Endless possibilities

Last year, I bought--on sale--9 balls of Kid Classic in this lovely color called Oats. I had something very specific in mind, having seen this project on Ravelry, and just had to have the same, in the same color even. The project was Icicle from Rowan 42.

The longer this yarn sat in my stash, the more doubts crept in about poor Icicle. For one, it's a little eccentric, and the construction exasperatingly cumbersome (gathering and easing in sleeves, for example--what about decreasing somehow? and hemming, i.e., turning up the edges and sewing--can the designer think of no other way?). I'm happy to get on the bandwagon with all that if only I didn't have doubts about the practicality of the garment itself. It's eccentric, but Rowan-y eccentric, which I've always thought more acceptable in something I knit. But should it be? I don't, for example, have a handknitted sweater that I've ever worn out because it was so useful.

Thus, the possibilities. So I made these mosaics to crystallize my thoughts. All of these garments were actually designed in Kid Classic except one. I haven't even looked up patterns in this gauge on Ravelry for fear of what I might find, so for now I'm just looking at things made with Kid Classic.


The top left is Icicle, which I've already talked about. Top right is Emily by Kim Hargreaves from the Heartfelt book. Then two more sweaters by Kim H. from various Rowan magazines. The bottom left takes only 5 balls, so I'd have 4 left to make an entirely different thing.


In the mosaic above, the top left design is from Teva Durham's Loop-d-Loop book. It's a unisex pullover with two different sleeve settings, one raglan with the toggle and the other set in. Also eccentric but this oversized sweater appeals to me. Top right is Snowbird by PipiBird on Ravelry. A popular, well-fitting, simple garment. Would likely see a lot of wear. Which reminds me, based on my other sweater, Kid Classic is kind of scratchy, which is why more of these are "top layer" garments vs. close fitting. The bottom two are from Kim H's Heartfelt book once again. I could knit them both with 9 balls (or the pink sweater above and one of these).


I had to delve into my vintage Rowan magazines to find these. The top left is an oversized sweater in reverse stockinette, and the right one is more fitted. The bottom left is actually current, from Winter Blooms by Kim Hargreaves, and the bottom right is Marsha from an old Rowan and would need to be shortened by 1 ball's worth of yarn if I were to make it with 9 balls, but it appears plenty long.

And oops! There's one more possibility, the Bed Jacket from the book Romantic Style by Jennie Atkinson. Utterly romantic and impractical, I still consider it a contender. Wouldn't it be lovely just to own this?

(photo is of dskinla's version)

I get into this mode when I have yarn in my stash that is not specifically assigned a project. I can't stop mulling it over until I come up with the best thing to make. Most everything here is designed by Kim Hargreaves, so how can I run amok, really? But I would love to hear your opinions.

Fall forecast

I've been poring over my patterns and stash to plan out what my fall/winter knits are going to be. Although I never feel the need to do this for spring or summer, I do enjoy planning my projects for the fall. Fall to my mind is more fresh than the new year, especially where knitting is concerned. I came up with quite a few new things to make, all from my stash, but once they were written down on a list, they really added up and now I see it's a tall--if not impossible--order indeed! Not to mention I have a few WIPs to finish! And other hobbies and obligations . . . well, you see. Nevertheless, here are the knitting projects I just have to get to this season :o)

St. Columba vest by Alice Starmore. A challenging, but not endless, project.


Glade from Rowan 40 by Marie Wallin. I bought these yarns during the Webs super sale (a sale worth waiting for). The beautiful colors of Tapestry and Kidsilk Haze will be a joy to knit, although I've heard some things about the pattern that I'll need to sort out for me.


Cocoon from Haiku Knits, in Rowan's Cocoon. I have the Frost color, like the cream color shown, which I acquired through a Ravelry trade.


Lizard Ridge Blanket in Noro Kureyon. This is a Christmas gift for mom. I plan to make a lap blanket of 4 x 4 squares or so, and started in February to get ahead, but I think I have only 3 done so far.


Sweater in my own handspun. Claudia was asking about this project, and I haven't forgotten it! But it definitely needs a new injection of life. Here's the inspiration board for my handspun sweater:


I should just stop here, but there's more. Manu, by Kate Davies. I have enough Joseph Galler 100% alpaca, as Knittimo on Ravelry did, to make this. Isn't hers lovely?


And the original:


And last, I must try to make a couple of Dickensian party mice this year:


Original pattern by Alan Dart. I have the "party mice" version, which includes a Christmas tree, Santa mouse, and mice with punch bowl and figgy pudding. I figure I could add a new mouse or two each year, like I do with my nativity (which obviously doesn't have mice in it!).

I didn't add in the 4-ply project mentioned in the prior post because I don't know if I'll get to it this fall/winter season unless I'm just dying for a 4-ply project, which does happen. Add to this my WIPs of Field of Flowers shawl, Donegal, and Origami Pullover, and it's a list to behold!

What are your fall knitting plans--or desires?

New knitting

Here is a new vest I just finished up for fall from the book Feminine Knits. This design and the book are by Lene Holme Samsoe, a Danish designer. It uses really very little yarn for a garment and could almost be made with leftover yarn. I made this one out of two skeins (420 yds) of Honey Lane Farms 100% alpaca. Honey Lane Farms is an alpaca farm close by in the San Juan Islands and they make the most wonderful yarn! Here's the original from the book:


It turned out very close to this, I think. My second project is Cherry from the book Winter Blooms, by Kim Hargreaves. I knit mine with Sunday Knits' Nirvana, which is 92% merino and 8% cashmere. It's a good enough substitute for the Rowan Pure Cashmere DK recommended in the book and is just $8.95 per skein, which is a generous 246 yards. This beret can be made with one skein.


It turned out to be a big hat, even though I took a few rows out, and I think I was on gauge since the original looks similar. I'm not sure about the color of mine (it's a pale blue), but I think it would look nicer if I knit a matching scarf and/or gloves in the same color to go with it. But that would require buying more yarn!


I do have enough Sunday Knits Nirvana 3-ply in charcoal for a sweater. I had originally planned on making this:


But my husband was a little "meh" about the design for me, and since the pattern is a little complicated, I think it may end up becoming this, Chaise from Kim Hargreaves' Winter Blooms. It's a plain sweater with little pockets on the front and seed stitch edgings, the sort of thing I would wear all the time. I'm definitely a pullover kind of gal. I've made a number of cardigans and I never have the right thing, in the right fabric, of the right length, to layer under them. So I find I don't wear them all that much.


I enjoyed doing the beret because I really like working with 4-ply on small needles, so I look forward to finishing up some things so I can start this. One of these is the project below, another ribbed vest just like the alpaca one in Tahki Cotton Classic. Got the back done!


I didn't mean to make this, actually. I was working away on a Rebecca sweater with the Cotton Classic and began to suspect I would not have enough yarn. I wouldn't know until I'd put much more work into it whether it could be achieved. I happened to notice the stitch count of the back was exactly the same as for my vest, so I made it a tad longer than the other one and finished it as the back of the vest. I will probably have some leftover, but that's way better than running out of this discontinued color! I think it will look a bit different than the alpaca one, more rustic and perhaps even a slimmer profile compared to the fuzzy alpaca. Since it's cotton, it may even be a great thing to . . . layer under one of my store bought cardigans for work! We'll see.