Finished Projects

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I've been working to finish projects using stash.  This sweater, Rambling Rows by Cottage Creations is one of my favorites.  I love mitered squares and combining color combinations.  This project incorporates four colors of Cascade 220 Superwash.  I'm really happy with the way it turned out. 

This baby sweater in Berocco Love It purchased two years ago at Yarnworks in Gainesville, FL, is another of my favorite patterns, # 982 Babies Neck Down Cardigan by Diane Soucy.  I enjoy making top down sweaters; there's very little sewing and I think they are more comfortable to wear when they don't have seams attaching the arms to the body.  This is lovely yarn, mostly cotton with some stretch.

Here's another Rambling Rows sweater, my fifth.  It's knit in Berocco Geode, Cascade 220 and Germantown Worsted.  I think it's perfect for my granddaughter, Linny, who loves purple.  I'm a tight knitter so I used the stitch counts for the 7 to 9 size which came out to the measurements of a slightly large 4 to 6 size.  It should be perfect for her to wear at the end of the summer.  Now I have to come up with complementary sweaters for her brothers.  Fortunately my stash continues to overflow and I just need to rummage around a bit to find something suitable.

I'm working on another baby sweater project right now but it's not something that will lend itself to a work in progress photo.  Once it's done, I'll post it.

Transitions are Hard

The last time I posted here, back in November of 2011, I mentioned my ambivalence about being a snow bird.  I was looking forward to the warm, sunny weather that Florida offers, but I was not eager to leave all the things in NJ that I really enjoy.

We've been in Florida for six weeks now.  The weather has been quite mild, much warmer than the previous two winters.  We've had some chilly mornings, but by midday, it's sunny and pleasant.  It seems, though, that it's been pretty mild in NJ too.  There haven't been any major snow storms to date and temps appear to be moderate for this time of year.

In the past, I've enjoyed the Florida weather to do outdoor activities.  I do try to bicycle with a friend on the Withlacoochee Trail every Monday.  Most other days I go to the gym, a gym that is no where near as nice as NBD, the gym I belong to at home.  Going to the gym every day negates the allure of mild temperatures and outdoor activities.  I find myself pining for the NJ gym and my trainer, Toni.

The things I miss the most though are people; my yarny friends and my NJ grands.  As I follow their activity reports on ravelry, facebook, twitter and my daughter-in-law's blog, I struggle over and over with all the things I am missing.  Christmas, a wedding, a yarn store opening, just to name a few.  There are activities here including two knitting groups, the UU congregation, socializing at the club house, but they just don't seem to measure up this year.  And, there is so little access to culture here.  We see reviews of films that are not playing nearby.  We miss concerts, plays.  Hell, I even miss Starbucks!!

Early in December we looked into spending next winter in a more cosmopolitan area like Sarasota. It looks very appealing but prices are simply out of reach.  We're toying with the idea of spending next winter at home and using NYC as our playground.  Since the heat in our apartment is always on high (with no way to control it but opening the window), we won't be cold and we don't have to go out if the weather is bad.

In the meantime, there are some nice things to look forward to.  I've got a frequent flyer ticket and will be heading to Portland in early February.  Shortly after I return, the NJ grands and their parents will be visiting us.  And, in early March DH and I are taking a knitting cruise with Barry Klein.  Of course, in mid-April we'll be attending the Sarasota Film Festival again. 

I'm knitting, of course.  I've got three baby sweaters and an adult sweater "in process."  One baby sweater is a store sample for All About Ewe, the about to open yarn store mentioned above.  The adult sweater, for me, is Sandrilene, designed by Jesh, a NJ yarn friend.  And, I was recently approached by the owner of a children's store in Philadelphia about providing some baby sweaters for sale in her shop.  Negotiations are ongoing and it may not come to fruition, but we'll see.

52 in 52 Project #24

Rambling Rows Jacket, Cascade 220, Berroco Geode, Shepherds Wool

52 in 52 Project #20

Same cardi as #18, just bigger

Week #23 and I've only finished project #20.  Obviously I've got to pick up the pace a bit...

The Saga of the Sweater

Years ago, 2007 probably, when I first started knitting again, I bought Lion Brand Pound of Love in four different colors.  I wasn't really confident about my knitting skills and I wasn't ready to make a big investment in yarn.  I still have lots of this yarn in my stash although the cream color is about gone.

In May of 2008 when my mother was very ill, I traveled to Vermont to be with my sister as we sat by my mother's bedside in the hospital.  I packed the cream (antique white?) Pound of Love in my suitcase.  As my mother slipped away, my sister and I sat together knitting.  It was a way to be present and to pass the time. I take great comfort that we were able to do this.  The nurses stopped in often, both to check on my mother and on our knitting progress.  This is the second sweater I completed during the five day vigil. 

Fast forward to the winter of 2008/2009.  DH and I became snowbirds and rented a condo in Crystal River, FL.  The condo community has a wonderful craft group.  I made a number of knitted items while I was there.  And, I brought along some finished objects to show the group.

Two occurences came together just as I was ready to head back north.  One of the women in the group was expecting a grandchild.  Said grandchild was to be born in Uzbekistan.  The condo community was planning an auction event to raise money to decorate the clubhouse.  At the last craft group meeting, I offered the sweater I had knit the previous May as an auction donation.  It was gratefully accepted.

Many months later I learned that the prospective grandmother had bid on and won the sweater at the auction.  She and her husband traveled to Uzbekistan to visit their new grandchild and took the sweater with them.  It was well received.

DH and I are back in Crystal River again this winter and I am enjoying the craft group and other activities.  I even got to meet the young lady pictured above when she and her parents visited a few weeks ago.  She no longer fits in the sweater because she's grown so much.

Today her grandmother sent me a photo of this darling baby wearing the sweater I lovingly knit as my mother slipped away.  Beginnings and endings.  I guess that's what life is about.  I have tears right now but I'm not sad.  In a way, there is a connection between my mother, who loved babies, and this adorable little one who lives on the other side of the world. 

More Baby Sweaters and Etsy

I finished the first project of 2010 today, a colorful baby jacket based on a pattern by fpea.  I've made this pattern before, using Lockhart wool and Cascade Ecological Wool.  This time I've used Cascade Jewel Hand Dyed and Cascade 220.  It gives the sweater a completely different look. 

I dug around in my button stash and came up with two shiny metal buttons.  I'm not sure if they're pewter but they seem to work just right with the sweater.  Here's a close up.

I've listed this for sale on my etsy site.  I donate all the proceeds from my baby sweater sales to The First Unitarian Society of Plainfield, NJ.

I'm alive and well

Wow! It's been a long time.  I'm alive and well, just very busy.

I've been doing a lot of baby sweater knitting and have sold a number of them.  There was a Holiday Craft Fair at FUSP and along with selling three sweaters, I took orders for two more that must be finished by Christmas.  I worked feverishly this past week.  One is finished except for the buttons and the other is really coming along.  I don't have any photos to post at this time.  I'll get some up when I can photograph the finished projects, which has to be this coming Monday.  I am in Florida and the recipient is in NJ.  If I don't get to the post office by Monday I'll be toast.

We spent the last week cruising the Caribbean.  The trip was sponsored by The Nation magazine and there were many panels, lectures and ad hoc discussions.  Dinner table assignments were rotated each night and we got to meet a lot of interesting people from all over the US as well as a couple from Great Britain.  Howard Dean was along as well as Calvin Trillin and many of The Nation's regular writers.  Holland America always does a good job with the food and accommodations.  Since there is a major snow storm hitting the east coast from Washington, DC to Boston, we're very happy to be staying on in sunny Florida.  We're going to spend a few days exploring the Everglades and then meander up to Crystal River to take possession of the condo.  Right now the weather is sunny and 66 degrees. 

I'm going to sign off now because I have to get back to my knitting.

FUSP Craft Fair

I'm chairing this event this year and it's already causing angst and sleepless nights. I'm sure it will be fine once it actually takes place. My table will feature baby sweaters and I'm knitting feverishly to get as many finished as possible.

Other tables will feature homemade delicacies, pottery, jewelry, paintings and knitted objects. FUSP has many talented crafters and we will also have vendors from the area who are not members.

If you are in the area join us that day. It should be fun.

More Baby Sweaters and Etsy

Well, I've finished another baby sweater. This one is based on the Organic Guernsey by Fawn Pea. I've made it from wool yarn (Brunswick Germantown Worsted) that was gifted to me by a member of my church. I've researched it and it must be quite old. The mill, Brunswick Mills in Pickens, South Carolina, is long defunct. The yarn itself is in excellent condition and is springy and wooly in a pleasant way. It has flecks of green in it that don't show up too well in this photo. In keeping with the age of the wool, I've used buttons I purchased from the vintage button booth at the NJ Sheep Breeders Festival.
Here's a shot of the entire sweater.

So, you ask, what am I going to do with all of these baby sweaters? I no longer have a baby in the family small enough to wear any of them. The answer is I've opened an etsy shop. For those of you not in the knitting/handmade items world, etsy is a web site created to allow people to sell handmade and vintage items. You can see the site here: www.etsy.com and you can see my shop here: www.adoptionmswknits.etsy.com. In the meantime, six of the sweaters have been taken by a fellow knitter to sell at the craft fair to be held Thursday at her place of employment. That's tomorrow.

Since many these sweaters were made using copyrighted patterns, some of which explicitly forbade the commercial use of the pattern or the finished object, I will be donating any proceeds from their sale to The First Unitarian Society of Plainfield.

Selling items on etsy not only requires knitting skills. I'm going to have to work on my photography skills as well. Taking a good picture is really important to allow buyers to see the quality of the work. It will be a good experience for me as I really haven't mastered much more than "point and shoot" with our latest camera, a Nikon D40 SLR.

Another Project Finished

Baby's First Jacket, made from Regia Sock Yarn bought at Knit and Knibble in Tampa, FL. I got the buttons at The Custom Shop in Kennebunk, ME. I'm working on a second version of this pattern using Classic Elite Alpaca Sock.

Busy, busy, busy

I've been working on a number of baby items to use up stash. I took lots of yarn on vacation with me and started one project after another. I've finished a few and am continuing to work on others. It's been very gratifying.

The first completed sweater was my version of Fawn Pea's Super Natural Stripes. Mine is not natural in color or in yarn. It's three shades of Caron Simply Soft. I finished it while we were in the Adirondacks and donated it to the auction for the Adirondack Scholarship Foundation. I'm told the final bid was $25. I hope someone's baby enjoys it.


Next I used more Caron Simply Soft (can you tell I have a lot of it in my stash?) to make my third version of Reynolds Cardigan for Baby. This is a lovely little pattern, knit from the bottom up all in one piece so there is very little seaming. I love the lacy detail around the yoke.


I made another soaker out of left over yarn from the Oriental Lily Dress. I love the color combination. I plan to use it as a sample at the 15th Annual NJ Sheep and Fiber Festival on September 12 and 13. A knitting friend has reserved a booth and invited other group members to display their work. I've put together a portfolio of soaker and skirty photos and will see if there is any demand for custom work.

This is another Fawn Pea pattern called Mossy Jacket. I've made it with Lockhart yarn and accented it with Cascade Ecological Wool. This was another easy knit, from the top down. It's a heavier weight than the other sweaters and would make a nice gift for a baby to wear in the winter.

This one is from the pattern, Kindred Knits Yoked Cardi. I made some modifications including knitting the button band right into the jacket rather than adding it later and turned the finished jacket in side out. I decided the handpainted yarn looked too busy with the ribs on the right side. I also shortened the sleeves for two reasons. I was concerned I would run out of yarn and in the six month size I think the sleeves are too wide the way the pattern is written. I think it would look very cute over a little long sleeve turtleneck, don't you?

I've got three others in process. Two are knit in sock yarn which makes for slower going and the third is Fawn Pea's Organic Guernsey made in very old worsted wool that was gifted to me by a fellow member of FUSP. I'll post photos of them as soon as they are finished.

One Down, Eight to Go

One project finished, the smallest one, therefore the quickest. If you've read my previous post, you've seen there are eight other projects that fall into the UFO category.
Now that the sweater for little Gizmo is finished, I'm zeroing in on the Oriental Lily Dress for Linny. I'd like it to be finished before I go to Cali at the end of July.
I think it's too early to judge whether I'm on the road to recovery from acute startitis, don't you?

The First Hundred Days

On the Knitters for Obama thread on ravelry there is a 100 day KAL (knit a long). I've decided to join and use the time to work on and hopefully complete my UFO's. No, not unidentified flying objects, unfinished objects or knitting projects. I have many items I've started and then for one reason or another, got bogged down with. I've brought five of the most promising to Florida with me.

Here they are:

This one, a potholder, is my first attempt at domino knitting ala Vivian Hoxbro. I finished it today. I'm not totally happy with it. The border would have been much more striking if it had been a dark solid contrasting yarn, but this was a sample project to try the technique and I used Sugar 'n Cream from my stash. There wasn't enough of any of the solids left to do the trim.
This red cotton gansey, Cable Weave Pullover, for my husband which I had hoped to finish while it was still warm in NJ has languished for months. I have the front and the back finished. I just need to join them and knit the sleeves. Perhaps he'll be able to wear it when the weather warms up in Florida.

Skirty #3 for my grandaughter awaits a skein of Cascade 220 in the lemonade colorway. I ordered it last week after running all around northern Florida trying to buy some in a local yarn store. Unfortunately it was no where to be found locally and the internet supplier I ordered from neglected to tell me that it was backordered. I'm told it will be shipped today and arrive in Crystal River on Monday. This will be a quick finishing job once I have the yarn.

This Eyelet Cardi was originally in the works for my niece who I was to meet for the first time at Thanksgiving. It's knit from Reynolds Blossom and is a Norah Gaughan design. I ran into an error on the chart which slowed me down. Thanksgiving came and went. I gave her a sweater that I had knit last spring while sitting with my mother in the hospital. I'm not happy with the way the sleeve is attached and I plan to redo that. The other sleeve is finished and just needs to be seamed. This one shouldn't take too long.

Mr. Greenjeans has been around since mid-October. It would have been nice to wear this sweater right now in Florida since it's been so cold. Today I picked up the rest of the stitches around the neck and down the fronts and I'm working away on the button band. The right sleeve just needs the cable work near the wrist. The left sleeve needs a bit more than that. It's doable though.

President Obama has a lot of unfinished business from the Bush administration, not the least of which is the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Guantanamo, the economy, health care, etc. Yesterday he jumped in with both feet. I'm really rooting for him and I think the country is behind him. Right now he's my role model for getting things done.

Let's see what good things can happen in the next 100 days.

Procrastination

Reynolds Baby Cardi Finished
Originally uploaded by rallaronson

I haven't blogged in a while because I've been busy in California the past two weeks helping with my two new twin grandchildren. I was the laundress and the kitchen cleaner (and crying baby holder) while my daughter-in-law and son did most of the baby care. Twins are a handful.

But, you ask, why is this entry called procrastination? Well, I've been working for months on a sweater for my husband. It's a top down project in ultra alpaca. It's just miles and miles of stockinet stitch and I keep starting new projects to relieve the boredom. In mid-November I made a promise to avoid starting anything new until I finished it, but I broke the promise three times last week.

One of the broken promise projects was this sweater from a Reynolds Baby Cardigan pattern. It was an easy knit and I just used some Caron Simply Soft from my stash (I brought an oversize suitcase loaded with stash yarn to California). The color is not this muted. It's a much brighter green but for some reason this is the way it photographed. I sent it off to my nephew with an eyelet hat. He and his significant other will be having a baby girl in February. It will be a bit big for her at first, but she will grow into it.

To update you on the top down sweater. I nearly finished one sleeve on the way home on the plane and I'm into the second one. I haven't done the ribbing because I want to double check the sleeve length before I complete them. The sweater is soft and lovely and I'm sure DH will enjoy it if I ever get it finished.