Category Archives: Project Journal

A Knitty, Fruity, Relaxing Day

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A girl could get used to this. Especially one looking for a little relaxation like me.

Debbie Bliss Cutaway Tank Free Pattern

Yesterday was hot. I don’t do well with hot, especially when I can’t get to the beach. So, while Hubby (who loves the heat), was outside working in the yard, I stayed in the air conditioning to start this Cutaway Tank by Debbie Bliss. It’s a free pattern that you can get here. The style of this tank screams summer to me. It’s done in cotton yarn, which would be so comfortable to wear on hot summer days.

I purchased 3 balls of Knit One Crochet Too’s DungarEase yarn for another project that I nixed, and decided to use it for this tank instead. I have to admit, I wasn’t thrilled with the yarn at first, it’s a cotton/acrylic blend, but decided to use it for this project. This tank is an experiment for me – it’s a real live garment and it has two seams that need to be sewn at the end. I’ve never done either before. After just a couple hours of knitting, I fell in love not only with the well-written pattern, but the way this tank looks in this yarn.

Things were going so well that I had to take a little moment of celebration. You know me, that is the perfect little excuse I need to get in the kitchen. :) I’ve been wanting to make Sydney’s Strawberry Balsamic and Black Pepper Jam since she first posted it back in March. (I was holding out for the local strawberries). I love this jam! The strawberries and balsamic vinegar are such a wonderful combination of sweet and zippy flavor. Mine isn’t as pretty as Sydney’s (I may have used too much balsamic vinegar), but this jam is just incredible. It made a perfect little breakfast for me when served on an English muffin. You should go get this recipe. It’s amazing. I’ll wait. :)

After breakfast, knitting commenced again. The more I knit, the happier I became with my little experiment in knitting a garment. Maybe I can do this!

I did notice a little issue at this point – do you see those little lines in the body of the tank? I am guessing that this has something to do with my knitting tension. Tension is something I’ve heard a lot about in knitting, but never noticed the problem with mine until this point. But then, I’ve never knit one thing that is mostly stockinette stitch like this tank either. It showed up quite a bit. I’m told by experienced knitters that this will come out in blocking, but I need to work on this as I knit too. It kind of bummed me out…..…so I went back to the kitchen. I whipped up a batch of that No-Knead Focaccia Bread I posted back in April. This time I added some sweet cherries to the top. This was a great idea! If I do say so myself. The cherries and rosemary combination is a great one. It took this already wonderful focaccia bread to a new level of special. I felt better after that little success in the kitchen…

….it gave me the gumption to spend the rest of the afternoon finishing the back of my tank top.  I’m loving the detail of the cables at the arms!

I can’t wait to get started on the front piece, which is identical to the back, but I decided to put that off for a little bit to bask in the success of finishing the back with no problems or mistakes.

By the end of the day, Hubby got a lot accomplished in the yard and I felt excited about my knitting experiment. It was a hot, but good day, despite no time near the water. There was just one choice to celebrate these little successes: Sangria. By this time, the sun had passed behind the house and the breeze kicked up to provide some relief to the ungodly heat, so I celebrated with Hubby and the Sangria on the patio. I found the recipe for this Sangria at TreeHugger. The only thing I did different was use rosè wine instead of white wine, and eliminate the serrano pepper. It was a delicious fruity end to my hot, but successful Sunday of relaxing my way…

Tomorrow’s high is 73, which sounds just about perfect doesn’t it? Maybe I’ll do it all again tomorrow. Outside. I predict happiness…

Out of curiousity, do you love or loathe the heat? What do you do to enjoy it or avoid it?

Happiness in Creating – The Madelinetosh Honey Cowl in Tosh DK

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“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of the creative effort.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

I think that’s true, at least for me. Nothing gives me more pleasure than the act of creating something. Whether it be a delicious dinner, a beautiful photograph, well-written prose, or making something I truly love, the act of creating it is where the happiness lies for me.

Regular readers know I’ve been trying to slow down and live a simpler existence these days. Key word: trying. It doesn’t always work, but the more I consciously try to break my bad, chaotic habits, the happier I am.  Knitting has become one of the things I go to to give my mind a break and find a little daily happiness.

Here’s the latest creation. This is the infinity scarf (longer) version of Madelinetosh’s Honey Cowl. I used Tosh DK in the Mica colorway, which is hands down the most beautiful yarn I’ve ever seen or worked with.

I love this! Everything about it, the pattern, the colors in the yarn, the softness of the merino wool, is perfect!

I’ve already made two of the cowls (in the shorter version) included in the pattern, but my favorite is the longer version. It’s 44 inches in diameter, the shorter version is 22 inches. And yes, I made all three in this yarn and this color. I obsess like that sometimes.

The texture of the honey comb stitch is perfect for this particular yarn and all its variations. It reminds me of waves on Lake Michigan. But then everything I love seems to remind me of water somehow, doesn’t it?

This beautiful yarn, combined with this very simple stitch, makes a lovely, light fabric that has the perfect drape. It’s not bulky, but it could stop a shiver on a chilly spring day. The soft merino wool feels wonderful against your skin too.

Yep, the longer version wins for sure.

There’s so many different ways to wear it.

I’d make another one immediately for a gift, but I have only one hank of the yarn left.

That’s just enough for another short version of the cowl. (The longer version takes 2 hanks).

In case you decide to try either version of this, I just wanted to share a couple of notes on the Honey Cowl pattern: It’s very simple. You’ll memorize it after knitting the first 4 rows of the pattern. May I suggest using a size #8 (5.0mm), 24″ (66cm) circular needle if you make the shorter version? The 26″ needle called for in the pattern made the stitches stretch way too far for my comfort. The 24″ inch needles did at first too, but only for the first row of knitting after the cast on. It was perfect to knit with after that.

If you decide to make the longer version of the Honey Cowl, make sure the two hanks of yarn you buy are from the same dye lot. Especially if you use Tosh DK like I did. Different dye lots are, well, very, very different. I had 3 hanks from one dye lot, and they all matched perfectly. The other two hanks were “onesies” (from different dye lots) and were VERY different. I’d hate to see you go to all this work to have that big difference show up in your lovely infinity scarf.

Let me know if you try this one and what yarn you chose. I am a nosy yarn junkie, what can I say?

Oh! By the way, you can download the FREE Honey Cowl Pattern on the Madelinetosh website. I found my Tosh DK at our local yarn shop and also at Jimmy Beans Wool online. Sadly, they are out of the Mica colorway, but there are a few colors in stock at Jimmy Beans.

Tell me about your go to creative outlet. You know, the one that makes you happiest when you’re doing it. What have you made lately that you truly love?

Fast Knitting Project: Head In The Clouds Cowl (Free Pattern)

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Dear Knitting Friends,

I just had to share this project with you because it’s wonderful! I made this one for me, but wouldn’t it make a great gift for someone? And the pattern is free!

I knitted this up last night and this morning. If I can do it that quickly, I know some of you could get it done in a night. This is a free pattern from Cascade Yarns called Head In the Clouds Cowl.

I first saw this knitted up in my favorite yarn shop, The Dragonfly. Kerri used the Eco Cloud undyed Merino and undyed Baby Alpaca yarn for the body of the cowl, and Schulana’s Silverstar in Nearly Black for the border. I love that yarn, it has little sparklies in it that remind me of a melting snowflake. As soon as I saw it, I had to try it.

This is an easy, in the round, 16 row lace pattern. 8 of the rows are simple knitting, and the other 8 are easy to remember as you go. The black borders are 4 rows of garter stitch. I didn’t make it quite as tall as the pattern wanted me to, I found it to be perfectly comfortable by simple finishing off one skein of the Eco-Cloud (rather than using part of a second one like the pattern called for). Mine measures about 12″ tall, as opposed to the 14.5″ the pattern wanted it to be. I’d make it taller if I wanted to wear it as a hood, and pull it up over my head, but I know I’d never do that. I love it the way it is! And because I bought 2 skeins of the Cascade Eco-Cloud, I now have enough to make another one. Yay!

Like I said, I am so happy with this that I had to share it today, before the weekend. :) I know the busy season is about to start, but this is a great, relaxing project for you if you have a little time.

Click here to get the free pattern in .pdf format.

Happy Knitting!

xoxo,

Sarah

Another Malabrigo Neckwarmer Finished!

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Different from the last one, but still another project with a  Malabrigo pattern and yarns! I promise to branch out and try other yarns for the next project :) I can’t help myself when it comes to Malabrigo yarns, their colors are incredible and every time I shop for yarn, it’s the Malabrigo section that I end up in. The yarn I used for this neckwarmer is Malabrigo Twist in the color, Paris Nights. This is the third project I’ve done with Twist and I can’t say enough about how much I love it. It’s 100% Merino wool, knits up perfectly and feels fabulous against your skin.

This pattern is from the book, Malabrigo 3.

I love this pattern too, it’s somewhat versatile, and it’s easy to knit, using only garter stitch, seed stitch and cables. I think the textures of the different stitches look great in this yarn…

And I love the little flecks of “light” scattered throughout the darker navy…

The color looks different under different lights too… This neckwarmer took me 4 nights to make (I’ve only been knitting for a year or so, so I’m not quite Speedy Gonzales with the sticks yet), and another day for blocking and adding the silver heart buttons. I love that it knit up that fast for me, just in case I decide to make it for someone for a Christmas present.

When it’s done it measures 9″ x 47″ – making it a nice length to wear different ways. I just love it….

If you’re looking for Malabrigo yarn and patterns in southern Wisconsin visit the Dragonfly Yarn Shop in Janesville (my favorite!) or buy them online at Jimmy Beans Wool.

What are you knitting right now? I’d love to see it….

Soft and Chunky Handknit Neckwarmer Giveaway

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UPDATE: Congratulations and many thanks to Margaret and Lorraine, you’ve both won a neckwarmer! Please send your shipping addresses to me at: thiswisconsinlife[at]att.net. Thanks again, and Happy Weekend!

Finally! It’s time for scarves around here. I love the feel of a cozy soft scarf on my skin when the temps start to fall, don’t you? Especially a hand knit one! Ok, so technically, this isn’t a scarf, it’s a neckwarmer, done in super chunky Malabrigo Rasta yarn in the color, Soriano. It’s 100% Merino and SO very soft and warm. I. Love. This. Yarn. I’m crazy about the colors in it too – The various shades of blues, greens and golds remind me of a fall day next to Lake Michigan or Lake Superior….

This pattern is so quick and easy to knit. Finished, it measures 10″ x 30″ and has four 1 1/8″ wooden buttons. It’s in the Malabrigo 3 pattern book, if you’d like to give it a try. Jimmy Beans Wool has the kit for this pattern where you can buy only the yarn or the yarn plus the book.

I’ve already made three of these, so I’m offering this one as a giveaway to you! I’ve lost some readers in my recent move to the WordPress.org platform, so your chances of winning are pretty darn good!

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post before Saturday, November 5th, 2011 at noon central time in the United States. Be sure to check back after that so we can arrange shipping. Everyone, except the spammers, is eligible. After noon on Saturday, I’ll have Hubby choose the winner by using the very scientific method of pulling a name out of a hat.

What do you think? Could it be a nice holiday gift for someone? Or a gift to yourself because you are awesome and you deserve it?