Tag: knitting

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A LOT of Knit WIPs

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After finishing my Seasons Cardigan, I immediately started this Clay Sweater. It’s a pattern I knew I wanted to knit the minute the pattern was released. I even bought the same colorway of yarn as the photo sample because it’s so perfect.

It almost flew off my needles, but then the weather started to warm up and an upcoming international trip convinced me I needed to start a more portable summer project.

So I set aside my sleeveless Clay, picked up some cotton yarn, and stared knitting a tank top. This design is simple, but the instructions were hard to interpret sometimes and I made mistakes that required ripping back a lot. After knitting the front, I started to suspect the fit would also be weird. But I persisted because I didn’t have a way to try it one while traveling and I couldn’t not knit on the plane.

When I got home and tried it on… it offered up so much side boob. I was frustrated and for some reason, my solution was… to make a second one? I actually bought enough of the same yarn in a different color to make it again! I felt I needed to have the original to reference, I guess? On this version I started the armhole shaping immediately after completing the neckline shaping and I’m much happier with it. However, it is currently waiting to be bound off, summer being very much over.

And even though I clearly have THREE other knit wips, I started a new one. While I was recovering from major surgery, I wanted to start a fresh, new project that had no baggage!

The theme this year is definitely texture, and these subtle cables on the Seaway fit right in. This yarn is so nice. It’s the Purl Soho Linen Quill Worsted in the “Baked Earth” color. It’s unfortunately discontinued.

I’m trying to loosen my death grip on this project and am getting some striping in the parts that were knit flat. I’m trying to be okay with it.

Anyway, I’m hoping to at least finish the Seaway and the gray Ingrid before the year ends. Or maybe I’ll start another project 🙂

New book by Anna Husemann (gifted). Excited to learn intarsia!

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Trefann Sweater | Good Night, Day

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Ooof this sweater. I had 3, or 4 false starts with this one and ironically the first try was when I was feeling super confident. Things were clicking – I’d memorized how to do M1Rs and Ls, I was getting faster, I was feeling accomplished… and then when it was time to try it on, I’d produced a sweater for ants. It was so small. My tight knitting was no match for this stable yarn.

After unraveling it again and starting another project, I learned how to loosen up and make a less dense fabric. I took a little break from it too.

Once I had my tension down, it knit up as quickly as other projects, but this was the first time I was forced to play yarn chicken.

After completing the body, I only had two skeins left. I didn’t love the instructed waistline, but I also didn’t hate it, so I decided to knit up the sleeves and if I had enough leftover, I planned to rip out the purlwise bind off and redo it with a couple rows of ribbing.

I did not have enough leftover and I had to shorten the sleeves by an inch too. So the waistline is what it is. I really love the texture on the yokes and upper sleeves and this yarn is super soft and somehow not as insulating as the other bulky yarns I’ve been using. I can wear it without overheating! Another thing I learned with this yarn is that its core is pretty untouched by the dye, so joining/felting ends together didn’t work out great. Because of this, there are some light stitches on the back (thankfully). The joins didn’t look that bad in nighttime lighting but they sure are focal points in daylight. Next time I use a yarn that doesn’t felt together nicely, I’ll add new yarn and weave in an end.

PATTERN: Trefann Sweater by Good Night, Day

YARN: Malabrigo Rasta in Belgian Chocolate

SIZE: S/M

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Kelowna sweater | Good Night, Day

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I feel like this sweater really flew off my needles; it took a little over a week to complete. I’m more confidently fixing mistakes and I’ve got the magic loop technique down now too.

This yarn is so pretty, but holy hell does it shed. It’s on everything I own and it’s made its way into my mouth on more than one occasion. But it’s significantly thinner than the other bulky yarns I’ve been using and I really appreciate the drape of the final fabric.

The yarn is Loopy Mango’s Mohair So Soft in tiramisu, purchased from Close Knit. I made the size XS/S and used a little over 6 skeins. My current bust measurement is 38″ and the finished measurement for this size is 42″.

I followed the directions for the purling rows, but I’m a little unsure about the first row being so much closer than the others. If I make another, I’d probably space them out the same number of rows, or omit the fist one all together. The instructions say to hold two strands together for the neckline, but I totally didn’t read that part. Hoping it doesn’t stretch out too much with wear. Whoops.

This is the first project I actually knit a gauge swatch for, but I was too impatient to block said swatch. Whatever! It measured what it was supposed to and my knitting has loosened up! Have I blocked this garment yet? Nope. It went straight on my body. How am I supposed to wait?!

In the middle of making this sweater, I learned how to knit continental, which I thought I would hate, but I love it! The instructor in this Domestika class demoed continental in a way that my brain understood, so I thought I’d just try it. I can see how continental could speed up my knitting. Even though I think I prefer continental, I decided to finished knitting my Kelowna sweater English style to keep everything consistent and I need to finish the Trefann this way too (above).

I’m really proud of this make. It’s made me feel like I understand knitting. And because of that, I made a test swatch for the Louise Pullover!

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Strathcona sweater | Good Night, Day

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After years of being mad at knitting, I’m feeling pretty great with these last few projects. And I might even try more complicated patterns soon. I’m looking at you, bobble sweater and fancy cardigan.

This pattern felt a lot faster than my last sweater project. I’m happy I finally tried an in-the-round pattern. I will never go back to pieced together sweaters.

I’m still figuring out how to loosen up and “get gauge.” I knit very tightly because my brain tricks me into thinking that’s the “correct way” to do it and that there will be huge holes if I don’t. No clue where these ideas came from.

At this stage I did question the fit, but I had enough room at the underarms and decided to keep going. This sweater is probably smaller than it should be, but I actually like the way it ended up fitting.

The sleeves are a bit shorter than the pattern called for, but it’s so warm, I kind of appreciate some of my arms being exposed.

PATTERN: Strathcona sweater by Good Night, Day

YARN: Cascade Magnum in Olive Oil Tweed

SIZE: S/M

I don’t love the way the neckline collapses under my chin. I probably should have done fewer rows, but I think this is also just how it goes without any shaping. I’m intrigued by those German short rows I’ve read about. And looking at the sample photos, my neckline is definitely knit tighter so, whoops!

Up next, I’m casting on the Trefann sweater!

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Keyhole Scarf | free tutorial by Northside Knit Co

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While working on my second Good Night, Day sweater, I decided to take a break to knit up this fun scarf.

I had a little bit of false start though with this too scratchy wool from my stash . Maybe I’ll finish it anyway and give it to someone who can tolerate itchy neck things.

Determined to make one I would wear, I dug into my yarn stash and found a fun speckled yellowy-brown color. This is all thrifted yarn that will soon return to the thrift store. It takes up too much room and I’ve had all of it for too long.

The tutorial I used is by Northside Knit Co. It’s free and can be found in a story highlight on their Instagram. My brain appreciates any knitting project that includes video demos.

This was a great project do while my work computer needed to think about rendering video clips. Spinning pinwheel of doom, knit a row, spinning pinwheel of doom, knit a row…

I think this yarn is some sort of synthetic, so not my favorite, but it’s soft and in a color that works with a lot of my clothes.

I think it’s real cute.

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Nanaimo Cardigan | Good Night, Day

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I did it. I knit something I like and will wear! And best of all, I actually want to cast on another project asap.

If you read my last post about knitting, you know it’s a practice I’ve struggled to find a groove with. Knitting patterns are so bare bones, but I’m starting to understand the lingo. I’ve also said to hell with small projects like hats and scarves.

PATTERN: Nanaimo cardigan by Good Night, Day

SIZE: M/L

YARN: Crazy Sexy Wool from Wool and the Gang in Cosmic Navy. I bought 5 skeins and used exactly 4. I’m pretty sure I knit TIGHT. Nope, I didn’t test gauge.

Before adding the waste yarn, I had to rip back two rows because my stitch count was off by one. My cousin helped me figure out that I had missed an M1 somewhere, so I pulled out the needles and carefully pulled out the rows. Once everything was back on my circulars, it was pretty cool to be able see that I’d put some stitches on the wrong way. I felt like a real knitter! A knitter who can see AND fix problems!

Once I finished the increases, I was able to try it on. This is my first top down project and I really liked being able to test the fit midway through.

Picking up stitches at the armpit ended up not being as difficult as I thought it would be (I had virtual help for the first one) and the sleeves knitted up so fast in the round. I did need quite a few more rows than the pattern called for in order for the sleeve to measure the right length. Probably because I knit tight?

The cuffs were a little difficult since I was using 20″ circulars. I have since learned about the “magic loop” technique and I can’t wait to try it out. I did more of a frustrating stretched blob technique that I don’t recommend.

This was such a satisfying project and it took under a month to make. I think this practice will be good physical therapy for my wrist too.

I know chunky yarn isn’t what “seasoned knitters” like to use but I dig it. I’ve worn this thing every day since I finished. I haven’t blocked it yet, whoops!

I LOVE Good Night, Day’s aesthetic and style. I’m planning to make the Strathcona and Trefann sweaters next.

Before I even cast off this project, I bought more yarn, more patterns, an interchangeable circulars set, some cute stitch markers, and a row counter. I guess I’m hooked.