I was feeling the need to work on something small and “completable” (yes, I know that’s not technically a real word, but needs must, as they say), so I dug out this old kit that’s been sitting in a plastic tub in my craft room since before the flood. It’s by Heart in Hand and it’s called “Checkerbird”; the kit came with the chart, fabric and the pillow form. I started it a couple nights ago and voila!
I simply can’t resist anything with pumpkins on it.
The pattern called for Gentle Art Sampler Threads in some of my favorite colors–the bird’s body is Nutmeg, the black is Black Crow, and the green is Dried Thyme. The colors match the pillow form exactly.
An aside: I’d like to send a “shout out” to Gentle Art. They have been so supportive of my fledgling cross stitch design company. They have been generous with samples of their latest threads and have always responded promptly to my emails. No wonder they have such loyal followers in the stitching biz.
Anyway, now that I’ve got this quick and easy pattern out of my system, I can go back to work on the Celtic Band Sampler and some knitting. If any readers out there care to comment, I’d really be interested to know how you decide which projects to do next. Do you like to mix small projects with larger, longer projects? Or do you work one project until it’s finished and then, and only then, proceed to the next one?
In my excitement to finish the hat and booties for Baby McKerrow (see here for the beginning of that journey), I had set aside my goal of making a hat and a pair of booties for my goddaughter’s baby girl. [Note to self: Does that make me a grand-godmother?] This little one wasn’t due until early May, whereas Baby McKerrow is due in about a week, so I prioritized.
Well, my Grand-goddaughter (my goddaughter’s daughter) has her own plans and it looks like she’s coming early, maybe as soon as the 20th, so I figured I’d better get going. I have had my eye on this simple picot-edge pattern from Louisa Harding’s book, Natural Knits for Babies and Moms, for some time now, but there’s no time like the present! One skein of Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere (in ivory), one skein of Suss Love (in taupe–it may not be organic, but it’s vegan!), a couple pairs of knitting needles, and a few Law & Order reruns later and we have this beautiful set:
Although the mission statement of the book, as expressed in the subtitle “Beautiful Designs Using Organic Yarns,” seems a perfect fit for my nature-loving goddaughter, I must admit that I used the available yarn in my stash instead. If you like neutrals and natural fibers (especially cotton) for babies and moms pre- and post-partum, this is the perfect book for you. The patterns call for basic to intermediate level skills–nothing too arduous–and are very classic. Anything you make from this book will stand the test of time.
I did make some minor modifications to the original pattern for the booties, however. The pattern called for several lazy daisy stitches but I opted for just one, and the pattern called for a ribbon tie but I crocheted a couple of ties. The biggest change I made was on the cuff of the booties; Harding’s pattern calls for a ribbed cuff, but I thought that a picot-edge cuff matching the picot-edge of the hat would be cuter and would tie the hat and the booties together better.
If you want to do a picot-edge cuff like I’ve done, it’s very easy to modify Harding’s pattern. Just work a picot cast-on as you did for the hat until you have 27 stitches total (9 X 3). Then work four rows in garter stitch (just as you did for the hat pattern) and proceed from row 4 as called for in Harding’s pattern.
This is the first pair of booties I’ve ever worked from the cuff down, and I must admit I found working the instep a little uncomfortable, but the results are hard to argue with! I also love how the neutral colors take away from the potentially cloying girliness of this pattern.
Just a quick post today…. yesterday, I forgot to include a photo of my progress on the Breast Cancer Ribbin’ Scarf. As you can see, like many of the projects I vowed to finish by the end of “stitch or cut floss” March, I don’t have much left to do. All that needs to be done now is to Kitchener stitch the two halves together–a little trickier than regular Kitchener stitching (as if that weren’t tricky enough) because of the 2 X 2 ribbing–and to add the beaded edging. I’m sure that somewhere among my many knitting books and magazines, or somewhere on the internet, there’s someone who has already figured out how to do Kitchener stitch on ribbing. I just have to find this information. I love research (really).
This project is rather special to me since I lost my mother to breast cancer eleven years ago. I think about her every time I look at this scarf.
Well, it’s the last day of March and here’s what I’ve accomplished stitching-wise:
1. “Everything Bag” from Suss Cousins, Hollywood Knits Style (k)
2. “Breast Cancer Ribbin’ Scarf,” my design (k) 3. “Granny Square Scarf” by Suss Cousins, navy (k & c) 4. “Granny Square Scarf” by Suss Cousins, claret (k & c) 5. “Cardigan for Arwen” by Kate Gilbert in Interweave Knits, Winter 2006 (k) 6. Aran Sweater for SIL, from Ann Budd’s amazing Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns (k)
7. “Ewe & Eye Needlecase” by Heart’s Content (xs) 8. “Corinthian Ribbed Blanket,” my “design” (a simple ribbed blanket) (k) 9. “Drizzle” by Anna Tillman for Rowan 38 (k)
10. “Ballerina Top” from Zoe Mellor, Adorable Knits for Tots (k) 11. “Aran Wrap,” my design (k)
12. “Felted Sashiko Chessboard Cover,” my design (k) 13. Jord (that’s the name of the yarn) handbag, my design (k) 14. Chair cushion cover, from Suss Home Knits (k) 15. Blue Basketweave scarf from Vogue Scarves book (k)
Although it looks like a lot of projects have been crossed off, I was miffed to discover that my percentage is only 73%–a lousy “C.” And here I am feeling like I killed myself to get this much done!
I’ve decided to put the Ballerina Top on hold for now since the “baby” it was intended for is now a toddler and, frankly, I just can’t stand to look at it anymore. I’ve also decided to end the blue basketweave scarf where it is–it became slightly felted when I washed it, and I’ve decided that it’s good enough as is. I’m following the old motto “There are no mistakes, only design choices” (sometimes “design elements,” but you get the idea) and accept what I’ve got.
The Breast Cancer Ribbin’ Scarf and the Sashiko Chessboard Cover will be finished soon. Really. The Ewe and Eye Needlecase may take a bit longer–I spent quite a few hours on it this month and here’s a photo of my disappointing level of progress so far (to check on my previous progress, go here):
And here is a picture of my brand new Everything Bag in all its glory:
While I more or less followed Suss Cousins’s pattern, I made up my own mixture of yarns. The original pattern called for Suss Charm, which is a mixture of three different yarns, including Trendsetter Flora. I used one strand of chocolate Suss Bomull (2 skeins total), one of sand Suss Twisted (3 skeins total), one of ivory Suss Perle Cotton (2 balls), one of mushroom Suss Perle Cotton (2 balls), one of Elsebeth Lavold’s Silky Wool in a kind of brick red (2 skeins), and one of “olive medley” Trendsetter Charm (4 balls total). Phew! Can you spot all the different yarns?
It’s like a yarn version of Where’s Waldo?! The lining is a groovy mod design from IKEA in ivory, brick red and beige–very cheap and very sturdy. I made some interior pockets, but I’m not entirely happy with the final size–a little too narrow and too deep to be truly useful (something to keep in mind in the future). However, considering my extremely limited sewing skills and fear of the sewing machine, I’m pretty proud of myself. I think I’m in bag love!
1. “Everything Bag” from Suss Cousins, Hollywood Knits Style (k)
2. “Breast Cancer Ribbin’ Scarf,” my design (k) 3. “Granny Square Scarf” by Suss Cousins, navy (k & c) 4. “Granny Square Scarf” by Suss Cousins, claret (k & c) 5. “Cardigan for Arwen” by Kate Gilbert in Interweave Knits, Winter 2006 (k) 6. Aran Sweater for SIL, from Ann Budd’s amazing Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns (k)
7. “Ewe & Eye Needlecase” by Heart’s Content (xs) 8. “Corinthian Ribbed Blanket,” my “design” (a simple ribbed blanket) (k) 9. “Drizzle” by Anna Tillman for Rowan 38 (k)
10. “Ballerina Top” from Zoe Mellor, Adorable Knits for Tots (k) 11. “Aran Wrap,” my design (k)
12. “Felted Sashiko Chessboard Cover,” my design (k) 13. Jord (that’s the name of the yarn) handbag, my design (k) 14. Chair cushion cover, from Suss Home Knits (k)
15. Blue Basketweave scarf from Vogue Scarves book (k)
Only one finish this week, although I have made considerable progress on the Everything Bag (#1) and I anticipate finishing it by the end of the month. The Ewe and Eye Needlecase, as Anna of Stitch Bitch so wisely predicted, is more than a one-month project, even with the bit of a head-start I had going into the month.
But let’s concentrate on the small victory for now–here, making it’s professional debut, give a Lyf So Short welcome to the Jord handbag:
It’s hard for me to believe, but I’ve finally finished the Cable Sweater for my SIL, Karen. This sweater started as a Christmas present for 2006, so you can get an idea of what a saga it’s been. Obviously, I didn’t get it finished for Christmas 2006, or her birthday in February 2007 (that was plan B), or Christmas 2007, or her recent February 2008 birthday (Plan Z?). Fortunately, although she’s notoriously difficult to shop for, she’s a very understanding and patient gal who doesn’t hold it against you if you’re late–very late–with gifts.
And, with this sweater, I think I’ve found the perfect present. She almost always wears dark grays and blacks, so I chose this great Rowan Yorkshire Tweed DK (color #354, “Gust”), a dark speckled, tweedy charcoal gray. When I began this sweater, they had just discontinued Yorkshire Tweed so I almost felt like I was racing the clock trying to get this sweater done before it became completely impossible to obtain any more balls.
Of course, as time passed by, my calculations indicated that I was going to run out of yarn with about two inches left on the funnel neck collar. D’oh! Several searches on the internet came up with the friendly people at Hampton Knitting Yarn who were able to send me not only a ball of 354, but also a ball of 352 (“Goose”) to finish the Cardigan for Arwen. Thank you, Masked Knitters!
To the right, you can see a picture of the results (pardon the shadows). The extra balls matched perfectly for both projects–talk about great dye lot karma!
The pattern comes from Ann Budd’s extraordinarily useful book, The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns. I can’t say enough about this book! If you are interested in starting to design your own sweater patterns, or in gaining a better understanding of how sweaters work, this would be a great place to start. I consult this book all the time in my professional pattern-writing work since it provides instructions for the basic configuration of all kinds of sweater types (different sleeves, different collars, both adult and children’s sizes).
If all the patterns are as clearly written as this “Cable Panel Pullover,” you shouldn’t have any problems at all following them, even if you make modifications as I did. I decided to change the sleeves from modified drop shoulder sleeves to set-in sleeves and I had no problem recalculating the pattern since Budd walks you through every step for every gauge and size. The diagrams are also extensively annotated. As if all of that wasn’t enough, the book is designed like a spiral-bound notebook so it lies open flat while you’re working. Very convenient.
In terms of actually being able to cross things off my list, I haven’t made as much progress this week as last, although I have made significant progress on several projects and I’ve managed to finish the Drizzle Scarf at least (pictured to the right). Mmmmm… so soft and purple….
Because I like longer scarves than most designers seem to think appropriate, I doubled the called-for length of each of the light purple and beige stripes on the ends of the scarf and lengthened the solid purple middle section too. The fuzzy effect is created by mixing Rowan Yorkshire Tweed (sadly discontinued now) with one strand of Rowan Kidsilk Haze (fast becoming one of my favorite yarns) in the “dewberry” color. Here’s a detailed close-up of the striped section:
The pattern, in Rowan 38, calls for a bunch of shell buttons to be sewn on the ends of the scarf, but in the interest of getting all of this done for “stitch or cut floss” March, and, more importantly, because I really didn’t think they would add much, I decided not to go with the buttons. However, I do want to go on the record as saying that my administration has always had a firm pro-shell button agenda.
Here’s how I stand with the list so far:
1. “Everything Bag” from Suss Cousins, Hollywood Knits Style (k)
2. “Breast Cancer Ribbin’ Scarf,” my design (k) 3. “Granny Square Scarf” by Suss Cousins, navy (k & c) 4. “Granny Square Scarf” by Suss Cousins, claret (k & c) 5. “Cardigan for Arwen” by Kate Gilbert in Interweave Knits, Winter 2006 (k)
6. Aran Sweater for SIL, from Ann Budd’s amazing Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns (k)
7. “Ewe & Eye Needlecase” by Heart’s Content (xs) 8. “Corinthian Ribbed Blanket,” my “design” (a simple ribbed blanket) (k) 9. “Drizzle” by Anna Tillman for Rowan 38 (k)
10. “Ballerina Top” from Zoe Mellor, Adorable Knits for Tots (k) 11. “Aran Wrap,” my design (k)
12. “Felted Sashiko Chessboard Cover,” my design (k)
13. Jord (that’s the name of the yarn) handbag, my design (k)
14. Chair cushion cover, from Suss Home Knits (k)
15. Blue Basketweave scarf from Vogue Scarves book (k)
As soon as my roommate’s midterms are over and she sets up the sewing machine for me, I should be able to finish nos. 1, 10, and 13. #1 needs a lining, #10 needs the pieces sewn together, and #13 needs both.
Here are some pictures of the current state of #6, Aran sweater for SIL (the book that the pattern is taken from, by the way, is the amazingly useful Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns by Ann Budd, and the pattern is titled “Cable Panel Pullover”). The yarn here is also the late, lamented Rowan Yorkshire Tweed:
Pre-Assembly
And here’s a close-up of the sleeve opening and funnel neck (inside-out, of course):
Close-up with sleeves pinned, inside-out
And here’s a close-up of the sleeve seams (baskstitched):
Sweater Sleeve, seamed
And the wrist:
Sweater Sleeve, Close-up
I’m planning on finishing this up in the next couple days, so that should be one more in the “finished” column. Yay! Stay tuned. Same stitch time, same stitch channel.
I just finished the booties and hat for little baby McKerrow, and just in time since he/she is due in less than a month. BFF and husband have chosen not to know the sex of the baby before it’s born–as my grandma used to say, “They’re going to take what they get!” The baby nursery is being decorated in neutrals, so the cream color should be perfect. The yarn, Suss Love, is unbelievably soft and easy to work with. It’s also washable, which I consider essential for baby items.
Also, because it is comprised of several individual strands of the same color, the pompoms become extra fluffy when the strands start to separate. In the rush to get done, I left off the small pompoms on the ends of the bootie laces and the hat ties, and just did one small pompom for each bootie and one larger one for the top of the hat. Done and done, as Homer Simpson would say!
Update 01/25/11: Suss Love yarn has been discontinued, unfortunately.
I’m making some progress! The projects that are crossed off are completely finished:
1. “Everything Bag” from Suss Cousins, Hollywood Knits Style (k)
2. “Breast Cancer Ribbin’ Scarf,” my design (k) 3. “Granny Square Scarf” by Suss Cousins, navy (k & c) 4. “Granny Square Scarf” by Suss Cousins, claret (k & c) 5. “Cardigan for Arwen” by Kate Gilbert in Interweave Knits, Winter 2006 (k)
6. Aran Sweater for SIL, from Ann Budd’s amazing Handy Book of Knitting Patterns (k)
7. “Ewe & Eye Needlecase” by Heart’s Content (xs) 8. “Corinthian Ribbed Blanket,” my “design” (a simple ribbed blanket) (k)
9. “Drizzle” by Anna Tillman for Rowan 38 (k)
10. “Ballerina Top” from Zoe Mellor, Adorable Knits for Tots (k) 11. “Aran Wrap,” my design (k)
12. “Felted Sashiko Chessboard Cover,” my design (k)
13. Jord (that’s the name of the yarn) handbag, my design (k)
15. Blue Basketweave scarf from Vogue Scarves book (k)
Technically, I decided to frog #11 because it just wasn’t working out, but that counts as finished since I won’t have to think about it anymore. Cardigan for Arwen is turning out to have some fitting issues, so I won’t be talking about that right now.
But here are some pictures of the granny square scarves. First, in navy:
Granny Square Scarf, Navy
And in claret (for both scarves, I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, one of the softest wool/acrylic blends you’ll ever work with):
Granny Square Scarf, Claret
If you’d like the pattern, email the Suss Design people–and tell them Kate sent you!
And here’s the World’s Most Beautiful Boy Cat (commonly known as “El Guapo”) making himself comfortable on the Corinthian Blanket:
Corinthian Blanket and Cat
This blanket is based on a blanket pattern I wrote for the Suss Cousins Wedding Knits book, the Soft Monogrammed Throw, except I used Rowan Chunky Print in the “Corinthian” colorway (hence, my name for the blanket). It’s a simple four-by-four rib stitch on size 13 needles (the recommended size for Chunky Print), but I think the effect is spectacular. And clearly, El Guapo does too. Warning: if you want to make this blanket yourself, it uses 17 balls, however, since Chunky Print is discontinued, you can pick up balls really cheap right now online.
Update 01/25/11: Suss Design is now out of the handknits business and Suss is concentrating all her efforts on her fashion lines, which are now even being featured on QVC. She continues to design knits for films and television as well. However, if you are interested in the pattern for this Granny Square Scarf, you can email me directly and I can arrange to get the pattern from them.
I’ve finished the third part of the Newborn Set, the little cap with ear flaps. I still need to do the crochet edging and make the little pom-poms to go on the end of the shoelaces, the top of the cap and the ends of the hat-strings. This seems like the perfect excuse to go to my LYS and get those new teeny-tiny Clover pom-pom makers. That would complete my trilogy set of three…..
The Lyf So Short 