Renewed Wood Hoods

My knitting time was seriously displaced for the last week. It was a long holiday weekend (Victoria Day for my non-Canadian friends) and we had many plans... Saturday was a morning of work, afternoon of golf, then evening in Waterloo packing up the contents of the student house to ready the move. Furniture was dis-assembled, books and kitchen stuff boxed, garbage collected and bagged. We cleared for hours then went for a LAST beer at the neighbourhood pub.

Sunday morning, we picked up a Uhaul truck, and loaded our last remaining tennant and moved him across town to a new rental, then back at the house loaded the stuff that was moving back home with us, to be used at the newly graduated, newly-weds' new house!

It took all day but we were home, unpacking the loot into our garage to store for a few days, and returning the big truck (uhaul is a great service, easy to book online and easy to deal with in person.... they allowed a one way rental from Waterloo to St. Catharines, all for about $150.)

Sunday night I was exhausted and crashed early (no knitting) and got up at 6am for an early game of golf "over the river". This is our annual Victoria Day excursion, with golf at Glen Oaks, wings at Elmos for lunch, and a bit of shopping at the outlet, before returning for dinner at home.

A lovely busy long weekend.

Tuesday we ran up to Waterloo again and closed the house... swept, clean, keys handed over,... done. I did some knitting on the drive and finished repairing my favourite golf club covers with new royal blue socks... the old socks were worn out and had a couple holes in them. The top fuzzy part is indistructable, thick felted fabric. I trimmed off the old bottom ribbing and loosely stitched the new one on. The pattern is the Wood Hoods, one of my oldest patterns and the one that has been knit the most by my readers.

I also have plugged away at the chunky woolease blanket, and have about one third done....

feels nice.

Lace Top and Mini Shawl

Finally the finished photos of the cotton-linen lace top, and the mini shawl.

The lace top was a quick knit on 3.5mm needles. I have worn it over a white blouse, and like this, over a tank top. I finished it just before the Jamaica trip and took it with me.

The mini-shawl is the project I took on the trip, and did some knitting at the airport and only a bit on the resort. I finished it a few days ago and blocked it. It is a hand dyed lace weight from my stash.

I only have some socks on the needles right now. A very rare occurance of projects completed before more are started! I did break my yarn buying diet, and picked up 10 balls of chunky Wool-Ease thick and quick. I could not resist, as Michael's had them in the clearance bin for $2 each (100 gram balls!). So for $20 I will be making a thick and cosy afghan on 9mm needles next. Easy, mindless, comfort knitting!

The distractions continue, with the sale of our student house falling through weeks before it was set to close, and we had to launch a new listing, and prepare to go through the process again. At the same time, we are hosting the newlyweds for a couple of weeks until their new house is ready to move into. We have an offer today that should go through, so we will know the details shortly. I am also compiling photos from the trip, and will make a souvenier book for the Jamaica guests, published by Blurb.com

Missed You

Have not had a posting for a week, due to a lovely distraction... a week in Jamaica including a wedding! My baby girl was married on the beach in front of 42 friends and family. We had a great week together and the ceremony and the day was perfect. I cannot say enough about how great the staff at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach were. All details were handled smoothly and easily. Even the "impulse shopping" for the steel band was handled with ease (and some US cash!). Lots of photos on my other blog, please pop through for a look and check out the bride's dress, and the bridesmaid gowns (all designed and made by yours truly!)...


As for knitting, you will forgive the lack of photos, but I did finish the lacy linen top and took it on the trip, and am almost finished some socks, with a sweet lace wrap of my own design nicely started and knit (only a bit) in Jamaica.


Back on track this week.

Cotton - Linen

My next project is a tank top, with a simple lace stitch. It is from the 50/50 cotton/linen from Elann last month. It will be my own pattern, so you will find it posted here in a week or two.

Sneek peek....

I am knitting on 4mm needles, so it is a fairly quick knit!

Yarn Diet

I have to confess. I have a serious weight problem.... my Stash is too HEAVY, and My wallet is too LIGHT. I have made a decision to start a strict yarn diet. I know, I have said this before, then Elann had a cashmere-merino on sale, or the Needle Emporium opened the "tent"... and I fall off the wagon.

This time I am going to be accountable to YOU. You can encourage me, and I hope help yourselves too. Let's all knit the stash, recycle old projects and create without shopping. Think how refreshing that will be, and the sense of pride of a frugal job well done. (and think of the free space in your storage units, that will welcome LOTS of new yarn when the diet is over and we are again lean, mean, knitting machines!

Here's my latest knitting project, done so fast I did not have time to photo and document! Love the 6mm quick knits. It was started on the friday of the long weekend, and finished today. That's 9 days. Lucky it was such a deal from Elann last month. JJ's handpainted Mohair. I used the pattern from JJ's enclosed with the purchase, but ran out as I was finishing the sleeves, so could not work the collar suggested. I had in my stash, a teal Debbie Bliss Alpaca-Silk, that knit on 4 mm needles, so picked up the collar with that and did a little stand up job, and to make it match better, I did some Icord loops sewn to the right side, opposite teal buttons. I think it looks rather smart. My new spring jacket.

Next: A cotton - Linen tank top, *** from my stash**** :)

Rosy Hoody

I have been neglectful of you lately... I have had so many distractions, what with the wedding plans and dresses, and visitors every weekend, and a bridal shower to throw... I know that my blogs have been pushed to the back-burner. My knitting posse have been my main support group through all this chaos, and I thank them for it! My dear Lois reminded me that the rose hoody had not been photographed and posted to the blog, and I put it to the top of the list and stitched the zipper and wrote the pattern and took the photos.... and here it is! Thanks Lois for the loving push!

Rosy Hoody – now in six sizes!

Yarn: 7 balls of Berroco Lustra (100gms-180m)

Needles:  4.0mm (US 6), 4.5mm (US 7)

2 large and several small markers

Zipper: 45 cm(18 inches)  Separating Zipper.... optional... you could use buttons and place button holes or loops opposite.

Gauge:  21 sts = 4 inches on 4.5mm needles in seed stitch ribbing test swatch*** after washing and lying to dry*** please do this to ensure size will be correct****

Finished size : 34[36,38,42,46,50] inches at the chest

Seed Stitch Ribbing:   Row one:    purl to marker, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, [Purl 4, k1,p1,k1,p1,k1,p1,k1,p1,] repeat in brackets until marker, purl to end

Row two:  knit to marker, [k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, Knit 4]  repeat in brackets until last marker, knit to end.

This creates vertical bands of four stitch reverse-stocking stitch, and eight stitch seed stitch.

BACK:  With smaller needles cast on 80[86,92,102,112,122]sts.  Work in K1, P1 ribbing for 1.5 inches.  On the last row (wrong side) increase 8 stitches evenly across the ribbing. You have 88[94,100,110,120,130] sts on your needle.

Change to 4.5 mm needles.  Establish seed rib pattern...ROW ONE:    Purl 4[7,4,3,8,7] place large marker, seed stitch (k1,p1,repeat) across next 8 stitches, Purl 4, seed stitch across 8, repeat the purl stitches and seed stitches until 4[7,4,3,8,7] are left, place large marker, and finish with purl sts to end.

ROW TWO:  knit the outer band stitches(outside the markers) , seed stitch the 8 stitch bands, and knit the 4 stitch bands.  (placing small markers between the patterns can help until you get established.)

Repeat the two rows of seed stitch ribbing until body measures 14[15,15,16,16,17] inches from the start.

Underarm shaping: bind off 4 stitches at the start of next two rows.

Continue in the ribbing pattern as established, until the back is 22[23,23,24,25,26]inches.  Bind off all stitches.

Right Front:

Cast on 37[41,45,47,53,57]sts.  Work ribbing with smaller needles for 1.5 inches, increasing 3 in last row. You have 40[44,48,50.56.60] sts on your needle.   Change to larger needles and establish the pattern:  Seed stitch first 8 stitches, [seed stitch 8, purl 4] repeat until 8[0,4,6,0,4], place large marker if you have any stitches left, then purl to end.

Work in established seed stitch ribbing for 14[15,15,16,16,17] inches.  Bind of 4 on the next WRONG side row, (armhole shaping), then work even until front measures 19[20,20,21,21,22] inches.  With right side facing, bind off 8 stitches(neck edge).  Working in pattern, bind of one stitch at neck side 3[3,3,4,4,5] times more.  Work even until 22[23,23,24,25,26] inches long, then bind off all stitches.

Left Front:  Cast on 37[41,45,47,53,57] sts, rib for 1.5 inches, and increase 3 in last row. You have 40[44,48,50,56,60] Change to large needles and establish the pattern:  purl 8[0,4,6,0,4]sts.  Use large marker if you have sts on your needle, Seed stitch 8 [purl 4, seed stitch 8] repeat across...  (seed band will be at left edge on this side).  Work established pattern for 14[15,15,16,16,17] inches * end with right side facing you.  Bind of 4 sts at the start of next row (for armhole shaping). Work even until 19[20,20,21,21,22] inches, then start neckline with wrong side facing.  Bind off 8 (neck side only) . keep in pattern, bind of one stitch at neck side 3[3,3,4,4,5] times more.  Work even until 22[23,23,24,25,26] inches from start. Bind off all stitches.

Sleeves:  With smaller needles, cast on 40[43,45,48,51,54]sts.  Work k1,p1 ribbing for 2 inches, and increase 6[5,5,6,5,6]sts across the last row. You have 46[48,50,54,56,60] stitches on your needle.

Change to larger needles, start the pattern:  Purl 7[8,9,11,12,14], place marker, seed stitch 8, purl 4, seed stitch 8, purl 4, seed stitch 8, place marker, purl 7[8,9,11,12,14]. There will be three bands of seed stitch running up the sleeve, and everything else will be reverse-stocking stitch (purls facing right side)

Working in this pattern, and adding new stitches as reverse stocking stitches:  Increase one stitch at each side on every sixth row.  Keep increasing until there are 80[82,84,84,92,94] stitches and the piece is 16[17,18,18,19,19] inches from start.  Bind off all stitches.   (make another sleeve).

Assemble the back to the fronts at the shoulder seam.   Pick up for the hoody:  22 stitches picked up from the right front neck, 34 across the back neck edge, and 22 down the left front neck.

Establish the pattern:  Work all stitches in seed stitch for 6 rows. Then (with back of the cardigan facing you ) seed stitch 8, knit 27[27,28,29,29,30] seed stitch 8 (center of hood) knit 27[27,28,29,29,30], seed stitch 8 (edge of hood)

Work the seed stitch bands and Stocking Stitch bands as established for an inch.  Increase row:  seed stitch 8, knit across to center band, increase ONE in the stitch BEFORE the band and ONE in the stitch AFTER the band, work to end.  Repeat this increase row every inch for  5 inches.   When the hood measures 7[7,8,8,9,9] inches start decrease row: work to two stitches before the center band, knit these two together, work band, knit next two together, work to end.  Do this row EVERY  fourth right side row 5 more times.   Work a wrong side, then cast off all the stitches up to the center band.  Put these 8 on a holder, and with new yarn, cast off the rest of the stitches on the other side.  Working ONLY the 8 seed stitches, continue in pattern until this section is 6[6,6,6.5,6.5,6.5] inches long.  Cast off all 8 stitches.

Sewing hood:  The small band is attached to the cast off edges to close the hood (see last photo)

Sew sweater: Insert the sleeve into the armhole space, then sew the underarm and side seams.

Hand sew the zipper to the inside edge. Do not stretch front seam as you sew.  OR attach buttons on one side and crochet loops on opposite side. 

Finished all the pieces!

All the pieces of the Vogue Cardigan are done and I will be seaming like crazy at my knitting night tonight. Not much to picture today, but tomorrow... if I can finish stitching and blocking, I should have a nice photo!
So the next project is on my mind and I was planning the jacket as I walked the golf course today. I want to make a nice and simple jacket from the hand dyed New Zealand Mohair. I have wound the skeins and am ready to start.
The quilt (from my other blog-------> ), is all completed through the center, and I am left with the borders only to finish. Worth a peak if you are a quilter (or sew at all). It is much easier than it looks, and the quilting is done in manageable pieces, so by the time the borders are added, the middle is ALL done and quilted!
Off to meet my Knitting Posse, and have a nice dinner and a few hours of gabbing and laughing and knitting.
Happiness!