Trish Knits.com

Tag: February Lady Sweater

  • Wednesday is Sweater Update Day

    My February Lady Sweater in Progress
    My February Lady Sweater in Progress

    Howdy!

    I’ve gotten several requests for a sweater update over the last week, so here it is. I am pleased with my progress! I’m still enjoying knitting it and the lace section is making it grow quickly! I still think it will be months before it’s totally done. But, I’m actually getting a good feeling about it that this might be a project that I finish. How cool would that be?

    Most of my knitting gets done in the car on the way to and from work (no, I’m not the driver!), and with the days getting longer I have daylight both ways. And then, it’s American Idol season, so I knit while watching. Maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll be done by summer so I won’t put it down ’cause it’s too hot to knit a sweater.

    Anyway, the update is short and sweet tonight. It’s been really hot here and I’m sleepy. I’ve been pretty bad with sleep this week so I’ve got to try to get to bed. More later this week… there’s other knit stuff to talk about that’s not related to my purple sweater, but you’ll have to stay tuned for that.

    Ciao for now…

  • Sweater Update Again

    Happy Monday, everyone!

    Yeah, right. It’s rainy and nasty here today and I’m a real Grumperella. I suppose I should be happy that I’m telecommuting today so that I don’t have to be out in the rain, but I’m just not feeling it. What I really want… is to go back to bed. But since that’s not happening, I thought I’d start this day with a new blog post.

    I’ve been making steady progress on my sweater! See? Have a look:

    February Lady Sweater in progress
    February Lady Sweater in progress

    I’m really enjoying working on the lace section. It seems as if it’s going pretty fast! Other knitters have warned me that I would find the purl rows to be tedious. I guess they’re probably right, as it’s been about a day and a half since I picked it up, and of course, I’m in the middle of a purl row. These photos are actually from about Thursday of last week, but since I didn’t get a huge amount of knitting done over the weekend, they’re still pretty current.

    Here’s a closeup of the lace pattern, which is really taking shape nicely:

    Closeup of the lace pattern
    Closeup of the lace pattern

    The lace pattern is complex enough to hold my interest while knitting it, but it’s simple enough to do from memory, so I don’t have to look at the pattern anymore. I also love how the lace allows the project to grow so quickly. Is this the appeal of lace? The older I get I’m pretty sure that complex lace would make my brain hurt to do it, but these simple lace patterns can make knitting fun.

    Well, I guess I’d better get myself geared up for work this morning. Long day ahead, made even more dreary by the gray skies outside. I’m planning on making a pot of chili for supper this evening, though, so perhaps that will warm my gloomy heart.

    I hope there’s sunshine where you are. But if there is, don’t tell me about it. I just don’t want to know.

  • ‘Nother Sweater Report

    Are you sick of it yet? What’s that you say? You are?

    Too bad! Look at my progress:

    My February Lady Sweater in progress
    My February Lady Sweater in progress

    I have separated the sleeves from the body and started the lace pattern. Lookie!

    Closeup of lace pattern
    Closeup of lace pattern

    In the end I did not do the eyelet increase row, and I did not cast on extra stitches at the armpit. I think I am something between two sizes, and the sweater was starting to feel too big already, even without the increases, so I’ll knit for a bit longer then try it on to see if I like the fit. Also, I plan to knit the sleeves in the round, so I will pick up stitches along the underarm when I am ready to do the sleeves. Then I’ll knit a couple rounds in garter stitch and decrease back down a little so the sleeves aren’t so poofy. That’s my plan, anyway. I hope that what I see in my head works out! I’ll keep you posted on the fit.

    Tomorrow is the first day of Spring. Yay! I don’t think I have ever been happier to kick Winter in the behind on the way out the door. And I’ll be celebrating by going to my knit group. What a great day it will be!

    That’s all for now… I’ll write more later this weekend. Ciao!

  • Please Tell Me It Looks Bigger…

    My Sweater in progress, after a weekend of nonstop knitting
    My Sweater in progress, after a weekend of nonstop knitting
    I’ve been knitting like crazy. You know how it is when you get to a point where you knit and knit and knit, and feel like the product isn’t getting noticeably bigger? That’s where I am with this sweater. I knit every chance I get. I’ve been ignoring e-mails. My addiction to Bejeweled Blitz has gone mostly unanswered. I did go shopping with my daughter in the rain yesterday; school pictures are on Tuesday and the princess who wears hoodies and high tops requested a new dress. How could I say no to that? But, other than that, it’s been about the knitting. Does it show? Can you see a difference?

    I keep hoping that I’m almost to the end of the yoke section. I keep trying it on, and it still looks huge, but sadly, it’s not big enough yet to be called “done”. So I keep doing the raglan increases. I secretly was hoping that it wouldn’t be necessary to do the number of increases stated in the pattern for the largest size. Well, shoot. I’ll have to diet, so I can make a smaller size someday. That should be a dieting incentive, right? Get smaller so I can use less yarn and be done with my projects faster. You’d think that would work…


    Filati Infanti magazine by Lana Grossa
    Filati Infanti magazine by Lana Grossa

    Look what I found yesterday on the magazine rack at Barnes and Noble. It’s a magazine by Lana Grossa, called, “Filati Infanti.” I don’t really know much about this, if this is a special issue, or if they put this out periodically, or what. But it’s made with heavier paper than a typical magazine and it is loaded with the most adorable patterns for babies and little kids. I’ve never really purchased their yarns, but I am hoping that there are lots of appropriate substitutes already in my stash. There are lots of babies coming or already here in the extended family, and I’ve been meaning to knit for them. I’m hoping this little book will lead to some inspiration.

    But for now, I’ve got a sweater to knit. And knit. And knit. And knit….

  • Knitting Away on the Sweater

    Yet another shot of the sweater yoke in progress
    Yet another shot of the sweater yoke in progress

    I hope you’re not sick of seeing photos of my sweater-in-progress, because it’s probably going to be around a while. I’m about three weeks in, and I only just finished my first ball of yarn today. So today was a milestone. I did the third buttonhole, and I joined a new ball of yarn. I guess that means I’m into this sweater for the long haul.

    Reaching the third buttonhole has made me ponder what sort of buttons to get. Then a friend of mine from work (also a knitter) showed me this fabulous website: Bergschultz Buttons. Turns out, if you send this lady a bit of your yarn, she’ll make some buttons to match your sweater. I’m thinking of the circle-in-circle ones. Something simple, because the yarn itself is uber-busy. But we shall see.

    I think it must be the purple in the yarn, and the amazing way it blends with the blues, that’s making me so excited and happy about the project. It feels nice, and the colors are just amazing. I can definitely see why so many people are so in love with Lorna’s Laces. Now I can count myself among them. It’s been a while since I’ve been so happy with my knitting, and I don’t know how long it will last. So I’m on a quest to get as much knitting done as quickly as possible, before the feeling passes. I’m almost sure that it will, but I can’t think about that now. For now, the knitting is great, and I’m attacking it. Am I knitting manic? Haha… maybe. But for now, it’s a good thing.

  • Friday Night Sweater Update

    It’s late on a Friday night and I’m dead tired, but I couldn’t let the weekend kick off without showing you this:

    Yoke of sweater in progress
    Yoke of sweater in progress

    Yay! It’s starting to look like the top of a sweater! I am quite proud of myself. I have been knitting and knitting at spare moments as much as I can–lunchtime at work, riding in the car, TV time, you name it. I’ve been really good and really focused this week.

    I have a technical question for those of you that have made this sweater, though. I’ve read, and read, and read about the sizing. And, as educated as I am on the subject by now, I have to admit, I’m pretty confused.

    Let me start by stating the obvious. I’m not a skinny girl. To top it off, I’m pretty short. Under 5 feet tall, to be not quite exact. I keep reading that you should not let the garter stitch section go below the bustline. But, given how much I have to add to the sleeve sections yet before they hit that critical “almost” around the arm, I’m pretty sure that the rest of it will fall below my bust. Also, my bust is not the biggest thing on me.That prize goes to my waistline? Wait. What waistline? I haven’t seen that since I was 24. So, when do I stop increasing in the yoke? I honestly think that because of my short but wide self, it’s hard to just apply a set number of rows or stitches. How will I know when the fit is “right” for me?

    As always I will appreciate your wisdom.

    And on that note, I’m headed to bed. BIG day tomorrow, including a birthday bash for a daughter who is moving squarely into the realm of teenworld. Last year, we were just starting down the road. This year, we’re definitely in the mosh pit that is the middle of teen life, and I’m just hanging on til somebody throws me out at the other end. Wish me luck.