Yarn: Briar Rose Wistful and HaldeCraft HandDyed in “None of your Beeswax”

Pattern: Mostly the EZ percentage system for a pullover, but also a few touches made up as I went along (like a picot bindoff, double rolled collar, hemmed sleeves and bottom.

Notes: I wanted something that looked like a t-shirt over a long-sleeved shirt, and am pretty sure I got what I was aiming for!

Yarn: Fiesta Boomerang in “Sedona”

Pattern: Child’s Placket-Neck Pullover by Joelle Hoverson

Notes: Happy baby, Lala!

Yarn: Jaeger Pure Cotton, sent to me a couple of years ago by my lovely friend Karen. Thank you, dear! I love, love, love this yarn, just like you knew I would!

Pattern: Buttercup by Heidi Kirrmaier

Notes: Knitted primarily on Sunday evenings while watching Game of Thrones. Hence, the name mashup.

Yarn: scrap yarn I had lying around. Seriously, y’all, this does not take much yarn (or much time). I may wind up knitting a few more just to have around for… emergencies. Is that weird?

Pattern:  Tit Bits by Beryl Tsang

Yarn: Classic Elite Classic Silk, which I love, love, love! A little dry while working with it but fucking butter soft after washing.

Pattern:  Buttercup by Heidi Kirrmaier

Notes:  The problems I had with this were many, and they were all me — this is a hella easy pattern and I am pretty sure I plan on making it again at least once. Having said that: I bought the yarn specifically to make this in May of last year, with the intention of blowing right through it. Then the shit hit the fan in June, and I just didn’t have time to cast on or really even think about working on it. I think I finally cast on for it in… September, maybe? After that it was a comedy of errors as we discovered that Tiny Kitten likes to chew through yarn *and* eat needles. There are more ends woven in on this motherfucker than as if I’d started a new ball every five rows. And I think I had to order needles for it twice. Maybe three times. I got halfway through it and it was far too big, so I ripped out, and started over. About two weeks ago I thought “I need to finish this if it hurts me”… and I tried to get a little bit done every day. When I finally got to the washing and blocking part… it’s just so soft! Did I mention soft? How about soft? Oh, and it’s soft, too. I’m going to wear the crap out of this come springtime!

Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Pearl in “Shenanigans” (for the non-knitters, Pearl is a 51% Silk, 49% Bamboo yarn and it is DIVINE)

Pattern: Gabriella by Ann Weaver

Notes: From my Ravelry page -

OVERALL – I love this yarn with big flowery girly hearty hearts. It was lovely to work with (admittedly I am a yarn snob, and so this hit me in my happy snobby heart) and held up very well to (sigh) repeated ripping out. I was worried after finishing that the twisted stitches didn’t really pop, but after blocking everything was %&#$ing gorgeous!

11/17 – swatchy swatchy!

11/18 – cast on… and rip out. Ball band calls for a 7; pattern calls for a 5; looks like I’ll need a 3 to get gauge. Darn me and my loose ways!

11/25 – new needles in, and casting on!

12/2 – chugging right along, in spite of a few questions about the pattern. My copy of the pattern appears to have a few typos, which should be corrected soon.

12/10 – running out of yarn. May have to rip out and start over. Was trying for the 35” but…

12/12 – ripped out, cast on in next smaller size.

12/13 – just have a gut feeling… as Han would say, ”I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Ripping out again, starting very smallest size.

12/23 – had just enough yarn to finish smallest size. Mad props to my friend Jenn for putting on a still-damp tank top and prancing about my yard in 40-degree weather letting me take photos of her. JENN, YOU ARE A TROOPER!

PATTERN NOTES:

As written, the first six faux cables (fables? HAH!) are staggered in the columns as follows: Column 1, column 2, 1, 1, 2, 1. HOWEVER, if you are leaving – as the pattern indicates – the two columns on either side of the seam (which, btw, is called in the pattern a K2P2 seam even though it is really a K4 seam) blank (without faux cables), then you have an odd number of columns. I just repeated column #1 an extra time and tried not to let my OCD bother me too much.

Also, as you do the arm decreases, column 2 turns into the first column – this isn’t really mentioned but it becomes pretty obvious as you go on. But keep treating it in the charts as if it’s the second one, even though a new chart starts right at about this time. I kept trying to do the twisted stitches as long as I had enough room to do them, and stopped doing them when it became too awkward.

For the size I was doing, after finishing the neckline decreases you are instructed to knit straight until you are 7.5 inches from the beginning of the armhole; however, I was already at 9 inches at that point so I just went into the garter stitch rows and grafting. My friend who modeled it for me (there’s no way I was going to be able to get into a small, not with this rack!) said it felt fine so I was not worried that it might appear too long in the neck/arms.

Yarn: White is Lorna’s Laces Green Line Worsted; multi is my handspun, fiber from the BlackBunny Fibers Fiber Club.

Pattern: Made it up as I went along. If you’re on Ravelry and curious, you can read my notes.

Notes: August and September! Great time to finish up a hot and heavy wool/alpaca sweater! Remind me to do this again next year!

Yarn: Elsabeth Lavold’s Silky Wool

Pattern:  Green Gable by Rachel Bishop, with modifications to the arm and hem

Things were so nuts in May and June that I really didn’t have the mental power to do anything complicated. I felt bad because all I needed to do was finish about 3 inches of the hood, then pick up all around the band and knit ribbing for 2.5 inches. Finally I had time and thought enough to pick it back up about two weeks ago, and… bam!

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted Weight in “Verde Adriana”

Pattern:  #13 Central Park Hoodie by Heather Lodinsky

Happy late  birthday, sweetie! Enjoy!

Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca sport weight in “Currant”

Pattern: Gathered Pullover by Hana Jason

Notes: for a mostly stockinette project, this took a lot longer than I originally thought. But then, I did also start and finish three other smaller projects while working on this one…! If you’re on Ravelry you can read my notes; suffice to say that I used a yarn that did not get anywhere near the right gauge but thanks to my old frienemy MATH, it all worked out in the end. I absolutely love this pullover. LOVE! IT!