From A - Olive Basket Cardigan

It's been quite the unintended blog hiatus for us. Kelsey has been working like crazy and I've been busy working and moving house. It's been hard to start blogging again as the list of things I want to post gets longer and longer and it's difficult to know where to begin. Often it's simpler not to post than to figure out how to collect my thoughts to draft something.

That said, I've missed this space and I've missed the longer discussions that arise from posting about my creative process here on the blog. As much as I love Instagram, it's hard to do justice to something you've spent months making with one photo, a few lines of text and a hash tag or two. So with these reflections in mind, I hope you'll forgive the glut of "old" projects that I'll be sharing over the next few weeks as I stumble through the pics on my SD card and share those that mean the most to me.

In that vein, I've been meaning to share this cardigan that I finished back in November. I started it back in July but did most of the knitting on our trip to New Zealand and Australia in August of last year. In true Amanda-style, it took me another three months after getting home to seam and block the pieces I knit so that I could finally wear it.

The pattern is Amy Miller's Olive Basket Cardigan. I happened upon it on Ravelry one day and decided it was the perfect basic for a California winter. I'm really pleased with how it came out which is a treat since I haven't knit a sweater since about 2008 and was long overdue for something new.

I managed to use some long hoarded Rowan Felted Tweed for this which makes this finish all the more exciting for a girl who recently had to pack up and move her rather voluminous stash.

Although I've made quite a few handknit sweaters over the years, this is the first one that I've really gotten much wear out of. I think the fact that it's a simple cardigan means that it's easy to just throw on when I leave the house. You can find some more details on my Ravelry page if you need them.

It feels good to be back. I'm looking forward to spending more time in this space again soon!

From K - Finished Sundottir Sweater

Just two months ago, I was very genuinely over the moon with excitement to show you my very first hand knit sweater, my Grace Cardigan. Today, just a few months later, I'm back to share my second ever knit sweater - sqeeeeeel! *excuse me while I do a little happy dance!*

Sundottir wooed me from the beginning, and continues to woo me every time I put it on. I made minimal edits to the pattern, which included lengthening the body and arms, as well as sizing down two sizes on the arms (all of which give this sweater a practically perfect fit).

I found this project to be a perfect balance of quick (hello stocking knit body!), and fun (colour work yoke for the win!). All in all it took me just over five weeks to turn five skeins of yarn into a wearable sweater!

I picked up the Malabrigo Rios (worsted weight) in the colourway Plomo from my LYS for the primary colour, and paired it with a simple natural wool for a contrasting yoke. I've worn this sweater more than a dozen times since finishing it in early November, and it wears like a dream.

I'm still hooked on the fair isle / colour work band wagon, so don't expect this to be the last sweater you see me whip up this winter. I foresee a few more cozy knits in my future, maybe even another Sundottir!

To read more about this project, check out my Ravelry page for more details.

 

From K - Finished Grace Cardigan

18 months ago when Amanda was teaching me how to cast on to start my very first knitting project, I would never have imaged that I would be sharing a finished sweater less than two years later. Today that's exactly what I'm doing!

This is my new favourite cardigan, and not just because of the cashmere blend yarn (though of course that doesn't hurt!).

Front details:

The lace work was a bit tricky at first (surprisingly more challenging than one would suspect) but after looking at Ravelry a bit, it didn't take long to see where most folks go wrong. Some rows end in a YO and it's easy to forget if you are busy watching tv or otherwise not laying close attention. Jane has provided charts in an updated release of this pattern so I'm sure if I make it a second time I won't run into any issues.

Back details:

Part of what drew me to this pattern was the lace work in the back. I tend to wear a lot of cardigans at work since Canada tends to be a bit nippy. The lace work seemed like the perfect touch of softness to a cardigan that will get a lot of wear with dresses.

Final Knit Details:

• Pattern: Grace by Jane Richmond
  
• Finished Size: 34-36 (custom body sizing)
• Yarn: Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20 in the colourway Grape Stone
• Buttons: 12mm metal buttons from Fabricland

I was so excited about finishing this sweater that I cast a new sweater on the same evening I finished sewing the buttons on this one. Sundottir is next up, anyone have tips to share on fair isle colour work?

To read more details on the making of this sweater, visit my Ravelry page found here.

From K - Summer Lovin Socks

Early on this year, I decided that 2014 would be the year of no pressure and no deadlines. I would make what made me happy, not worrying about having too many WiPs or forcing production. In 2014, my only goal was to create, and so far I've been sticking to that mantra.

That hopefully helps to explain why I've spent a large portion of my summer knitting socks... in >30 degree weather (Celsius). It's not logical and honestly I don't mind the odd glances on my morning train commute, because one of the things that makes me most happy, is handmade socks and a wardrobe full of them sounds like a good idea to me!

The newest addition to my sock drawer is a hot pink pair of Summer Lovin socks by Cookie A. See at least the colour and pattern name seem fitting for the season right?!

I used a skein of Blue Label Fingering yarn by Tanis Fiber Arts in the colour Royal Flush. On her website, Tanis describes this colour as "a bright blend of raspberry, red and magenta. Cheerful and delightful!" and I couldn't agree more.

These socks are in my mind a perfect pairing of pattern and colour, and as a result I'm quite enamoured with them. Aveta seems to agrees!

 

For more information and photos of these socks, visit my Ravelry page here.

From K - Marilinda Socks

A few months ago I mentioned that I cast on a new pair of socks using some beautiful skeins of New Zealand Knitsch yarn that Adrianne sent me in our swap. I chose a challenging cable pattern because I felt anything less might not due this stunning yarn justice.

I knit these socks using the Marilinda pattern by Cookie A. Even though I have limited experience with cables, I found the pattern to be extremely well written which helped me tremendously.

Adrianna sent me her swap parcel just before Christmas and this colourway could not have been more appropriate. It's deep and rich and equally festive. For those of you interested, the colourway is Mad Blood Stirreth.

I love everything about these socks and know that I'll be using them often. I'm so grateful to Adrianne for sending me such lovely squishy yarn. Anyone else out there crazy enough to wear wool socks in the summer?

From K - Lowbrow Hat for Spring?

It's officially the first day of spring... Somewhere in the world I imagine at least. Just not in Canada. Definitely not in Canada. I typically find myself nearing a bit of a rut this time of year as I start to tire of winter and dream of spring. In order to fight the March blues I knit myself up a special end of winter treat to keep me excited for chilly mornings that make it practical to wear my new cashmere blend hat (and by excited I mean tolerant, and by chilly I mean blizzardy).

Let me introduce you to my Lowbrow Hat. I knit it with a skein of Plucky Knitter Primo Aran in Baroque and I couldn't be more smitten. So Mother Nature, you keep those winter winds blowing and I'll keep my new hat on my head. Deal? Deal!*

*but just to be clear today is the first day of spring so I'm more than happy for that to happen too. Like for real. The equinox is happening so hold your end of the bargain. Anytime Mother Nature, any time...

What are you doing to keep your head both sane and warm these days? Any and all tips are welcome!

From K - Two Cabled Canucks

Over the Christmas break you might say that I became a wee bit obsessed with cabled knit hats. My pattern of choice? Cabled Canuck by Tanis Fiber Arts.

I have only ever cabled once before so it took me a few cast ons before I really got the rhythm and followed the pattern correctly. For my first attempt I used TFA Green Label Aran weight yarn in Shadow.

I have to admit, I almost shed a tear when I gave this hat away. I could not imagine a more perfect pattern and colour combination. It makes me swoon just looking back at these photos.

To be perfectly honest I ordered another skein of this yarn about 20 minutes after I started working with it. If I could only knit with one colourway for the rest of my life, I would be happy for it to be this. For someone who changes her mind often, that's saying something!

The details in this design are so well thought out and really speak for themselves. I especially love the snowflake that this pattern makes at the top, kind of like a cherry on top, non?

After I cast off my first hat, I couldn't help myself and cast on another using the same pattern and the same yarn, but this time in the Dove colourway.

I really love the purple undertones in this skein but it just didn't capture my heart in the same way. I'm not sure that I have ever made the same exact thing twice, but I just might have to make a second version f this hat in Dove.

Here is a pretty true to life photo of the two skeins side by side (left: Dove right: Shadow).

My order arrived with a new skein of Shadow and I'm anxiously hoping to cast on another hat soon. I promised myself thought that before I do, I'll finished up a WiP first. Luckily these socks are keeping my focus.

From K - Skills Swap: Knit Socks for Adrianne (On the Windy Side)

Last week I shared the incredible handmade items that Adrianne from On the Windy Side sent me for our for our skills swap. This week I wanted to show you how it all began - with a pair of hand knit socks.

In August of last year Adrianne posted about wanting a pair of hand knit socks. Since I learned to knit just five months earlier (and socks were really my only accomplishments to date), I put up my hand right away to participate in a swap knowing socks were right up my alley.

I largely followed the Nutkin pattern on Ravelry but made quite a few alterations. One prominent change involved making a new cuff as the original cuff style didn't cling nicely to my leg when I tried it in. I had knit most of the first leg when I realized the cuff from the pattern was going to make for baggy socks, and really, who wants that?! I ripped it out and recast on using K2P1 for about 12 or so rows.

I also struggled a bit with the directions for the short row heel that the pattern includes so I simply turned to my dear friend YouTube to show me the way. I have never made a heel without a gusset and I have to say I actually kind of missed doing it. I do like the look of this heel though and I think that it does fit well with the overall sock design.

I knit these up using a gorgeous superwash Malabrigo sock yarn that I picked up from my LYS in the colour Dewberry. I didn't tell Adrianne what pattern I was knitting so there would be some surprise, but I did ask her for some colour examples. She largely sent photos of tone on tone skeins so I thought this purple would be perfect. The slight variegation in this yarn makes them look sparkly and I love the texture it adds.

I snapped these pictures quickly at work on my iPhone before I tossed these into a box filled with other sewing notion, fabric, washi tape, a Christmas ornament and a few Canadian treats. In my haste I didn't photograph the rest, but as the purpose of the swap started with a desire for knit socks, I'm hoping these photos suffice.

From A - Finished Pair

 

I started these socks when Kelsey came to visit me in last February. She said that she wanted to learn to knit socks and I figured that the easiest way to show her was to cast on a  pair of my own.

 

These are simple socks, no pattern. Just knit until you want a heel, make one, knit until it covers your foot and make a toe. Repeat for sock number two.

I used some Sheepaints Sock'n Go in Morning Sky that I've had in the stash for longer than I care to admit. Suffice to say that it has been long enough that this yarn has been discontinued.

Warm, satisfying and a nice mix of colours. That will do just fine.

From K - Snowfling Mitts

Two months ago, when autumn was quickly fading into winter, I cast on a pair of mitts for the very first time (first successful time that is). The combination of a long roadtrip, a work trip, and a few furious knit nights, made for some seriously speeding knitting, and after two weeks I had my very own pair of Tanis Fiber Arts Snowfling Mitts.

To be honest I have been dying to make mittens to a long time but flashbacks of the Christmas mitten fiasco of 2002 kept flashing in my head, and I didn't think I could stomach the idea of another pair of mitts being stashed away, thumbless and forever to be unloved. **For reference - Amanda was convinced she would teach me to knit more than a decade ago and I had a paralyzingly fear of knitting thumbs (a fear that I only now just concurred).

 

This was my first real foray into colour work and I was surprised by how easy it. To be fair though my ability to pick it up quickly might have been helped tremendously by the pure fact that I cast these babies on after Thanksgiving supper with Amanda in close range.

These beauties have a cashmere lining that add the perfect touch of added warmth and luxury. I can officially say I'm hooked and another kit is in the mail. The more mitts the merrier!

 

From K - 16 Recent Finishes

Back in July I wrote a post where I mentioned an extremely over-ambitious goal that I set as a means of keeping myself focused and on track. My plan was to complete 15 Project in 15 Weeks between the dates of July 13th and October 25th. As my current WiPs are starting to pile up around me again and I'm feeling a tad bit overwhelmed, I figured it was high time that I reflect on what I accomplished during that time to help motivate me to keep on keepin' on. 

Until I actually sat down to write this post, I had no idea if I had met my target or not... and as it turns out I not only met my goal, but I evidently surpassed it by finishing 16 projects in 16 weeks. Wha?! *brushes off shoulder* All jokes aside though, I think it's good for us all to sit back sometimes and reflect on how far we've come and what we learned along the way - a task that I know many of us don't often do.

With that in mind, here are my 16 finishes:

Bags:

I adore making bags and was surprised to see that when looking back, I developed new skill sets with each bag I made. I learned how to glue on a metal frame, how to QAYG and how to sew with both strapping and duck canvas!

From Left to Right: Metal Frame Clutch, QAYG Pouch and Duffle Bag

Quilts:

In total I made four quilt: two baby quilts, a throw and a queen sized quilt (my biggest finish to date).

Clockwise from Top Left:

Black & White Kites Quilt, Salt Water Swoon Quilt, Pink Pluses Quilt and Sew Positive Baby Quilt.

Amanda and I also collaborated on a special lap quilt for our great aunt's 90th birthday during this time frame.

Wonky Star Quilt

Garments:

Over the past 16 months I also learned a ton about garment sewing. It was my first time sewing with both piping and voile.

Clockwise from Top Left:

Panda PJ Pants, Liberty Staple Dress, Wiksten Tova and Staple Dress in Seattle.

Knits:

I have been knitting up a storm as of late, completing two cowls, a headband and a pair of socks. I might also have 4 more projects cast on already... but that's for another day.

Clockwise from Top Left:

Honey Cowl, Licorice Twist Cowl, Hermione's Everyday Socks, and Antropology Inspired Headband.

Sometimes I find it considerably too easy to get caught up in my WiP list and gifting deadlines. Today I'm taking the time to celebrate my wins and look back at what I've learned in the process. I'm feeling pretty energized now to make some headway on my current WiPs: a manly Christmas quilt, a late baby quilt, a Christmas quilt and a beloved sentimental quilt that needs some finishing up.

Reflection was the perfect remedy for me today to get back at my machine. What do you do when you need to rev up your quilting mojo?

From K - Decisions Decisions

I started an equilateral triangle quilt a couple of months back at Sewing Summit, while taking a class from Jeni Baker from In Color Order. I have been desperate to make some progress on this now very tardy baby gift but a few other quilts with deadlines had be tied up. This weekend with the help of an empty design wall, I started to play around with different arrangements and have landed on two options to decide between.

Option A: Random Arrangement

Option B: Diamond Arrangment

While I hummed and hawed and procrastinated making a decision, I decided to knit up a swatch of some new yarn, purchased with the thought of a new cardigan in mind. I'm thinking it's the perfect balance of tone-on-tone semi-solid and cashmere *insert drool here*

I also picked up some of the cutest little stitch markers of all time. Packaged up in a tiny glass vial, called 'Message in a Bottle' complete with cork top, little tiny crystal beads and a message about creativity. It was the perfect weekend treat!

So what do you think about my two options, any preferences out there? I hate making decisions, especially between two good options, so I'm happy for someone else to make this one for me. Feel free to toss in your vote!

Linking up to WiP Wednesday.