I started this cardigan way back in September. During the many months between then and now, I came full circle on bottom-up seamless construction.  It was my Moch Cardi, another bottom-up sweater, that turned it all around. I loved the neatness of the underarm seams and how effortless the yoke felt after finishing row upon row of the body. So I picked it back up and finished the sleeves and yoke, and I’m happy I did. I love it – the smocking, the I-cord edging and cuffs, and the Rowan Felted Tweed that I used. The pattern is Ysolda Teague’s Coraline – highly recommended!

[Ravelled]

Gudrun Johnston’s Moch Cardi pattern is a great one. This was my first bottom-up sweater (seamless, yay) and it made for some good travel knitting over the holidays. I used Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label in Stormy; yarn that was originally intended for a February Lady Sweater knitalong. The Lady and I weren’t to be, so I frogged it and used the yarn for this instead. I love this cardi but think I would love it even more in a solid colour. Maybe I’ll just have to make another one!

[Photos courtesy of Chris]

[Ravelled]

This is the project that will accompany me on the five-hour flight from Toronto to Vancouver tomorrow evening. Paper Crane. Just the thing for a confined space and an extended knit session. Tiny stitches on tiny circular needles. And 20 cm of stockinette stitch to go on the body!

Happy Canada Day! The only connection this post has to my country’s birthday is the yarn used for this project. Mission Falls is 100% Canadian!

A Baby Yoda Sweater knit for Oliver, a new BC baby. Mission Falls 1824 Cotton makes this perfect for a coastal summer and autumn – lightweight and soft. I knit this in pieces and then assembled according to the pattern. If you have a deep hatred of sewing up (perfectly understandable!), there are seamless versions on Ravelry that are knit from the top down.

I love the texture of this yarn. There’s something pebbly about it. This was my first Mission Falls project but it won’t be the last! I bought enough yarn for another Yoda in a different colourway. When it comes to yarn, decision making is not my strong point.

(Raveled)

My version of Hannah Fettig’s wildly popular Whisper Cardigan is finally finished and blocked! There are more than 800 versions of this cardigan on Ravelry, and that’s just since the spring issue of Interweave Knits came out in February. The pattern calls for laceweight yarn, which makes for a nice light cardigan for spring. However, if I were to do it all over again I would knit it in a sport/ sock weight yarn instead. I found it challenging to get a nice fabric with the gauge given. I ended up knitting the largest size on small needles in order to make the cardi less webby and more whispery.

The cardigan is knit primarily in stockinette stitch, with ribbing at the collar and to shape the waist. It’s seamless, which is a real plus when it comes to finishing! Hannah posted a schematic on her blog if you’d like a closer look at the construction.

It’s a blustery day today, so I took Jane’s suggestion and decided on a different approach to documenting the completion of this finished object. One that keeps me inside!

I love this feather and fan cardigan – Ysolda Teague’s Liesl. The lace stitch combined with the bulky wool gives it so much texture. It’s knit top-down as well, which makes it particularly fun to knit.

I picked up two skeins of Naturally Hand Knit Alpine 14 ply at Romni’s winter sale. This is my first project using New Zealand wool (at least that I know of, I have a small supply of mystery fibres). Oh, how I would love to take a trip to New Zealand.

The vintage button was an Etsy purchase. It’s milk glass with gold lustre.

While I was contemplating my Liesl, I took a look at the 554 projects currently on Ravelry. They all look so different! I think part of what makes this pattern so great is the room for variation. It’s perfect for knitters who may not be comfortable making their own pattern modifications. Clear details are given on how to vary sleeve and body length, the neckline depth, and the addition of an ornamental bind off.

My Sweet Pea Coat is finished! The pattern was designed by Kate Gilbert and published in Twist Collective Winter 2008. My birthday burly spun was put to good use in this project. The coat is so very cozy.

I love the texture of the stitch pattern. A double moss stitch pattern on the cuffs, plackets and bottom edge set off by stockinette on the rest.

I knit the sleeves using the Magic Loop technique of circular knitting. I’d never tried it before and am a convert -  fully and completely. It’s so much faster than fiddling with double pointed needles!

There’s something a bit retro about this coat – maybe it’s the swing it has to it. I’m really happy with the way it turned out. I was wondering just how bulky Brown Sheep’s burly spun would be. The end result isn’t cumbersome – just soft and very warm!

P.S. By popular demand… A very pregnant sheep at Riverdale Farm.

Pictured, my second attempt at this sweater. The first time around I tried to convince myself it was right, even when it became painfully obvious that it was wrong. My garter yoke cardigan (Melissa LaBarre’s design from knit.1’s Fall/Winter 2008) was large to begin with, and even larger after blocking. Two lessons learned here. One: don’t make a sweater two sizes too big. Two: when a yarn label says “Don’t soak”, don’t soak! So, after sitting on the finished product for 24 hours I started ripping.

While I was lamenting my stupidity, my friend Sara reminded me that this is just one way knitting is different from so many other things. You can start over. That’s it. Just start over. The material is still the same, albeit a bit crimped, and you’ve likely learned something from the experience. For example, I will never again pretend I have a 38″ bust.

Okay, not entirely finished but I couldn’t resist. Still drying, here’s my garter yoke cardigan. It was designed by Melissa LaBarre (a.k.a knitting school dropout) and the pattern was published in knit.1 Magazine’s Fall/Winter 2008 issue. This was really fun to knit – top-down and seamless! You start with the yoke – garter stitch rows shaped with short row wrapping – and the rest is raglan shaping and stockinette stich.

I love these buttons – courtesy of Jane. They make me happy just looking at them sparkle.

I really like knitting with DROPS extra fine merino but it did seem to stretch out a fair bit when I blocked the sweater last night. I’m feeling less nervous now as it’s drying and shrinking back down to a normal size…

Six skeins of Burly Spun made a very fine birthday present indeed! Stealthily purchased at The Knit Cafe and just the thing for the Sweet Pea Coat in the Winter 2008 issue of Twist Collective. I’m racing to finish Melissa LaBarre’s Garter Yoke Cardigan before I start though – one and a half sleeves to go and I’ll be ready to share! I can hardly wait to wear it.