Winter Dress

Once I got back I cast on my Winter Dress using Winter Amethyst on Luxe from the Unique Sheep.  There is a create along in the Gorgeous Gradients group on Ravelry that I'm participating in.  I cast on yesterday.  It took me two tries to get it right.  The first time I twisted it when I joined in the round.

This afternoon I finished up skein 6 and started on skein 5.

Project:  Alita Dress by Adrienne Larsen from Knitter's Magazine 116, Fall 2014
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Luxe in Winter Amethyst
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Lilac Pullover - Body and One Sleeve Done

Whenever I go on trips I agonize over what knitting projects to bring.  I can't bring everything so I have to choose carefully.  In the end I brought this project, and enough yarn to make another one, just in case.  I finished the body on the drive and one sleeve while I was there and started the second sleeve.  I'm about a third of the way done with the second sleeve.  I use a bolster made of paper towel rolls wrapped in plastic bags (from yarn shipments, of course) to block the sleeves.

Pattern:  Ladies Sweater - 1838 from Moments No. 005
Yarn:  SMC Select Extra Soft Merino Fino
Needles:  US 2.5 (3.0 mm) and US 3 (3.25 mm)

Practically December Vest - Finished

I finished up the vest on Christmas Eve and left it blocking while we went to visit family for Christmas.  I haven't trimmed the woven in ends yet.  I'm not sure about the cap sleeves.  They feel a bit unfinished to me.  I do have a little bit of yarn left over, so I may try and do a little edging on them.  I like the way the colors worked and it is a lot harder to tell where I switched skeins.

Pattern:  Practically by Kelly Herdrich
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy with Nylon
Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Practically December Vest

Sunday afternoon I frogged my giant gauge swatch and skeined the yarn and soaked it to get rid of the kinks.  The skeins from the upper back and left and right fronts dried quickly and Monday morning I was able to wind them into cakes.  The full skein that was the lower body took longer to dry and after I had wound the others up into cakes I put that last one on my swift and spread it out so it would finish drying.  I was able to wind that one into a cake yesterday afternoon.  I switched to that skein before I bound off for the cap sleeves, but you can't really see where it occurred.  I didn't feel like putting it on a longer cord, so it is a little bunched up on my dress maker dummy.

I did yarn overs for the increases on the yoke instead of knit front back.  When doing a lot of increases I think that the knit front back can leave the fabric looking pinched, and I like the effect of the yarn overs.  After I started working the body I did a quick yarn usage check and I will have enough to finish the pattern, with a little left over.

Pattern:  Practically by Kelly Herdrich
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy with Nylon
Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

December Vest or Extra Large Gauge Swatch

I finished up the body of the December Vest yesterday morning.  I had my doubts when I tried it on before blocking it, but I blocked it hoping things would improve.  It's not so bad from the back although you can see where I switch skeins, but not so good from the front, and doesn't look near as good on me as it does on the dress maker dummy.

I couldn't figure out what I was thinking when I started this one.  Oh well, at least I can frog it and re-use the yarn, and in the meantime it is a great gauge swatch.

So I spent this morning browsing Ravelry for a new pattern to knit with this yarn and found the Practically Vest by Kelly Herdrich.   This is a top down pattern, a design feature that I love, and if I have extra yarn I could always add sleeves.

Pattern:  Practically by Kelly Herdrich
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy with Nylon
Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

December Vest

I would have made more progress on my Lilac Pullover but I was distracted by this beauty.  This is the latest Dream Club color from Dream in Color and for some reason the colors just really spoke to me.  It is worsted weight so I ordered two skeins, which I figured would be enough to knit a vest.  I did a quick gauge swatch and whipped up a pattern in my Sweater Wizard software and cast on.

I just love the way the colors are pooling.  I did 2 x 2 ribbing (I'm not a fan of 1 x 1 ribbing) and am in the stockinette section.  I still have to figure out what I want to do on the front and armhole edges.  I may do a button band, with some pretty buttons.

Pattern:  December Vest, created in Sweater Wizard
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy with Nylon
Needle:  US 6 (4 mm) and US 7 (4.5 mm)

Lilac Pullover - Making Progress

I'm almost up to the underarm on my Lilac Pullover.  It goes quickly, even with the lighter weight yarn, and I can knit while reading (Book 4 of the Game of Thrones series), or while watching movies (Edge of Tomorrow and Maleficent).  The migraine lasted through last week as well, but was manageable with some Excedrin Migraine and avoiding fluorescent lights as much as possible.  At least I was able to work the whole week, and by Friday it seemed to finally be going away.

Pattern:  Ladies Sweater - 1838 from Moments No. 005
Yarn:  SMC Select Extra Soft Merino Fino
Needles:  US 2.5 (3.0 mm) and US 3 (3.25 mm)

Lilac Pullover

After a week of not knitting I was so desperate that I cast on a simple pullover.  This is the third one of this design that I have knitted (Crimson Lake and Goldenrod are the other two), and I have yarn for two more.  It is a classic, elegant design and is great to wear to work.  It is nice to have some simple mindless knitting right now.

Pattern:  Ladies Sweater - 1838 from Moments No. 005
Yarn:  SMC Select Extra Soft Merino Fino
Needles:  US 2.5 (3.0 mm) and US 3 (3.25 mm)

Some Simple Beading

This has been a bad week from a knitting perspective.  I've had a migraine most of the week.  I actually missed work on Monday and Friday.  Friday I pulled out some beads that I bought from Artbeads and did some stringing.  This necklace is a variation on the Tunisian Bazaar Bracelet.  I bought extra beads and made a necklace instead.  I really like the green arrow heads.  I added some glass beads that I had bought at Bead and Button a couple of years ago.

This set is based on the Nebula Bracelet and Earrings.  I bought extra beads and an extra clasp and made a matching choker.