radio resurgence.

After the much needed period of radio silence, I have been able to catch up on things. This included focusing for the final months of 2011 on finishing my master’s degree and fighting off feeling sick for three months. I’m sure you can guess why – yes, I am almost 4 months pregnant. We are very excited and I am due in the middle of July.

Now that I am feeling caught up and definitely better, I am able to start thinking about knitting and crafting again. Looking forward to knitting for a growing family, as well as starting to design a little bit, I am hopeful that this space will once again be busy.

I have finished quite a few things during my radio silence. One of my favourite projects is Gamine, a cardigan-vest from designer Tori Gurbisz. Another one of her patterns I am looking forward to knitting is Zephyr, a simple contiguous yoke cardigan. I am, however, on a yarn diet, and will not be purchasing the yarn for this sweater for a while!

One of my ‘projects’ this January has been to empty out my 'office’ as it will morph into the nursery. In rearranging and preparing to store much of my yarn and notions, I have been able to cull my stash of a large bag of yarn for donation. It is strangely liberating. If the remaining has not been touched by December 2012, the rest  is being donated as well.

So, Gamine. I used stash yarn – which will be an ongoing trend here at Chez Welfordpurls for the rest of the year!

Berroco Flicker is a relatively new yarn that is very pretty. Odette, the colourway I chose, is a soft cream with flecks of green-gold in it. The flicker is not overpowering and because it’s gold, it’s very subtle against the cream. Gold buttons set it off nicely. As I mentioned on my rav page, though, the yarn is quite splitty.

In terms of modifications, I added about 2.5 inches of length to the body. Flicker’s gauge is strange. It’s listed as a worsted weight but when knit up on 5.00mm needles, it’s quite stiff. Even with washing, I wasn’t too happy with the look or feel of it after. On 6.00mm needles, it’s light and airy – I think it shows off the yarn nicely. And that gave me gauge too.

I hope this finds you happily knitting, enjoying the new year and looking forward to the projects you have planned.

r.

simplify.

In an effort to simplify my commitments, I am going to take a break from blogging. I have thought long and hard about this, and while I really enjoy it, I know there are other things I enjoy as much – like actually knitting. I will continue to share my projects on Ravelry under my username welfordpurls. Thank you for all of your comments and support – it has not gone unnoticed. I look forward to hearing from you over on ravelry & this is just a ‘see you soon,’ not a permanent goodbye :)

chances.

Unfortunately, this past week has been filled with kleenex and decongestants as my body fights a particularly nasty cold that just won’t seem to go away. I am starting to feel a bit better but am completely winded after just making a bowl of cereal! You would think a lot of knitting would have been done but school work took precedence when I was feeling well enough to sit and do anything.

Allegheny was completed though! She sat on my dress form for a week while I stared at her thinking, Please wash out into something I love … please. A sweater dress is a difficult thing. It can add 10 pounds or be the most flattering thing ever. When I tried it on prior to blocking, I was so disappointed but after tacking down the belt, sewing on a small, flat button that wasn’t chunky (which I had originally done and immediately removed), I have to say … I’m pretty happy.

In total, I used 5.5 skeins of Cascade 220 Wool in colour 8509.  On 5mm needles, the size that was called for based on my slightly looser was the 35 3/4” bust but I decided to knit the 37 3/4” size instead and just kept trying it on during the raglan increases. I ended up with a 7” length raglan, then cast on about 8 extra stitches under each arm to get up to 36” for my bust size (I’m 34” but like a little room).

The cable was straight forward and progressed quickly. I made no modifications, although because I am not very tall, I knit the skirt 1 inch shorter after trying it on. I’m glad I did because it’s already stretched a little bit in length.

The pattern was written for Brooklyntweed’s Wool People Vol 1. If any of the other patterns in the volume are as well written as this one, then I would highly recommend these patterns. There’s no trickery – that’s for sure. Thea Colman has done a beautiful job with this dress. Gorgeous!

last time.

I can’t really say that school is just starting up – because it’s not. Already we are in full swing and I have submitted a couple of assignments. What has struck me about this semester is the lack of pressure I feel. Working steadily on my assignments, getting group work up and running … none of it feels particularly difficult. I remind myself that part of this is because it’s the last time. Part of me is sad about that – the other part of me can’t wait to be finished. Looking towards life without school work, though, seems a little overwhelming.

Strange how we come to enjoy the things we love to complain about, huh?

williamette.

Only good things can be said about this jacket. Only good. There is nothing about this jacket I don’t like. Nothing. I absolutely love it.

Seaming it was challenging as I am still learning but I think it actually went okay – every time it gets a little better. The pocket and sleeve insets worked up over the course of a couple of evenings.

I couldn’t be happier with the finished pockets – no loose change falling through the bottom here! The finished I-Cord on the pockets gives the sweater a very polished look that not only suits the jacket, it also gives it a certain sophistication.

The collar is added after the shaping in the yoke is finished and cast off. I knit it to the intended length – I really make no modifications but I did want a button at the top of collar to fasten it around my neck in the winter. I added one more buttonhole when I did the I-Cord bind off down the fronts.

At Fibres West, I found these very cool coconut buttons which suit the jacket. I’m glad I saved them for this project. The fit? I could not be happier. When I tried it on for the first time, my husband was even impressed and he usually doesn’t pay much attention – mostly because he’s seen me working on something for so long he forgets which project is which and whether something is done or not.

This is the first time I have not only used the called-for yarn in a project but also the same colour as the designer. I fell in love with this jacket the moment Amy published it – which was sometime last year. Since I hadn’t learned how to seam yet, I kept putting it off and putting it off – but when I had the opportunity to buy the yarn 40% off at my LYS … there was no more excuse making.

I swatched that day, then got quite scared and put it aside for a while. I finally cast on in May and have just been quietly work on it since – between other projects. This took the pressure off for this to be perfect and it worked up beautifully – I could not be happier. I think it’s safe to say this is actually my favourite handknit ever :)

swing.

In Toronto in July, I went to the Jazz Festival in the Beaches. I love big band music and was able to catch a great show which featured swing dancers.

I was completely captivated by one girl who was wearing a blue wrap skirt with large pockets and a sash. I approached her afterwards and asked her where she had bought it, as well as complimented her on her dancing.

She said she’d made it from a McCall’s pattern (#5430) and that she’d used a cotton twill. I totally copied her – she looked amazing and I love 1920-1940’s swing attire. She was even wearing the 1950’s white Keds and a red tank instead of the yellow. So cute on her. This is my version with no changes to the pattern.

It actually still needs hook & eyes on the inside for the wrap skirt to be complete but I couldn’t want to show you.

This is an easy pattern – I made the size 10 since my hips are 42”. I might actually make this skirt one size smaller next time (I would like to make it in a lighter twill – this is quite heavy which will be great for Fall) as it is a little roomy in the waist.

That said, I still love it! Happy sewing :)

ps. The Pattern says it’s a 1 or 2 hour sewing project – ummm, no. It’s not. It took me an afternoon after cutting it out which took a while in the morning.

pps. I keep this blog related to only my crafting but I wanted to say that those who are mourning today the loss of loved ones from 9/11, my prayers go out to you as you heal and open your hearts to forgiveness. I pray for the children left behind that they would look to their futures with hope, love and joy that the world is a beautiful place and we must continually remind ourselves of this blessing. Amen.

Mist.

Amelia (designed by Laura Chau) has been in the back of my mind since a trunk show by Sweet Georgia Yarns at Lettuce Knits in Toronto back in November. Also in the back of my mind was the idea that I would use some Cascade 220 from my stash to continue the stash-busting I have been able to accomplish lately …

Instead, I bought 5 skeins of Galway Heather in 1021 Mist. I actually only needed 4 – I have a full untouched 5th ball left.

Since we were in Toronto and I had not the following:

• Eucalan wash
• Scissors
• Gauge ruler

I decided I would just cast on. What is the worst that could happen? I have knit lots of sweaters, I know that my gauge is generally the same as the ball band unless it is a novelty yarn, and this is a straightforward worsted weight sweater.

The stress that this caused of not swatching (while yes, the sweater did work out) has resulted in me resolving never to not swatch again!

There were some happy accidents with this sweater:

• My gauge was too big on the 4.5mm needles that I bought (I had to buy needles since I didn’t have all my interchangeables with me and I didn’t want to buy more than one set).
• I cast on the wrong number of stitches (161 stitches instead of the 181 called for in the size 34” bust).
• I didn’t realise this until I reached the set-up row, 2 inches into the sweater.
• I really didn’t want to rip back.
• I measured the width of what I had and it measured more than 19” – much too wide for the 30” or 34” bust but perfect for the intended size of 38”. A little smaller than the 38” and a little bigger than the 34”.

It was all an accident. Thank goodness it worked out!

I used buttons from my stash of Fabricana buttons that I bought on sale years ago.

I made only three modifications – I followed the pattern and I love the results. The twisted rib acts beautifully as a shaping tool which meant the lack of increases and decreases resulted in super fast knitting. I cast this on Friday and cast off 9 days later. Garter is my favourite stitch – I love the simplicity of it – and paired with the twisted rib is perfect. I added 2 extra inches after the waist “shaping” and am glad I did. I also added 4 short rows prior to casting off as the back of the neck was too low. And lastly, I omitted the bell sleeves and cast of for an 8.5” cuff.

One last photo with a hint of something else I have been working on …

Can you guess? I have been inspired by msmodiste’s latest work …