Knitting Finishes

I've been doing a lot more knitting than quilting the last several months, and I finished this sweater this morning--for the third time. I tried a loop and button for the closure but didn't like it, so I ripped out the trim around the neck and reknit it with the tie.

This is the V Neck Cardigan from Knitting Pure and Simple, top down, pretty easy to do. The yarn is Berroco Remix, a blend of cotton and silk with a tweedy effect and very nice to work with. Last spring or summer I  took a class at my LYS called "Knit Your First Garment". We made a vest with a chunky cotton, so it was quick to knit, and I learned a lot, but it really doesn't fit well because it's too big. This is my first knit sweater, and it fits just right. I'm tickled.

The pattern for the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket was nutty to follow because I adjusted the size. The pattern was confusing in the first place, but trying to figure out the stitch count for the alternate size made my head hurt. Nevertheless, it turned out very nicely, although it's probably sized to fit an elf.

I used Noro Silk Garden, which I think is awfully itchy, but the colors are every bit as intense as they look in the photo. One of my knitting pals made a scarf in Noro Silk Garden, and it was considerably softer than this sweater, so it must soften with use or perhaps laundering.

I'm tempted to make one of these in an adult size for myself, but Zimmerman only gives you a vague description of the math involved to make one, so it seems you have to write the pattern yourself, which might make my head explode.

The Quick Slip Cowl, which takes about 10 minutes, is knit with Berroco Brio, a chunky weight yarn. It doesn't really take 10 minutes, but it's a pretty fast knit. I've never been much of a scarf person, but it's been arctic in the northeast and getting colder still, and it's very nice to have a bit more warmth around my neck.

I finished the Leftie scarf, by Martina Behm, well before Christmas. I used an Ella Rae Lace Merino in a sock weight plus a purple sock weight yarn for the leaves. This is a fun little scarf to make and wear, and making them is getting to be an addiction with the ladies I knit with at the yarn shop. One of my pals has made three, another pal is finishing up her second and is starting a third, and I'm getting ready to start another as well.

I've had one of these patterned socks done for quite a while and finally finished the second one the other day. I forget which book they were from, but they weren't as hard to knit as I thought they would be. Making a patterned sock was on my bucket list--mission accomplished. I started a grey pair too and also have one more sock to go. Next up on the sock bucket list is toe up.

My LYS also offered a class for Dreambird, so I took that one too. It's been slow going because I was trying to finish up other projects. So far I have eight feathers done. I think the pattern calls for 28, but I suppose you can do as many as you want.

I don't think the pattern is particularly well written (but English is not the author's primary language), but neither do I think it's terribly difficult. It only took a couple of feathers to get the hang of it; but after 8 feathers I can watch tv but not carry on a conversation. I used a fingering weight yarn with alpaca in it for the main color and a Mille Colori for the feathers. It's interesting to see that the two colors in the yarn are alternating every other feather. An interesting pattern indeed.