Top 5 of 2008

Here’s a look back of my favorite knits of this year and a little update on them.

Habitat Hat – gifted to my sister-in-law for Christmas was knit twice in a span of six days. Luckily, it was well received. I love the way the cables look in the off white tweedy yarn.

Hexacomb – This one has risen to super popularity on Ravelry, but I’ve only worn it a few times. Montreal’s climate doesn’t work very well with a cropped wool sweater, but this is still one of my favorite knits of the year. Reynolds’ Whiskey is a fantastic yarn that steam blocks beautifully, and thanks to Ysolda, and the afternoon spent at Ariadne, the finishing on this sweater is the best work I’ve done to date. It’s one of my favorites because it marks the beginning of my venture into proper finishing techniques. I’ve never been happier with my seams.

Pi Shawl – began sometime in July and finished in September, I knit the Pi Shawl throughout the summer, on beaches in Quebec & Ontario and on park benches and during knitting meetups in Montreal. This is probably my most memory-filled knit this year. I look at it and remember Scrabble games in Gaspesie, movies with friends and teaching other knitters to yarn over and knit two together.

Modified 28Thirty – This was my Ravelympics project, and while I did knit steadily through the Olympics, I didn’t end up weaving the ends in until a cold day in November. The sweater warmed me up immediately and has been doing so ever since. This one will definitely was the most wearable knit of 2008. It’s cozy, warm, fits perfectly and gets lots of compliments.

Little Sweater – A very special sweater made for a very special baby.  Handspun and knit through August, September and October, this tiny sweater was gifted in November to a baby who decided to show up a bit early in December. I made the sweater to fit 6-12 month olds, so it’ll be a while before he can wear it, but when he does I’m sure it will be cozy and warm, and certainly not his last handknit sweater.

Hexacoma

As I mentioned the other day, I finished my Hexacomb Cardigan, and I have to say that I would not have finished it so quickly without the help of Ysolda. I finished all the knitting right as she arrived to stay for a few days and having her expertise to guide me through the tricky finishing bits that I’m always so apprehensive about really helped. I didn’t even entertain the idea of tossing the sweater aside for another week while I worked up the courage to sew seams and attach sleeves as I’m sure I would have if it I was the only knitter on my couch at the time.

I still haven’t sewn on the buttons, but they’ll come eventually. (I have much more to say about buttons later on.) For now I’m happy with the pin at the top, which is one that I made at summer camp when I was about 14. (The bottom isn’t as uneven as it looks here, it’s just because of my body angle and the way the sweater is pinned at the top.)

For those keeping track, this is the Hexacomb Cardigan from IK Spring ’08, knit in Reynolds Whiskey Tobacco & Plum colorways (purchased at Ariadne) on a size US4 circular needle. It took twenty five days to finish, with about a week in time out if you remember.

This one’s a winner. I’m really happy I took the time to do all the finishing the right way (attatching the first sleeve took three tries) because this sweater really looks polished as a result.

And the glamour shot…

the center of the earth

Well, the Earth Element of PS3 is now half over and here’s where I am on my projects.

Muddy Waters – Done!

Hexacomb Cardigan – Done! It needs to be properly photographed, which may not happen until next week. I’m already marking it as a successful knit though.

Muir – Well, I’m through the second of thirteen pattern repeats. It doesn’t help that I can only knit on it when I’m doing little else or when no else is around (or talking to me). I’ve discovered that knitting on it during movie time with Mr. NotCharles is ideal. I’m halfway through the second pattern repeat. I expect it to stretch into the Air Element, which is convenient since I don’t really have a lace project for that one.

Mrs. Tiggiewinkle – So close to the end of this, and so close to starting the actual knitting of the Baby Surprise Jacket.

Stranded Socks – Yup, I started these right after attaching the last sleeve to my Hexacomb Cardigan. I’m using the Crusoe pattern, which I’ve knit before. I’m loving it, unlike last time. I think it has everything to do with the yarn. I’m using Yarn Pirate Kalamata on size 0 US needles and it’s making a deliciously thick fabric. It also helps that the colorway is a yummy green, purple and coppery rose combination.

a hex

My Hexacomb Cardigan has spent a week in time out, and last night I had enough courage to look at it again.

When I laid it against another of my sweaters it seemed to be the same size, so I tried it on again. It’s not that it doesn’t fit at all, it’s just a tighter fit than I anticipated. So, I continued on with the sleeves and I’ll be knitting on them this coming week, but I know I’ll have to make them bigger than suggested.

I’m still kind of worried that it won’t be a very flattering sweater, and still questioning why I knit sweaters at all. Ah yes, because of yarn. Sweet yarn.

These drafted fiber bits became yarn today. I’m loving this lovely Pamplemousse en cautchouc BFL that I got at Ariadne a few weeks ago. Last night a spinning wheel came to visit the stitch & bitch and hummed it’s way into my heart. Imagine how much faster I could spin all my fiber up!

more skirts

I may be addicted to making skirts out of my old pants. I started another one yesterday afternoon and finished it this morning. I think it’s pretty awesome that I now have a “new” wearable garment which I fashioned from something that was no longer useable (read : threadbare in the crotch) and literally catching dust under my bed. My favorite part is that I never had to go into a dressing room with a heart full of hope.

Had I not been so frantically inspired by spring I would have taken a picture of the before pants, but I didn’t. I’ll be sure to take some after photos. Right now though I’ll be wearing it outside, where it’s 20°C.

I’m stitching & bitching tonight, and crossing my fingers that there’s hope for my Hexacomb Cardigan. It’s brown like my new skirt you see, so there must be something that can be done.

A Return to Lace

I’ve decided to start Muir. I’ve been looking for something to do with this Birkeland Bros. merino cashmere that I bought on my honeymoon that would reflect some of the lovely scenery we enjoyed while in Vancouver. I started a Shetland Shawl back in January, but it didn’t last very long. Muir has caught my eye lately. It seems like a very simple design, just leaves and straight lines, something right along the lines of what I was looking for.

When I bought this yarn it took me a while to choose the color, but when we were hiking in the forest nearly a week later I knew I’d picked the right one. This foresty yarn is clearly a vivid reminder of the trip, and a perfect choice for the Earth element.

So far, all my other Vancouver projects have been really successful, so I’m holding out lots of hope for this one.

In other news, I’m a little discouraged with my Hexacomb Cardigan. I tried it on last night after binding off and steam blocking the body and lo and behold, it doesn’t fit around my boobs. This makes no sense at all since I was knitting for my correct bust size and I got gauge. So at 2am, I balled the sweater up, threw it in the closet and cursed a whole lot before Mr. NotCharles convinced me that I should probably pet one of the cats and go to bed. Purring cures all. It sounds a little mental to be steam blocking at 2am anyway, let alone knitting important things.

So, the sweater is taking a little time out while I figure out my next move. This is usually what happens when I get frustrated with a project, and coincidentally it’s also what happens whenever I try to knit a sweater. I’m thinking I should stick to what I know (socks and lace), but that’s not really very challenging in the long run. Spending time to knit things that don’t fit me is really annoying though, not to mention a waste of money and good yarn.

Hello Earth

I began the Hexacomb Cardigan on Tuesday. Instead of knitting it in the suggested cotton, I’m using wool. I wanted to make something with Whiskey ever since I first saw it in Ariadne, and now that dream has become a reality.

It’s so lovely to work with, so heathery and textured. I just started the arm decreases on the cardigan last night. The measurements don’t exactly look like I thought they would, but I’m crossing my fingers.

I’m also spinning up this lovely handdyed BFL I got at Ariadne called Mrs. Tiggiewinkle.

I’m daydreaming about it someday being a Baby Surprise Jacket, even though I don’t know any babies. Maybe somebody I know will make one soon and then I can put a jacket on them.

Also, have you heard about Ravelraiser? Ravelry has pretty much revolutionized online knitting, and I feel pretty confident in giving them my hard earned money for the service they provide. The fact that you could win awesome prizes is only one more reason to donate.