I’m Knitting As Fast As I Can

The return of Daylight Savings Time can mean only one thing. There’s enough light when I get home to take blog photos!

Progress toward completing my NaKniSweMoDo goal has been sporadic. When I finished the body of my Honeycomb Vest, I set the project aside. I guess I was getting a little sick of the unending cables.

I fully intend to finish it because I love the way it’s working up, but a new sweater project is getting all the love lately . . . Slinky Ribs from the book, Custom Knits.

Yeah, it’s top-down, but it has set-in sleeves that are picked up around the armholes. I’m using Rowan Felted Tweed and I only have 5 balls. So hopefully I won’t have to rip back the sleeve because I run out of yarn. We’ll see.

As for the Felted Tweed, I’m kinda on the fence about it.  I love the colors and it’s nice to knit with but the sweater seems really scratchy. The alpaca fibers look like nasty guard hairs instead of the softer, downier fibers. Am I the only one who thinks this???

Both sweaters temporarily took a back seat to two felted projects. I don’t know why, but I seem to worked felted projects in fits and starts. Both of these are shop samples for my LYS.

Nantasket Basket in Cascade 220

And a Basic Felted Bag with Homestead Heirloom leather handles in Debbie Bliss Donegal Chunky Tweed.

In addition to the knitting, there have been gifts and acquisitions.

Handmade, glass buttons from a friend:

A wonderful fabric project bag given to me by Margene (don’t forget that Margene’s birthday is Saturday!):

And Cheryl’s gift of a seed stitcher has already been put to good use, picking up dropped stitches from the Slinky Ribs project:

I’ve showered myself with gifts, too.

A lovely batt from Yarn Pirate:

Some perfectly dyed roving from Lauren’s Etsy shop:

And a kick-ass fountain pen . . .

. . . that matches my infamous boots . . .

I know you want those boots, Shelley.

NaKniSweMoDo #4 is done.  Well, it’s actually #5, but the one I finished before this is still damp so there are no finished photos yet.

Pattern: Liesl by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: One strand of Handmaiden Silk Rumple held with one strand of Handmaiden Angel Hair – yum!! (This yarn was from a scarf kit that included 100g of Rumple and 50g of Angel Hair)

Ravelry: Linky

Mods: I knit the entire sweater in stockinette stitch, eliminating all the purl ridges.  I didn’t put in any buttonholes.  The piece has such a retro feel that I decided to make a faux sweater guard to close it.

Basically, I strung some freshwater pearls and crystal beads on a stretchy cord and then attached it to two buttons, securing the cord end behind the button with crimp beads.

A very satisfying knit and a great use of 48 hours.

The piece is light as a feather but warm and soft.  Sometimes unusual yarns can turn a basic knit into something a bit unique.

My third NaKniSweMoDo sweater is finished!

The crappy, indoor photos are all I can manage because of the dismal, snowy weather.

Pattern: Chamomile by Kim Hargreaves

Yarn: Rowan Summer Tweed

Needle: Holz & Stein 4.5mm rosewood circular

Ravelry: Project page link here

Mods:  I really didn’t change much; I knit the sweater almost exactly as set out in the pattern instructions.  I added about an inch of length to the sleeves and knit the armholes about 0.5 inches shorter.  I did the shoulder shaping with short rows instead of stepped bind-offs.  I also stitched the front opening closed at the bottom (about 1″) because it was really low and I wanted to have the option of wearing this without something underneath.  If I make this again (and I might), I’d add about an inch of length to the body but otherwise I’d keep everything else the same.  The yarn was really hard on my hands but the finished sweater is incredibly comfortable.

I’m tempted to cast on a new sweater and see if I can finish 4 in one month.

But on second thought . . . .