lauralkeet's 2018 Knitting Projects

Welcome to my 2018 thread!

Knitting Plans

Mostly I just want to keep knitting for pleasure, but I have a few specific things in mind:

* Start The Knitting Guild Association Master Handknitter Certification program.
* Attend the Lancaster Knitters Retreat in April
* Find a knitting group and meet other knitters
* Knit more projects for others, as gifts or whatever

On the Needles


Botanical Yoke Pullover | High Pines Cowl (pattern photo)

I've been working on the pullover since late August 2017 and hoped to finish by Christmas since I received it as a gift in 2016. Gift knitting and moving house prevented that from happening, but I'm in the home stretch now, knitting the cable yoke. The cowl will be worked in a dark red Madelinetosh silk/merino, and I plan to cast on this week.

Yarn Subscription!

Last year I was lucky to receive a 6-month subscription to YarnCrush as a retirement gift from my work colleagues. I loved receiving yarn (I mean, who wouldn't?), and enjoyed working smaller projects using the patterns that accompanied the yarn or sometimes choosing a pattern on my own. For Christmas, I asked Santa for a subscription to PostStitch, because I thought it would be fun to experience another service and see how they compare. The December box was waiting for me under the tree -- yay!



The yarn is a soft merino wool in a bulky weight. The included pattern was for a scarf, and they also recommended three other patterns as good matches for this yarn, all available on Ravelry. I haven't decided what to make yet.

Lookit you getting a jump on the new year threads (I could not resist...)!!!

Your knitting adventures and the photos of the various yarns have me sorely tempted to start knitting again. I don't remember there being such great yarns when I did knit. In particular, I absolutely love the sweater pattern you're working on. One of our friends that bought here in the condo development we're in and lives around the corner is a knitter and also crochets. We're going to go visit them in their winter home in Tucson the last two weeks of Jan, and I'm going to show her this pattern. If I can convince her to help me block and put together the sweater, I might give it a try. There is a very nice (but small) yarn shop near where we used to live and I'm sure I could get help there too.

ETA: Although I think I gave away all my needles when we moved.

>2 lesmel: Ha ha, yeah, I think Lois was first to do so in this group but I was feeling all turn-over-a-new-leaf-ish, as is often the case in the week between Christmas and New Year's.

>3 dudes22: Betty, your friend might be easily convinced because there's not much "putting together" required. The sleeves and body are knit in the round. After knitting a significant portion of the body the sleeves are attached so they become part of the piece and knitting continues in the round through the cable yoke and neck. There's a bit of grafting at the end to close up the underarms, but no seaming, per se.

A yarn subscription is also a good way to get back into knitting. Because the projects are designed to use the yarn provided, they tend to be smaller items. The skill level is usually beginning to intermediate. Some subscriptions (PostStitch is one) have an option to supply the needles & notions required, which could help you restock.

I'm such an enabler. #sorrynotsorry 😀

Hi, Laura! Gosh, those yarn subscriptions are so tempting, but I've so much yarn piled up now...

>1 lauralkeet: >3 dudes22: Ha! I sometimes contemplate the same thing....going back to knitting (but then I remind myself why I stopped).

I keep meaning to take some pix of things I've completed. I made a skirt and made some "gaiters" for the spousal unit to wear skiing. He's kind of skinny so he wanted them to go above the knee. A bit odd, but who's to see, we just ski around the woods and fields near our house. Sort of want to get pix of the things actually ON too. Would it be OK Laura, to post the pix here (if I ever actually get to it)? I don't do enough to warrant a whole thread!

>7 sibylline: of course, Lucy. We also have a "kitchen" thread for general chitchat. Either location is fine!!

I haven't posted photos in a while but ... I'm on the verge of finishing that sweater in >1 lauralkeet: so watch this space!

Just off the needles ... the Botanical Yoke Pullover. This sweater looks really complicated and ornate, but it's 95% knit 2, purl 2 ribbing with just a few large cables. The Cashmere Merino Bloom yarn is to die for.



I'm about 2/3 of the way through the High Pines Cowl, and I've started working towards Level 1 of the Master Hand Knitter certification. I've also received two more PostStitch boxes since >1 lauralkeet: and while I know what I want to make with the yarn, I haven't started anything yet. Eek!

That's GORGEOUS, Laura! I love the way the yoke and neck look on you.

I really love that pattern. I have since you first posted it. I just keep telling myself that I should be spending my time quilting and not taking up another craft. But...I’m so tempted.

Thank you, Lois & Betty. I was really worried about the fit the entire time I was knitting, because ribbing makes a garment look small. And it is a snug fit, but also so cozy. I have to admit I'm pretty happy with it.

WOW! That turned out amazing!!

>9 lauralkeet:: The sweater is gorgeous!

>13 scaifea:, >14 annushka: thanks to you both!!

>9 lauralkeet: That does not disappoint! It looks absolutely terrific. That cable pattern is just so appealing to me.

>16 rosalita: Thank you, Julia!

>12 lauralkeet: Lovely work. I think it needed the snug fit, so that the "explosion" into the cable top becomes the highlight it is, so, it worked beautifully!

>18 SassyLassy: thank you, and I like the word "explosion". I think this is the first time in my life I've exploded a top, since I have no natural endowments that would do it. 😀

That jumper is beautiful. Suits you perfectly.

Thank you, Judy.

I finished the High Pines Cowl about a week ago. Here's a photo of the finished piece and a closeup on the pattern. I am fascinated by the designs you can create just through different types of stitches, and all variations on the basic knit and purl.



I'm also working on a small project to learn brioche stitch, more on that later. And I'm spending a lot of time on Level 1 of the Master Hand Knitting program, learning a lot through the research it requires and knitting a bunch of swatches.

>22 lauralkeet: I'm just working on the cast on for brioche. I think the actual knitting will go well once that is accomplished!

>23 SassyLassy: that's interesting, I didn't know there was a special cast on. The project I'm working used a regular long tail cast on, and then two setup rows to prepare for the brioche. It's in two colors so the setup rows get each color started.

>24 lauralkeet: Mine is two colour too. I have seen long tail used for it, but this is slightly different. I'm sitting down with it as soon as I'm guaranteed a distraction free time block. Usually I get several stitches on and then lose it, which is very frustrating as otherwise I am capable of knitting complex work. It must be one of those things where you need to just sit down and persist. I suspect if I just keep going and then do a few rows, it will work out, but I keep getting interrupted!

http://www.briochestitch.com/archives/twocolorbrioche/two-color-italian-cast-on

>22 lauralkeet: That's gorgeous, Laura. I love the color.

>25 SassyLassy: I had several false starts with my brioche, ripping it out and starting over. Once I (finally) got past the first few rows I started to get the rhythm. Persistence is key! Thank you for sharing the cast-on. I have a whole book of cast on and bind off techniques; I'll have to see if this one is in there.

>26 avaland: Thanks, Lois. I fell in love with the color, too, and the texture is divine. It's silk/merino so it's very soft and drapey. This was in one of my YarnCrush boxes and I forget what pattern was sent with it, but it didn't grab me. I found this one and it required more yarn but I was able to order a second skein from YarnCrush.

That’s a very pretty cowl, Laura. I love the color. It is amazing the stitches you can get with knits, purls, and a few YOs.

Thank you, Betty!

Time for an update ...



This cowl was a recommended pattern for my December PostStitch yarn (see >1 lauralkeet:), and it provided an opportunity to learn brioche stitch. The pattern was described as the "ultimate beginner level brioche pattern," but I think a true beginner pattern would have used just one color.

I made a lot of mistakes along the way, including one really ugly one at the join. About 2/3 of the way through I was close to calling it quits and counting this as a learning experience, but after setting it aside for a few days I felt ready to attempt fixing my mistakes. The really ugly spot looks okay now, and I was able to deal with several stitches where I accidentally purled the contrast color over the main color.

I’m not in love with this cowl, but I learned a lot from the experience so it was time well spent.

>30 lauralkeet: I like the lighter color. The darker color seems to me to be "teal" which is my least favorite color, although when I look at the larger image, it may have more green in it. It's an interesting piece. I wonder what it would look like with the lighter color, and a white yarn...

I own a beautiful sweater from earlier days in that lighter color, that I no longer wear, but won't give up and give away, either.

Your pieces always make me long to knit, and this one's no exception. Now that I think about it, maybe a stark black and white combination would be interesting. Luckily for me, I'll forget all about this as I wander on about my day.

...and as a complete non sequitur, there are a ton of youtube videos offering to show how to do this stitch, ranging in time from 2011 until the present...

>31 Lyndatrue: thank you, Lynda! I really like teal (and yeah, it's more teal than say, hunter), so that part was okay. These two yarns give a sort of two-tone effect but I agree it would also be interesting to have two colors that contrast more.

Maybe you should act on that longing ... 😀

>30 lauralkeet: I love the color of the cowl! Very nice work, as always.

>33 avaland: thank you, Lois.

I've been spending a lot of time working on my Master Hand Knitter program. I've knit 15 of 18 swatches demonstrating basic stitches as well as cable and lace patterns. Next I need to finish the swatches and knit a mitten. I've also done a lot of the research and written work, although there's a formal report I have yet to write. None of this is especially photo-worthy, so I haven't been posting updates here.

Thanks to my yarn subscription, I also have at least one small project on the go at all times. At the moment I'm knitting a hat and have another hat queued up to start soon. I am afraid the current hat-in-progress may be too small. I don't know why, but I didn't think to measure my head before starting the project and now I'm 2/3 done. I'll have to see how much it stretches. Photos soonish ...

Here's the hat I mentioned in >34 lauralkeet::



I used a piece of pottery to "model" the hat, but it does fit my head too, thank goodness. It's perhaps a little more snug than I'd like. I've toyed with making another in a slightly larger size just to compare. I think I have enough yarn left. But who knows if I'll follow through on that. I'm now working on a different hat.

>35 lauralkeet: Gosh. I've got a drawer filled with hats like that. I love them in the winter; they're so warm, and they keep your hair (relatively) untangled from the weather. Your hat is just so lovely.

Thank you, Lynda. I've avoided hats because of the whole hair thing, but now that we are living in the city I'm doing a lot more walking than driving and learned my lesson this winter. Plus hats are fun to knit!

I started another hat over the weekend but need to start over. I worked a gauge swatch but must have counted incorrectly. I'm getting a much tighter gauge than I need, which would result in a much smaller hat. I'll swatch again today with a couple of larger needles and see what works best.

This is my current hat project


Constellate Hat (pattern photo) | my yarn

My PostStitch subscription comes with a pattern, and recommends alternative patterns as well. My January PostStitch box included this yarn with the hat as a recommended alternate. I was very intrigued by the stitch pattern, so I had to make this.

In mid-April I'll be attending the Lancaster Knitters Retreat which includes two workshops. One is a lace cowl with beads. I don't have a photo yet but here's the yarn I will use:

I spent a nice chunk of time yesterday thinking about how to use two skeins of yarn in my stash. Both skeins came from yarn subscriptions with shawl patterns, which didn't grab me. I dug out my sock books and was reminded how many nice designs I have right there on my shelves.

These are the ideas I came up with:

Embossed Leaves in Polka Dot Sheep "Egg Hunt"


The Scent of Lavender in Zed Cashmerino Sock "Earth"

This was such a satisfying little exercise, I can't stop thinking about these socks now.

Those are cool. I have a friend who makes a lot of socks. I'll have to remember to show her this post when she gets back. (She winters in AZ) When we visited her in Az, we found a yarn store close to a quilting store and they had some great yarns. As I've said before - your thread tempts me so much to go back to knitting. Of course, when we moved I gave all my needles and stuff away.

>40 dudes22: there are so many great yarns out there these days, both from well-established brands and small independent spinners & dyers. It's tough to resist, that's for sure.

>38 lauralkeet: That is a gorgeous stitch in the hat, Laura. And the ribbing is unusual (to me) but I quite like it.

>42 rosalita: funny thing about that ribbing, Julia. It's just the wrong side of a k3,p1 rib. The hat begins with knitting 4" of ribbing that you then fold up as seen in the photo so the wrong side is what shows.

Oh! I didn't even pick up on that detail but it makes perfect sense now.

Ooh la la, here's my April PostStitch box:



The yarn is 100% baby alpaca so it's super soft. I love the colors. The pattern is a scarf of the basic long rectangle variety, but the pattern photo looks beautiful and it just so happens I actually need a new scarf for next winter. I'm a happy camper!

I have no idea when I'll start knitting this because I also just ordered yarn for a summer project, this circular yoke tee. The yarn is silk and a little speckle-y. Yum. I couldn't help myself.

>45 lauralkeet: Both look luscious!

Those look wonderful.

>45 lauralkeet: Gorgeous! Is it just the way the picture is staged or does that top ball of yarn have three separate strands?

>48 rosalita: You're right, Julia. The strands are not twisted together as they usually are. In the PostStitch Ravelry group the PostStitch person wrote, "For me, there was about a 10-row learning curve with - it took a hot minute to slow down and grab all the plies." Hmm ... intriguing.

>49 lauralkeet: How fascinating! I will be interested to see how it looks when you knit it up, and how it's different from twisted strands.

>50 rosalita: well, there's definitely a learning curve. I knit about a dozen rows before I decided to start fresh. The border was easy, but the pattern rows are full of increases and decreases, and you have to be very careful to work all three strands or it starts to look messy. I'm making an effort to take my time on this second attempt.

I went to the Lancaster Knitters Retreat this weekend, and had a great time. Things got underway Friday night with a knitting social in the hotel lobby, which is like a giant knitting group with everyone (~60 people) just sitting around chatting. Oh, and there's wine. 😀

There were two workshops on Saturday, each led by well-known designers/teachers. I came away with some useful new techniques. And then ... there was shopping at the yarn shop that sponsors the event. Woot! Here's my haul:



On the left, a complimentary skein of the shop's kettle-dyed fingering weight yarn, created especially for participants in the retreat. We also received a 10% discount on shop purchases, so of course I had to oblige as shown in the second photo. There's a pack of 10 mini-skeins of locally-produced alpaca sock yarn (900 yards total), a project bag, a little bag for stitch markers, a roll of highlighter tape (to mark your place on written instructions or charts), and 2 skeins of sport-weight yarn in brown heather and "curry," that I want to use in a herringbone-pattern hat for my husband.

Sunday morning we gathered for the Knitting Salon. One of the instructors gave a talk on the history of knitting, the other held a Q&A session. The owner of The Alpaca Yarn Company talked about alpacas (cute!) and how their wool becomes yarn. There was music, and door prizes, and a "show and tell" where people could share experiences or something they made. I wore my Botanical Yoke Pullover and explained a bit about the cashmere yarn and how the pullover was made.

It was all great fun and I hope to be back next year.

Sounds like it was a lot of fun. How many pairs of socks will you get from that alpaca yarn? What do you use fingering yarn to make? There are some alpaca farmers who bring a couple of their alpacas to the farmer's market occasionally. I bought a hat from them this winter and I usually treat my husband to a pair of their socks for Christmas.

Betty, fingering weight yarn is a lighter weight yarn and is great for cowls, shawls, and socks. The alpaca yarn pack is also fingering weight. For socks, the yarn should have a little bit of nylon content for reinforcement. It takes about 400 yards to make a pair of socks, so I could get 2 pairs out of the alpaca, or I could make something else with it. I need to let this percolate to come up with the best way to use the small quantities of different colors.

Some recent acquisitions:



I joined two women from my knitting group on a visit to a yarn shop not far from us. One woman was in need of a specific brand of yarn that they had in stock. I bought these with socks in mind.



My May PostStitch box arrived yesterday. The yarn is lovely and I like the cowl pattern, too. This was the last shipment in my 6-month Christmas gift subscription. I did not renew because I now have quite a stockpile of yarn waiting to become "things," but PostStitch also has a monthly Notions subscription so I signed up for that. Here's the first box:



There's a handy gauge ruler, a lavender/mint lotion bar, and a Kitchener tool that helps you remember how to do this stitch which is commonly used to finish the toes on socks, among other things. I'm looking forward to getting these little surprises every month!

I started knitting some socks using the "Egg Hunt" yarn pictured in >39 lauralkeet:. I made some modifications to the pattern to experiment with fit. I knit the leg and heel, and it was looking kind of huge. In my head I knew I should continue, finish the sock, and see the full result of my experiments. But the yarn was also a poor fit for the design -- the flecks of color obscured the lace pattern -- and I just hated it. Even if the sock fit, I wasn't going to like it. I'm going to unravel the sock and set the yarn aside.

My take-away from this is that my experiments are best conducted using a plain sock pattern, perhaps just a ribbing, hence the purchases above. Those yarns are interesting enough that you can get a nice sock without fancy stitch patterns like lace or cables.

>56 lauralkeet: I can see why that might not work up into a desirable sock.

Yarn colours are just so scrummy! Hope your next sock experiment works out better.

>57 avaland: Lois, my biggest mistake was choosing a lace pattern for that sock. The speckly yarn fought with the lace, with no apparent winner. The yarn looked okay on the heel, which was just regular stockinette knitting. The colors really aren't "me," so I'm not sure if/when/how I'll use the yarn. Time will tell.

>58 captainsflat: It's hard to resist nice yarn, that's for sure.

Meanwhile, my WIPs include the scarf and the summer pullover mentioned in >45 lauralkeet:. Nothing photo-worthy to show yet though. I have another summer pullover in mind for my latest PostStitch yarn (>55 lauralkeet:). I had to order an extra skein but decided I'd rather knit a top than a cowl. I'm prioritizing these projects ahead of socks, at least for now.

duplicate, see below!

Wow, what beautiful wools and marvelous projects you've completed.

I finally have some photographs of what I have been doing. The first two are the front and back of a long vest that I totally made up, knitted in pieces and sewed together. It is a little funky, but I am enjoying it. Perfect for a certain kind of Vermont spring weather. Of course I hate how I look and I forgot to smile. I might try pinning it a bit lower down.





Here is a simple vest I made for the spousal unit:

Very nice work Lucy! Thank you for sharing it with us.

Re the long vest: Now that is quite a knitting project! Great job.

I hope the spousal units sufficiently appreciated your efforts :-)

It's been a while since I posted an update. We just returned from vacation, and I used the travel time to work on the summer pullover pictured in >45 lauralkeet:. I've knit about 11" of the body, starting at the bottom and working my way up. It doesn't make for a very interesting photo though.

I also finished the knitting and written work required for Level 1 of the Master Hand Knitting program, and put my notebook in the mail today. Over the next few weeks, it will be reviewed by committee members, and when that is complete will be returned to me with feedback. The feedback will include additional work I need to do in order to pass Level 1.

Meanwhile, I plan to enjoy the projects I have on the needles. It would be great if I could finish the pullover while it's still summer.

In May, I received this message from a friend:

Back in 1949, when they got married, my mom and aunt knitted Christmas stockings for the new families and did so for all the kids as they were born (including my girls). Everyone has passed away now. Megan is getting married in September and I’d like to have a stocking for her new hubby. ... I have the pattern and ... I can even send you one of our stockings to use as well.

Once I had a look at the stocking and pattern, I knew I couldn't resist the challenge of knitting from a vintage pattern to create a stocking for the groom that closely matches the bride's.

In one of those "isn't the internet amazing" moments, I found a very similar pattern on Ravelry, but with different motifs. I'll use this pattern as a reference, since the instructions have been modernized and it includes tips and yarn recommendations.

The original pattern called for Bernat Color Style yarn, which is no longer available. The yarn used for the bride's stocking is unknown, but it most likely was a brand readily available in craft stores. So, the most important factors in choosing yarn are weight, fiber content, and color match (the colors must closely match the bride's stocking). Again, Ravelry to the rescue: I can search projects made from the other pattern and review the yarns that were used.

Last night I paid a visit to my local AC Moore, bride's stocking in hand. I found a near-perfect match for the red in a yarn called Caron One Pound. Yes, an entire freaking pound of yarn in one skein, but it was inexpensive. Their green was just a bit off (it's really hard to find just the right Christmassy green!), but I found another brand that was a better match and a more reasonable size. I picked up a skein of their white as well. Both brands of yarn are an acrylic worsted weight.

Next I'll knit a gauge swatch to choose a needle size, and then dive in. The wedding is in late September, so I should be able to get this done in time.

Thought you might be interested in the current Jeopardy champion who knit the shawl she's wearing.

Good for her!!

Those look very similar to Christmas stockings that my step-children have. They and their cousins all have the same one. I forget who made them.

When my mother passed away and we were cleaning out her things, we found a pattern for some mittens in animal patterns that she had made for my nieces and nephews when they were small. (they're now in their 30s and 40s). I was asked if I'd make some for the next generation of kids. The mittens were made so that the area between the thumb and finger parts was red for the mouth and the hand backs and underside of the thumb were color of the animal. Then she added ears and tails and eyes, etc. I can remember the yellow and black striped tiger one with a braided tail up near the wrist and little black ears. So anyway, I bought some yarn to make a mouse pair and got the mitten parts and the mouths done, then realized that the putting together was something I've always disliked about knitting and I shoved them in the bag and there they sit.

>68 dudes22: ha! that's a great story.

We have family Christmas stockings, too, knit by my paternal grandmother. My mom knit one for my younger daughter, because by then Grandma could no longer do it. They are not the same as my friend's stocking, but I do have the pattern stored away somewhere, in case my kids want them for the next generation.

Mine was a felt-like stocking with an embroidered name made by my Aunt Daisy.

Just off the needles, my Circular Yoke Summer Shirt first mentioned in >45 lauralkeet:. I've included a close-up so you can see the subtle flecks of color in the yarn.



I really like the fit; my only disappointment with this project is the length. I measured as I knit, but must have gotten off somewhere because it's about 1.5" longer than it should be. As someone who buys ready-to-wear petite sizes, I need to learn more about how to adapt patterns for smaller bodies.

In other news, this week my Master Hand Knitting Level 1 notebook was returned to me with committee feedback. As expected, there are a few things I need to resubmit in order to pass, but honestly it's not too bad. The feedback was very comprehensive, and my resubmits are a combination of "I should have known better" errors and bona fide mistakes.

That's really nice looking. As another short person, I can appreciate that you would like it a little shorter. Although that longer length over leggings does seem to be the style.

Glad to hear your knitting class is going well. Hope you can get things fixed easily.

>72 dudes22: Betty, thanks for the suggestion to wear the top with leggings. When I started the project, I envisioned wearing it with shorts but it covers too much of the shorts so it looks a little weird. It helps to try and accept that my original mental image of this just isn't reality, but that there are other options that are just as good.

>71 lauralkeet: Of course, you could always make another one, shorter this time, and have the best of both worlds!

>74 laytonwoman3rd: true, although there are so many things I want to knit and so much yarn to play with, it's hard to imagine repeating a project. Much like re-reading books, which I also don't do very often.

>71 lauralkeet: Oh, I love it! And I actually love the length, too (I like my tops to be a bit long).

>76 scaifea: thanks Amber. I wore the top to brunch today and I'm happy with it.

I also like tops a bit long, but I am tall. I think it looks very nice, and love the flecks of colour. My grandmother just came to visit me and had knitted my 4 year old a vest. There is no one like Baka for picking colour schemes. And you can pick one of hers a mile off!

>78 captainsflat: I admire people who have a talent for color. That does not come naturally to me. I'd like to get more practice -- probably through fair isle or other colorwork projects -- choosing colors for effect.

I finished the Christmas Stocking (see >65 lauralkeet: for background). The new stocking, for the groom, is on the left; the bride's on the right.

The original pattern called for all lettering and designs to be done in duplicate stitch. The modernized pattern I found on Ravelry includes charts so these motifs can be knit as colorwork. Because I wanted the groom’s stocking to match the bride’s as much as possible, I decided to use duplicate stitch. Otherwise, I’d recommend colorwork as the results look more professional.

The stocking itself was easy going. It is knit flat from top to heel, and in the round from heel through toe. This confused me at first, because neither pattern has instructions for seaming.

The modernized pattern was invaluable for the gusset & toe. The vintage pattern used minimal phrases like “Decrease down to 26 stitches," and "Decrease to 6-3-3” whereas the modern pattern provided row-by-row instructions for the decreases.

If I knit this stocking again for myself or others, I will use the modernized pattern exclusively, and just create a chart for the Santa design, which is not included on the modern stocking.

It's amazing you were able to match the colors so perfectly. I can't imagine doing all the motifs and letters in duplicate stitch, when it is just as easy to knit it in. OTOH, the duplicate stitch does make it handy to repurpose a stocking with someone else's name on it (we had that happen with a divorce....)

I gotta admit, I was pretty pleased with my color matching too! And all at the local AC Moore at that. I anticipated much more difficulty finding suitable yarn.

Your thoughts on using duplicate stitch for the name sadly make a lot of sense. I don't know whether I will ever do another project like this, but that's definitely worth keeping in mind.

My current project is a summer top called Lycka. Here's a pattern photo:



As you can see the front is openwork (lace). The back has a t-shirt hem and a lace bit up the center. I just finished the back a couple days ago, so here it is (not yet blocked so it's a bit scrunched):



The yarn is from my PostStitch subscription. This is the only project I have going at the moment and I'm trying to keep it that way, so I can finish it while the weather is still warm.

Whoa, kinda daring! But really great looking.

>84 sibylline: kinda daring
Ha. I chose the pattern photo in >83 lauralkeet: because it gives the most flattering view of the garment. But in most of the other photos the model is wearing this top over another layer, like a camisole or tee. And that is my intent -- I'm not daring enough to wear something so open on its own.

Me either! Not even back in the day when I had, um, a better shape!

>85 lauralkeet: Yeah, aside from the open work in the front, I am not a fan of showing that much of my neck and chest these days. No need to frighten little children... I would definitely need a nice cami under there.

>86 sibylline:, >87 laytonwoman3rd:
I hear you, ladies. I would not have shown that much of my neck and chest even in the days when I had "a better shape"!

In the past week, I've made a lot of progress on the front of my Lycka top. In a few rows I'll start working the neckline & sleeves.

I do love that. I wasn't sure how the variegated yarn would look in the lacy part, but it looks fabo!

>90 avaland: thank you Lois! The front section is knitting up pretty quickly, probably because it's less boring than the back piece. The lacy part continues onto the sleeves; I'm working the right front/sleeve now, which also creates one side of the v neck. I'm really happy with how it's turning out.

I finished the Lycka top and I gotta say, I am absolutely in love with it.



Best of all, the lacy front is not as open as pattern photos implied, so I can wear this without layers. I mention that for all of you who were worried about me "baring all"! 😀

>92 lauralkeet: It's very cute. The colors are understated, and so pretty, too!

Thank you, Lynda. The yarn is subtly variegated, which is what gives it the back a sort of muted stripes look which is less apparent in the open work on the front.

>92 lauralkeet: That looks amazing! Well done, you!

Thanks Amber!

That's very nice, Laura. Still a little low cut for me, but it looks good on you.

>97 dudes22: ha ha thanks Betty. I admit the neckline is lower than I usually go. But I am not especially well-endowed so it's not that revealing. 😀

As said elsewhere, it's a gorgeous top and looks fab on you!

>99 avaland: Thank you Lois!

It's about a million degrees outside, the perfect weather for winter knits. 😂 Here's the hubs modeling his new Herringbone Hat. I worked an extra 2" in the herringbone pattern to give it the slouchy fit he wanted. This was a quick project and a good way to get reacquainted with stranded color work, which I haven't done in a while.

It looks like I've been ignoring this thread, oops. I've been working on a pair of socks -- my first one in a couple of years -- and learning to knit them two-at-a-time using the magic loop method. I found some really good videos about magic loop and two-at-a-time socks, and after a couple false starts found it pretty easy going until I reached the heels. I wound up in a situation where the stitches were not distributed correctly on the cord to continue two-at-a-time, so I worked each heel individually and then put them back on the loop. I'm just starting the feet now.

What's next on the project list? Did you say you had found a local knitting group?

I have a friend who uses that magic loop needle who makes a lot of socks, but I don't think she does two at a time. I'll have to mention it to her.

>104 dudes22: Betty, if you do mention it, you might recommend the videos from knitpurlhunter. Her training videos are very well done, and she has several on magic loop two-at-a-time socks. I still messed up the heels somehow, but I wouldn't even have known how to begin without some guidance.

>103 avaland: Lois, I actually found a local knitting group pretty early on, maybe I never mentioned it here. Between LT and social media I forgot "who knows what." Anyway, there's a network of Philly knitting groups that meet in various places around the city, which I found through meetup.com. I tried the two groups closest to me, and one of them "clicked." We meet in a coffee shop on Wednesday evenings. Until recently we were quite a small group -- 4 regulars and the occasional new person -- but we moved to a new coffee shop because it had a better menu and comfy sofas, and lo and behold we've attracted some new people who are attending more regularly.

Project-wise, I'm just getting back to scarf that I set aside over the summer. Yarn & pattern photo shown are in >45 lauralkeet:, the yarn is 100% alpaca (soft!) with an interesting gradient so it should knit up nicely. I'd like to start a fair isle cowl soonish, a pattern from one of the designers who taught at the Lancaster Knitters Retreat. And then there's level 2 of the Master Hand Knitter program. I've been doing written work for the past month but will probably start working the required swatches this week.

A little while ago I went through my stash (all inventoried on Ravelry) and identified potential projects for almost everything. I don't have a huge stash but this still made me realize I have enough to keep me busy for probably a year.

>105 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laural, I will mention that to her. There's a small alpaca farm not far from me and they sell products and yarns at a local farmer's market. I love their products and have been tempted by the yarn. They usually bring two of their alpacas to the market and I went by their farm recently to get some honey that they also do and got to see a baby alpaca that was only a week old. SO cute!

>105 lauralkeet: It is really great that you found some knitting friends.

>106 dudes22: The alpaca yarn sounds nice--and you got to meet some of the contributors!

You may recall I'm a cross-stitcher primarily. Many of us here in Morristown miss our local needlework shop. (The proprietor retired. She tried to get a stitcher to purchase it, but no one did so.) The nearest ones now are in Pigeon Forge and Johnson City. The shop in Pigeon Forge caters to tourists. They do a good job with stocking patterns and fibers, but the fabric is all pre-cut, because they are simply too busy to do it to the size needed for a project. The shop in Johnson City is larger--more patterns, good selection of fibers, good selection of enhancements such as buttons and beads, and a great selection of scissors, needles, thimbles, etc. They also serge the edges of the fabric purchased. That means they don't sell the fray stop glue, but I can get that in Pigeon Forge. I like both places, but I need to visit both to get everything I need.

I'm jealous of those of you who can knit and crochet. Maybe it will be something to try in retirement!

>107 thornton37814: Lori, do you have a reasonably local yarn shop? They often have "learn to knit" classes and knitting nights where you can meet up with other knitters. I learned to knit in a shop which was small enough that the owner offered instruction on demand -- I was able to have four one-hour private lessons at times convenient to me. It was nice, but sadly the shop closed when she and her husband moved away from the area.

>108 lauralkeet: I don't know of one here in either Hamblen or Jefferson County. Our local yarn shop is Hobby Lobby, I guess. I'd probably need to drive at least an hour to locate one. I'm sure there would be one somewhere catering to tourists in Sevier County, but Knoxville, Kingsport, or Johnson City would be the closest, and those are too far to drive for that type of thing.

Oh that Lycka short is gorgeous!

Thank you Lucy! Fortunately I was able to wear it a couple times during the brief period between heat wave and suddenly cold days.

The socks are finished!



The two-at-a-time method wasn't necessarily faster, but it feels so much better to finish two socks than to finish one and then have to "start over" to knit the second one. The method works best for the leg and foot sections, which are long and repetitive. The heel section is tricky enough that I will probably continue to do heels one at a time.

Those are cute! And they look very comfy.

Socks!

>113 dudes22: thank you! I can vouch for their comfy-ness, too.

>114 AnnaClaire: Yes! 😀

I have seriously neglected this thread! Fortunately I just finished a project:



Earlier this year I bought yarn for a workshop at the Lancaster Knitter's Retreat. I decided not to complete the project we worked on at the retreat (a beaded cowl), in favor of working one of the instructor/designer's stranded colorwork designs. The photos don't do the color justice -- the darker color is more of a deep purple; the lighter color has some very faint lavender in it. The cowl was fun to knit and looks more complicated than it really is. The finished piece is about 14" long which makes for a kind of biggish thing, so I'm not sure how much I'll actually wear it. But I needed practice in color work, especially maintaining even tension (there's a tendency for pieces to pucker up as a result of changing from one color to another). I actually knit about 20 rows and decided to start over for that very reason. So on a technical level, this was a worthwhile effort.

I've also been spending a lot of time on Level 2 of the Master Hand Knitter program, which I started in September. Most of the written work is done, including 4 book reviews and a 4-5 page report on the History of Hand Knitting (which was much more interesting than I expected it to be!)

I'm also just over halfway through the 19 required swatches. The first 9 swatches demonstrate different seaming techniques used to join the sides and sleeves of garments. The next few swatches focus on lace and cables. This requires selecting a lace (or cable) motif and designing a swatch within certain specifications (length, width, number of repeats of the design, etc.). The lace swatches are done:



I'm currently working on the cable swatches. After that, there are swatches to demonstrate buttonholes, pockets, neckbands, etc. The swatches are taking me longer than in Level 1, because they are more complex, require more up-front thought and planning, and sometimes involve new techniques so I don't always do them correctly on the first try. Level 2 also requires 3 projects: a wristlet in a fair isle pattern, an argyle sock, and a vest, which I won't even think about until I get through the swatches. So, lots of work still ahead.

>116 lauralkeet: I confess that I wouldn't wear the lovely cowl very often either...except for ALL winter. Currently, we're having a warm spell, but I have a calendar, and I know that there will be plenty of days where such a thing will be welcome. You're doing very nice work. I miss knitting.

Thank you, Lynda. You make a good point, we have much colder weather ahead too. I'll keep the cowl where I keep my scarves, mittens, etc. so it's handy.

What are your knitting plans to begin the New Year, Laura. I'm sure you have some ;-)

>116 lauralkeet: Really like this - you did a good job. I prefer them to scarves - unless it is bitterly cold and you need to wrap one across your chest. Fair Isle patterns are quite challenging to knit even just with two colours. Well done

>120 avaland: um ... I s'pose it's more of the same, really. The Master Hand Knitter program will keep me busy through 2019, but I also need to have at least one fun project on the go at all times. So I just started another pair of socks, and I have more sock yarn in my stash which I've told myself I should use up before buying yarn for other projects. But THEN ... perusing the upcoming classes at a yarn shop here, I was tempted by a Fair Isle sweater class. I haven't decided yet whether I'll sign up, but I would like to learn more about colorwork techniques.

>121 justmum: Thank you so much! You all are really helping me get over my uncertainty about that piece.

>116 lauralkeet: - I like that a lot. I've seen some other cowls on Pintrest that make me think about starting to knit again.

Just working with some very strange yarn at the moment. It is like thread mostly with very thick lengths of about 8" included. Was going to crochet with it but it didn't seem to turn out well, so it was back to the pins again. Just good old garter stitch seems to have worked - knitting up each ball in 50 stitch strips then joining them to make a throw for the guest room.

That sounds like strange yarn, indeed. What brand is it?

I meant to ask, Laura, (and can't remember if you have said) but has either of your daughters caught the knitting bug?

>126 avaland: Lois, I actually caught the knitting bug from older daughter Kate. She took a class at the college craft center her first year at university and brought her knitting home at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It looked like fun and I found I could take lessons at a local yarn shop. Julia took lessons with me, but didn't particularly enjoy it. Kate still knits, but lately has been more into ceramics.

.127 Oh, I do remember that now. How lovely to have that in common with Kate.

>125 lauralkeet: King Cole - will try and post a pic when it's all done which will be soon.