunnyside Cardi

I want to send big, bloggy hugs to everyone who commented on my last Wee Wednesday blog post. Blogger doesn't let me see the email addresses of everyone who comments (it often shows me just your first name and then a 'noreplycomment' email address, so I can't respond back), but I can't tell you what it meant to read all your words of support, and how many were commenting for the first time to send me those words. Thank you, SO much. I could feel the support you were sending, from all of you, all over the world. And it made me feel like everything was going to be okay. We won't know more until the summer, but I will keep you posted.

Here's my little cutie in a new FO:




Pattern: Sunnyside

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Purple Label Cashmere in 'Gold'

Notes: I went for the garter edges and the lace cable (the pattern has a choice between picot edges and a solid rope cable detail). Ravelled here.

I love this cardigan so much that even though she hadn't quite grown into the size yet (I made the 12-18 month size) I still put her in it all the time. I even brought this cardigan with us when we went to England and Paris, and she wore it a lot. And you'd think I'd have a million great photos of her in it, but mostly she is busy doing things and obscuring the details, like this typical shot:

Asda had babies AND crackers on sale, can you believe it?!

Or often she was moving so fast she was literally a blur. But here are the top four shots of Lila in her new Sunnyside (other than the awesome grocery store checkout photo above):

 She really likes it, and she finds the buttons pretty fascinating. I found them on Ebay, way back when I was still pregnant!

FO: Forest Floor

Pattern: Forest Floor

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label DK in 'Poppy'

Needles: 3.75 mm and 4.5 mm (US 5 and 7)

Mods: Changed the brim to k1, p1 ribbing, for a bit more elasticity. Ravelled here.

Notes: I'm so in love with this hat, it's absolutely perfect. It's got a little bit of lace, a little bit of cabling, and lots of great slouch. The hat is super comfortable and easy to wear, and how perfect are red accessories in the blah days of February? Also, I knit this hat in a weekend. which is crazy accomplished for me, because I have a pretty demanding baby.

What's that? You want to know about my scarf? Ah, well- it's a store-bought scarf from England, a gift from Guy who knew I was in love with it- it's got hearts and hedgehogs!! I saw it on a girl in a restaurant, asked her where she got it, but it was all sold out. Somehow he tracked one down for me. It even has pockets at the end! It would be an easy knit, I'll have to make a chart for it.

FO: Mudra Cuff

Pattern: Mudra Cuff

Yarn: Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock

Mods: Added extra beads, so that each strand has one more repeat of the bead sections. Thanks to Laura who very kindly mailed me extra beads!

Notes: I had a tricky time with this. The instructions were really clear and I loved the videos on Laura's site to show how to do everything, but it still was very slow going for me- the combination of tension with the i cord and beads were not really my forte. Still, I very glad I tried it, and this kit was the perfect way to dip my toe into beaded knitting and see. It's accessible the finished result is really wearable and pretty.

I finished this Mudra Cuff a little bit after Christmas, but it's been tricky to photograph- I actually wear it quite a bit, but with the winter evenings still coming on fast, it's hard to get photos. It's not like a hat or sweater; something about the wrist feels like you need cozy indoor shots which I find tricky. Long-time blog readers will know that my best photos are outdoor ones, in any season.




So, we finally got some clear shots while at a cafe in Paris that serves the best hot chocolate I have ever, ever had in my entire life. Guy ordered it, and said, 'you have to try this.' He was so right.Amazing hot chocolate, family time, and a cozy knitted bracelet- it was a lovely afternoon.

Wee Wednesday: Booties and a Trip to the Cottage

We recently spent a long weekend up at the cottage, for the first time since Lila was born. I think it's safe to say she had a good time, as did we:

As it's normally an 8 hour drive, we flew this time, which, while obviously more expensive, was only an hour each way and was good practice for our trip to England at the end of this month (did I mention we're going to England? Because we're going England. And hey, while we're there, might as well pop over to Paris for a couple days....). The only thing I've noticed while reviewing these photos is that we were obviously too busy juggling the baby while on the plane to take any in-flight photos- next time, for sure.

Pattern: Converse Baby Booties

Yarn: Knit Picks Merino Style and Michell & CIA Luxury Collection Alpaca Peru

Needles: Can't even remember. Why didn't I fill that in on Ravelry?

Notes: I actually knitted these booties when I was still pregnant, but they were turning out huge an I figured I'd have lots of time to finish them... then promptly forgot where I put them. I recently found them again, I realized that they would fit Lila now. Just needed to be seamed, and crochet chain some shoelaces. The problem? Shoelaces and an 8 month old. I basically just put knitted baby toys on her feet. She loves them, but it's really hard to keep them on her feet. And those busy baby feet meant that it was really hard to take a photo that didn't result in blurry booties. The pattern- it was easy to follow, and the booties are super cute. I wish I had made these in a brighter colour, though. The beige is tough to match with her wardrobe, which features lots of bright colours (like the Sunnyside baby sweater she's wearing). I love these, though. If I could keep her from pulling them off, they would be perfection.

This photo cracks me up.

FO: Nashira XL

I. Love. This. Scarf.

Pattern: Nashira

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label Worsted in 'Deep Sea'

Needles: 5 mm (US 8)

Mods: Heck yes. Basically, the original pattern calls for laceweight, and I wanted to see how it would look knitted up in worsted weight. I used 5 mm needles (instead of the original 3.25 mm) and cast on fewer stitches (for details, my Ravelry project page has more info). Then I just knit the pattern exactly.

Notes: It knit up super quickly, and I love the look of it in the worsted weight- is it crazy to say I think I even prefer it in the worsted? It wasn't a crazy yarn-eating scarf, either, just a little over 500 yards. And even though it's lacy, it's still super warm in the worsted merino.This is intended for a Christmas gift (I don't think she reads the blog.....), but I clearly need one to keep for myself - I love this, and will be a bit sad to gift it! 

Did I mention I love this scarf|? Because I really love this scarf. Truly, madly, deeply.

FO: Red Tannenbaum Mitts

The winner of the Accessories pattern giveaway is.....Amy! Congrats, Amy!!

Doesn't everyone need a pair of red mittens?! These were nice and quick, all things considered. This was a departure for me as I typically do colourwork mittens (you know, the last two years, so I'm going to go ahead and pretend that's enough for 'typical').

Pattern: Tannenbaum

Yarn: Classic Elite Inca Alpaca

Mods: Third pattern repeat (at the top of the mitten) was made slightly smaller by eliminating three rows from the diamond, this was to help  shorten the mittens just a bit for my small hands.

I've had this yarn for ages- it was from a pre-ravelry hat that I had frogged and rewound, and then promptly forgot about. But this red is really lovely, one of those stunning true reds that seem perfect. Cozy and wonderfully soft, this yarn seems really suited for mitts- it looks like it will get fuzzier with time, which is just fine for a mitt. I love these so much, but oddly we're hitting a warm spell- it's supposed to be 10 degrees (that's 50 Farenheit)  over the weekend, which is hardly cold enough for these woolly wonders. I'm secretly hoping for lots of snow this winter- it's been at least a few years since there's been much snow in Toronto, and the holidays just don't feel special without it.

Wee Wednesday: Bear Booties

 Do you remember the bear hoodie? Here it is, now with a baby inside:

I put Lila in it all the time, it's so adorable on her. And my dears, I need to tell you about these booties, because they are the most perfect little booties EVER. They stay on. They are warm. They look cute. They are super quick to make. Did I mention they stay on? They are perfection!

Pattern: Baby's Booties

Yarn: Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran

Mods: Did not roll them down, seamed with them kept up to be more like boots.

I love these booties so much, I'm planning on knitting them in some other colours, to match some of her other outfits. I just love them. Now that it's cold here, I put Lila in them almost every day! Plus there is something about a knitted sweater and matching booties, it just looks so adorable.

FO: French Chestnut

 
Pattern: French Braid Cardigan

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label Aran in ' Chestnut'

Needles: 4.5 mm (US 7) circulars

Notes:  I finished it by the end of the paralympic games!! This was my modified deadline after I was totally left in the dust on the Ravellenic Games- In the past I've always been able to finish a sweater in that time, but now that I have a baby, I need to modify my expectations (read: smaller knits, or longer timelines). But hey- it's my first sweater since Lila was born:

This sweater is awesome. I love the angle of the cable on the front panels, it gives the illusion of really flattering waist shaping. It was a really straightforward knit, too- once it was set up, I hardly needed to look at the pattern, as the cable detail is easy to memorize.  The beginning is quite interesting- it begins with the back of the neck on the collar, and begins in a way similar to the 'tab' method of casting on for a shawl. It means that there is very little finishing once you're done your knitting- just weave in whatever ends you have, block, and go!

I'm really happy with my colour choice. I feel like I'm going to get a lot of wear out of this, especially since fall showed up with a vengenace this week- so much for a slow taper into cooler weather!

FO: Pugsley

Pattern: Pug with Anorak

Yarn: miscellaneous craft yarn kept on hand specifically for machine-washable toys. Patons acrylic, mystery fingering wool for the sweater, etc.

Needles: 4mm and 5 mm (US 6 and 8)

Mods: Added a bit of white detailing to the anorak. Other than that, no mods.

Notes: It's been a while since I knitted up a toy, and I find them so satisfying- generally pretty quick, and the adorable factor is through the roof! I have had this pattern in my library for ages and ages, and finally decided to get it done. I love it! I'm a fan of Barbara Prime's toys, the shaping is great and they are a great size, plus they have wardrobe options! I love this little hooded sweater. And Pugsley's little tail is awesome, in my books.