Okay, I know it has been a while… a long while… since I posted.

But I have an FO to share! So it’s okay, right? Well, that’s too bad if it’s not because this is the way it’s gonna be. I have a pretty full semester this term and with work and school and all that I’m not getting a whole lot of knitting in. Much less blogging.

Expect posts to be sporadic at best.

Disclaimers aside I recently finished a project and I’m pretty happy about it. Especially because this project has been relegated to the bottom of my Ravelry Projects Screen in the “Hibernating” section for almost a year. Sometimes I worry when I change a project’s status to “Hibernating” whether it ever will get finished or if I just need a break.

Thundercloud Jacket

My only finished sweater for the summer and I think I need a haircut

Pattern: Bianca’s Jacket by Michele Rose Orne from the Fall 2006 Interweave Knits

Yarn: Hemp for Knitting AllHemp06 - 5 skeins of Periwinkle, 1 of Charcoal when I ran out of yarn at the button band and couldn’t find any more Periwinkle that matched.

Time to Knit: Sometime in September ‘07 - August 15, 2008. Yeesh.

Raveled:  Here

Modifications: I added about 3″ in length because I didn’t think I would like a cropped sweater but then I made the sleeves shorter to compensate because I knew I wouldn’t have enough yarn otherwise (I still didn’t). I also put buttons all the way down instead of just at the yoke to make the sweater a bit more flattering.

I love the yoke pattern in the hemp yarn, girly but not too girly

Thoughts: I originally purchased this yarn to make the Cupcake sweater from the Happy Hooker. I crocheted the back piece then realized that

1. I did not enjoy crochet

2. I didn’t really like the sweater

and 3. It would not look good on me anyways.

I frogged the sweater and the yarn languished. When I decided to try Bianca’s Jacket with it I wasn’t really sure how much yarn I had so I knew it would be close. Even though I had to do the button band in a contrasting color I am still really pleased with the sweater.

I think the buttons tie the contrasting color in pretty well.

I think this photo shows the sweater a little better

Overall I am really happy that I pulled this sweater out of hibernation and got it finished up.

Even though I do not think that it is the most flattering sweater for my shape (it has some waist shaping but not enough) it is very comfortable and a great weight for summer, going out and for traveling to warmer climates.

I have already worn it quite a bit which surprised me a bit because I am always cold and I thought a short-sleeved hemp sweater wouldn’t be warm enough but it actually layers really well even though the sleeves can’t really go under a jacket.

Hurray for a finished sweater and an end to my blogging slump (hopefully!).

I like to knit sweaters. Especially when it is cold and rainy out. I get cold easily and the rain just makes me want to run home and cast-on for thick cushy sweaters to keep out the chill.

This summer has been more drizzly and cold than usual (although there have been nice days too, especially yesterday, yay!) and over the last week or so I have put some time into a few unfinished sweater projects.

Mostly I have been working on this:

First Thermal Sleeve

This week I have a 4 day weekend and I’m hoping to make some real progress on my Zombie Sweater from this post. Sorry no picture but I have finished both sleeves, knit the body in the round to the armholes and completed the back the rest of the way. Left to do are the fronts from the armhole up and the button placket.

Working on these long hibernating projects definitely makes me long for something new and with all the magazines releasing their gorgeous fall designs I am over the moon choosing my projects for fall.

This year there are so many awesome patterns. I am so excited!!! I am loving everything!

Oh, you want to see all these pretty patterns for yourself all in one place complete with my commentary? Ok.

Vogue Knitting

Green Gable Hoodie by Mari Muinonen

I really liked this sweater when I first saw it on Ravelry and I even went so far as to designate yarn for it. However, I then decided that it would be too unflattering, specifically the thick cables up the arms. I just think they would be too bulky. I really like the rest of the sweater though so I am thinking of knitting it with only the cable on the back

Greenland by Robin Melanson

I like the little lacey details on this sweater. Also the great green that it is knit up in. If I were to knit this I would leave the diamond details on the body off and just do the little ruffles. I would also make it a little shorter and make it less wide at the bottom for a more subtle shape.

Old Penny by Veronik Avery

I love the rustic feeling of this sweater! I would add buttons for a closure and change the sleeves to set-in sleeves. I don’t like the way that raglans look on me because I have narrow shoulders and since this sweater is constructed in pieces anyways I don’t think it would be a big deal to do set-in style sleeves instead. I would like to find some nice rustic yarn for this.

Redwoods by Fiona Ellis

I think the zig-zag cables on this are adorable!  I would like to use an alpaca or an alpaca blend for this so that the cables would be more subtle and I think I might use a lighter weight yarn since it has a high neckline and I wouldn’t want it to be too warm. I probably won’t do the i-cord at the neck even though I think it is a neat idea and I like the way it mimics the shape of the cables, it would just be too fussy for me.

DROPS Design

Drops 109-1 Jumper with Hood

I really like this. There are actually a few cute hoodies on the Drops website but I like this one best. It is simple and it looks like it would be easy to wear. I am concerned that the hood looks a bit giant with the border but I could live with that. The body is knit in the round to the armholes and the hood border is knit in one piece with the rest of the sweater so the only seams you have to do are to set in the sleeves. Neat!

Drops 108-20 Jumper or Jacket

They offer a pattern for this to be a pullover or a cardigan! I think that is so neat. I really want to knit this and I think the gray color scheme keeps it from being too cutesy wootsy with the butterflies so I would stick to something similar. I would knit the cardigan style with long sleeves and I would definitely be adding a hood.

Interweave Knits

Estes Vest by Hana Jason

I can’t wait to make this. To me the whole magazine it worth it for the articles and this one pattern. I might make it a little longer but otherwise I think it will be pretty much the same. I’m thinking about using Lopi for this in some kind of blue-y color or I might just go for the recommended yarn in the color from the magazine (how boring!) because I lurv it.

Afterthought Darts Cardigan by Theresa Schabes

I really like the shape of this cardigan but I actually don’t like the darts so I would leave them out for sure. I do love the wide neck and the airiness of it though and I think it would be great for layering.

New Pea Coat by Teva Durham

I’m not so sure I’ll ever really get around to making this but I think it’s great and I love the big collar and the stitch pattern. I’ve never knit a coat and it seems like it would be quite the undertaking but this is really cute and I would love a wooly coat for winter.

Knitscene

Riding to Avalon by Connie Chang Chinchio

This sweater is perfect. I have been stalking the LYS to get the magazine as soon as possible. I’m thinking about knitting this in a dark green silky wool that I have 5 skeins of in my stash but I would have to get at least 1 maybe 2 more skeins. I think it is color 45 if you have any you want to destash let me know!

Himalayan Vest by Katie Himmelberg

I secretly love this. Except it’s not secret anymore because I just told you. My better judgement will probably win out and I will resist this design but I love that it is a knitted puffy vest and also puffy vests rock even if they do look terrible on me. At least they look equally terrible on everyone.

Twist Collective

Daniel by Kate Gilbert

I love the diagonal ribbing details on this! I also really like the asymmetrical opening and collar. I would like to feminize this sweater for myself by adding shaping and I might make the center panel a bit narrower. I think I would keep the saddle-shoulder shape but not do the ribbing down the sleeves.

Wisteria by Kate Gilbert

I think this sweater is beautiful. I love all the twisty cables. I don’t know what sort of yarn I would like for this (hopefully something from the stash…). I already bought the pattern but I am hoping to get some ideas for yarn subs from other people’s projects on Ravelry.

That’s it! Hooray for sweaters! I can’t wait to see what Knitty has for fall too! Fall sweaters are the best!

I am going to be busy this year. Bonus points for guessing which sweater I already cast-on for. No fair peeking on Ravelry!

Last weekend my uncle Mike and my boyfriend Lou went out fishing.

Here is the fish that Mike caught:

And here is the fish that Lou caught:

 

Lou threw his back.

I went on a vacation last week! I didn’t get a chance to blog before I left but now I’m back and I finally uploaded my pictures so I can tell you about it!

This is where I went:

Idaho Inlet

Oso went too

I went on a cabin trip with 8 of my favorite people (and my dog!) to my friend’s cabin which is located in Idaho Inlet (somewhere between Elfin Cove and Pelican along Icy Straight). Hoot N Holler is actually a collection of a few cabins belonging to 3 families. In addition to their three family cabins there is a communal boathouse, food-room/living room and bunkhouse for guests. We were there for 6.5 days during which we fished, read, ate delicious home-cooked food (lots of fresh fish) and of course I knit (a lot).

Once again I took very sporadic pictures (most of them are of the dog) but here are the highlights anyways:

How we got there

Not just any otter

Oso by the bunkhouse

I thought this rock was really cool

I made Oso wear a bell so that he wouldn’t go feral

As for the knitting, it was pretty crazy but awesome. I had tons of time to knit and I devoted myself to finishing my Rabobank Sweater for the Tour de France Knitalong (best knitalong ever).

I almost finished! I was delayed because I had to knit the entire yoke 2.5 times! My friends understood when I ripped it the first time because the slit at the collar was not deep enough but they all thought I was insane when I ripped it out the 2nd time because I messed up the saddle-shoulder decreases somewhere.

Check it out!

I can’t believe that I had a whole week of uninterrupted knitting time and all I knit was that crazy yoke!

I even wove in all the ends! The only thing left to do is dye and sew in the snap tape that I got to use as a closure at the collar and in the pockets.

I would be done already but no one will let me use their cook-pots for dyeing so I have to get one from the thrift store.

I’m so proud of myself for working so hard on this sweater and finally finishing it up! I definitely couldn’t have done it without the support of my teammates in the Tour de France KAL.

Thanks so much you guys!!!

A few weeks ago I signed up for the Tour de France KAL. Since the Tour started officially yesterday I thought it would be a great time to do my first official blogging of my tour project.

I’m competing for the Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains) which for knitalong purposes represents a challenging piece of knitting. The project doesn’t have to be completed by the end of the tour but you are supposed to pick something that is challenging for you. Either a new technique or a long languishing UFO that you need a challenge to finish.

My project is one part UFO and one part new skill. It is a resurrection of my Hiking Sweater from last year which I mentioned very briefly in this blog post.

When I originally started this sweater my goal was to design something (that’s the challenge part for me) that would be good for cycling and hiking in cold weather. For the yarn I chose an alpaca/wool blend so that it would be lightweight and very warm and I worked out a few features that I wanted to include like a kangaroo pocket and that was pretty much as far as I got.

When I decided to use this project for the Tour de France KAL I thought that my sweater had been languishing long enough and I must rip it out and start over because the reason I wasn’t working on it was that there were some things I didn’t like about it.

However, when I pulled it out of its box I found that I was much farther along on this sweater than I remembered.

Apologies for dirty mirror and blurry pic but you get the idea.

This is a lot of sweater to rip out folks! And… I can’t decide if I should. There isn’t really anything wrong with this part of the sweater but there are a few things I would change if I were to re-knit.

The main thing I am unhappy with is the trim treatment on the pocket. I did some kind of intarsia thing originally that looks like attatched i-cord but if I were to re-do it I would pick-up and do ribbing instead for a wider trim. I might also make the pocket a bit smaller.

One other thing I would change would be to make the whole sweater about 1″ shorter and use short-rows to make the back longer instead.

Am I being too picky? Is my real challenge here to live with imperfection? Feel free to give me your opinions!

Since I couldn’t decide whether to rip or continue on I re-started the sleeve (the old one was too tight so I took it out).

Unassuming folded cuff

Unfolds to become a fingerless mitt for chilly hands!

I also finished up the actual design sketch including all the nerdy features that I’m planning to include.

I’m really excited about this Knitalong! I’m on Team Rabobank and in a strange coincidence our team colors are orange and blue!

Go Team Rabobank!