redoing shopping tunic

after i redid the best friend cardigan in a smaller gauge i knew i had to redo the shopping tunic also. so this time around i'm using the rowan big wool in smudge but i'm also adding some left over cascade lana grande in cherry blossom and black. i'm also going to add a paisley motif i did yesterday.

here's the pic from rowan 37



and here's mine



mine came out much bigger because i used hook size n/p and rowan big wool in smudge and cascade lana grande in cherry blossom. i kinda took a leap with wanting to add this motif on there. but i do honestly think it will look good. now i just need to figure out where to put it.

*crosses fingers and toes*

not so chunky best friend cardigan

well i finally finished this bad boy! i really like it so much better now that i redid it with smaller needles. also...*drumroll* i knitted my own buttons this time!! i love them. it just gives it such a great touch i think.





specs:
pattern: best friend cardigan from wenlan chia's twinkle's big city knits
needles: size 15
yarn: 5 balls of cascade lana grande in cherry blossom
mods: i made it all in one piece. also, i made it into a raglan. the tighter guage also. um....i think that's it!

i'm alive!!!

ok. we've FINALLY got our internet up and running and i've found time to sit and get this stuff up here. i've been up to a lot of knitting in the past few weeks. honest i have.

so, here we go...



here is an aspen hat i made from twinkle big city knits. my only mod was that i did the garter st with a size 17 needle. this was made from lionbrand thick and quick in lemongrass.



this is a hat i made to match luke's sweater. i made up the pattern my self.



here is another bonnie from kim hargreaves' darkhouse collection.



this is a simple 2x2 rib hat i whipped up



this is my best friend cardigan i made from twinkle's big city knits. super fast of course, so i love it.



here's my new rockefeller sweater. i made it with cascade lana grande in black and i love this sweater!




here's my nimbus sweater from the new book weekend knits by wenlan chia. my only mod was that i made the neck much much shorter




this is the borealis sweater from the same weekend knits book. again, i just eliminated the cowl neck.




here is my calm from kim hargreaves' darkhouse collection.


here they all waited patiently for their moment in the spotlight.


i am now working on the trapeze sweater in 'love to knit' by bronwyn lowenthal.

neopolitan coco jacket

i finished this sweater and i kinda like it. the only reason that i'm not wild about it is that it's not fitting me the way i'd like. i used my measurements before i just recently gained some weight so i'm not looking as good as i'd like in it right now. BUT! i'm working out and hopefully soon i'll look good again...




specs:
pattern: coco jacket from twinkle big city knits by wenlan chia
needles: 11
yarn: rowan chunky print in pit
mods: i did everything in the round and i did a saddle shoulder in the round. i love not having to work with seams.

something new i've been doing lately. as i finish anything that has a yarn end that needs to be sewn in i work it just at the moment so that i won't have to go back later and deal with it. it's not that it saves time or anything. it's just that when i'm done i don't feel daunted with the thought of having to weave in 10 ends of yarn!

dragon scarf

well i have another fo. i made the dragon scarf. a free pattern i found on ravelry. it's so great. there are so many ways to wear it and it's just so dang warm!!




specs:
pattern: dragon scarf by vilma
needles: 11
yarn: yarn bee boucle traditions in ivory

i made no mods. just remember to cast on really loose because this thing is supposed to stretch. otherwise, enjoy!!!!

how to wind my balls

i got a question a little bit ago from someone on ravelry (if you're not there you need to fucking get on there already! what are you waiting for?!) about my ball in the post i did awhile back. what i love about the way i wind my balls is that they're flat bottomed so they stay still and i like to do them really flat so that they'll fit easier in my bag when i travel with them. so here we go...

step 1: hold the yarn between your pointer and middle fingers with the end pointing towards the back of your hand. it only needs to be about 2 inches long.


step 2: with your palm facing you, drape the other end over and around your pinky (keep your pinky and thumb spread far apart)


step 3: now go under and around your thumb


step 4: repeat step 2


step 5: repeat those steps (it will look like a figure 8 if you haven't figured that out yet) over and over and over...and over. it'll get really big. stop when you can just see the tips of your fingers


step 6: with your right hand grab the middle of what's on your left.


step 7: then grab with your left hand the two ends and fold. you're folding it so that what was laying right against your palm is on the inside of the fold.


step 8: still pinching the ends together with your right hand, with your left wrap yarn around the ball in an x to secure the ends so that it won't fall apart.


step 9: now hold the ball with the ends on top


step 10: now think of the ball more as a square. wrap the yarn to the top right hand corner (it doesn't matter if you wrap in front or back this is just your own prefernce)


step 11: now wrap it to the bottom left hand corner


step 12: continue wrapping the yarn in this fashion and at the same time slowly twist the ball, keeping the top always at the top. as you're looking at it will start to look more like a square than a ball. again, doesn't matter which way you twist, it's your preference.

bunch of stuff finished and being worked on

boy it's been forever since i've put anything on here. and i've got a bunch of stuff finished and ready to show off. ok... here we go



specs:
pattern: armwarmer in love to knit by bronwyn lowenthal
yarn: cascade 220 wool #7821
needles: size 10

i really liked this pattern. it was super easy. the only mod i made had to do with the thumb opening. i knit the sts for the thumb with waste yarn, put the sts back onto the left needle and proceded with the main yarn. later i went back, picked up those sts and made the thumb.





specs:
pattern: lacy long gloves in love to knit by bronwyn lowenthal
needles: size 8
yarn: recycled yarn from a sweater i got from ross for $5

again, the only mods were with the thumb opening









specs:
pattern: saddle sleeve from ez
needles: sizes 5 and 7
yarn: cascade 220 #7821

i love this pattern. it's just so easy to make. i did have some problems in the beginning which required me to frog back on the shoulder part and the bottom. but that was totally my fault because i measured his shoulders wrong. tip from me to you, when you measure you shoulders do it from the farthest point, not the pointy things at the top. it's a two inch difference but that makes a huge difference. also, luke has a v shaped body. he's got really wide shoulders and a tiny waist. so at first i knit straight on the body. so when i finished it it fit great on the top but it was all baggy on the bottom. so i ripped that part and then worked down making decreases as i went. it took me a really long time. and if i'd have thought ahead i would have saved all the time. oh well.

what am i working on now? i'm making another coco jacket for myself this time. no pics yet though