Hoodie Sweater

My son's 3rd birthday was in October and I always like to knit him a little special something for his birthdays. This year it was a hoodie sweater.

Pattern: Child Hooded Jacket by Sirdar from their booklet number 318, Lazy Days and Holidays
Yarn: RYC Cashsoft DK in the color Mist
Needles: size US 6 (size US 3 for the trim)


I made only a few modifications and they were really only in the construction of the sweater. I added full fashioned shaping at the raglan sleeves. The pattern gave instructions to make the decreases right at the edge and there was no way I was going to try to seam that up. Also the pattern gave instructions to bind off the stitches at the neckline only to pick up and knit the same amount of stitches for the hood. I was seriously like, "huh????" so I just kept the stitches on a holder and joined them all together for the hood. Ingenious, I know.

I am really happy with the way this turned out. The closures kind of disappoint me because they are so stretchy that they don't keep the sweater closed all the way and I feel like they look a bit wonky. Other than that, the fit is great and the yarn is a dream. It is so soft and drapes very nicely.

I must say, my son has finally become a good little model for me. I used to have to chase him around and pray for one good shot but now he actually poses for me. I guess he just got used to modeling the sweaters I knit for him. This time around, I would say "turn a little to the left, ok, hold it there" and it was done. "Now give me your best leaf face. Work it, work it."

See, he's a total pro.

Check This Out: Hortensia

I am absolutely loving these knits by Hortensia.




These unique designs are all hand knit by skilled artisans in Peru and they are made out of Peruvian alpaca. Check them out at www.hortensiahandmade.com. Enjoy!

Fairisle Yoked Sweater

Last year, my husband and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary and the gift for your 7th is wool. (Maybe that's why they call it the 7 year itch. Wool. Get it?) Anyway, moving on. My husband said he would really like to see me knit a fairisle sweater and to pick out a pattern and he would buy the yarn for my anniversary gift. Perfect. One year later, I have a finished fairisle sweater. (It didn't take me a year to knit. I had to get a few projects out of the way before I could start this.)


The pattern is Fairisle Yoked Sweater by Debbie Bliss from her booklet called "The Cashmere Collection." I also used Debbie Bliss Yarn - Cashmerino DK in seven different colors. The original color of the sweater is in a light blue with a darker blue as a contrast color. I wanted a white sweater with navy as a secondary color and then I chose the other colors to compliment the white/navy combination. Neddles were a size 5.

The only mods I made were to add an inch and a half to the length and two inches to the sleeves. I am so happy with the way this sweater turned out and it fits me perfectly. I made sure to measure everything this time around and I feel like I finally got it right.

One of the reasons I chose this sweater over other fairisle patterns was because of the cuff and collar detail. I love how the cuffs turn up. Overall, a great pattern and a fun knit.

Check This Out: Lutz & Patmos

As I was perusing my October issue of Vogue (not Knitting), I came across a lovely picture of Charlize Theron in a totally gorgeous, chunky, cable-y handknit twinset. And I am a huge sucker for cables. It was a write up on the brand Lutz & Patmos, whose eco-friendly, timeless knits are making a big splash.

Then, I got the latest West Elm catalog, and there they were again, with thick knit cabled throws and pillows. Don't you just want to wrap yourself up in this:

I love when knits go mainstream. You can check them out at www.lutzandpatmos.com and you can find that cozy throw at www.westelm.com. Enjoy!

Blink

Well, it seems that if I blink, months fly by! I have been off the radar (again!) and not really meaning to do so. I can tell you exactly what happened - besides life being incredibly busy and all that. I had finished my sweater way back in the end of August after finally weaving in all of those pesky ends, I had my husband take pics out in the park on a very sunny morning - and they came out bad. The sun was too bright, the shadows were too dark, the colors came out all wrong, etc., etc. So I never posted them here and I have been meaning to schedule another photo shoot but have never had the chance. Crazy, I know, that in the past two months I haven't had a few minutes to take pictures of my sweater, but it is true. They are coming - soon. I hope. No, they are, they are.

In the mean time I have other things I am working on, and that I have completed, so I will get on with those. Here's what's on my needles:

A simple ribbed hat - almost done.



My "Holiday" sweater. Can not wait to finish this one. Can. Not. Wait.

I will be back, hopefully with some pictures of my finished fair isle sweater that are good enough to post.