Pretty little thing

I finished the EZ baby sweater last night, and wove in the ends this morning. I keep staring at the garter and gull pattern in wonder as I can't believe that I was able to do that with some needles and wool. While the construction is simple, the pattern did take a lot of concentration--not an easy thing when you have an 11 month old who is teething no less (you can probably guess that most of the sweater was created at night after she went to bed!). Here are the results as of 9 AM today (I still have to block it and sew on the buttons):




I found it challenging to knit a lacy pattern. If I spaced out even for a second, which I tend to do when I'm knitting, it was easy to forget a yarn over. But now that the sweater is finished, I'm in awe of this magical process and eager to take up my next long-term project: a lace shawl.

Update: The sweater was blocked last night and is still drying.



It looks like the washing has clarified the pattern, and also created some extra wiggle room for my quickly growing child. I'm happy to say that she might be able to wear this past her first birthday, after all.

Second update: The sweater is blocked and dry, buttons are sewn, and the best part: it fits the little recipient perfectly!





I now see why everyone loves Elizabeth Zimmermann. The other sweaters I've made for Elsa do not hang well especially in the yoke, but this one drapes on her neck and shoulders perfectly. I am also happy because blocking brought the sleeves to seven inches, so they no longer look short.

(Not so) EZ baby sweater

Finally, I have something to show for my efforts. I've had a hard time getting this one off the ground, but here is the beginning of Elizabeth Zimmermann's baby sweater from the Knitter's Almanac:




The "gull" pattern is really my first attempt to knit lace, and after a few botched attempts (forgetting yarn overs, mostly) I am finally getting the hang of it. I understand the structure of the pattern now, how all the stitches line up, so I know immediately if I've made a mistake. For me, the key to executing any pattern is really understanding how it works from the inside out. Until I understand it, it never comes out right. But it's funny because in order to understand it, I have to mess it up and then piece it back together.

The only thing I'm not so sure about are my ssk's. I checked Knitting Help again to make sure I am doing it correctly, and I am. But the diagnol looks slightly jagged compared to the K2tog's.

I'm doing one pattern modification and I'm pretty sure it will work out: I'm knitting the sleeves in the round rather than flat. I thought the overall effect would be neater, especially since I have no idea how I would seam the lace work. The only question is if knitting the sleeves in the round will be a problem later when I return to the body and have to pick up the cast on stitches on each sleeve. I have thought about it, and it seems that won't make any difference--but I will update when I get to the sweater body.

I'm also placing the buttonholes every 16 rows rather than 8, since I did not want them so close together.

ETA: More modifications: I made the sleeve 6 inches (rather than 5)so it will fit Elsa better, and I knit the garter stitch cuff with size 6 needles to make it a little tighter. I find the sleeves a bit too wide, although I think that is the intended style.

Materials:

Plymouth's Suri Merino (barley color)
Size 7 needles

Giving

The gloves were finished and blocked by Christmas Eve, and I took this picture of them in the morning. The color is actually much richer than this, but my camera seems to have trouble with red.



Later that day.....

Sister's gloves:



Mom's scarf:



Brother-in-law's hat:



Husband's scarf:




Elsa's bunny (upside down!):



(to be added--Dad's hat--when I get a picture)

Everything fit well and the recipients look pleased, don't you think? I have always loved giving presents, but it is even more fulfilling when it is something handmade that is appreciated.

The Boyfriend (Husband) Scarf

Well....here it is: the "Boyfriend Scarf" from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I substituted the recommended yarn (Classic Elite Forbidden) with Debblie Bliss Superchunky Cashmerino in Chocolate. The pattern was a bit tedious (I've decided no more scarves in the near future), but I do love the way it turned out. The really nice part about it is that it is a waffle knit, so the two sides are different, but harmonious.




I'm even tempted to say that I like the "wrong side" better.



I'll be making this post viewable after Christmas so it's a suprise for my husband.

Black and blue

I whipped up this hat for my brother-in-law's holiday gift, and I'm pretty happy with the way it came out. It's only my second attempt to a design with color, and I had a lot of fun doing it. It also went fast because I used Debbie Bliss's chunky cashmerino. Almost all of my gifts this year are knit in this wool because I don't want to worry about anything being too itchy for the recipient. I found that the cashmerino looks nicer in stockinette than the rib stitch section, where it looks a bit loose. Overall, I enjoyed this yarn--it knits like butter.



Here's my hubby, modeling the hat for me. Hmmmm...he looks good in it--look at how it brings out his eyes. I think I'll have to make one for him too.

Hand in (one) glove

Well I think it was worth it....




Now the inspiration to complete number two: I will do it better than the first because hopefully I won't make the same silly mistakes.

Three down...

After a few false starts, the first glove is starting to take shape:



I attempted to use the Fetching pattern to create the thumb hole, but then I realized that it was not going to work for gloves with fingers, so I had to frog a few rounds and make a thumb gusset. The glove is maybe a little longer than I'd like it to be, but when I try it on the extra length actually works quite well and makes the glove feel a bit luxurious.

By the third finger, I finally figured out how to pick up the stitches between the fingers without leaving any gaps. I pick up 3, even if the pattern says 1 or 2, and then twist the stiches when I knit them. On the next round, I decrease so I have the correct number of stitches for each finger. Unfortunately, I didn't do such a good job on the first finger, so I'll have to do a little mending at the end. Still, I'm pleased that I finally figure this out.

Two to go...I hope to have an update by the end of the day.