Something tweedy

I have a hankering to make a tweedy sweater. Of course, I'm allergic to wool, and almost all tweeds are wool. So I guess it better be something that I can wear a shirt under, which rules out this one: Everday Tweed. Anyway, I'd prefer to try a cardigan. How about this one: Quick Knit Jacket. Not super exciting. Hmm. This one looks way too hard for me yet: Skye Tweed Jacket. But it is gorgeous and shapely and feminine - soo pretty. Hey, how about this one? Emma Jacket. Oooh - now this one is gorgeous! And it's just a ribbed cardi underneath that amazing cabled collar, so shouldn't be too hard: Juno. So, which one do you like best? Which would look best on me? (I'm leaning towards Juno).

Max's hoodie - c'est fini!

Okay, I don't speak French, but it just seemed appropriate somehow.

At long last, here's the completed hoodie - front, back, and close-up of the pocket & placket:

And here's our model, Max himself, looking well-rested for his photo shoot this time (first thing this morning, and he wore the hoodie to school today).

I'm not really pleased with how the hood turned out, but I don't feel like doing it again. I think this is the only part that I wasn't very successful working out without a pattern. None of my books have hood patterns, and the free patterns I looked up online just had you knitting sort of straight. In this case, it ended up too narrow and when the hood is up, it forms a sort of point right on the top of Max's head.

Perhaps it's just one of those touches that makes it charmingly homemade? Or I'm just fooling myself. In any case, Max seems to be pleased with his hoodie.

Specs:

• Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby Yarn in Pale Blue (Max picked it out at JoAnn's) - most of two big skeins
• Pattern: Started with the idea of Debbie Bliss's Bill sweater, but ended up with my own creation, based on sizing and directions for basic sweaters in The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns.
• Needles: Addi Turbo circulars, size 7
• Modifications: All of it, basically. A made-up pattern of garter stitch hem, side vents, and neckline, K3P1 ribbing for the body and set-in sleeves (my first sleeves!), a kangaroo pocket, and a hood. Had to do the sleeves twice to get the length right, did the hood twice but didn't quite get it right. At least it'll stretch to cover.
• Things I'd do differently: cast on fewer stitches for the garter stitch hem, or increase for the ribbed body - it's a little wavier than I'd like on the hem (I did the fewer stitches & increase for ribbing on the sleeves and it turned out just right for those cuffs). Oh, and obviously I'd re-do the hood one more time to get the right shape & length, but I already weaved in the ends and I just don't feel like trying to undo it now.
• Overall satisfaction: High! I like it a lot, and Max seems to like it as well, and I learned so much on this project. I might be ready to tackle something with sleeves for myself now. I also feel very pleased that I did it without a real pattern too. Maybe I'm an honest-to-gosh real knitter now!

Okay, really truly, almost done with the hoodie

You know how you get so focused on finishing a project that you forget to check if it's shaping up correctly? Well, I do ;-). I was happily knitting up Max's hood, just straight up for 12 inches, and then when I folded it over to check how it would fit, realized, hey - heads aren't straight! So, I've ripped/frogged/pulled out 8 inches of stitches, and reknit, increasing a couple or four stitches every few inches to give a little bit more space for his noggin, and now I'm back to...just an inch to go! Plus weaving in ends, of course. Always fun to do stuff over...

Max's hoodie is nearly there, plus Whistler pix

Well, it's got a front, a back, two sleeves, and a pocket. It's blocked, and sewn together, and now all that is left is the hood. Got 3 inches of it so far, so it looks a bit like a sailor collar. Cute! Tempting to stop there, but then it wouldn't be Max's hoodie, now would it?

Here's the sweater while blocking:

And here's the real thing, being tried on by the cutest (and sleepiest, it was bed time) model ever:

(The bulge in the pocket is the extra yarn, just a little attractive detail for the photo - oops.)

Stay tuned for the finished product soon!

Here are some cute snaps from our Whistler trip. Max & Colin (the day we wore Max out with all the walking around):

Abbey & Casey in the gondola going up the mountain, before Casey really realized what he was in for. I guess 25-minutes-each-way mountain gondola rides aren't quite so fun for someone not fond of heights.

And here's me, wandering off path a bit - wanted to see what was on the other side of the rocks, and hey, it's mountain vistas!

Yet more quiltlets

This one for Jody for her birthday - hint: they're supposed to be roses:

This one for Nona's going-away prezzie:

A little too much contrast on this photo, but it's a white, wholecloth with trapunto, about 12x12 inches. When Nona found out I quilted, she piped up, hey I've always wanted a trapunto purse! Well, it's not a purse, but it's trapunto. Had to get some technique books from the library for this project:

Exploring Machine Trapunto: http://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Machine-Trapunto-New-Dimensions/dp/1571200436/ref=pd_sim_b_img/002-6354799-3062452

More Celtic Quilting: http://www.amazon.com/More-Celtic-Quilting-Gail-Lawthor/dp/0715316931/ref=sr_1_5/002-6354799-3062452?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188357090&sr=1-5

Whitework Quilting: http://www.amazon.com/Whitework-Quilting-Techniques-Designing-Wholecloth/dp/0974470600/ref=pd_sim_b_pop_title/002-6354799-3062452

Quick hat for Lisa

I wanted to send something soft and comforting over to my sis Lisa, so I knitted her a hat out of this wonderful bamboo yarn. Soooo soft. Very smooth, silky, light, and cool to the touch. Here's me in an extremely goofy and rather disturbing picture (that's what I get for trying self-portrait in the bathroom), modeling the hat before I packed it up and sent it off. Loved it so much, I'm making another for myself!

Specs:

• Yarn: Royal Bamboo in color #47
• Pattern: Head Huggers Lace-edged women's cap
• Needles: US size 6
• Modifications - none to the pattern, but given that I was knitting in the round, I had to modify how I knit. No combination knitting when knitting in the round. It was funny, because my knitting really loosened up from normal - must be all the non-twisting I was doing. I originally knit the Medium, but when it was too big for me, I tried again with the Small. Much better!

It's my birthday, happy birthday

Well, happy 40th to me! And thanks everyone for your wonderful words in my book. I absolutely love it and you. Here's my cake. Thanks Colin!

Candle action, and the gorgeous roses that greeted me this morning...

Max REALLY enjoying the packing peanuts and box that my book came in.

Wish you were all here to see it - when you're next in town, I'll haul it out.