An Orchid for Nancy

I pushed myself to finish this sweater yesterday and, after 6 hours of non-stop sewing, here is the final result:

It's a Kim Hargreaves' design called "Orchid" from her Nectar collection. (Also the same design as "Beatrix" in her Thrown Together collection and "Darcy" in the Heartfelt collection). This one is made up in Rowan purelife organic cotton naturally dyed in the Logwood colorway.



In this close-up of the neckline you can see the array of buttons used.

My friend Nancy (the giftee) picked up these vintage buttons at a crafts fair and asked that I use a random assortment. No two buttons are alike on this sweater!

Because this was a gift, I tried my very hardest to do a perfect job, but of course there were mistakes.

1. I messed up on the broken rib pattern while working the short row shaping on the back peplum. Did not go back and rip it out.

2. The buttonholes are a bit sloppy. I don't like the method of yo, k2tog -- I much prefer to cast off two stitches, then cast back on, then work the cast-ons the following row. Much neater looking.

and,

Lessons learned:

1. I learned how to do mattress stitch. For me, I have to leave the loops small and pull the seam closed every few stitches or the yarn gets hopelessly stuck.

2. My bind-off is usually too tight, but I learned it's also possible to make it too loose. The neckline is bordeline floppy. Sigh.

3. I am a huge devotee of the single crocheted seam. I know, I know, it's bulky. But, it's quick! By the time I'm piecing together a sweater, I'm ready for quick!

Casting off until next time ....

Color Me ... Turquoise

I can't resist fun little quizzes like this one which gives you the colors that describe your personality. My colors are green and blue which seems to fit pretty well. Given that I'm a therapist, the other parts seem to fit as well.

you are turquoise #40E0D0

Your dominant hues are green and blue. You're smart and you know it, and want to use your power to help people and relate to others. Even though you tend to battle with yourself, you solve other people's conflicts well. Your saturation level is higher than average - You know what you want, but sometimes know not to tell everyone. You value accomplishments and know you can get the job done, so don't be afraid to run out and make things happen. Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

I know, I know, what does this have to do with knitting? Not much. But, I have been knitting away and the creative juices have been flowing as I design a sweater that is a hybrid of several I've admired. I don't want to blog about it too soon, however, before I find out if it's a success or not. Don't worry, apparently "I know I can get the job done!"

Daisy Buttons? You be the Judge

I'm knitting Orchid from Nectar by Kim Hargreaves for a friend who has a funky, retro sensibility.

Yesterday, I found these black and white daisy buttons in my LYS.

Question: Are these super cute and would totally make the look? Or, are they incredibly tacky?

Let me know what you think. Here is another look at the buttons:



I was also thinking of adding a thin cream-colored edging to the neck and front to complement the two tone look.

Rainbow Brocade

I've finally finished the body of the brocade vest, which I plan to turn into a cardigan. As you can see the colors are very vibrant. My husband refers to this as my "psychadelic" knitting.

I've edged the pocket tops with black wool and plan to do the same with all of the edges. I think I will add sleeves in black as well. For the sharp-eyed among you, you will notice a big mistake on the right-hand side of the front where the pattern doesn't match below and above the pocket tops. Oh well, it's too late to fix that now!

Next up: Steeking and edging.

A Pop Quiz

There is an interview for the S.O.s of knitters circulating on the web. I found it here at Purl Diva: Knitters Are Sexy and traced it back through about 15 knitters, but not to the original source, so I can't properly credit her whoever she may be. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to interview my husband.

First, a little background information: About 9 years ago I knit him a sweater in cotton yarn. The yarn stretched and stretched and stretched until we laughingly referred to it as his "sleeping bag." It was eventually frogged.

Me: What is your favorite thing about my knitting?

Him: The quality of what you make.

Me: What is your least favorite thing about my knitting?

Him: It takes time away from me.

Me: What is something I've knit that you recall as good?

Him: Everything you've done in the past year or so.

Me: Do you think knitters have an expensive hobby?

Him: No. (Smile. I guess I've got him buffaloed on that one!)

Me: Do you have any hobbies?

Him: Yes. (No elaboration offered)

Me: Do you have a stash of any kind?

Him: You mean like my liquor cabinet?

Me: Have I ever embarrassed you by knitting in public?

Him: No.

Me: Do you know my favorite kind of yarn?

Him: No. (In all fairness, I don't really have a favorite.)

Me: Can you name a knitting blog?

Him: Well, there's "Knitters of America" (smile -- he means Ravelry)

Me: Do you mind my wanting to stop at yarn stores wherever we go?

Him: No.

Me: Do you understand the importance of a swatch?

Him: Yes. That's where you practice knitting the thing you're going to knit to make sure the compression and size are right. That's what you should have done before you knit my sleeping bag!

Me: Have you read Knitting Therapy?

Him: I have once or twice.

Me: Did you leave a comment?

Him: No.

Me: Do you think the house would be cleaner if I didn't knit.

Him: He laughs and says, "Yes!" (We often joke about our crimes and misdemeanors against Good Housekeeping Practices.)

Me: Anything else you'd like to add?

Him: No.

Experiment in Brocade

With this project I am attempting to stretch myself in terms of my knitting abilities. I'm experimenting with circular stranded knitting and colorwork. I'm trying to teach myself how to knit with a color in each hand, to weave in the ends, avoid twisted stitches, and notice the effect of different color combinations. It's a lot. But, I'm having fun, so the end result is almost beside the point.

So, it's a vest knit with a two-color brocade pattern that was designed to be knit in pieces in intarsia. I've chosen to knit it as a stranded pattern on circular needles with two balls of Kauni Rainbow (EQ) colorway yarn.



The pattern is a lot of fun to watch develop as the colors change and the non-repeating pattern unfolds.


The yarn holders are a little distracting -- they are keeping the pocket stitches "live" to be finished later.


The pattern was taken from an old (1992) Kim Hargreaves book.


Oh, BTW, did I mention it has a steek? (Eek!) Stay tuned as the fun continues ...

A Berry Happy 4th!

Here's a firecracker of a sweater for the 4th -- although it's obviously much too hot to wear it. It's already stored away for October. I love the soft hand of this yarn (Knit Picks Andean Silk in Hollyberry).

Project Details:

Pattern: Lily Chin, Knitters' Magazine Fall 2002
Yarn: Knit Picks Andean Silk in Hollyberry (55% Alpaca, 23% silk, 22% Merino wool)