Woo – it was a productive week! I love finishing projects, because I get to wear them. And those projects keep me warm during the polar vortexes and freak snowstorms we’ve been subjected to this winter! Thank goodness for wool!
First up – a sweater for me!
This is the Mondo Cable Pulli by Chic Knits. I loved knitting this sweater and I don’t know why it took me so long to finish it. I was cruising along and then just lost my mojo about half of a sleeve in. Wait. Yes – that was it. Sleeves kill my mojo. But anyway, those sleeves are done now & toasty warm!
I really like the fit on this sweater (mods listed on my project page in Ravelry) and I love the stability that the crochet ‘seam’ reinforcements provide. One thing I don’t like – the body hem rolls when I sit in this sweater for any length of time. The rolling makes it flare a bit. That’s not cool. I’m contemplating ripping this back and doing a more traditional ribbing instead.
Next up – a sweater for a baby (someone else’s baby, to be clear)
This is a design I improvised to use up some of the pretty washable baby yarn I’d recently used on other projects. I made some basic notes, but I wouldn’t call it a pattern just yet. I’m planning to make another one at some point & firm things up a bit, at which point I’ll share.
This sweater will be worn by the baby of a former student, who was born before Christmas. Hopefully it will fit her this spring to keep the Ohio chill off of her little arms!
But wait – there’s more!
This is the Rosewater hat, by Tin Can Knits. This was my first lace hat, and other than the k3togs, I really enjoyed it. (The k3togs were okay, but they took a toll on my wrists after a while.) I knit this hat out of alpaca from an alpaca named Lizzy at Root Down Acres, an alpaca farm near my parents’ house. The alpaca is beautifully colored, creamy soft to work with and super warm to wear. The only downside – I found 4 joins in the yarn while knitting the hat, and a 5th when I was re-winding my leftovers. That hasn’t stopped me from wearing this several times, though!
Last, but not least:
Another Barley (this is 4, for those of you keeping track). This time, out of Crystal Palace Merino 5 yarn – my first time working with it & wow, is it nice!! I used my first yarn diet exception and purchased yarn that would make a great hat that would be machine washable.
This hat was knit & immediately gifted to the friend of a co-worker who is currently going through chemotherapy in hopes of eradicating her breast cancer. Her favorite color is blue, so hopefully the soft wool & the calming blues & teals in this yarn will be comforting to her.
Donita Westman 