I fell in love with this pattern when I saw it in the December 2009 issue of Vogue Knitting. I wanted to knit this adorable dress for my niece, but the sizes available go from 6 months to 24 months. She just turned two, so I wanted to make it just a little bigger. Rather than use the DK/sz 6 needles the pattern called for, I decided to upsize the yarn to aran, and used size 8 needles. I used the 6 month size numbers as a guide and eyeballed the rest so it’d look proportional. I love the Madiera lace pattern! I also really like the yarn I’m using, Valley Yarns Valley Superwash in Misty Lilac. Personally, I like using “non-baby” colors to knit baby garments. I’m not a big fan of baby blue, pink, mint green, etc.
After blocking the pieces (thank goodness for KnitPicks’ great blocking boards), the lace pattern opened up and looked so pretty. I usually dislike seaming A LOT, but I figured this is a toddler-size dress so it shouldn’t be too much of a headache. Thankfully, it turned out okay. I still dislike seaming though. :P
Here is the finished product. I happen to have some 1/2″ wide velvet ribbon in dark burgundy that goes with it perfectly. I hope it’ll fit my niece. I’m thinking of making a Blythe-size version now!
Last winter, I asked my Mom if she wanted anything knitted for Christmas. I gave her a feather & fan scarf a few years ago and she really loved it. She said, “A vest!” And so I decided to give it a go.
The pattern I found online (Pretty in Pink on freepatterns.com) on was very easy to follow and the cable looked fairly easy to do. I had never done cabling before this, so I figured this might as well be my chance to use a cable needle for the first time! Plus it’s knitted in the round and doesn’t require seaming! I used Valley Yarns Valley Superwash from Yarn.com and it’s lovely to work with! It’s so cozy and warm, with great definition that really made the cables stand out.
Needless to say, my Mom loved it. She gave me a big hug and asked, “How did you know it would fit so perfectly?”
I call it beginner’s luck! :)
There are a few of my favorite knitting projects from 2009. Some are still WIP and will extend into 2010. I have SO many projects I want to start, but I will try my best to finish some first!
I feel like I’ve improved as a knitter in 2009. I did more lace work, beginning with Elizabeth Zimmermann’s February baby sweater (hats & sweaters), started on a leafy lace cardigan, made a few sweaters as gifts, and finally started cables in December on a vest for my mom. I’ve discovered that I really don’t like seaming so raglan is the way to go for now. Maybe I won’t mind it a few years from now!
I haven’t been posting any in-progress photos because I didn’t want to ruin holiday surprises for the people receiving knitting items for Christmas. Now that everyone has gotten their gifts, I will be posting more photos in 2010 :)
Happy new year & happy knitting!
Dewey Cabled Pullover in Progress
I’ve been working on this baby sweater pattern from Vintage Baby Knits for a while now. The Dewey Cabled Pullover was adapted from a vintage 1941 pattern, with its boatneck, 3/4 sleeves, and classy cable detailing, I decided to make one for myself. Instead of knitting it in baby-scale, I decided to use larger needles and worsted weight yarn to make this sweater. I’m using KnitPicks’ Shine Worsted in color Green Apple, one of my favorite colors. I’m about 3/4 done on the body, then I’ve got the sleeves to go. I think this will be a great top for Fall, and I can definitely wear it with jeans or work trousers. I can’t wait to finish!
This will probably be the last knitting project I’m doing for myself this year – I have got to start knitting for the holidays!
This is my 2nd knitting project for the summer, St. James by Tonya Wagner at MetaPostModern Knitting. It’s a really lovely fit that reminds me of vintage sweaters from the 60s. Plus I just had to knit it because I love anything with a bow.
The Lace Stitch Cardigan is finally finished. Hooray!
I finished the cardigan last weekend but haven’t had time to properly block it (shape it into place) until yesterday. I love my new blocking mats from KnitPicks. I had considered purchasing blocking boards, but they are much more expensive and take up a lot of space. The KnitPicks mats come in 12″ x 12″ squares and store nicely in my craft room.
Now I just have to wait until Christmas to give it to my Mom-in-law. I hope she’ll like it!
Everyone who knows me knows that I adore vintage styles. If I could, I would love to travel back in time to the early 1960s when fashion was classy – with simple lines, sleek silhouettes, and fit that flatters every figure. Whenever I go thrifting, I often go through old books and magazines in hopes of finding old knitting and sewing patterns. One of my most recent favorite finds is this 1963 knitting pattern booklet by Spinnerin:
Isn’t that fantastic? That might as well be Betty and Sally Draper from Mad Men (if you’re not watching, you’re totally missing out on one of the best TV shows ever – Season 3 premieres Sunday, August 16th)!
And yes, I got it for one whole dollar.
This booklet has many great patterns that are perfect for an advanced beginner, and all garments are raglan style, so there is no seaming involved (yay!). I decided to try one of the cardigans patterns to make as a gift for my Mom-in-Law.
So. Adorable.
I started a little over a month ago and now I’m down to the last sleeve, then it’s button bands, block, sew on buttons, and voila! Here is a quick progress photo taken on my iMac:
I am liking it so much I almost want to keep it for myself =)