Happy Birthday Mom!
My Mom's birthday was actually on Monday, and it was a big one! I won't say which one lest she kill me, but we had a big dinner party at a nice restaurant, and everyone came, even my sister. Here we are after dinner, my Mom wearing the present I gave her:
I know, I know, long time coming gift! She was so surprised when she opened the package she squealed! She said she had forgotten all about the sweater (meaning she assumed I'd never finish it), so she was especially surprised to find it all wrapped up like a normal present. It fits great but the shawl collar doesn't quite work, so she wears it as shown in this photo. Which is fine, I kind of like it like this, too!
Happy birthday mom!
(PS - no comments on the weird face I'm making in this photo, it was the best one we got)
Sock Pattern Now Available: Cecil Socks!
Cecil Socks Details:
Finished Size & Measurements:
8" Adult Medium (8.5" Adult Large)
Gauge:
30 sts and 46 rows to 4" in stockinette on US#1/2.25mm needles
Materials:
1 skein Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock, 360yds/4.5oz
Suitable Yarn Substitutes:
Any fingering weight yarn
Pattern Price:
$5.00
I've just finished proofing the pattern and adding it the website, and it's now available either directly from the blog or from its own Cecil Pattern page!
Have you ever tried to take a picture of your feet that shows the outside corner of each foot? I hope you've never had to, because I felt like I was failing beginner yoga while trying to take these shots . . . although they came out surprisingly well considering! I'm especially proud of the single-sock shot, it looks so professional, as if I had a foot form! (I don't, that's my actual foot)
These socks came out better than I expected, and the pattern really works even with this brightly-painted yarn -- which goes to show that you don't have to knit plain socks out of all your handpainted sock yarn if you don't want to!
I want to try these in one of the gorgeous semi-solids, too, I think they'd work just as well.
The diamond is easy enough to do without a cable needle, and would be a perfect project to try that technique for the first time!
I had a whole bunch of yarn leftover after knitting the smaller size, you could easily knit the legs longer than my 5" and have enough yarn.
FO: Gretel
Otherwise known as Project You Didn't Even Know I Was Working On:
You like how I tried to copy Ysolda's pose in her pattern photo? We do have slightly different looks though, don't we . . .
I really like how this beret came out, and it was fun to knit. And quick, too! 2 days of knitting was plenty to get it done. I kind of screwed up the beginning rib and it was too loose when I tried it on, so I cut the ribbing off the bottom and knit a new rib down on a smaller needle. Now it's a little too tight but I figure it'll loosen up.
I found the pattern very clear and easy, except I would have preferred the rounds to be numbered so I could more easily find my place (they all say "next round" instead of "round 1" or whatever). I also didn't do the tubular cast on she calls for, more out of laziness than anything else.
I'm already debating making another one in black . . . have I mentioned I've never worn a beret in my life? ;o)
Project specs:
Pattern: Gretel by Ysolda
Yarn: 2 and a little bit of the 3rd balls String Classica
Needles: US size 5 and 8
Started: October 12, 2007
Finished: October 13, 2007
FO: Vivian Cardigan
Sorry for the mirror shot but the lighting in here is horrible right now! I guess Summer is really over when it's too dark to shoot a picture at 6pm . . .
I got the ends woven and the buttons sewn onto Vivian (yes, finally) and I'm really happy with how she came out! I probably could have done a better job on the buttonbands, when all the buttons are done it's a bit crooked, but I will probably wear it the way I have in the photo so it's not a big deal.
I lightened the photo considerably so hopefully you can see some details. The entire sweater is knit in one piece, with the only seams being in the back of the sleeves. It is entirely short rowed to create the a-line shape, including short rowing to give a fake modified raglan shape to the sleeve caps. It was a lesson in geometry and I'm proud to say I passed! My hated high school geometry teacher would be proud, I'm sure (it kills me to find out she was right when she said I would need geometry in "real life" -- I was always a stellar math student but I sucked at geometry!).
Project specs:
Pattern: my interpretation of a designer sweater that I fell in love with
Yarn: 4 skeins Prism Cashmere in Mink
Needles: US size 9
Started: August 15, 2007
Finished: September 24, 2007
Please note: I will not be writing a pattern for this design. It is an almost exact copy of an original designer sweater, and as such I do not feel comfortable distributing instructions for what is essentially a knock off. I may take some of the things I learned with this sweater and develop another design with this construction in the future, but it will be different enough to be my own design and not a copy. I hope you understand.
FO: Nicole
I finally got the ends woven in on Nicole and so I can officially call her an FO. It's a bit ridiculous to leave something that literally has 5 minutes worth of work left sitting in the unfinished pile for months . . . but sometimes, if I admit the truth, I know exactly why some projects linger for so long. In the case of Nicole, it's because once I blocked her and tried her on I knew I'd never wear her. She doesn't flatter my figure, the neckline is too square for my taste, and I can't find anything to wear under her that looks like it's supposed to be there. I still like the design and I think the finished project is very pretty, but it's not my style. Yet another example of knitting I love but that doesn't fit into my wardrobe/look. Too bad.
Project specs:
Pattern: Nicole, from Chicknits
Yarn: 5 skeins Rowan Wool Cotton in color SH954
Needles: US size 6
Started: May, 2007
Finished: August 23, 2007
