Showing posts with label Finished Object. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Finished Object. Show all posts

26 June 2015

FO-tastic: An Aran for Anne

One of the lovely things about putting all my patterns into the same format is that I get to revisit them all, double-check that I've seen everyone's FOs, and marvel at the skills and creativity of my fellow knitters. Today I want to share a handful of major beauties that came out of An Aran for Anne, the companion pattern to my all-spiffed-up An Aran for Frederick.

Knitwitted knit hers before embarking on a trip to the British Isles. Here she is on the shores of Loch Ness! Extra length on the sleees and body gave her the fit she was looking for. Remember: You are the boss of your own knitting. Modify so you'll love and wear it after all your hard work?

Lea67000 chose a beautiful color for hers and added a hem after the fact.

aaafan achieved a gorgeous fit on hers. Knowing your measurements can make all the difference when choosing which size to knit. And don't be afraid of a touch of negative ease!

How charming is the photo shoot WildBerryKnits staged for her sweater?! Reading Persuasion by the fire, hair caught up in a lace ribbon... Love it!
One more lovely version, this one from ktrautlein.

All images from the projects' Ravelry pages. No copyright infringement intended. I just want to share the love!

In case you want to check out all the other fantastic An Aran for Anne projects:



Thanks for stopping by and happy knitting!
xoxo,

25 May 2015

FO-tastic: A Vest for Charles

Looking for a great knit for your fella but don't want to go to the trouble of making an entire sweater? A Vest for Charles fits the bill and is worked all in one piece with historical precedent and a Jane Austen connection. One knitter even added fantastic little pockets for her son's pocket watch! Here are some other favorite finished projects:

ArchaicDome's A Vest for Scott with lovely buttons and a yarn choice that really shows off the Diamond pattern

A Vest for Guillem by laracroft - Guillem looks so happy in his!

Doesn't Terry's vest from dayep look lovely in this color?

I would bet money that Scott is wearing his vest by simplyamy at Rhinebeck (I am now triply sad that I didn't make it to NYS&W in 2014)

And Emmett looks pretty happy with his vest from meredithn

All images from the projects' Ravelry pages. No copyright infringement intended. I just want to share the love!

In case you want to check out all the other fantastic A Vest for Charles projects:


Thanks for stopping by and happy knitting!
xoxo, Kathleen

21 April 2015

FO-tastic: Sotherton

Sotherton is a favorite of mine because it really shows what a knit can do for your figure. There are many lovely examples on Ravelry - here's a small sample of what beauties people have created...

lanismom looks lovely in hers - she used short rows to create a neckline that she preferred to the original boatneck.

AnnemarieErbel's version is so delicate, perhaps thanks to her color choice. Super-flattering.

Not only did ucagranduca make a lovely short-sleeved version, but she had a charming photo shoot complete with blooming roses.

How gorgeous is sewfancy in hers? And the addition of colorway-matching flowers takes these pictures to the next level.

In case you can't tell from her RavID, mandyandbingley is a serious Janeite. And her Sotherton is seriously flattering - love the extra-long sleeves.

All images from the projects' Ravelry pages. No copyright infringement intended - just want to share the love and appreciation!

In case you want to check out the rest of the fabulous Sothertons in existence:

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo, Kathleen
P.S. Have a finished object (FO) you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments (just click on that little pencil right down there) or by sending me a message on Ravelry.

23 March 2015

FO-tastic: An Aran for Frederick

Have you ever or are you planning to knit An Aran for Frederick? How about a few lovely FOs for inspiration?

Malika added some flattering waist shaping to hers (a la An Aran for Anne) but with Frederick's cables. I love it when you knitters really make a design your own. After all, we are the bosses of our own knitting :)



I love James's manly version in Beaverslide Dry Goods Merino/Mohair.



Tahirih went all curvy and dropped the neckline on her version. Did anyone see her at Rhinebeck 2014?

How handsome is Adrianne's son in this version? And the Wensleydale Longwool Aran looks amazing.
All images from the projects' Ravelry pages. No copyright infringement intended - just want to share the love and appreciation!

Have you knit up one of my designs? I'd love to share it with all of my readers. Let me know when you've posted an FO photo on Ravelry, and I'll feature it in an upcoming blog post so other readers can be inspired.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo, Kathleen

25 February 2011

FO: Emily 2 shawl

Emily shawl 1
I knit this shawl up over Christmas break and finally got around to photographing it (playing around with my camera remote and tripod). This is Emily 2 by Kieran Foley, and I knit it with some beautiful Madeline Tosh lace in the Baltic colorway and a bunch of seed beads that matched perfectly, which is probably why you can't see them in the picture. This was my first time working with beads, and it was a little bit of an adventure, what with the kids and cats in my life. It turned out nicely, and I don't think I lost too many beads in the process. I didn't block it severely, so it's not nearly as open as Kieran's. I may re-block at some point.

This version of Emily is knit from the top-center down, like many triangular shawls. The other version of Emily is knit from the bottom up and starts with a jillion stitches, so when I saw that Kieran had come up with a top-down version in December, I snatched up a copy. The beads kept my attention from wandering too much - this is a garter stitch shawl after all, and the only serious lace action comes at the end.

In other news I've decided to move the blog. I've been working on a redesign of my other blog and will abandon good ol' Purly here on March 1st. There will be a redirect post here, then, but you can go check it out now at kathleendames.blogspot.com. I have to figure out what to do with the Purly content but will probably just leave it here, as is, and continue on from March 1st at the "new" place. I'm thinking about a little contest and giveaway, too, since I've never done that before. I will, of course, keep you posted. More FO's and patterns to come, too!

27 July 2010

FO: Matryoshkas (Pink/Blue and Red/Purple)



My former roomies have two cuties, one of whom arrived this winter. Since you can't give the baby a present without something for the big sister (in the interest of continuing family harmony), it took me a little while to decide what to do (why, when it was obvious what I could knit for two little girls?) and get it done with my own two running around.

I really liked knitting these with colors that are close in saturation - it gave them an almost damask feel. As you can see I changed things up here and there. My laz y daisies were too lazy to contemplate, so the babies are in unadorned clothes. I also knit these on US4s and achieved a denser fabric, which is better for stuffies.

I tried to weigh them as I went along to determine how much of each yarn I used, but I wasn't as diligent as I hoped. However, each main color used less than half a skein per set of dolls and mere scraps of the hair/eye/lips/cheek yarns.

BTW, what do we think of my new camera phone? Far better than my old camera phone, though still not replacing my DSLR. It's a Palm Pre, and I really like it. There was no way we would get iPhones with AT&T's abysmal coverage in NYC. And the Pre can also serve as a mobile hotspot, which is perfect for our time up in Maine, since we don't want to subscribe to a service when we are here so sporadically. Plus going back and forth between the Pre's interface and my iPod Touch keeps me mentally on my toes.

30 October 2009

FO: John's Yoke Sweater








Pattern: Seamless Yoke Sweater lessons from Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmermann, colorwork patterns from Sheila MacGregor's Traditional Fairisle Knitting [Ravelry link]
Yarn: Wool/Tencel blend sock yarn from Foster Farm in blue and natural, purchased at the Columbia Farmer's Market
Needle: US4/3.5mm
Recipient: John, my one-year-old nephew
Mods: Well, there aren't really any, since I was following a recipe, rather than an exact pattern, but I did try to make the arms long-ish, so the sweater could be worn for a while.

Now, I've knit seamless sweaters before (mostly raglans), but this was my first yoke-style one with colorwork, and it turned out pretty well, I think. Getting five stitches per inch, I cast on 130 stitches for a 26" chest and went from there, following EZ's guidelines. This was all in Part II: Two Sweaters, Lessons One (Seamless Yoke-Sweater Body and Sleeves) and Two (Yoke Patterns, Weaving and Finishing). I threw in a couple of short rows to lengthen the back before starting the yoke and did the Casting-On Casting-Off at the neck, which was a little tedious but came out nicely. The only thing I didn't do was the phoney seams, which certainly help a grown-up sized sweater hang better but seemed not quite necessary on a sweater this size.

In more EZP news, I'm taking a break from her sweaters for the moment and have the Stonington Shawl on the needles, with the lovely red merino Mom and I brought home from the Door County yarn crawl. I've knit the body (a square on the diagonal) and the first side and am now wondering why I can't knit the edging on this side before going on to pick up the next side -- EZ has you knit up trapezoids on each side and keep all stitches live before you knit them all off in one long go for the edging. Doing the edging on one side would eliminate holding all those stitches, since they'd be done. I guess the question is linking the edging from one side to the next. It just seems like an unnecessary step to have all the stitches OTN around the shawl, when you work the edging perpendicularly. So, I've stalled as I ponder. And I have to choose an edging pattern, as this version of the shawl is from the book recipe, rather than a pattern (it was published in pattern form in Knitter's and a Spun Out, later).

I also have my first Selbuvotter OTN, having charted my initials and the year -- I'm doing NHM #10 with some modifications. The stranded work takes some concentration, going back and forth between Terri Shea's charts and mine for the front and back of the mitten. I'm excited about them -- it's been a long time since I had a pair of mittens.

And I just whipped out a little vest with the lovely Madeline Tosh Worsted from the NYC Yarn Crawl. I'm not sure it's finished yet, and then I'll need to grade the pattern. This will be my first grading experience (yay, no sleeves), so I'm excited and a little anxious.

19 October 2009

FO: Shrug for Frances



Pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple Little Girl's Shrug [Ravelry link]
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash (176 yds) in Blue
Needle: US6
Notions: Pretty rhinestone button from M&J Trimming
Mods: None. Did the ribbed bottom rather than the lace.

This was for my niece's third birthday. No pictures of her wearing it yet, as she has decided ideas about the world and many of them involve not listening to anything Mom or Dad ask her to do :) Hopefully I'll see it on her at Thanksgiving.

11 September 2009

FO: Lena's Matryoshkas and Sweater


Pattern: Matryoshka Japonais [Ravelry link]
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Marron Oscuro, Shocking Pink, Natura, and Paris Night
Needles: US6/4.0mm
Notions: Needle felting fiber for stuffing from Halcyon Yarns
Mods: Using a smaller needle to make a tighter fabric

Well, I like the pattern ;) Actually, I'm happy to report that I followed my pattern blindly, and they worked out just right. If you're interested in the pattern, you can follow the link in my sidebar to my Etsy shop or buy it directly on Ravelry.

I made this set for my new niece Lena (Nick's sister's baby) and hope she finds them as cuddly and soft as Penelope did. P kept wanting to appropriate the dolls while I was finishing them, so they have her stamp of approval. The color choices grew out of the lovely yarn I used for her BSJ.


Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann from The Opinionated Knitter [Ravelry link]
Yarn: Merino 2/6 by Fleece Artist in a beautiful chocolate-covered cherry colorway specifically requested by Ellen, the clever owner of Purl Diva
Needle: US5/3.75mm
Notions: Five lovely little pink buttons from Purl Diva

Apparently, this is my fourth BSJ, though I think my first is languishing in the UFO bin. Such a wonderful pattern, and a great garment with all the squishiness of garter stitch. This really has become my go-to baby pattern, especially as it's a great excuse to use some new-mom-friendly superwash sock yarn. I knit Lena some of Ysolda's tiny shoes, too, with adorable, little, pink bunny rabbit buttons, though I neglected to take a picture of them before giving them to Lena. Hope we'll get a picture of the recipient in her finery soon.

E.T.A. I almost forgot that Ellen had taken a picture of the sweater and booties in her lovely lightbox.

As you can see I'm doing my best to catch up on some belated posts, trying to get back in the groove.

FO: Fair Isle Hat (for Isobel)



Pattern: Fair Isle Hat from Fiber Revival Two-Handed Fair Isle class [Ravelry link]
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Marron Oscuro, Shocking Pink, and Natura
Needle: US7/4.5mm 16" circular
Mods: None

Isobel saw this while it was still OTN and claimed it for her own. How could I object to my daughter wanting something I knit? She's modeling it right before bedtime, and this may have even been the night she wore it to bed. I'm glad she likes it, and I'm so glad to have conquered two-handed fair isle knitting, thanks to Isobel (Abelson, my teacher).

The purl rounds are interesting, giving a little dimension, though I think if I were to knit this chart pattern again I would probably omit the purl rounds. However, I am very interested in experimenting with purl bumps of color as shown in the Bohus sweaters.

17 August 2009

FO: Grandma's Birthday slippers



Pattern: Amy March's Slippers by Tiny Owl Knits [Ravelry link]
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Bulky from Purl Diva
Needles: US10/6.0mm
Notions: Hot pink ribbon from Joann's
Mods: Judy's Magic Caston and my version of the short row heel, which is just a little different than that in the pattern

Another pair of Amy March's slippers! This pair is for my grandmother, as she wore out the pair I sent her last mother's day. Love these! And the lipstick-red-with-touches-of-hot-pink yarn really is that bright - the hot pink ribbon which is for the straps on a dress for Isobel (should I ever hem it) is perfect. Grandma likes bright, cheerful colors.

07 August 2009

FO: My Socks




Pattern: Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock, plus Judy's Magic Cast-On, plus a picot hem - Purly's Own Hodgepodge Sock :) [Ravelry link]
Yarn: madeline tosh sock in Twilight from Purl Diva
Needle: US0/2.0mm HiyaHiya sock/glove DPNs (the short ones)
Mods: None, since I was kind of making it up as I went along

Ah, nothing like putting on a pair of wool socks in August. The things we do for our blogs. I am looking forward to wearing these, though, when the weather gets nippy. They fit like a dream, particularly for my spaghetti toes. The ability to try on as you go is great for people with long feet like mine.

Way back when I started these, I think I tried using a US2 needle, which made for a floppy fabric, not what you want in your socks. I ended up going all the way down to the US0 needle but broke one of my bamboo ones before I found these HiyaHiyas. I used the metal ones, which are very silky (I find Addi Turbos too slippery sometimes, though they work well for certain projects). I'm looking forward to the interchangeable set that is coming this fall from HiyaHiya. Perhaps right around my birthday next month?

Anyway, the first sock went quickly, but I suffered serious Second Sock Syndrome (SSS), which might be alleviated on future sock projects if I chose socks with, you know, patterns or something. I keep trying to convince Nick to take up sock knitting (he's a nail nibbler) to keep his hands busy. And I'd get socks out of the deal. But he's not buying it.

The picot edge flips a little, as you can see in the heel picture, so I may redo it. But for now they are done and ready for the cold weather sure to come eventually. Don't you like the heel? I think the way the yarn sort of bull's-eyes is cool.

OK, off to work on a design. It's a good distraction from Isobel's father's visit. Luckily, she's having a great time, so it's worth it.

P.S. Like the lobster-red adirondack chair in the heel shot? It finally stopped raining long enough for Nick to paint them - pretty fabulous.

05 August 2009

FO: Birthday Slippers



Pattern: Amy March Slippers by tiny owl knits [Ravelry link]
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Paris Night (yarn held double)
Needle: US10/6.0mm
Notions: Pale blue double-faced satin ribbon from Fabric.com
Mods: None!

Let's see ... I think this is the fifth time I've made a pair of these. I hope my dear BFF likes them (they should arrive today and, hopefully, give her a belated birthday bit of cheer). Grey is her color, and pale blue is mine. Anyway, this pattern is super quick and easy, and the result is so cute and feminine. My grandmother wore through her orange pair, so there will be another pair showing up here in the next week or so (Grandma's birthday is the 15th). I love doing Judy's Magic Cast-On now and might even knit another pair of toe-up socks some day as a result.

Lots of other knits in the works. I'm hoping to submit a couple of patterns to some of the online knitting magazines, so that's keeping me busy in my quest for World Knit Domination (WKD). So, back to the needles (and yarn and graph paper and pencil and eraser and computer).

22 June 2009

FO: Sassymetrical for MB




Pattern: Sassymetrical by Gay Schiff [Ravelry link]
Yarn: Romney Ridge Farm Hand-dyed 64% wool 36% mohair blend in Green, 360 yards, and I used just about every last one
Needle: US8

This one is for my sister. I gave the yarn to her for Christmas and told her she could knit something herself with it or have me knit something, though I could make no promises as to when any item would be complete. She opted for my making something, and here it is. The Sassymetrical pattern is fun and quick. I like the little puff to the sleeves. Sadly, it is too warm, even with it's little cap sleeves, for her to wear now, especially as she leaves for two months of research work in Afghanistan. But the wool/mohair blend will be ready to warm her up in Berlin this fall where she is working on her Ph.D.

Pardon the flash photography - it was rainy in New York, and it's rainy here. Some day we'll have bright daylight again and proper photography. But I've been meaning to blog about this one for a while and wanted to do so before MB leaves Wednesday morning. Hope you like this little sweater, sis!

13 June 2009

FO: Yarmulke


Pattern: Yarmulke by Jenny White from Greetings from Knit Cafe
Yarn: Madeline Tosh Sock in Lapis from Yarns in the Farms
Needle: US2/2.75mm
Made for: Daniel (Peter's father)

This was a quickie, but a goodie. Be sure to check the errata, if you have the first printing of the book.

And the yarn! Love the semi-solid colorway. Such a jewel-like radiance. Since this project took about 40 yards, I can use the yarn for another project, too!

03 June 2009

FO: Tempest



Pattern: Tempest by Ann Weaver from Knitty Spring 2008 [Ravelry project]
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Impressionist Sky (color is pretty accurate in first image)
Needles: US6 (4.0 mm)
Notions: seven buttons from Mood Fabrics
Modifications: Didn't slip first stitches and used one color of yarn, but two skeins so followed the stripe sequence in case the two skeins proved to be too different

Love it! Love it, love it, love it! This sweater is just great. The fabric has a nice, crisp feel to it, thanks to knitting this fingering-weight yarn at a loose gauge. I've been too busy wearing this sweater to even blog about it, and, of course, when I get around to doing so my faithful photographer is off suffering through Working Parent duties at Isobel's school (evidently, she had a hard time with Daddy being there, harder than the time she usually has with me as WP on Thursdays). Anyway, this is a great little sweater, and I will get lots of wear out of it.

And can you believe it only took two skeins of sock yarn? I even have some left over that I've contemplated adding to the sleeves for more coverage (right now they're just slightly curly stockinette of the cast-on edge, which I'm satisfied with) come Fall. For now it's just a lovely summer sweater. I'll try to get a picture of me in it soon.

12 May 2009

Happy Mother's Day (and some FOs)

I hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day. We had a lovely time here in NYC - perfect weather (blue skies, sunshine, but still crisp and breezy), my parents came to visit for the weekend, and Penelope is starting to sleep through the night. Isobel was so excited to spend time with her grandparents, though she wasn't too keen on the idea of a day that was about mommy and not her.

A while back my mother mentioned that she would, after all, like a pair of fingerless mitts to keep her hands warm up in Wisconsin, so I decided to knit her the Wine and Roses Mitts from IK in the called-for yarn (Jade Sapphire cashmere 2-ply - yum!). They turned out very nicely, and she was quite pleased with them, particularly the color.


I sent those cable footies to my Grandmother not too long ago so thought I'd make her something a little silly. She does have a shawl, lap blanket, cap, gloves, and footies from me already, so there isn't too much more to knit for her as we head into summer. I hope she likes this little orange, which was great fun to knit (Franklin Habit's pattern over on Knitty). The orange yarn is leftover from her gloves, and the green is some Cascade Heritage. I would have preferred a hand-dyed green for a leafier effect, but it is still cute.


And I finally made a Hemlock Ring blanket for myself. Love it! I used some sheepy Lopi that the woman who used to own my old house gave me (I think she'd found it at the Transfer Station). The yarn is almost like pencil roving and had a lot of vegetable matter throughout, but picking it out sort of added to the enjoyment (I know, weird). I love the contrast between the lacey pattern and the serious, heavy-weight yarn.

31 March 2009

FO: Little Girl's Shrug

Pattern: Little Girl's Shrug from Knitting Pure and Simple Ravelry link
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Horizon (less than one skein)
Needle: US6
Size: 6 year old
Mods: I did the optional lace border at the bottom but am not sure how I like it (curls a little), but Isobel seems happy
Notions: Sparkly button from a blazer of mine that had lost the other one, but we may need to find a slightly smaller button
Yarn and pattern from Purl Diva.

This was my first Knitting Pure and Simple pattern, and it sure was pure and simple. I knit this up in two days. As you can see Isobel is quite pleased with it. And I have enough yarn left to knit up a little something for Penelope to match; yarn requirements were 250 yards for the six, but I used less than 220. So, should I do the same again only smaller for Penelope? There are smaller buttons on the sleeves of the blazer...

17 February 2009

FO: Elefantes









Pattern: Elefante by Susan B. Anderson
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted (grey and white, as well as pink bits), Cascade 220 (purple)
Needles: US4 DPNs
Notions: Polyfill, but not pellets since these are all for children
Recipients: Purple for my nephew, grey for my niece, and white for Isobel who requested a white elephant after seeing the ones I'd made for her cousins. And who can resist making a white elephant on request for their dear child. Penelope will have to wait for hers until she can ask. [Ravelry links: grey, white, and purple]

I love these little guys! Isobel already dragged hers to school today, so no pictures of just the white one, and has mangled the neck area, so I may need to do a reinforcement. My only advice is to stuff them quite firmly because they will get loved and squished! They are fun and quick (about two days per for me, and I'm parenting Miss Penelope around the clock). The finishing is a little fiddly but really not bad.