Skip to main content

Countdown to TNNA

Instagrammed: Beulah Cardi
If it seems like my blog is a little less active than usual, it's because I'm back in the submarine (the term Tyler and I use whenever we're working a ton and not coming up for much air).  TNNA is just around the corner and there is much to do between now and then!  Besides that, I am also trying to give myself some time off before things get all crazy busy again.  In a nutshell, that means that I am knitting faster than I can blog about it.

The biggest knitting accomplishment of the past month would definitely be finishing my Beulah Cardigan.  It's been a while since I've done a skinny-yarn sweater, and this one was actually pretty quick to knit (relatively speaking).  What always takes me the longest is getting enough chutzpah to seam and sew on the buttons.  In this particular scenario, those final details took several weeks for me to complete. Unfortunately, that's quite standard for me.

The pattern is Mercedes Tarasovitch-Clark's Beulah Cardigan from the Spring 2012 Knitscene.  I think this is the first sweater I've made in a long time that fits absolutely perfectly!  The pattern calls for Kitchen Sink Dyeworks Seacell Merino, which is (regrettably) discontinued, so I subbed in The Wool Dispensary Deadly Stimulant in Tightrope, which I bought from Doodlebug Yarn.  My gauge swatch ended up being a little smaller than specified, but I didn't want to go up a needle size - #6 needles are probably the largest size I'd dare to use for a fingering-weight sweater.  So I did a little math and determined that if I used the numbers for the next size up, everything should work out fine.

This is usually where I run into trouble, but surprisingly my math held true and I have a gorgeous sweater that fits me just the way I like!  As you can see, I skipped the embroidery detail - though it's a nice touch, I am crap at embroidery and thought it best to use some fancy buttons instead.  I've been staring at this set of buttons since last November (they were part of a birthday gift from my boss), trying to decide what sweater pattern I should use them for.  They proved a little tough to photograph, but I love the way they're slightly mismatched yet still manage to look like they're related - plus the green and yellow colors contrast perfectly with the purple-y black yarn.  I don't think it could be a more perfect match!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b
Post a Comment
Read more

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a
1 comment
Read more

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels?  I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n
3 comments
Read more