weekend work.

“What’s a weekend?”
 

-The Dowager Countess of Grantham, Downton Abbey, Season 1
 

The weekend seems to be the best time for me to work on my various crafting projects as I usually have some quiet time to myself. It is nice for me to have some small breaks from the routine of the week. And it is even nicer for M to have some catch up time with Tiny and enjoy some father-son bonding that he misses with his weekday schedule! What has sort of ended up happening is that I get a chance to work on my knitting. I thought that going forward, I would continue to share some of this ‘weekend work’ with you as I am able since I tend to mostly share finished projects rather that works in progress.

This weekend, I have been working with some Berroco Remix in my favourite colour: Yellow. The colourway is called Buttercup but between you and I, I don’t think it looks at all like the colour of buttercups. Never mind – I love this yarn! I find cotton really hard on my wrists so I don’t work with it. This recycled yarn is lovely because it contains fibre (like cotton) that I don’t normally work with and I am really enjoying the results.

 

I have been thinking about this sweater for a long time and over the past few weekends, I finally had a chance to cast on. I had written out the pattern back in the summer but I never had the chance to actually start. In my head, I am calling it “Irish Heart” since I love the cabled Celtic sweaters. I only have the sleeves left to work … and I have to find one more button. Can you believe that even though I always buy extra buttons for a project (usually 2 extra) that I am short 1 button? Unbelievable.
 

Have a wonderful weekend!

sherwood forest.

I have always loved the stories of Robin Hood, King Arthur and his knights, and generally anything medieval. I also love anything done by the BBC so when I stumbled on Robin Hood (2006) on Netflix while looking for something to watch while nursing in the middle of night, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. And I’ve really enjoyed the series – sadly, though, I’m on the last episode of the last season. Bummer.

A gem that I have figured out while settling tiny tuna back to sleep after said nursing is to knit! The gentle rocking motion of my left arm – I knit continental – lulls him to sleep. Brilliant!

The problem is that I need small projects to be able to knit since a heavy sweater is hard to hold at the same time as supporting his weight on my arm. Enter toque knitting!

Pattern: Robin Hood by Grace Akhrem

Yarn: Knit Picks City Tweed HW in colour Tabby

Needles: 4.5mm circulars

This knit up literally overnight – he was awake this morning from 2:30 to 4:30am and just couldn't settle. Prime knitting time!

The highlight of this toque is of course the brim – it is very cool. I will definitely be knitting this again.

I hope this finds you enjoying the end of summer :)

military.

I’m taking a quick moment while tiny tuna sleeps next to me to share a re-finished knit :) After much debate with myself, I decided to re-think the closure of the Truffle Cardigan/Jacket that I finished earlier this year. I didn’t like the closure that I created but figuring out a closure that would work was quite difficult.

Although I have knit many sweaters, I still find closures difficult. In some ways, I know what I don’t like. That said, I often don’t know if I’ll like the closure until I see it finished. Maybe this is why I often buy more than one set of buttons per sweater and waffle back and forth between which to choose? This sweater was no exception and has probably been the worst of any sweater I’ve knit.

Originally, the closure was completed like this with 4 snaps backing the buttons. The shawl collar, while my favourite thing about the sweater, created a challenge: How to close the sweater while keeping the integrity of the collar intact? As well, adding buttons that augment the sweater and would not detract from its features (i.e. cables, shawl collar, yoke, etc.).

Although the look of the finished front is okay, it was actually quite awkward to fasten while wearing. The heavy snaps weren’t as functional as I had hoped. As well, I was only lukewarm on the appearance. It just didn’t feel finished.

What to do? I decided to buy some new buttons – I found these leather ones at a local shop – and go from there.

The i-cord lengths create a military look that I think finishes the front of the sweater much better than the previous closures.

The heavy Donegal tweed lends itself to a closure like this as when it’s knit tightly in the i-cord (I used small needles to obtain a rigid cord), the fastening is sturdy and uncomplicated to close while wearing. I included a button on the wrong side of the right breast (opposite the top visible left button) to assist with the closure as well.

When the cardigan is left open, the i-cord just hangs. I didn’t sew it in place along the front ribbing. I’m still deciding if I’m going to do this – I like the look of the i-cord just hanging when it’s open. There’s something quite organic about it.

I wonder if I’m the only one who struggles with sweater closures? Is this something you find challenging or is there something else about sweater construction that is your Achilles heel?

Happy August knitting! Can you believe the summer is passing so quickly? M and I celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary this coming weekend – we both can’t believe how quickly this summer has gone … as well as 5 years of marriage! :)