Sweater knitting

This is something that really bugs my friends... I've been knitting sweaters like a maniac for the past six months and managed to produce a fair amount of pullovers and cardigans. Ever since I found out how quick it could be when you just kept on knitting, I've stopped being afraid and tackled those projetcs head first.

The knitters around me sometimes sigh with exasperation and get frustrated that I have started yet another big piece. But there's no getting me down! I love the process nevertheless and am always thrilled to find a new sweater to cast on.

Since I finished my Lady Sunnyside I decided to reward myself with a new sweater cast on. This one :

Papillon by Svetlana Volkova

It may not look like much, all cramped on the cable, but it's beautiful! Love the pattern and yarn combination. I bought two little skeins of Rimu Special Edition DK at Marie Mode Tricot when I last visited my family, but then I decided to cast on for a sweater, so I asked Marie to save a few more for me. Now I can't wait to get them!

I was looking for a pullover with a centered panel of lace and found it. It's a pleasure to knit and even though I love it in a warm fiber, I can see myself making one in cotton for the summer.

Since I had to wait for yarn anyway, I figured I could start my Refined Driftwood as well.

Driftwood by Isabell Kraemer

A nice and casual Henley sweater made of Kauni Solids and Effektgarn. This yarn is a little oily, so I'm very curious to see how it will block and drape. Speaking of drape, I should get something light and smooth, because my gauge with 3.5 mm is a kind of loose. I don't worry too much though, since it's meant to have some positive ease. Oh, and you gotta love those blues!

Last off, and just to make sure I never get bored, I started a Levenwick in Grignasco Loden. I've been eyeing this pattern for far too long (what a great excuse!) and got the yarn for a ridiculous price. It has that perfect tweed effect, but I'm not sold on the composition as of now.

Levenwick by Gudrun Johnston

I'll leave you with a close-up featuring my dear Tumi...

 

 

Newest FO!

After a super busy weekend that ended with some yarn shopping yesterday (and a yarn delivery from Danemark!) I finally found time to snap some shots of my blocked Lady Sunnyside.

Lady Sunnyside by Tanis Lavallee

It's gorgeous! I was a little scared that it would grow, being a superwash merino, but Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label just gets smooth and silky once blocked. I'm thrilled with the result.

I used DK instead of Aran weight, but because I knitted my Gemini pullover in the very same yarn, I knew my gauge was pretty close. And with a top-down piece, it's so easy to add room as you go. 

This Dove colourway is amazing. The crazy light in the pictures doesn't do it justice, but here's a link to a Moodboard that Tanis did to feature it. To me it feels like a rich grey that flirts with lilac. Genius!

The yarn is addictive. I'm so happy I have another lot in my stash. The next project I intend to knit in Yellow Label is Joji's Dragonflies Jumper in the Light at Dusk colour (a ooak Etsy update colour from last boxing day).

Lavender on a foggy morning

Wolf River and Lady Sunnyside

Last night I proudly finished this really cool sweater on the left. I used Cascade Eco+ in Lavender. I had this yarn in my stash and could never figure out what to knit whith it. But this is it. When I saw the pattern on Ravely, and then on Tanis blog post, I knew I wanted it.

And I am super pleased with the result! Such a nice fit and easy to wear piece. The process was very enjoyable as well. Two panels of lace, twisted rib, learning the tubular cast off : good times.

Boy do I look tired, though! And I am, really. Hence the radio silence on the blog last week. But I was eager and anxious to get back to it. I missed writing my weekly post, which I think is a really good sign! I am working through several projects these days, including a big one. I'll keep you posted on that, but will keep it a mystery for now...

The photo on the right is a Lady Sunnyside by Tanis in Yellow Label. The colour is Dove and is so ooo pretty! It's quite hard to picture, especially with this early evening light. A nice grey with hints of purple, pink and blue. The pattern construction is amazing. Very ingenious! But I tucked it away for a while because I was bummed that my sleeve was too big.

My friend Emilie picked it up last night and I knew it was silly not to finish it, since I only have the sleeves left to do.

Lady Sunnyside by Tanis Lavallee

This morning, it was really foggy and I could hear the boat sirens. I love that about the town I live in. I hear both trains and boats and it feels so old. So anyway, the fog outside and all those lavender knits seemed to play each other off real well. 

Inspired by KnittedBliss, who sometimes shares outtakes, I'll leave you with pictures of Hubert the dog and I.

Wolf River by Melissa Schaschwary

Noro Top-Down Sweater

Because I'm crochetting this blanket, I always have a few balls of Noro Kureyon laying around.  I also have a stash of Cascade 220 yarn in the Vinci colour, that is a beigy kind of brown, which, while being a neutral, is not so easy to pair for stripes. Last week, on a whim, I decided to try them together in a simple top-down raglan sweater based on this recipe.

After a week and a half, including some procrastination, I have a brand new sweater! Boy, this is quick. Praise to thicker yarn and mindless knitting!

It still needs a good blocking (hence the lack of modelled shots), but I love it! Such a simple, yet effective design that really showcases Noro's typical long gradients.

Here's a closer look at the colours...

Change of plan

My Follow Your Arrow 2 shawl is done! 

Pattern by Ysolda Teague

For the past weeks, I was so close to the finish line, but had put the project on the side, frustrated that my yarn was ending in the lace section. I thought about doing the knitted on border at first, but it soon became obvious that it would be silly to change yarn on this kind of applied border.

In a sulk I even considered frogging the whole thing when my boss told me to just pick a yarn and finish it! So last night I did. I used Milis by Julie Asselin in the Poivre colourway. I was a little annoyed with the change for the first few rows, but it was slowly growing on me. At one o'clock, when I managed to block the tiny lump into a decent shawl, I was super happy with my combination of Tomato and Poivre!

Yes, I forgot to mention that the main yarn is Jill Draper Esopus in Heritage Tomato.

You can see the change of colour upclose

Another change of plan, or change of heart, was with the Shalom Cardigan I knited in the past two weeks. It was a fun, quick and beautiful project and I was very happy with the result. That is until I put it on my little sister. The fit was even better on her. And since it was her birthday, I decided to gift it to her alongside some money for her big upcoming trip in Southeast Asia.

I had no time to take proper pictures of her, so here are some super quick iPhone ones of her in the doorway, heading to work.

Pattern by Meghan McFarlane

I guess it's important to keep an open mind about knitted projects and be somewhat detached with the outcome too. Dear yoga, you are all around! OM

Stash diving

I love buying yarn. Heading to a local yarn store - I try to purchase mainly from retailers here in Quebec - and wandering accross the displays of colours, brands, weight... 

Sometimes, you find a colourway or a material (or both!), that you just have to buy. Even if you don't have a specific project or pattern in mind. 

Other times you're searching for the perfect match for that design you've been eyeing. Unless you're a very pragmatic and efficient person who buys a specific amount of yarn for one particular project that she sees through, from cast on to cast off, you'll end up with stash yarn. 

Personnally, I buy yarn for which I either have a project in mind, or don't. Plus, I allow myself to change my mind and cast on something entirely different than what I first intended, like I mentionned here. 

Julie Asselin Milis purchase from Fall

Bearing all this in mind, I was very proud to find myself knitting with stash yarn all week! 

Two projects were done in Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label Aran Weight from my Etsy purchase of  December 26th. One Framed Slouch hat in Mosaic and a Dune cowl in Slate. This yarn is a pleasure to knit with : great texture and stitch definition.

Patterns by Tanis Lavallée and Sandrine C.

Last night I also picked up some Fleece Artist Sea Wool, that had been knitted and frogged so many times, and decided to do a lightweight version of the Zuzu's Petals I had initially knitted for my LYS in Cascade Casablanca.

Pattern by Carina Spencer

 Charlotte keeps following me around the house when I take pictures. So I allowed her to pose for this one. She steals the show in this photo, but the yarn is delicious. It's a nice toffee colour.

Last, but not least, this morning I impulsively cast on for the SKA Myster Mock KAL. Fun! I did one last year and thought it would be nice to kind of make it a tradition. So I picked some Sweet Paprika Designs Pizzicato in Pink Clover that I purchased at Tricoté serré last summer. This yarn is pretty. I rarely knit in pink and now I really wonder why. The BFL content makes it woolly, which pleases me a lot. It's a nice change from those Merino SW yarns. This is my teeny project so far.

Pattern by Adrienne Fong

I like KALs. They keep you motivated to go through a project when, like me, you have a tendancy to put wips on the side for a while.

3 Color Cashmere Cowl

On monday I finished and weaved in the ends of my 3 Color Cashmere Cowl and I'm very happy with the result! I would usually block this kind of piece, but I was too impatient and figured I would have to wash it eventually... Lazy knitter, I know.

Pattern by Joji

I mainly used Julie Asselin's Milis yarn in this project, with only a small portion of cashmere in the Nanos section (in pink). I'm very happy that I got to use stash yarn for this project. Although, I was supposed to use the two main colours for this pattern. And because I still want to knit this awesome sweater in the future, it means I'll have to purchase some more yarn. Oh no!

I love Milis. I think it's my top fave yarn in the world. As I stated on Ravelry It's pure merino, single ply, light and soft. It's both a pleasure to knit with and to wear. And I'm really looking forward to knitting sweaterS (yes many) with this yarn. I wish I could find it more easily, since not so many shops carry this base. Sigh!