Stitches West, Socks and my 2nd Flatiron Shawl

Much as I love Xena, I now realize that in addition to being a spectacular celebration of fiber arts, Stitches is a wonderful excuse for my husband to share some quality father-daughter time with her for hours and days on end.  Meanwhile, it's time for this mama to mentally recharge and experience a creative, colorful and textural explosion of inspiration all around me.  While strolling though the marketplace and knitting at the Hyatt completely surrounded by so many amazing crafters, I couldn't stop smiling and thinking about how lucky we all are to even have the time to enjoy such wonderful hobbies.  There are so many people, moms especially, that don't have free-time for jack shit.  Then there is this one magical (long) weekend where we can leave all of the BS at the door and escape to another fiber filled dimension.  It always has such a positive transformative affect on me.

I just finished my 3rd ever pair of socks.  It was so exhilarating to drop by the Dragonfly Fibers booth and show them what I made with their Selkie Sock yarn in the Firecracker colorway.

This is a great pattern for beginners.

The pattern was written for DPNs but it was simple to adjust it for magic loop.

These socks fit perfectly and they are soooo...soft!

Kristine and I took a 3 hr long class on Japanese Crochet.  

When we initially signed up for it we had no idea what it was actually going to be about and even after we received our supply requirements, we were still unsure.  So, it turns out that the class wasn't about learning a new style of Japanese crochet stitches.  It was actually about how to interpret Japanese crochet patterns even if you can't read Japanese.  In this class we studied some Pierrot yarn patterns and learned some helpful hints to decoding various schematics and stitch charts.

It was interesting but not at all challenging. I made a leaf shaped mug rug.  I left the class feeling somewhat more curious about Japanese crochet patterns but not totally enthralled.

On Saturday night I finally finished my 2nd Flatiron Shawl! It came out perfectly and I am totally in love with the fade.

This morning Xena assisted with the photo shoot. :)

This is such a fun and simple pattern.  I plan to always have one on my hook for travel and social crocheting situations.

 I don't really have much to add from when I tried this pattern for the first time last year.

All I can really say is that it looks great and feels amazing!

And Xena likes it too! :)

What I did on Valentine's Day

Yesterday morning, my husband caught a flight to Phoenix, AZ to judge a stamp show in Mesa.  Technically, we celebrated VD a couple days earlier by hiring a babysitter and going to dinner at one of our favorite spots down on the wharf but he also surprised me with a very pretty bouquet of flowers and a luxurious set of Lykke interchangeable knitting needles.

So yesterday afternoon, in the midst of a torrential downpour, Xena and I went on a sewing supply run to Joann's, then we stopped at Safeway for only the essentials: a big bottle of wine and some fried chicken and then I spent the rest of my hubby-free evening having a very romantic time with my sewing machine.

Back in November, while simply practicing my garter stitch with some totally awesome HHF yarn, I started knitting a giant rectangle and I got the bright idea that because I have so many different random needles, (at the risk of sounding like a junkie) I wanted to make my own needle supply bag.  But then my project went on the back burner during my knitting classes and only this week did I finally bind off my giant rectangle.

I wish I could tell you the name of this colorway but Xena literally ate the skein's label.  At least I know she's getting plenty of fiber in her diet...

I didn't follow any specific pattern for this project.  I just had a rough idea in my head.  I bought a yard of some cheap-ass 50% off clearance fabric, matching all purpose thread, some interfacing and Velcro.  I downloaded a Joann's coupon and spent less than $20 on all of the supplies.

I first learned how to use a sewing machine in Home & Careers class back in middle school.  I'll never forget the felt ice cream cone shaped pillow that I made with top stitched hand embroidery.  I've always wanted to take real sewing classes and I'm sure I will eventually but for the past few decades, sometimes follow patterns but mostly I just wing it.

Overall, this was a very satisfying project.  The measuring, cutting, ironing, pinning and sewing on the machine were the easy parts but completing the hand embroidery around the edges was a total pain in the ass, specifically on the top flap side!

It's now Saturday evening.  I am utterly exhausted after a hysterical day of teething that started with blood splashing and splattering out of Xena's mouth like a vampire in a brothel full of virgins.  Finally, our poor little girl is sound asleep and I am anxiously anticipating getting a few rounds in on my sock before I pass out myself.  So sweet dreams to all and to all a good night!

My first Top Down Knit Seamless Sweater!

Hooray! Mission complete.  My final sweater class was this past Wednesday.  I learned some great finishing techniques and finally finished binding off the waist ribbing last night.  The sweater fits perfectly and looks great as is so I'm going to hold off on washing and blocking it until I wear it a few times.  I used nearly 8, 1.75 oz/50g (120 yds/110m) balls of Berroco Catena bulky yarn in Color 5427, Dye Lot 8237.  The yarn is a light fluffy mix of 94% extra fine merino wool and 6% nylon.  It's hard to describe (and the photos don't really do it justice, regardless of the variety of lighting variations I experimented with) but the color is copper with indigo highlights.  

In the following post, I will summarize, mostly for my own personal future reference's sake, what I did to make this sweater in a week by week breakdown.

Before class:

Purchased 10, 120 yds balls of Berroco Catena bulky yarn; only actually used less than 8 balls (960 yds) @ $12.95/ball = $129.50 for 10 balls

Needles:

32" US 10.5 

40" US 10.5

32" US 9

40" US 9

Gage Swatch:

Cast on 20 sts using 32" 10.5 needles.  Knit 1 row, Purl 1 row.  Repeat these 2 rows until the swatch is 5" long.  Bind off but do not cut yarn (so it can be reused).  Wash (gently soak for 10 min) in warm water, gently roll in a towel to dry.  I knit a 5" x 5" gauge swatch.  My swatch measured 4 stitches/inch (horizontally).  

Week 1

Measurement calculations:

Gauge x size in inches = Body of Sweater

Body: 4 sts x 42" = 168 desired qty of sts in body (4 sts/inch gage x 42" bust measurement [41" + 1" ease] = maximum desired qty of stitches around the circumference of the body)

Gauge x size in inches = Body of Sleeve

Sleeve: 4 sts x 12.5" = 50 desired qty of sts in sleeve (4 sts/12.5" sleeve measurement [11.5" + 1" ease] = maximum desired qty of stitches for the circumference of the widest point of the upper arm)

* Then we referred to a chart which gave me the following stitch quantities.  Please note, these measurements are all specific to my rather unique body size so unless you're a big boobed midget with a flabby abdomen, tiny arms and even tinier wrists, I wouldn't recommend attempting to replicate this exact pattern.

1) Starting at neck edge, using 32" 10.5 needles, cast on 42 sts.  Using 4 ring markers that are the same color begin for raglan marker placement:

2) Row 1: Purl 1 st for right front and place marker on needle

Purl 8 sts for right sleeve and place marker on needle

Purl 24 sts for back and place marker on needle

Purl 8 sts for left sleeve and place marker on needle

Purl 1 st for left front

(Working flat) Repeat rows 2 through 5 until there are 16 stitches in each front section.  * You must end after completing rows 2 or 4 because you must be at the end of a knit row to join (the neck).

Row 2: Knit, increasing 1 st before and after each marker (8 sts increased)

Row 3: Purl, increasing 1 st at the beginning and end of row (1 st and last sts only = 2 sts increased)

Row 4: Same as row 2

Row 5: Purl even (no increases)

3) Cast on 12 sts at the end of your last knit row for front of neck. * I used a cable cast on although I may try a crochet cast on to achieve better tension in the future.  For a cable cast on, turn and start working on the wrong side.  It looks like an adjacent knit and purl.  Join on the right side.  

4) Place an opposite colored ring marker here to denote the beginning of your round.  Join being careful not to twist your sts.

Row 1: Knit even

Row 2: Knit, increasing 1 st before and after each of the 4 raglan markers.  Never increase at your opposite colored marker.

5) Repeat these 2 rows until the following final qty of sts is met:

Pullover front 84 sts

Pullover sleeves 50 sts * Stop increasing after 50 sts and add additional stitch markers to remind you NOT to increase on each sleeve

Pullover back 84 sts

When you change a ball of yarn, do not do it at the beginning of a row.  Simply drop 7" of your old yarn, bring in 7" of your new yarn and begin working with your new yarn.  Tie ends into a bow and continue working.

This is what I needed to have completed by the 2nd week.

Put remaining ball of yarn in a ziplock bag.  Seal  the bag inside of the neck and body of sweater with stitch holders.

Week 2

Sleeves:

Separate as follows:

There will be no more increases at the raglan markers.  At the beginning of a new row, work in pattern to the second raglan marker (end of sleeve).  Place these sleeve sts onto a small circular stitch holder and remove their raglan markers.  

Work to the next raglan marker (beginning of second sleeve) and work second sleeve directly onto 40" 10.5 needles.  Finish by working to the end of row.  

Attach new ball of yarn, leaving 12" tail.  Divide stitches in half and work in magic loop method.  Knit evenly around for 5 rows = 1".  Join the round like a sock. Put a stitch marker in the first sts to mark the front/beginning of row &/or keep a manual tally of 5 rows.  

Round 1 (Dec): K1, SKP (hang locking marker on decrease st), knit to last 3 sts of round, k2tog, k1

Armpit to wrist measurement = 18" - 2" (desired cuff length) = 16"

Cuff/wrist circumference = 7" (6" + 1" ease)

6.5" row gage (measure on your work, counting 2" divide by 2 vertically)

Gauge x size in inches = Body of cuff/wrist

 4 sts x 7" = 28 desired qty of sts in cuff (4 sts/7" measurement from bottom of armpit to wrist  [6" + 1" ease] = maximum desired qty of stitches for the circumference of the widest point of the wrist)

Row Gauge x size in inches = Length of sleeve

6.5 sts x 16" = 104 desired qty of sts in cuff (4 sts/16" measurement from bottom of armpit to wrist  = maximum desired qty of stitches for length of sleeve from bottom of armpit to beginning of cuff)

50 sts (body of sleeve) - 28 sts (body of cuff/wrist) = 22 divided by 2 = 11 decrease rounds

104 rows divided by 11 decreases = decrease every 9 rounds until you reach 28 sts

* Hang a locking marker every decrease row and/or keep a manual tally of each row

Once you've reached 28 sts, switch to 40" 9 needles and work the cuff for 2" (14 rows) in desired pattern.  I used 1 x 1 ribbing. Bind off very loosely in pattern.  When you bind off your cuff, pull up on the last stitch until the yarn comes through instead of putting the tail through.

Once you've finished your first sleeve, transfer stitches from small circular stitch marker onto your needles and work the second sleeve.

I had to finish both sleeves before week 3 so I could use my 40" 9 needles for the collar.  In retrospect, I could've just used 32" 9 needles for the collar if I didn't finish in time.  

Week 3

Neck & Body:

For the neckband, using 32" or 40" 9 needles, inserting 4 raglan markers & a different colored marker to denote the beginning of the round:
pick up 24 sts at the back of the neck
pick up 8 sts at the left sleeve
pick up 40 sts across the front (40 sts across the front - 12 cast on sts = 28 sts -

28 sts divided by 2 = 14 sts so to create a balanced front collar, 14 sts/12 cast on sts/14 st)

pick up 8 sts at the right sleeve

Once all of the stitches have been picked up, the raglan markers can be removed but keep in the different colored marker to denote the beginning of the round.

Join and work in 1 x 1 ribbing for 6 rows.  Bind off loosely in pattern.

Continue working the body until you're on your last ball of yarn.  Put the body on waste yarn and try on the sweater to confirm desired length.  Once the length (prior to 2" waist ribbing) is met, switch to smaller 32" 9 needles and work 1 x 1 ribbing for 2" (14 rows).  Bind off loosely in pattern.

Week 4

Finishing:

I used the duplicate stitch to weave in all of my loose ends where new yarn was joined.  I used the same technique I learned for finishing the ribbing on my hat for all of the ribbing on the sweater.  I don't know what it's actually called when you "connect" the last stitch to the first stitch but the weaving part is done by "spiraling".  Finally, for the armpits, we learned the "Eiffel Tower" cinching technique where you pull the legs of each stitch together in the base of the pit.  It's hard to describe but it also worked great closing up some of the loose holes on my collar cast on stitches.  

It was raining all morning and not the greatest day for a photo shoot so here's an amusing combination of selfies and photos taken by my husband who always manages to capture all of the least flattering aspects of my figure.

And did I mention what terrible posture I have?  The sign of a true fiber artist. :)

Here we are having some celebratory pre-Super Bowl LIII pizza at Giorgio's.

This was a fantastic learning experience.  I feel confident that I can easily repeat this pattern and I can't wait to move onto my next sweater!  I already have a vast array of new sweater patterns that I want to try but before I start anything else, I want to finish a few of my current WIPs that were put on hold during the completion of this project.

In other news, my husband's totally amazing X-Mas gift was/is an all expenses paid trip to the Webs Spring Knitting Retreat in early May!!! And my MIL's gift is $200 towards yarn while I'm there.  In a few days I'll select my classes.  I am SO excited for this trip.  It's pretty much all I'm looking forward to!