Blustery Sunday

The only good thing about a miserable weather sunday is I can finally get caught up on my laundry, cleaning and knitting. I finished the MO jacket and here is the result, a fluffy, light and colourful jacket, perfect for blustery sundays. The yarn and pattern are from Fleece Artists, a Nova Scotia company who produce hand dyed natural fibre yarns with fun and simple patterns on the labels. A quick knit jacket for under $50. I like yarn folks that do that!
I also got a good start (actually more than half done) on the new Noro yarn, Yuzen, that I splurged on last Sunday at the Creative Festival. I decided to try the interesting fitted vest in the book: Fitted Knits, by Stefanie Japel. I like the ribbing for the high waist, and the slightly darted front. It is knit in the round, so seems to grow quickly and the stripes of the Noro will continue around and I avoid the mis-matched stripes at the side seams that usually come with Noro patterns. The top is split for the front and back, and I am almost at the neckline shaping for the front.

After this vest I will need to do some Christmas knitting (not too much this year) but of course I will probably not show photos of progress for these... I still want to surprise some folks on my list this year. I will catch up with photos and patterns after the big day.

Yarn Whisperer

Finally a chance to update the progress my recent knittings... I have had a rough time at work and have dragged a tired butt home, with only enough energy to nap and knit a bit. Not much interest in blogging, or computer time, beyond the mandatory email responses. My co-worker had emergency surgery and will be out for 3 - 4 weeks, so I have been working all my job and all hers too, and I find this quite draining by the end of the day.

Knitting has been the stress relief that keeps me on track and here are the latest photos.

First the finished raglan cotton Esprit pullover....

A snug fit due to the lycra content and the seed rib stitch. This one is my design and the pattern will get posted (I promise) by the weekend.

Then there is the Fleece Artist Mo Jacket, which I started less than a week ago and got the fronts and back and collar and most of one sleeve done already. Really quick on 6mm needles. The pattern is from the label attached to the Mo Jacket kit. Easy, easy, easy!

The last photo is the new yarn from Noro, Yuzen. I purchased 5 skeins of this wool/silk yarn when I visited the Creative Festival on Sunday in Toronto. I went with a sewing friend, who has dabbled but not quite caught the knitting bug. When I expressed my love of yarn and forced her to touch the Noro and Colinette and hand painted silks and bamboo, and described sweaters and scarves and coats, all made by me in the past from these treasures... that was when she dubbed me the Yarn Whisperer... an upgrade from the previous Knitting Doctor designation??!

Noro Blossom Turtleneck - free pattern

Yarn: Noro Blossom , 8 skeins of colour 19 *A* (burgundy, rose and pink), and 2 skeins of 20 *B*(Purple, aqua and green)

Needles: 5mm (US 8)

Gauge: 12 stitches and 17 rows = 4 inches on 5mm(US8)

Finished measurements: Chest 40 inches, length from shoulder: 24 inches

PATTERN:

Back: With main colour (A), cast on 56. Work in K1, P1 ribbing for 2 inches. On the last row, increase 3 stitches across the row. Change to stocking stitch (Knit the right side and Purl the wrong side throughout), work 15 stitches in (A), then add a ball of (B) and knit 7, Then add another ball of (A) and knit 15, Repeat with (B) for 7 then a final ball of (A) for 15. You will work the whole piece with 5 balls of yarn, alternating A,B,A,B,A and twist the new yarn around the last yarn so as not to leave a gap.

You continue knitting in the pattern vertical stipes with these yarns for 16.5 inches, then bind off 5 stitches at the start of the next 2 rows (armhole shaping for the sleeve placement)

Work straight again until the total length is 24 inches from the start. Bind off all stitches.

Front: Work the same as the back, through the armhole shaping, until total length is 21 inches.

neck shaping: Work across until the center (A) block is reached. Bind off all these 15 stitches, and work across the rest of the row. On the next row, decrease ONE stitch at each side of the neck edge. Continue to knit both sides of the front piece until the length matches the back (24 inches). Bind off the remaining stitches on both shoulders.

Sleeve: With colour (A) cast on 25 stitches, and rib for 2 inches. Change to stocking stitch, knit with just (A) increase one stitch at each end of the row, every 6 rows, until 46 stitches are on the needles. Continue even until the sleeve measures 21 inches (or desired length - I have long arms!) Bind off all stitches. ** on my sleeves I used a bit of leftover colour (B) as a stipe in the middle of each sleeve, kind of randomly placed, just for fun (and certainly optional).

Join shoulder seams and using short circular needles (or double point needles) in 5mm (US8), pick up 58 stitches evenly around the neck. Start a K1, P1 ribbing, work around and around and around until turtleneck is 7.5 inches long, or as long as you want (1 inch would make a nice crew neck). Bind off very loosely. Sew the sleeve straight into the flat part of the armhole, and the short bit of bind off to the first inch of the sleeve. Then join from the wrist to the hip.

Wednesday Update

I have almost finished the Noro Blossom turtleneck, and I am actually looking forward to the cold weather, so I can wear this. The colours are of course, Noro-licious, and the Blossom yarn is seriously soft. I have only to sew the shoulder seams, and add the big, loose turtleneck, then the side seams and I will be cranking up the air conditioner to take photos of this puppy! The pattern, you will see, is very easy and knits up quickly on 5mm needles.

This

came in the mail from Elann. An impulse buy for sure, as they lured me in with a one-day-only full-bag-sale of Esprit (my favourite cotton stretch yarn) for $20 a bag of 10 balls. This will make a full sweater, with left overs for headbands or hats.

My knitting girls and I have planned a field trip (put off for a few weeks due to pending vacation trips of two members). We will visit our local alpaca farm, where we will meet the lovely animals and tour the farm, then sit down and try our hand at spinning and fondle (and buy) the local alpaca yarn products. This intriques me as I have always wondered how easy it is to spin my own yarn, and it scares me that I may end up using precious knitting time to actually spin and create MORE yarn for my stash, thus increasing the stash to infinite proportions! Still, I think I need to see and feel this ancient art. Who knows, I may find room in my back yard for a fleece producing animal of my own, and complete the whole circle of fleece-sheer-spin-dye-knit and wear a truly hand made garment....

Noro Blossom Turtleneck

Although Ihave had less knitting time, what with wrok, golf and impending visitors (thus laundering sheets and towels, cleaning bathrooms and dusting guest rooms, shopping for extraordinary food stuff and wines - all to appear a naturally good host). I did start the next stash project, a wooly turtleneck from the Noro Blossom picked up in the tent sale at Needle Emporium last month.... The start went well and as I imagined in the mind and drawings of the design a few weeks ago. The back is like this...

and I have begun the front in the same 5 panel stripe. The larger three panels are from the burgundy Blossom, and the 2 smaller ones are purple. I managed to grab 10 balls of burgundy mix and 3 of the purple. More than enough for a long sleeve pullover with a large loose turtleneck. Hard to imagine wearing it now, but no doubt we will find ourselves cold again one day in a few months and I will turn to this with a cozy sigh. Right now the colours are very energizing and I knit with joy. I have always found satisfaction in the unfolding of the Noro colours. How can anyone not love this?

Birth of a Sweater Pattern

The Noro Blossom has been calling me. I knit my current wrap (almost done now) while staring at the skeins of Noro yarn. I have been dreaming of all the possible destinations for this yarn. Finally, patiently, I have started a swatch. Two reasons, first to check the gauge that this will knit to, and second to see how a 5 inch wide band of stocking stitch will look like. How will the colour changes look, will I get a thicker block of colour before it changes. I think the idea of vertical bands, three thicker (about 5 inches) and 2 separating them of 2.5 inches. The thick bands would be the burgundy mix, and the thinner from the purple mix. (I have 10 balls of burg and 3 of purple). The sweater will be a cunky easyfit pullover, with maybe a cowl neck. Hard to picture wearing this as it has been blistering hot and humid for days, but we have more cold days in the year than hot, so the sweater will be needed all too soon. sigh.

Long Weekend - Day Three...Oblique Matsuri - new pattern is ready!

I finished the Noro Matsuri Sweater and LOVE the results. It is super soft and cottony, totally different from the soft, but wooly goodness of my favourite Silk Garden. I can wear this in the spring and summer, perfect for cool mornings on the golf course, or after sunset evenings outdoors.Enjoy!

Oblique Matsuri

Yarn: Noro Matsuri, 8 balls (colour 7)- 50 gm balls: 87% cotton, 13% wool, 145m (159yds)
Needles: 4.0mm (US 6) for body, 3.5mm (US 5) for ribbing.
Gauge: 19 sts, 24 rows = 4 inches
Size: Ladies Medium (38 inch chest), hip length

Back: With smaller needle, cast on 85. Work in knit 1, purl 1 ribbing for 3 inches. Increase 10 stitches across last row and switch to larger needles. (95 sts)
Establish diagonal pattern: use 3 balls of Matsuri (make sure each starts with a different colour) Knit 32 from first ball, place marker, knit 31 from second ball, place marker, knit 32 from last ball.
Row 2 and all wrong side rows, purl across, changing to next ball above the change in the row below.
Shift Row (every right side): Knit across to marker, remove marker, knit one more stitch with same yarn, replace marker. Pick up next yarn and knit to next marker, remove and kit one more, replace marker and continue with next ball of yarn. This way of moving the vertical band one stitch to the left is used throughout the body, on the right side only.
ALSO: when your vertical panel on the right becomes 33 sts wide, add a new ball to the beginning of the row by Knitting 3 with a new ball, add a marker, then pick up and proceed with the Shift Row across the other three balls. (you will have 4 balls on the go at a time, with three markers and three shifts on every right side row – the left panel will shrink as the right panel grows, and you will add a new ball to the right as the left ball disappears.)
Continue in this diagonal pattern, until the body measures 16 inches from cast on edge. Cast off 3 stitches at beginning on next 2 rows. Work even until total length is 25 inches. Cast off all stitches.
Front: Work same as back until total length is 22 inches. Work until center 17 sts, attach a new ball and bind off center 17 sts. Complete row (keeping in diagonal pattern). Work both sides, decrease one stitch at each neck edge, every right side, 8 times.
Continue until 25 inches, cast off both shoulders.
Join shoulders.
Sleeves: Pick up from the straight armholes (knitting down from the shoulder). Pick up 84 sts evenly across armhole. (use just one ball of Matsuri) Knit down the sleeve, Decreasing one stitch each side, every 6th row, 14 times, then one stitch every 4th row until 44 sts remain. Work until 15 inches (or desired length of sleeve) and switch to smaller needles. Decrease 3 sts across first row of K1, P1 ribbing. Work rib for 2.5 inches, cast off all sts. Make 2nd sleeve to match.
Finish neck: With small circular needles (or DPNs) Pick up 80 sts around neck edge. Work in rib for 1.5 inches and cast off loosely. Join the upper underarm to the cast off edge of the armhole first, then sew the arm and side seams and sew in all the ends. tada.