Striped Hoodie and other goodies

I thought last week spring had sprung here....it was in the 70's and 80's, we were out in the barn washing calves in capris and tshirts.

And this week it's been in the 40's and 50's.  Oh well - I had finished up a sweater a couple weeks ago and this just gives me another chance to wear it!

When I first fell in love with Plucky Knitter yarn last fall, at one of her updates she had 3 skien mystery colorwork kits in her worsted weight yarn.  You don't know what colors you are going to get, but you will get 3 of them.  Somehow in the update frenzy, I ended up with 2 kits.

But it was not a great loss, as both kits had the same color green in them.  And each kit had a grey that was similar.  So I started sometime in February knitting this striped hoodie.  I had been wanting a striped hoodie, but couldn't find a pattern that I liked and that used 5 different colors.

So I made it up as I went along.

I love it when a gamble pays off and it ends up being a sweater I will actually wear and love.  I think this one will be good all year round.  It's warm enough inside with a long sleeved tshirt under it, but the first time I wore it (Saint Patrick's Day) I had a tank top underneath it. 

Tyler was my "photographer" and he couldn't get a decent shot of the hood - but it's big enough to cover your ears and stay up, but not so big to be sloppy.

Pattern - my own.
Size - 36"
Yarn - Plucky Knitter Primo Worsted
Needle - size 6

And I've been working on another test knit for Thea - this will be Charleston Tea out of Plucky Knitter Sport in the colorway Bisque.  I'm in love with the shading of this yarn.  Subtle varigation and incredibly soft.

However, size 5 needles and my wrists are not good for all of the time knitting, so last night I cast on for Liesl.  Again in Plucky Knitter Primo Worsted in the colorway Honey Wilkes.  This one I'm taking a gamle on - the sizes of the cardi are 34 and 38.  I went up a few needles from the pattern (started with a size 10 and am gradually increasing to a size 11), and made the 34.  I've been on a diet that is actually working for me, and in the last month I'm down just about 15 lbs.  And knowing how lace looks best when it's blocked rather agressively, I didn't want it to end up too big, which I was afraid would happen if I knit the 38 (lately I've been knitting 36" sweaters and they are a little large now).  So I did the high neckline and the 34 with the cap sleeves. 

I started last night about 7 p.m. and by 11:30 had this much done.  I did try it on and it appears if I block it well it will fit just fine.  But I have a backup plan....if it's too small I'll give it to Jessie and I'll just make myself a new one.  Ever since I knit her legwarmers she has been wanting a sweater (and in fact keeps eyeing the test knit I'm currently working on) so this could kill 2 birds with one stone.  And if it fits me, well, I have some single skiens of Plucky Knitter yarn so I'll just make her the smaller size.  Win, win, right?

This weekend I'll get lots of knitting time in - Jessie has a basketball shootout tonight and tomorrow and tomorrow Tyler also has his Pinewood Derby.  And Todd is headed back for a quick trip to PA to pick up the bull we are going to use this summer.  And if the weatherman was correct, we are in for a cold and rainy weekend and I intend to knit the weekend away:)

Have a great weekend!
Kris

Vernors Legwarmers

Jessie has been after me to buy her a pair of knitted legwarmers...and I'm sorry but something as tiny as a pair of legwarmers - I should buy them?  Not.   And it just so happened that Thea was getting ready to send a pair out for testing...I had the plucky sport in my stash....so I volunteered.

Plucky Knitter yarn is amazing.  simply amazing.  And I had to think about it for a day or two before using some of my plucky stash on a pair of legwarmers for Jessie....

But I did and I am so glad I did!

I made her pick a dark color - this is Bohemian Blue.  I had an idea that she would like them and didn't want a light color for her - this girl loves her animals and the outdoors.

For Jessie, who has the cute, skinny little legs, I knit the pattern but I only knit 4 repeats of the medallion cable instead of 5 (this means I only cast on 80 stitches instead of 100).  And they are still a little large on her.  I knit hers to be 11" long, but after she wore them for several days, she has since requested that I add a couple inches to them (which I'm thinking will happen this spring/summer when she is done wearing them).  However, she first wore them to school last friday, and she wore them Saturday and Sunday (under her pj pants after basketball - what can I say?  It was a lazy weekend at our house)....I'm thinking they may have been worn to bed one night - she said her room was cold.  And I saw the on her little legs this morning as she walked out the door.

Thanks to a hard snowfall yesterday, when we finally got back home from the orthodontist this afternoon, and before she rushed to change for basketball, I was able to grab a couple pictures of them.

On Friday, I got no fewer than 4 texts from her friends - could I make them a pair of these?  I'm thinking birthday and Christmas presents for them all - however - they will not be getting plucky yarn...sorry girls!  And Jessie has since asked for another pair in a lighter color.  I heard through the grapevine that there will be 3 different patterns of these legwarmers, so I just may make Jessie wait until the next pair comes out....I'm mean that way.

A little tip - I tried knitting these magic loop and on double pointed needles - but had tension issues both ways.  So I brought a pair of size 4 12" addi's - which worked like a charm.  It worked so well that I may rip out the first legwarmer and reknit it on the 12" needles. 




And now I'm off to start on my pair - but I'm still debating on the color - tan, dark brown or light blue.......

ADD knitting

I've been knitting lots....and lots....and lots......

but it's all been smaller projects.  Like this scarf:

Black Cherry Lambic by Thea at Baby Cocktails.  A friend has a bday coming up, so she asked if I would knit her a scarf for her birthday.  She picked out the color - Coral and the yarn is Valley Yarns Longmeadow.  Very pretty and very soft in real life.  I did make the scarf narrower than the actual pattern.  And me - I ordered enough of this yarn that I should be able to make myself the cowl out of this pattern in the same yarn.....at some point!

Absinthe Gloves by Thea at Baby Cocktails.  And yes, I finally found the perfect buttons out of my Mom's jar of old buttons! Can I also say I've been wearing these gloves a lot (especially in the mornings when it's 28 degrees out) and they are keeping my hands toasty warm during the wait for the school bus and the drive to work.  And trust me - if you have double pointed needles the fingers are not hard at all - just don't work on them when you need to be paying attention to anything else:)

Star Crossed Love Vest - I finished this one up last November or December.  And I've actually worn it more than quite a bit.  I used some of my stash yarn - Berroco Peruvia - just 3 skiens.  I was worried about this one - the pattern is only written for a size 32 but I was able to add a cable repeat and 2 ribbing repeats in the back and after a good wet block it fits and I find I do wear it quite often.

Mint Hat - again by Thea at Baby Cocktails.  A good friend of ours was diagnosed with breast cancer last fall.  And she wanted a hat but not a pink hat....she is a teacher at one of our local schools, and their school colors are green and white - so I knit her this green hat out of Cascade 220.  We were over there a few weeks ago for dinner, and this was the yarn she picked out (I had several different yarns in similar shades of green).  It was a very quick knit and very easy.  I wish she would have picked a softer yarn, but she says this will be perfect for when her hair starts to grow back in and she can't wear her wig anymore.

Sidecar Mittens - by Thea at Baby Cocktails.  I've had these in mind for a while now, and after knitting my Absinthe Gloves realized I would need a second pair.  Originally I had thought of making these into gloves, but I do like them as mittens.  The teal yarn is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK (wonderfully soft and squishy) and the cuff are out of a discontinued yarn - bugga sock yarn in the colorway tarantula hawk.  I should have knit the cuff in the round on size 2 double pointed needles - but didn't want to fiddle with tiny needles so I knit them flat and then seamed them up. 

And finally - the latest test knit that I have done for Thea - here is just a sneak peak - but let's just say I made these for Jessie first (she has the cute, skinny legs) and I don't think she has taken them off yet.  And yes, I did start on a pair for me.....These were knit out of plucky knitter sport weight yarn on a size 4 12" circular needle (gulp!!!) and it took me the better part of the first one to figure out my tension.  So if I can ever peel them off of her little legs, I may reknit the one, and knit them both a little longer so they last through next year.  Is it a good sign that the first day they were done, she wore them to school and after just about 2 hours and school I had texts from 3 of her friends wanting to know if I would knit her a pair?  Of course, Jessie also had to text me - she thought that brown leather boots would go fabulous with these.....

Chambord

Or maybe this post title should be this is my stress reliever this winter?

Yes, I knit another sweater...in a matter of weeks.

This was another test knit for Thea, and I think I'm going to break my 1 cardinal knitting rule - never knit the same sweater twice.

Because this sweater is about perfect!

I was a little hesitant - it's a shorter sweater designed to hid the dreaded muffin top.  And I'm not a fan of shorter sweaters.

But with the ribbing, the cable, the long sleeves and the cowl, I was hooked on this one.

So much so, I wore it Friday night.  I wore it Saturday all. day. long.  I thought about wearing it on Sunday to work on the new barn we are putting up (more on that later) but common sense prevailed.  So I wore it Monday as well.

I didn't change the pattern at all.  It's very flattering as written, but could easily be made longer with some waist shaping if you prefer.  I also could have possibly  gone down to a size 34 and had a more fitted sweater, but I wasn't willing to take that gamble.

Details - Chambord by Thea Coleman
Yarn - Felted Tweed Aran
Size - 36
Mods - none

Now it's back to working on the barn 24/7 when we aren't a work.......

I never knew it would be so hard....

To find a decent button!

I've been knitting on these Absinthe gloves a little over a week....they would have been done a while ago but aren't - mainly because I cannot find a button I like for the life of me!!!  So I finished the icords without the buttons and will just have to sew on buttons when I finally find what I like.....

I love all of Thea's patterns...which is evidenced by the many of them that I have knit .  And yes, I have a few that I need to show you (which I will after they are done drying from a rather aggressive wet blocking session....just so you know - 3 wool sweaters that have been soaked really good - and run through the dryer to shrink them up - smell really, really bad while they finish drying while being layed out on the sewing room floor).

These gloves I'll post more on as soon as I find some decent buttons.  I'm looking for vintage, cool and unique - and wal-marts and joann's don't have anything....may have to look on Etsy and Ebay tonight!!!!

Which would be a bummer as I love these gloves and have been wearing them all week WITHOUT buttons....

Drambuie

I think I've knit 3 or 4 sweaters so far which I haven't shown you.  And I've been working on several quilts.  I think I need 32 hours in the day....and I have 1 more sweater that is almost done, plus the coolest pair of gloves that I just have to figure out fingers on.

This one was a quick knit.  And different.  And it is so totally comfortable and perfect.

It was a test knit for Thea at Baby Cocktails....the cable is cool, the fit is perfect.  It's knit in 2 pieces (front and back) and then seamed together.

I used yarn out of my stash - Cascade 220 Heathers.  I've had this yarn for a few years now and didn't know what to make with it.

Pattern - Drambuie by Baby Cocktails
Yarn - Cascade 220 Heathers
Size - 38 on the bottom, 36 on the top (with this yarn, I should have gone with 36 the whole way through, but it's all good)


I'm also madly working on cleaning up the house - 1/2 of my sewing room is cleaned, the basement stairwell has been cleaned, painted and decorated, and the laundry room is half painted and organized...oh!  and we've also been working on the new barn and pastures every weekend that we can - but I'm ready to revolt on that as the house is really suffering.....  I'll show you those projects shortly, as I have to wait for Todd to hang shelves - the stud finder and I could not get along the one day.....


Have a blessed weekend!!!

Cleaning out the basement

One of the things the insurance adjuster mentioned to me when we found the water damage was that we needed to go through the basement and our insurance company would reimburse us for anything water damaged.  I didn't tell him that in my opinion, 99% of the stuff in the basement was junk anyhow, but I realized that I did need to clean it up in case the contractor had to work down there.  It is January in Ohio after all.....and it would be easy access to that corner of the house if he wanted to set up a table saw in there rather than stand out in the cold.

Todd went hunting in PA January 1 - 3, so the kids and I started cleaning the basement out.  Well, rather, I cleaned and the kids fought disagreed over which of their old toys they were keeping.  I finally sent them upstairs to clean their rooms.  Some things are better NOT done with them around:)  We did make a deal with the kids - they could pick some of their favorite toys to keep, the rest will either be sold on Ebay or donated to Goodwill (Tyler elected to keep his tractors and sell his Geo Trax Train set - which takes up the 4 totes on the left hand side of the picture below).

5 hours later (yes, it took a long, long time), I had a small pile of stuff to keep:

See that chest off to the right hand side?  That was a Christmas present of Jessie's from her grandmother - and it was packed full of dress up clothes (fancy dresses, pretty hats, high heeled shoes).  I'm afraid the chest may be too water damaged to be repaired, but we were able to salvage some of the clothes inside it.

I had a small pile to go to Goodwill.

And I had a rather large pile of things to pitch:

I had 3 rubbermaid totes of  kids clothing and blankets I wanted to keep to pass down, which I have just finished washing it all and repacking it into the totes to make sure it was still good. 

Todd got home the Tuesday night after New Year's, and we spent a little bit of time down there sorting through the trash pile - just making sure there was nothing in there we REALLY wanted that had been thrown away by accident.  We flattened the boxes to be burned, bagged up the trash and will haul it to the end of our driveway next week. 

Funny though, as Todd and I were finishing up down here, it led to a discussion about my sewing/computer/crafting room and how to organize it and make it more useful (which started off with a bookshelf that is down in the basement that Todd said I should move up there - but I can't move it up there if I can't get through the door right now, can I?).  I'm at a standstill with finishing our bedroom until the water damage gets fixed, and my sewing room is truly a disaster.  But we have a plan for moving some furniture, and hopefully in the next couple of weeks it will be done.....