more progress on Applewood

On Friday I joined the underarms with 2" worth of stitches on each side. Ever since then this sweater has been knitting up very quickly! I love how it is turning out.

Notice something funny about the color?  One thing to consider with hand-dyed yarns such as Malabrigo is that no two skeins are exactly alike.  If this is a problem for you then you can knit each row from a different ball and have them blend together, but I prefer to play up this feature and ensure that my sweater is one-of-a-kind.  It's helpful to have a plan for how the colors will be distributed.  In my case, one of the three balls I have is much lighter than the other two.  I thought it would be pretty if there was a wide band of the lightest yarn (containing the most pink color) in the top-middle area, and having the darker (more brown) parts on the very top and on the bottom half.  I saved part of the light ball to pick up the sleeves and knit a few inches with it there too.

Finishing a Sweater

I've noticed a sad but interesting thing about myself and, in my very rough calculation, this seems to apply to about 50% of knitters I meet everyday. Some projects, like hats, are very easy to finish, but those that require "making up" can sit, completely knitted, in a closet for years just waiting to be finished and shown off. Let us not fear success! Just think of all the compliments you will receive on your sweater, of the baby that is now six months old and in need of a hand knit blanket, or whatever the incentive that works for you.


If you haven't noticed, I'm trying to motivate myself here.  I have been working on a coat-style sweater on commission since October now.  In my defense, I had to take a break from it for my Christmas knitting, at which time I was able to finish several different projects, though mostly small ones.  But I finished almost all of the main knitting on this sweater about two weeks ago and I've just been avoiding the assembly of the pieces, the next necessary step.  So today I forced myself to sew the side seams and the sleeve seam of the one trial sleeve.  Note that it took no more than an hour.  Oh, and it didn't hurt at all!

Goin International

In the words of my sister, "business is booming" for my PennyMae shop this week.  I've made four sales to four different countries (Japan, Australia, the US and Spain)!


Three of my items were immediately relisted, but the last one (my Southwestern top) I couldn't, due to a hard-to-find yarn I picked up in Sequim, Washington.  However, I do have the same yarn in a different colorway, which is light pink and orange.  Keep an eye out for this one coming soon...

Southwest Fantasy

As you can probably tell I have many many projects going all at once.  It gives me lots of variety and little chance of boredom.  As much fun as it is to start new projects, of course nothing compares to the satisfaction of actually finishing something!



Coinciding with the miracle of a computer returned from the dead, what a great time to finish a bright and (I think) stylish new top to photograph and edit with the latest version of iphoto!

This Southwestern top is knitted in one piece with an identical front and back.
The bias cut drape was created using a combination of yarn-over increases (at front and back) and decreases (at both sides).

Summer Stripes Boatneck

I finished it awhile ago, but here for your viewing enjoyment is my Sirdar Summer Stripes dk sweater!



My sister and I have a saying.  Well actually we have many, but here's one that I want to share.  You know that certain item of clothing that you always turn to lately?  You just got some adorable new jeans, and even though you wore them to last night's barbecue over at Suzie's, tonight you're going out to dinner with Jane and she wasn't at Suzie's, so you go ahead and wear the same jeans.  These are what we'd call your 5 out of 7 day jeans.  Well this is now my 5 out of 7 day sweater.

Simply Sublime

"...the underside as perfect as the outside..."

-Coco Chanel

Sublime fantasy

     I have been going full speed ahead on my Sublime organic cotton sweater these past few days.  I'm very excited for it to make its public debut in the coming weeks, expecting April highs in the 60's.  I can just see myself strolling the Old Port taking in the sights, Ned on my arm, Loeffler Randall rain boots on my feet...


     The sweater is so close to being done I can taste it!  I thought I'd share a few helpful tips I figured out for myself to solve some small problems that may frequently arise during the process of sewing up a knitted garment.


     I had to attach two flaps on the sides of the hood partway down the neckline...but the hood flaps were longer than the portion of seam it was supposed to match on the neckline.  To solve this problem and similar ones, first figure out which piece is short and which is long.  Rather than counting stitches, I prefer to just match where you know it needs to match, and start sewing it up.  Then you'll have an idea of how much needs to be taken in.

     Then take out all or part of what you have done and just gradually "pucker" the longer side.  In the case above, for the grafting technique, rather than wrapping one stitch, I wrapped a stitch and a half each time.  For a vertical mattress stitch seam, go through only one "bar" instead of two on the side that is too short.  Depending how much needs to be taken in, you could do these things on every stitch, or alternating stitches.  Just keep redoing the seam until it looks great!

Admiring my gentle pucker.

something for myself

     This past week I decided since I was sort of on vacation that I would do something for myself.


     Having just gotten the grasp of how to knit, last April I started my first sweater from a pattern book by Sublime (a division of the UK fiber company Sirdar) using their organic cotton dk yarn, all purchased from Scottsdale's Knit Happens.  I finished knitting all of the pieces in January but have been procrastinating on sewing it up, mainly because until now I didn't learn how to do that.  But with the onset of Spring (which I consider March to be) I really want to start wearing this simply sublime sweater soon.


     I'd also like for the project not to take me an entire year to finish!

Vertical seams like this one
up the middle of the hood take mattress stitch.

As with most things, the hardest part
was getting started.