Tag Archive for ‘sweaters’ at adam knits!

Tag Archive for 'sweaters'

Making a List 01 Sep 08

Anyone still out there? I sure hope so! If I keep going at this rate, I’ll be slipping to monthly updates before long. Sigh. Thanks for sticking in there, hopefully I’ll be more talkative soon!

I do have a few finished objects to share, both knitting related, and otherwise. First up are some single socks, knit up in some of my hand-dyed yarn. Whenever I offer a new base yarn, I always save a skein for myself to use for swatching and test knitting. I swatched both of these yarns ages ago, but am finally getting around to actually knitting them.

This sock is knit with a merino/bamboo/nylon base yarn, which is pretty awesome in my opinion. I just love how soft it is! The pattern is the Gentleman’s Half Hose in Ringwood Pattern, from Vintage Knitted Socks (the official compendium of man approved socks), which really shows off the colorway well.

The next lonely sock is knit in my sport weight merino base, and is just a simple Waffle Stitch pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks.

Both socks are knit toe-up, with short row heels and cuff ribbing until I could no longer stand it. The original plan was to exhaust each 1/2 skein, but for both socks I got a bit tired of the ribbing after a while. Now I just have to get around to knitting their mates ;)

As summer wanes, I’ve also turned my attention to winter knitting projects. I have 2 cones of Valley Yarns English Tweed (bought in a WEBS closeout) which have been calling to me lately. So I skeined them up and gave them a good warm soapy bath to clean out the spinning oil.

I’ve finished swatching and am thinking that the light color will look quite nice as a Cobblestone. I may be the last person on earth to knit one, but I’m ok with being late to the party.

The other finished object is a house project, and I’m quite proud of this one. I’ve been wanting a chalkboard for the kitchen, but decent ones are quite pricey, so I figured I could come up with a DIY solution. So after a bit of Google searching, and a trip to Lowe’s and Hobby Lobby, I came up with this.

Pretty sweet huh? Want to know the best part? It’s magnetic!

I simply painted a piece of sheet metal with chalkboard paint (best. invention. ever.) and had it mounted in a cheap-o premade frame. The chalkboard paint is very cool, and it works way better than I expected. The board just requires a wipe down with a damp paper towel, and it’s ready to go. I had thought about using magnetic primer, but read that it was a bit hard to work with. Then I realized, that a piece of sheet metal would be just the trick.

All in all, the project cost me about $60, compared with about $150 - 200 for a decent board in a similar size from most places I looked. It’s the perfect project for my compulsive side, since now I can make meal plans with my weekly produce share and cross off my veggies as I use them up. It’s also a handy place to write down daily chores.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go cross “Write a Blog Post” off the chores list. ;)

Published

Adam

in finished objects, home improvement 101, knitting, single socks, socks and sweaters

Tiny Stripes = Cute 04 Apr 08

16 Comments

ETA (4/5): I upgraded my blog software and comments quit working! Oops! They’re all fixed now :)

I know some of you might still be waiting with baited breath, and yes, I did receive my mitten kit. It. is. glorious.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to cast on yet. In fact, I haven’t been able to knit very much these past 2 weeks at all. I’ve been a bit busy getting 100+ skeins of yarn dyed up for The Loopy Ewe.

So if you want to get your hands on some 900 MHz Merino, be sure to keep an eye on The Loopy Ewe, for one of Sheri’s infamous sneak ups. I’m also working on a shop update for the Yarn Nerd store, featuring my 3 new base yarns: 1200 MHz Merino (Sport), 1700 MHz Merino (Superwash DK) and 2400 MHz Merino (Worsted). That should be ready within a week or two, and I must warn you, these new bases are heavenly. The 1700 MHz Merino is especially squishy, and is the perfect weight for about any project.

Despite my inability to knit more than 5 rounds on my overdue Project Spectrum Fire socks these past few weeks, I do have a finished object to show off. One that I’m quite proud of.

Isn’t it adorable? I knit it as a gift for Georgia’s brand new addition, sweet little H. I actually bought the yarn when I was in Seattle over the summer, in a yarn shop that Georgia took me to. She didn’t know if it was a boy or girl at that point, so I picked some colors and crossed my fingers. Thankfully, I got lucky!

pattern: wonderful wallaby, by cottage creations
yarn: blue sky alpacas dyed cotton: azul light blue (1 skein) / caribbean (1 skein) / pickle (1 skein)
needles/gauge: US #8 / 4.5 stitches per inch
size: 2 Years
mods: I striped two of the colors (pickle & caribbean), and then used the remaining one for the yoke and hood. I also worked seed stitch for the cuffs, and did a stockinette hood with a garter stitch border.

I really loved the Wallaby pattern, it was so easy to knit, and there’s endless room for customization. Plus, being a small size, it actually knit up in just a few weeks! And at the rate H is growing, he’ll be ready to wear it around in no time, right Georgia? ;)

After all that instant knitting gratification, I feel like tackling some more baby knits. Are there anymore expecting Moms out there? ;)

Published

Adam

in baby, dyeing, finished objects, gifts, knitting, shop, sweaters and yarn nerd

Drink More Ovaltine 30 Nov 07

67 Comments

Ah, the moment is finally here. The unveiling of my first handknit sweater. A sweater that I love so much, it hurts a little bit when I take it off. So without further ado, I give you my Seamless Hybrid.

Pattern: Seamless Hybrid from Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitting Without Tears
Yarn: Cascade 220 in Cordovan (5 skeins) and Olive Heather (1 skein)
Needles: US #7 - 24″ Circular, 8″ Circular, DPNs
Price: $30 for 6 skeins at WEBS
Knitting Time: Sept. 1, 2007 - Nov. 21, 2007

Inspired by so many others before me, I used EZ’s recipe to create a comfortable sweater with a few personal touches.

I chose Cascade 220 because it was inexpensive, and because it’s a true workhorse. Perfect stitch definition, beautiful colors and a dream to knit with, it’s really a great sweater yarn. I shamelessly copied Fricknits color choices, originally planning to only use the olive color for hems on the sleeves and body. But once I worked the brown and olive yarns together, I fell in love with the combo and knew that I had to include some green in the body. So the idea of stripes was born. (More on this in a bit…)

Once the striping was decided upon, all that was left to do was knit, knit and knit. I actually switched between English and Continental a few times, since a few tests showed that my gauge was the same in both, even though I was fairly new at Continental. It was the first time I’ve ever really thrown caution to the wind with my knitting technique, and thankfully it worked out fine. Not to mention that I got some good speed with my left hand on the body, which helped out a lot. Then once all the pieces were done, I joined them up and worked the yoke, finishing in time to wear the sweater for Thanksgiving.

The neck was the only part that gave me a bit of grief, since there were a few holes after picking up all the stitches, but I was able to use a bit of darning needle magic to close them up at the end.

All in all, I’m pleased as punch with this sweater, and I’ve already worn it 4 times since its completion. It was quite effective at staving off the cold lake air in Chicago. I’m definitely going to have to get a new sweater on the needles, because I think I’ve spoiled myself for store bought sweaters. It’s just such an amazing feeling to wear something you made with your very own hands…I get a bit of a high everytime I put the sweater on :)

Now that the sweater is unveiled, we get to have a fun little contest. See, the stripes might look a bit random, but they actually spell out a hidden message. What could it be? That’s your job to figure out. So get out your Little Orphan Annie decoder rings and get ready, because here’s the rules:

The picture shown below is the exact stripe sequence on the body of the sweater, and the entire message is hidden in those stripes.
The message starts at row 1 and ends at row 80 as shown in the picture. I’ve split it up into two pictures to save space, but don’t assume that the location of the split tells you anything about the message.
Anyone is allowed to make a guess at what the message is, but you must back that guess up with reasoning; i.e. “I think that the message is X, because Y and Z.”
Guesses without proof will not be eligible, i.e. you can’t guess “Emma and Dallas!” on a gut feeling. This is like when your math teacher would mark you down for writing down the answer without showing supporting work ;)
You don’t have to make a guess to comment, so if you aren’t the puzzle type, and just want to say hi, please feel free to chime in with other comments!
The first person to make a correct guess will win a lovely Yarn Nerd prize package, guaranteed to have 3-4 skeins of yarn and maybe a few other goodies.

Got all that? Good. Now here’s your clue. Happy decoding everyone! (And don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about my last contest…I’ll announce the winners of that one when I get a winner for this one, promise!)

Oh, and if you’re keeping track, I will be 23 tomorrow. Man I’m getting old! ;) I highly doubt I will post tomorrow, so I’m going to wish myself Happy Birthday a day early!

Published

Adam

in contests, continental, finished objects, knitting, nerdy, sweaters and techniques

Putting It All Together 10 Nov 07

24 Comments

Thank you all for the wonderful comments on my knitting anniversary, and the encouragement for my portly pooches! They’re doing quite well, and after a nice haircut, Emma is not as pudgy as initially suspected. I suspect Dallas is mostly a giant hairball too, he just hasn’t gotten his haircut yet. A few more weeks of regular evening walks and I’m sure they’ll be back to their skinny supermodel selves. And extra walking is something they certainly don’t mind. :)

I did just receive the BFL yarn yesterday, so I’ll pick the winners from the contest in the next blog post. I’m quite flattered that so many people think I’ve been knitting much longer than 2 years, but I assure you, any perceived skill is merely ridiculous amounts of practice. My friends and family deserve the credit, since they’ve put up with me knitting non stop for this long! (I think those warm hats and socks might have something to do with it…)

Also, if you haven’t picked up any Yarn Nerd from The Loopy Ewe, there’s still a few skeins left, so get on over before it’s all gone!

I’ve been hard at work this week, trying to get my Seamless Hybrid finished before the onslaught of winter, and I’m starting to make progress. I finished the 2nd sleeve this week, which means I’m now ready to start the yoke, and join the body and sleeves together.

I’m very close, but still, I haven’t been able to find time to sit down and start on the yoke. I want a nice block of uninterrupted time, since it’s the first time I’ve done anything like this, but I couldn’t seem to find that in my schedule this week. I think I might retreat to my favorite coffee shop tomorrow morning for a bit of solitude with my notes and the wool. It’s shaping up to be a good weekend. :)

I also got a bit of mail love this week, in the form of a stunning sock from Megan, as part of a single sock swap. She knit me the first sock, and sent me some yarn and the pattern so I can knit the second one. It’s an I Love Gansey sock (modified to have diamonds instead of hearts, you know, since hearts have cooties), knit up in a lovely chocolate shade of Rowan 4-Ply. It’s super squishy, and I can’t wait to knit the mate! Now if I can only find the time to cast on…

Megan also sent me this amazing sock cube from Schrodinger Originals, which has become my de-facto European Carryall for my knitting. There’s just something so awesome and so geometric about keeping your knitting in a sewn cube, it’s like storing structure inside structure, math inside math, etc…

So thanks Megan, you rock! I can’t wait to knit the second one; now if I could just finish the other socks and sweaters and shawls first!

Published

Adam

in gifts, knitting, patterns, schnauzers, sweaters, techniques, weekend!, works in progress and yarn nerd

The Secret Lives of Dog Models 04 Nov 07

57 Comments

Dallas and Emma? It has come to my attention that you’re not quite the svelte dogs that you used to be. I know that shaggy is the look for dog models these days, but that’s a bit more than a winter coat you’re both growing. Dog modeling is a human eat human business, and you can’t keep up if you’re rolling around like little lard balls. It’s either lose the weight, or get replaced by some newer, hotter dog models, like that vixen of a Chihuahua down the street. It might seem rough, but it’s business baby. There are plenty of dogs who would kill for a spot on this blog, and just because you were on Cute Overload doesn’t mean you can sit around all day stuffing your faces. I can’t have my lovely knits being shown off by anything but the hottest dogs.

And hey, don’t you stick that tongue out at me! I will break you, you hear? You’ll never work on this blog again! Sheesh.

Yeah, so the dogs are a bit chunky these days. And stupid me, I didn’t even notice; it took my Mom (who hadn’t seem them in a few weeks) to point out that they had grown a bit in the lateral direction. So I guess it’s more walks and no more wet food. I’ll have to be strong, especially when Emma gives me that pitiful look when I serve her dry food only. Sorry sweet cheeks, it’s dog model fat camp for you.

In less superficial news, I recently gave my shelf in my home office a yarn upgrade, and it makes me quite happy. Up to this point, all my yarn was stored in bins on the ground, and well it was about high time the stash had a more central place in the office. So I reorganized my shelf and banished a bunch of engineering books to the bottom, since yarn is way more fun than reading engineering books.

Two shelves of yarn might seem a bit pitiful, but it’s a beta lambda* for me, the man who used to only buy exact yardages for a project, without ever buying “unnecessary yarn”.

*(a beta lambda is the official nerd unit of measure for a “butt load” of anything. it’s metric, so you can have a kilo beta lambda, which would be an obscene amount of yarn)

You may also have noticed that there are 2 big cones of the much coveted Valley Yarns English Tweed on the bottom shelf. I sat on that page for days, watching the available pounds go down, until it was too dangerous to not buy, so I picked up a cone of Light Sage and a cone of Lichen. At least one will be a Cobblestone, and I’m not sure about the other one.

In addition to giving my stash a central location for fondling, I also finished a sock this week, right after the Socktoberfest cutoff. I’m still counting it though, since technically it was done on the 31st, I just didn’t like the toe, so I replaced it with a different one a day later. That brings my grand total of Socktoberfest socks to 2, and non-matching even. Not the most prolific sock knitting month, but then again, it was a prolific yarn dyeing month.

This one is a single sock for a swap, wherein I’ll send the sock and remaining yarn to my pal, who will knit the second sock for herself. It’s a fun idea, and a great way to knit a complicated sock and ensure that you will end up with a pair.

The yarn is Yarn Nerd 900 MHz Merino, in the lovely Pumpkin shade I’ve been posting all over the blog these days. (I love me some Pumpkin), and the pattern is Cookie A’s Thelonious. It’s a nice combination of lace and ribbing that isn’t too hard to knit and looks really nice with a semi-solid yarn.

Oh, and I almost forgot, it was my 2 year knitting anniversary a few days ago! It seems like it’s been way longer, but the calendar doesn’t lie. Maybe someday I’ll be celebrating my 60 year knitting anniversary :)

So, leave some encouraging comments for my fattycake models, and I’ll pick 3 winners to be the recipient of some hand-dyed Yarn Nerd goodness. I have some tasty BFL coming in soon, and I’ll be happy to dye it up any color you like.

That’s it for me peeps, have a great Sunday!

Published

Adam