a sweater for ME!

I do recall promising you pics of a new F.O. 

Remember this?? It's my summer sweater knit along project of this year!! I have so missed knitting garments! The last sweater I knit for myself was LAST YEAR PEOPLE. That's just too long ago. 

This was actually done on the first day of my vacation. Haha. It's funny that I even brought it with me to work on, as there was only about half an hour's worth left of work to do on it. But that's ok. It came in handy, because there were a few chilly evenings in Ontario while we were there.

I am really starting to look forward to the chill of a fall morning. Fall really is one of my favourite times of the year, and I know I'll be reaching for this sweater heaps!

So.. the deets:

pattern: Oatmeal Pullover by Jane Richmond

yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky in colour Crush. - I used just under 4 skeins. 

needle: 6.5mm/US 10.5 

            8.00mm/US 11

size knit: 36

As with all the other times I've knit this pullover, it knit up like a breeze. Honestly, it practically flew off the needles!

I think that the wool of the andes bulky is an excellent substitute yarn. It worked up great, and I love the stitch definition! I'll most definitely use it again. The only mods I made to the pattern is that I knit a full round in between the raglan increase rounds. 

Of course with this being the end of August, this sweater will sure be a fave of mine in my fall wardrobe. How have you been doing with your sweater knitting? I can't wait to cast on another sweater!! 

Tell me, what's on your needles? Are you reaching for the bulky yarns yet? xo

SSKAL - what I'll be knitting.

Guys!
You know what tomorrow is, right? It's the beginning of the summer sweater knit along with very shannon! wahoo! This is by far the most popular knit along she has, and it's so fun! I really had wanted to participate in the tops, tanks & tees kal, but sadly my knitting schedule couldn't accommodate...
But I can do a sweater... right?
no. I will.

see, I'm being realistic here, I've chosen a sweater that takes bulky yarn... and I"ve already knit this sweater 3 times already... so yah, it will be easy, peasy...

Want to know what I'll be knitting?
pattern: Jane Richmond's Oatmeal Pullover.
yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky in "crush".

I'm pretty excited about this one. Because well who doesn't need a hot pink sweater? Also, my previous oatmeal has been worn out... I loved it that much...

Want to join in? The KAL runs from July 30 - Sept 24.. and there are always some pretty amazing prizes! It's really fun, and the group of knitters you get to know are fantastic!!
Find all of the details and sign up form here. And be sure to join in on the ravelry group for inspiration, knitterly chats, and generally seeing what everyone else is knitting! xo

Are you joining in on the summer sweater KAL? tell me, what will you be casting on? xo

Imagine that... another F.O!

Today is a holiday for us Canadians... it's Canada Day!!! And as a bonus I have another F.O to show you! huzzah! Do you remember this yarn?

from Neighborhood Fiber Co. site.

I had snagged it while at vogue knitting live back in march. Actually a group of us decided that we would do a mini knit along! The sample that was knitted with this yarn at the neighborhood fiber co.'s booth was actually Joji Locatelli's Imagine When Shawl. As soon as I had tried it on, I knew I wanted this shawl, in this yarn.

Our knit along was very simple. We just needed to cast on at the same time, and there were no deadlines. This was something I knew I could commit to! I really do love the result of my new shawl! And the colour! gah! It's really just so stunning!

And so back in March, I cast on and just plugged away at this shawl whenever I had the chance. I truly enjoyed knitting it.

Here are my deets:
pattern: Imagine When Shawl by Joji Locatelli
yarn: Neighborhood Fiber Co. Capital Luxury Lace. Color: Georgetown.  seriously luxe yarn!
needle: signatures 3.5mm / US 4

My version is a bit smaller, though I made no changes to the pattern, other than use a smaller needle. Looking back, I think a larger needle would have been good... but what can you do. :)

This yarn blocks out beautifully, and the shawl has incredible drape. I really am in love with it! 

This now officially means that I have nothing on the needles for me. what the what?! Besides my work knitting, I have a couple of gift knitting projects on the needles that I can soon share with you! I have been a busy little knitting bee... and loving it!

Wishing you a happy first day of July! What are your plans for the day? Are you celebrating the holiday too? What's on your needles today? xo

a new F.O!

I have a new F.O to share with you!

These socks are from Wendy D. Johnson's book Socks from the Toe Up. They're the diagonal lace socks. I found the pattern so easy to memorize and the outcome is really so lovely!

I used my 2.0mm /US 0 hiya hiya sharps. oh my goodness, I love these needles! I love both of my addi sock rockets and these hiya hiya's. though the join I like more on the hiya hiya's. so smooth!!

The yarn you see is sweet georgia cashluxe fine in cayenne.

Oh how I love them! When I first started the socks with sarah KAL I wondered if I'd get any socks done. Pretty pessimistic, I know but I was trying to be realistic too. I have heaps to knit during the week before I can concentrate on gift knitting and lastly selfish knitting.
However, the idea of working a little here and a little there on socks has paid off! I have to admit, I love the idea of always having a pair of socks on the needles! Gotta love the easy to grab, easy to tote, potato chip knitting. ;)

Now the big question is, which to cast on next?! xo

what the!?

wow . it seems i have dropped off of blog - world last week! ha. i was still a busy little knitter, just very little time for computer related things...
how is it JUNE already? can you tell me that? I honestly don't know how our days just fly by like this... maybe it means i'm getting old? le sigh.. at any rate... i wish it would slow down already!

even though my work schedule is starting to really pile up (the main reason for my not being able to post) i make sure to only do selfish knitting (or my gift knitting) on the weekends.... It's a break that i know i need to give myself, and a chance to knit with the yarns that i've been coveting... and that are so very patiently waiting for me to knit with... about 98% of what i knit leaves the house... it's not for me, and that's all fine.. but sometimes this girl right here needs a good selfish knit...

soo this weekend i finally cast on another pair of socks! though i'm trying to be diligent with the socks with sarah kal... i just don't allow myself to do any selfish knitting throughout the week (unless i have all my work done)... so in the spirit of this kal, i will still hope to have socks on the needles most of the time...
let me tell you, it felt great to cast on!

i'm knitting the diagonal lace socks.. and they are knitting up quickly, I must say.. though the numbers for the heel in the pattern don't seem to add up, (maybe it's just me though...) and so i've decided to just go with my tried and true gusset heel... still in the same book. i like that heel. and it fits me great.

the yarn i'm using is sweet georgia cashluxe fine in cayenne. i LOVE it. it's been a while since I"ve knit with sweet georgia... oh it's nice to be spoiling myself.

now i'm about to dive into another week of knitting, and running, and all of the household stuff that keeps us busy... i'd love to hear what you have planned for your week! there might be homemade pasta in my future... and knitting too, of course. ;) xo

friday!

bring on the weekend!!!!

we've been having some fabulous weather here on the west coast of Canada, and it certainly rings in may with a huge ray of sunshine! also, it's may? holy.

and oldie, but a goodie. :)

this weekend i plan on soaking up the outdoors! my kiddo has a tball game, and a birthday party to go to... so hopefully i get some knitting in, and maybe a date night! tell me, what are you planning for this weekend? any last minute yarn shopping for the ttt kal that will be starting next week? what have you decided to knit?

come chat. it's  a lovely day for it! oxo

imagine KAL

so remember when i went to vogue knitting live? remember how much yarn i bought? (yeah, i'm linking it to two seperate posts... because that's how much yarn i got... ) and how i seem to have this habit of not casting on with those new yarns for ever..?? well i'm knitting with one of the newer skeins now! yipeeeee!!!!!

my absolute fave booth while there was neighborhood fiber co. hands down. of course i loved so many of the booths, but if i could have spent more at this booth, i would have...

the layout was stunning, and easy to manoeuvre in... and there were samples to try! so i tried one... it was joji's imagine when shawl. it was a light as air.. and the drape was just so lovely! i was in love... actually a bunch of us were in love... the sample was knit with the capital luxury lace, which is a make up of 80% wool/10% cashmere/10% nylon .... and the yardage is a whopping 560 yds!!! i had to show you their website photo of the yarn i grabbed, because i had such a hard time capturing the colour!

this photo is taken from neighorhod fiber co. it is their photo.

so right then and there, we decided to snag skeins and start our own KAL. no kidding! the deal was just to cast on on the same day, and then just knit it when you can.. we don't have a deadline... i love it. no stress...

guys. i love LOVE the colour i chose! the above photo is from the website.. i just had such a hard time capturing it on my camera.... the colour is: georgetown. i looooove it!!!

and i'm actually working away on this lovely shawl! i'm hoping it will use up most of the yarn... as the pattern calls for 500 yards, i'm hopeful. i just love it so much!

i'm not nearly as far as a lot of the other ladies who have joined in... and that's ok... i'm loving every stitch, and knitting with this yarn, and my signature needles? eek! i'm a happy girl.

i'm most definately in my happy zone when i'm knitting this.... and when it's done, i'll have a fantastic shawl to wrap up in! yay for selfish knitting!! bonus, is that many of my dear friends will have the same shawl! i'm thinking we should have a group pic when they're all done... no? xo

are you in?

i can't believe that it's already time for the tops, tanks and tee's KAL!

 my pal shannon hosts them, and they are fun! it's definitely a great way to get on board with knitting... and be excited for garment knitting too! the first ttt kal that i did, i knitted gemini. it's a jane richmond pattern (no big surprise there, as i'm such a fan of her patterns!) and i loved it!

i learned a bit in this kal. this was the first time that i had ever worked with 100% linen. i do love the outcome of it. this top still looks new, years later! but knitting with linen is definitely not something my hands were used to. i found i needed to space it out with other "softer" knits.

the bonus with knitting with linen though is that the blocking process is soooo easy! you can literally toss it in the washer and the dryer! shutthefrontdoor! i'm being serious. it's awesome!

the following year, i knitted work + shelter (the short sleeved version) by allyson dykhuizen.

 this literally flew off the needles. such a fast knit! this was knit with knit picks' cotLin. and i have to say, i love that stuff!

it's also a shirt that looks just like new still!

i know there's always a rush of excitement with this kal... (and just wait until you get into the summer sweater kal!) and many end up doing several tops! this year, shan has opted for a shorter time frame for the kal.

i am really hoping to partake in it this year.... and i have a few ideas... the main one being a re-do actually! ... years ago i knit "make up your mind" by knittedblissJC.

sadly, i've never worn it!.... i had decided almost right after i had finished knitting it that i wished each of my "sections" were a tad longer... and of course now i kind of think i'd like it a bit baggier too... sooo i ended up frogging it... and i still have the yarn.... (plus extra).... this just might be the project for me!

of course that way i'm using stash yarn, which is kinda important these days.... i'm hoping to show you my stash soon, so you'll see why. ahem.

i know for a fact that my queue will grow with seeing what others will be knitting for this kal, but that's what i'm thinking for me so far anyways... :) now let's hope i can squeeze in the knitting time for this, hey? xo

tell me, are you joining in? what will you be creating? come chat! xo

click click click

so the results came in as strep. poor little dude. this is why it's been a bit quiet on the blog as of late. but thankfully he's seeming back to his normal self (thank you antibiotics!)
of course, with today being a rainy day.... it's a major knitting day! yippee!!! there's just something about the sound of rain that makes me just want to curl up and knit... !!!
... and not just work knitting! look what i have finally finished?!?!

i promise there will be many more pics... this is the best i could do with the early morning grey skies ;)
i'm also back on the socks with sarah kal.. if it even counts, as i had to take some sock knitting time off.... and with this shawl being done, i can also focus and hopefully catch up to friends who are doing the imagine kal!

so for now though, it's much coffee, and the sound of my needles clicking away, along with the soothing sound of the rain.

what are you up to today? are you taking a moment to breathe, and let life slow down around you even for just a moment? come chat! i've missed you! xo

LINDEN mitts! take two.

a lot of you knitters who are big followers of jane richmond were probably aware of her linden mitts KAL that was going on. 

it has been a little while since i've knit one of her patterns, so i had made promises to myself and to jane that i would totally participate... but the start date flew past me and i was no way near ready to cast on, as other deadlines had to be met... no worries... i knew i was going to seattle and would have plenty of time to knit during vogue knitting live... (ummmm yah, not so much knitting happened... more yarn shopping than knitting for sure) hahah ok no worries... so i still had a week left. i can do this. no big deal... 

and then it was friday, and i hadn't even cast on. what the heck!? 

so i'm stubborn. and i totally took on the challenge that i would still be able to eek out a pair of mitts in a couple of days... in fingering weight. 

honestly, it's the very easy to follow pattern, and the self striping yarn that makes these such a quick knit! 

wait... does this style look familiar to you? well it should! about a year ago i knit up my first pair! 

pros of being a close friend to the designer.. you get sneak peeks of patterns before they are released! hee hee.... 

and so now i have two pairs. and i'm pretty sure i won't stop there. i really do love these mitts! they are just as addictive as sock knitting. easy to tote around, and before you know it, they're done! 

the deets of this pattern:

linden mittens by: jane richmond

yarn: knit picks felici, fingering weight, aquarium (1 skein)

        knit picks felici, fingering weight,  sunny day (1 skein) - this is the original pair that i had knit

needle: 2.25mm /US 1

for details of the first pair, check out this post.

i had heaps of fun participating in this KAL. a lot of people even eeked out two pairs! well done!!! this was a blast. and such a quick (surprisingly) and gratifying knit! thanks jane! xo

from the deep

well it has been uber quiet in this space. my poor little dude had a combination of the flu and an ear infection last week. so not fun. and of course, mama is feeling under the weather,... over the weekend i was able to catch up on some much needed sleep....(10:30!!) however sadly, i don't feel much more rested... so clearly, i'm fighting something nasty... at least i get lots of knitting time!
today is family day here in bc. my man has to work, so it's just me and owen today... i think we'll milk this last day before he's back in school....

but speaking of knitting... i have actually been working away on a pair of socks! i'm thinking i just might sign up for the socks with sarah kal. ... even if i am a little late in joining... i just love the idea of always having socks on the go... and really, my stash is mostly fingering weight single skeins... ha.
so i dug down deep in the stash and came up with a skein i thought i probably would never knit with. but michael's surprises me sometimes! i'm kinda totally liking how this is knitting up! it's actually lion brand sock ease. the colour way is taffy i believe.

though i do have to focus on work knitting now.. (so hard when i just want to work away on these!) but it's something to look forward to in the evenings!

how was your weekend? are you celebrating family day today? come chat. i've missed you! xo

wooly hugs

finally the weather has turned to fall, and this means owen can wear the sweater I knit for him!! hurrah!!! call me sentimental but i feel like him wearing a hand knit is kind of like him getting a hug from me... even if i'm not right there. <3

i'm sure i'm the most excited about it, and i'm really hoping he doesn't get too warm in school today, but I didn't care. hahaha I wanted him wearing a hand knit already.

i love this time of year, as crazy as it gets for us knitters... our minds are flying a mile a minute, trying to figure how quickly we can get all of those hand knits done in time for the holidays. of course, now that owen is in school, i've been thinking about a gift for his teacher too! goodness i have to be on the ball this year!
but for now, let's enjoy his sweater, shall we? i'm so glad i have that crossed off my list. and i'm glad that the sweater worked out to be a tad big. these kiddos need room to grow!

and i really do love how it fits him. xo

he loves the sweater, and i know he'll be warm in it. this makes my heart so very happy!

this pic is a bit over exposed, but i love it still :).. and it helps to show the detail of the sweater. xo

so just a quick recap of this project:
pattern: fisherman's pullover by Veera Välimäki

yarn: cascade eco + in heathered purple. (less than 1 skein) 

size: 6

needle: 5.5mm and 6.0mm 

mods: i knitted the sleeves in the larger needle as i felt they were a little snug. the rest of the sweater i did in the smaller needle as owen has a pretty skinny torso. 

this is the second time i've knit this sweater, and i'm sure there will be a few more in the future. i love how quick it knits up. the instructions are clear, and i absolutely love the result! and bonus, i had a sweater done for the sskal. (even if it wasn't my size) xo

are your kids in hand knits yet? do you have some grand plans for holiday knitting? come chat! xo

sweater triumph! ... almost...

I've been pretty quiet on the sskal front it seems. but I do have my reasons... something bad happened, and I had to set the project aside for a while I will get to that project in a second. first, let's start with the good news, hey?
I have a finished sweater! not's not the robin, no. it's this one:

I promised my little man a sweater for the start of school! and he's got one! (though as I had predicted, it's far too warm for him to wear it this week. lol)

I've knit this sweater before, and I absolutely love the pattern. here are the deets:
pattern: fisherman's pullover by veera valimaki
yarn: cascade eco + 100% wool.
needles: 5.5mm, 6.0mm
size: 6

I knit this exactly to the pattern, the only mod I made was to use the larger needle for the sleeves. they were just a little too tight otherwise, and once I made the switch to the 6.0mm I was much happier with the outcome.
owen will be uber warm and cozy in this perfect fall and winter sweater. I can't wait for the weather to cool down so he can wear it! (yeah... I did just say that out loud.. lol) and once he does put it on for a decent photo op, i'll be sure to update my ravelry page xo

now for the bad news.. well it's not sooo bad, it isn't the end of the world... but remember robin?

... i'm knitting with 100% alpaca and it's pretty slippery! also working on 3.25mm needles make for tiny stitches. well anyways, I went to try on robin, as I was a few inches past separating for the sleeves, and I noticed a hole!
what?!?!!? it looks like either my knot failed, or the yarn snapped. at any rate, I had a hole. and it landed right on my boob. so my fix HAS to be perfect. so I ripped the stitch back to where the hole was... I was pretty nervous, i'm not going to lie...

in the end I think I might have fixed it, however not a lot of knitting has been done on that sweater.. I needed a breather. also, what with the start of kindergarten, and work knitting really picking up... I needed the break.... soooo i'll get back to it, I promise. my plan is to have it done in time for knit city anyways. that being said.. I still do love this pattern, and this yarn.. it's so soft, and I love the colour combo!

 don't worry guys. I haven't fallen out of love or anything. it will happen. and this sweater will be all worth it!


how are you doing on the summer sweater kal? I've seen some serious progress from a lot of people! well done! any fave projects? come chat. I miss my little while he's at school. xo

getting ready...

This fall marks some huge changes for our family... lots of new things. The biggest being that my little man is starting kindergarten!! How did that happen so fast?!  I'm certainly not going to get all emotional... not here, not now (probably later though..) ... but yeah.. boo urns! However, it does call for a new sweater for him. :) (any excuse to knit!)
Several years ago I knit owen the fisherman's pullover. it's a fabulous veera pattern. (love her patterns!) And it fit him so well! he looked downright adorable I think....  see?

Anyways, sadly I hated the yarn I had used for this one. It pilled horribly. .. and he didn't get nearly as much use out of this sweater as I would have loved... so I think it's time for a re-make. He's picked the yarn... and I happen to have enough in my stash! (it's cascade eco + in a heathered purple) That in itself calls for a happy dance.

So somehow in the next few weeks, I'll pull off an amazing feat and knit him a sweater for school.... while still keeping on top of my other knitterly obligations. I can do it, right?

... besides, distractions are good... and my little man deserves this <3 daddy has to go to sea next week, and will be gone until the end of October... told you.. lots of big changes here...

How are you doing with the end of summer? Are you feeling nostalgic already for the campfires, swimming, stargazing, and late nights? I am. But I'm also really looking forward to fall. it is after all, my favourite time of the year! Even with the big changes this year ;) xo

i promise i've been knitting!

it's time to chat summer sweater knit along!!

although we are all well into the summer sweater knit along, let me just do my first official post about it, m'kay? haha. honestly, where has the summer gone?!? I thought I had heaps of time to do both sweaters I had in mind... but we'll see now. haha. considering i'm using 3.25mm needles i'd say I've got some serious knitting ahead of me...

but i'm up for it. because look at these lovely colours!! and this is going to be so soft and so warm when it's done!

this is certainly a sweater I have to have patience for though. not because it's difficult. it's really not ...but it's knit up in sport weight yarn. my drops alpaca I think is even smaller than what the designer originally used... and as i'm a loose knitter, I need even smaller needles (the norm for me..) I am however really enjoying this knit, and I have not gotten at all bored with the stockinette. the short rows at the beginning were such an interesting introduction to the first stripe... and i'm loving knitting with my signature needles.. (clearly i'm in love).  after knitting all day for work knitting, i'm reaching for my robin. I really am loving it! xo

as some of you know... the plan is also to knit up boxy in wollmeise..(wasabi)! and when I started a swatch in 3.5mm needles I have to say I thought it was too loose... so now i'm waiting out for my 3.25mm. good incentive to finish up the robin. :)

wanting to join in on the summer sweater knit along? you can even include your wips this year!! which is a total bonus and incentive to finish up long ago projects!!

dates: start - July 24th

          end - September 18th (but there's usually an extension so you've got heaps of time!)

 

for sign up head on over here

 

and for all other info regarding the rules... check out luvinthemommyhood's ravelry forum on it.

it's really such a blast and there are so many friends to be made! xo

tell me, how are you doing on the sskal? which sweater is on your needles?? this morning looks like an overcast day, complete with showers! we've promised my little a kung fu trial this evening before heading out for pirate pack day at whitespot...(apparently the grown ups get pirate packs too.. haha) and then drinks out with a friend... i'd say it's a good day to get some knitting done. no?