So, remember I decided to have a contest? Yeah, well, I didn’t plan to well for it since at the time I stated as the end (oh, about a week and a half ago), I was on holiday, thousands of km away from my stash. There will still be prizes, but I’ll wait to announce the winner when I’m home again in a couple of weeks’ time. Since I’m still on holiday and in complete lazy mode (too lazy even to clear up my hard drive enough to download new photos from my camera), I thought I’d take on this meme that Clare tagged me for a couple of weeks ago.

“The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.”

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was twelve, in between 6th and 7th grades and incredibly shy, with both glasses and braces. I remember crying to my mum in the evenings because I didn’t have any friends. Four or five years later a girl who’d been in my class back then told me she couldn’t remember ever hearing me speak. I’m still very quiet around people I don’t know, but I’ve gotten over some of the shyness and I do talk.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
I’m on holiday, so I don’t have much of a to-do list, plus it’s almost bedtime. But I’ll probably spend the next hour or two knitting some more on my garter yoke cardi, eating chips and drinking Diet Coke, then brushing my teeth, washing my face and getting started on my new book.

3) Snacks I enjoy:
Anything chocolate. Seriously, I’m the biggest chocaholic on the planet. Ice cream, chocolate bars, brownies, you name it. The chocolatier, the better (if something has “triple”, “double”, “fudge” or anything similar in the name, I’ll probably be all for it). Of course, I also enjoy chips, lollies, biscuits, cookies, cake and all the other things I shouldn’t be eating. Yes, I have a bit of a snacking problem and should probably track down some healthier options!

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
I don’t know. I guess there’s the standard dreams of philantropy and supporting the people I love. Seriously though, I’ve never thought about what I would do if I was a millionaire/billionaire. My dreams of money are usually about much smaller amounts and much shallower aims.

5) Places I have lived:
Lund, Sweden
Haninge, Sweden
Singapore (twice and in five different apartments)
Torö, Sweden
Nynäshamn, Sweden
Melbourne, Australia

6) Jobs I have had:
Check-out chick
Deli hand
Waitress
Marketing Assistant
+ a couple of unpaid internships

Since I just finished undergrad, I have yet to hold a fulltime job…

7) Bloggers I am tagging who I will enjoy getting to know better:
I’ve seen this going around for a bit and I can’t remember who’s done it and who hasn’t, but if you haven’t and you’d like to, consider yourself tagged!

I’m sure this one needs no introduction.

Pattern: February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne

Yarn: Dream in Color Classy (about 3 skeins in Happy Forest)

Needles: 3.5mm Knitpicks Options

We all saw it take over Ravelry. Usually I’m not a big fan of following trends (although you probably wouldn’t notice from my knitting projects since I tend to use pretty popular patterns), but this one I just couldn’t resist. I spent a week or two waiting impatiently for my yarn, then cast on immediately and had the sweater finished seven days later. Yes, this was one of those projects where I dropped everything else I was working on and knit obsessively until it was done.

And it was totally worth it. I love the finished sweater. The yoke is a bit tight since I overestimated garter stitch’s ability to stretch, but the more I wear it, the more comfortable it gets. Mine is a bit more fitted and cropped than Pam’s original, partly because I wanted to avoid the tent-like effect a-line tops sometimes have and partly because my gauge swatch lied as always.

I didn’t make any major changes to the pattern, except my usual choice of knitting at a tighter gauge than the pattern because I prefer a more solid fabric. This time around, I knit the M, aiming for a size between the XXS and XS (which, by the way, is not as tiny as it sounds since the the smallest size is for a 35 inch bust). In the end, the bust measurement ended up a bit smaller than my actual bust, but for this style sweater I think it works quite well. The only other modification I did was to knit the eyelets through the back loop to make them a bit less noticable. I probably should have just done a regular make 1 or backward loop increase in the first place, but I’m perfectly happy with the way it turned out.

And the yarn? Well, it wasn’t the most original choice, but it works beatifully in this pattern. I was, of course, aiming for a colour as close to Pam’s original as possible and I wasn’t the only one — there are a few other Happy Forest lady sweaters already on Ravelry. I alternated skeins through the entire sweater to avoid unpleasant surprises, hiding the carried strands in a slipped stitch edge.

And another good thing about this sweater: it only took about 750 yards. The lesson here? Sometimes things are popular for a reason!

Thanks for all the well wishes and contest entries. I’ll have a look at the numbers at the end of the month to announce a winner. Now, for some actual knitting content. I said I was back in the last entry and then I disappeared again for a week or so. In my defense, I’m on holiday, and have been busy visiting family. But, to make up for it, I’m going to do two FOs at once. Today is the scarf edition. Tomorrow, maybe cowls?

Pattern: Haruha Scarf by Tikru

Yarn: Sundara sock yarn (1 skein in Mushroom over Blush)

Needles: 3.75 mm Knitpicks Options

Modifications: Smaller needles, and changing the borders to seed stitch instead of a rib and garter combo.

I knit this scarf a while back, but it deserves a mention as the first scarf I’ve ever knit since I skipped the garter stitch phase and never got around to knitting any other scarves. I started this because when I looked at the yarn, I knew it didn’t want to be just socks. It was much too beautiful to be hidden in my shoes, and this is coming from a person who doesn’t wear pink! The simple lace pattern is a perfect to show of the subtle colour shifts Sundara is so good at.

It looks unblocked and ugly in the photos, but that’s just because I loved it so much and wore it constantly before getting around to taking pictures. Another great thing about this scarf, that makes up for the fact that it took quite a while to knit, is that the sock yarn makes it it the perfect weight for Melbourne weather: warm and cozy, but not bulky.

The second scarf is quite different.

Pattern: Scrunchable Scarf by Susan McConne

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted (1 skein in Sealing Wax)

Needles: 5.0mm Knitpicks Options

Modifcations: Skinner scarf and slipping the first stitch of every row.

This one was knit as a birthday present for James’s sister, but I loved it so much myself I had a hard time giving it away. The colour is just gorgeous, and really, what could be better than Malabrigo wrapped around your neck? I managed to get a whole scarf from one skein, so it’s a bit on the skinny side and only as long as I am tall (1.63m or 5′4″). I’m planning another for me in the exact same yarn and colour, but I’ll probably get another skein to make it both wider and longer. Still, I have reports that the recipient wears it everyday, so I’ll have to call the project a big success.

I love the pattern too. Ridiculously simple, but with a lovely textured effect that makes the already squishy Malabrigo even more cozy and squeezable. If you’re after a simple scarf that’s fast to knit, and don’t want a basic rib or garter stitch, you should definately check it out.

So, I disappeared there for a while. The last couple of weeks have been very busy, but the semester’s finally over, and I’m done with undergrad. I’ve done some knitting, but mostly I’ve been accumulating future projects, projects that I can finally make a start on. I have FOs from as far back as April to post, but first I thought I’d share some of the things that are next on my plate. The theme here seems to be buttons!

First off, there’s the sewing. I bought a sewing machine last year, but I honestly haven’t used it that much. A while back I decided to get it out again and figure out why it wasn’t listening to me (turns out I was using the wrong needle) and I sewed up a quick top as a test and now I’ve got a pile of fabric waiting to be sewn up.

Here’s one of the first. Gorgeous golden yellow fabric from Superbuzzy and vintage buttons from Vintage Necessities.

As far as knitting goes, here’s one of the projects I’m looking forward to. A garter yoke cardigan to mimc Melissa’s gorgeous work. Ceylan and I are going a knit-along for it and I’m really excited to start. O-wool balance in Agate and vintage buttons from the same store.

And here’s one of the FOs I’m planning on showing off soon. A Cardigan for Merry for my cousin’s baby boy. The knitting’s actually been done for a while but I finally got off my butt and ordered some tiny wooden toggles to finish it off.

Finally, to celebrate finishing my degree and because I never got around to it for my blogiversary, I thought I’d have a little contest. What you have to do is guess the final word count for the assignment I handed in on Tuesday. Hint? The limit was 8,000 words, +/- 10% (that is, you don’t get penalized for being between 7,200 and 8,800 words). The prize? Some  sock yarn from my overflowing stash and a surprise from my upcoming vacation. The person who guesses closest to the real word count wins. Leave a comment on this entry before June 30th to win!

I got some good news in the mail today.

Yes, I got into the postgrad course I wanted and I’m thrilled.

The knitting, however, is slow. It’s nearing the end of semester, and the end of my degree, and I’m not knitting nearly as much as usual. Even when I’m procrastinating on my final assignments (which, to be honest, is rather alot), I feel too guilty to pick up the needles. Maybe now that I’ve finally got some motivation, I’ll get it together long enough to finish my assignments. Then, maybe, I’ll have some good knitting to blog about!

After finishing the Drops Jacket, I was keen to move onto new sweater projects. I had several projects in my queue, but it didn’t take me long to narrow it down. I cast on for the Tilted Duster, but stalled pretty quickly. It had all the elements that made the Drops jacket such a great knit—”big” yarn (for me, that’s worsted weight and above) and a simple, wearable shape—but I realized I didn’t really need to knit two jackets in such quick succession.

Another evaluation of the queue and I cast on for the Central Park Hoodie. So far, I’m loving every minute. It’s got most of features of a quick knit going for it, and honestly, I just want to wear this sweater. I want to snuggle up on the couch in it to watch TV. I want to throw it on over jeans when I walk down to the supermarket to pick up some milk for Sunday breakfast. I can see a million different ways to wear it, especially as the weather is getting colder and colder everyday. Wearability can make or break a project for me, and so far, this has everything going for it.

The stats. I’m knitting this in a gorgeous red Kathmandu Aran. I think it’s a great yarn for this sweater since it’s nice and rustic, which I love, but still wonderfully soft. In addition to softness, the silk and cashmere adds a bit of drapes and I think my fears that a “big” yarn and cables would make a bulky and unflattering garment will go unrealized. I like the fabric best at 18 stitches over 4 inches (pattern calls for 17 stitches), so I’m knitting a size up from my regular size. If my calculations are correct, this should make it the perfect size—one or two inches of ease for a slightly more relaxed fit. I’m still aiming for a relatively fitted garment. Melbourne winters don’t require heavy layering of wool garments and with such a soft yarn, I’ll probably only be wearing a t-shirt under it. So far, I’ve finished the back and am halfway up the first front. Hopefully, I’ll have a cozy hoodie to wear soon!

Next: my first scarf, jumping on the cowl bandwagon, sewing and more. I think I need to start blogging more regularly!

Amy recently blogged about the lack of WIP blogging lately, and I definately agree. I’m going to try to get back to blogging my WIPs, but for now here’s another FO.

Pattern: Ene’s Scarf by Nancy Bush from Scarf Style

Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Helen’s Lace (about 1/2 skein in Sage)

Needles: 2.75 mm Knitpicks circs

Modifications: Smaller needles as always, otherwise none.

I cast on for this a few weeks ago, but for a while it was lying abandonned because the progress was just so slow. I guess that’s what comes from casting on 375 stitches. Once I halved that number, the knitting went surprisingly quickly.

After seeing the way my Drops jacket photos came out, I decided I needed to get outside for more FO shoots. These were taken yesterday in the little “park” strip a couple of streets down from my home. I had alot of fun photographing it, even if it was a very windy day and I had to spend alot of time rearranging the shawl. No modelled shots because I was much to lazy to a) bring my remote and b) make myself presentable.

I’ve wanted to knit this shawl for a while, but I had a hard time settling what yarn to use. I knew I wanted a light green similar to the original. I love the colour I ended up with, even though it’s a bit more blue-green than I was planning and it looked a bit flat on the skein. The yarn is also just gorgeous. I’ve never knit lace with a wool/silk blend before, but I know this won’t be the last time.

My shawl is not very big, only about 105 cm, or 42 inches, across the top edge. I prefer lace on smaller needles, but there was a while I thought I’d been a bit overenthusiastic and would end up with a tiny, unwearable handkerchief. In the end, however, the size ended up perfect for the way I like to wear my shawls, wrapped around my neck like a scarf. I love the way the shawl came out and I’m even thinking about knitting a second one, in a different colour and with slightly bigger needles.

A simple, beautiful pattern and a wonderfully wearable FO. I think this one gets an A+ overall.

A couple of months ago, Ceylan (also known as my knitting twin since we have very similar tastes) and I started emailing almost daily. After being intrigued by the single sock swaps we saw popping up in the blogosphere, we decided to do our own, just the two of us. After a long and tiring Monday at work, I came home to this last night:

It’s an absolutely gorgeous Pomatomus knit in my new favourite colour, a gorgeous yellow Sundara shade. The sock is beautifully knit and fits perfectly. I’m having amajor case of performance anxiety because it’s much prettier than the sock I sent her. I’m tempted to cast on for the mate straight away, but I might wait till June and knit it in the proper Project Spectrum period.

Ceylan also included some pretty handmade stitch markers, some pattern tamers and Soak samples. Pictures of the sock I knit for her to come once the package makes its way to Texas.

I’m taking a break in the accessory FO parade (still 2 to go!) to bring you my finished Drops Jacket. The knitting took me only seven days, with another for blocking, seaming and picking out buttons.

Pattern: Drops Design/Garnstudio 103-1, Silke-Alpaca version

Yarn: Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran (6 skeins in Muffin)

Needles: Knitpicks Option 4.0mm

Modifications: I added a slipped stitch selvedge to the moss stitch panels on the fronts, but otherwise, I knit it according to the pattern.

You’ve all seen it before, so I’m sure I don’t have to go into the details of the pattern. It’s a great quick knit and very wearable. In fact, I’ve barely taken it off since I sewed on the buttons last night. It’s cute and comfortable and looks great with a pair of jeans. It works well as a jacket over a thin layer which makes it perfect for Melbourne winter. Bonus points for the fact that I can wear it inside in our badly heated buildings without feeling like I’m actually wearing a coat. I chose 3/4 sleeves because they looked cute, even though long sleeves make much more sense for a jacket. My wrists haven’t gotten cold yet, so I’m pretty happy with my choice. But I think I might have to whip up a pair of fingerless gloves in a nice contrasting colour to wear with it.

Overall, I love this jacket. The yarn is absolutely perfect for it, just a little bit rustic but still nice and soft, and I love the colour. I had the same problem with the stiff collar as Pam did, and I’ve been wearing it with the collar turned down and the top button unbuttoned. I think it looks cute this way, especially since the neck is a bit tight with all three buttons done up. The buttons are nice dark brown leather, which I think a bit of interest to the otherwise plain cardigan.

I knew from the start this wouldn’t be the most flattering garment. I knit the medium size, which should have given me zero ease, since I thought with such a voluminous silhouette, I’d at least want it fitted at the bust. In the end, my gauge swatch lied (as usual) and the finished garment measures 38 inches across the bust. With an inch or two of ease, it still fits pretty well. The jacket is very A-line, however, and the hem measures a whole 54 inches. I’m sure I could knock eight or ten inches of that and still end with a swingy shape.

I knit this exactly as written, and if I were to go back and do it again, there are a few things I’d change. First off, I’d probably reduce the flare at the bottom a little bit. I’d also make the shoulders narrower and the arm hole slightly deeper since the shoulder seams now hang an inch or so down my arms and I can really only wear a thin t-shirt under it with the slightly tight armholes. I might also move the buttons down an inch to give me a bit more breathing room when I button it up fully. It fits fine as it is, but I think that would give it a more tailored look. I actually noticed a few of these things while I was looking at pictures of FOs on Ravelry and then when I was knitting, but I decided to trust the pattern. Next time, I think I’ll trust my instincts.

Oh, and I still haven’t given it a post-seaming block because I was just too excited to wear it!

I might not have been knitting many sweaters lately, but I’ve been thinking about them. Remember those three swatches I posted a couple of weeks ago? Well, being the fickle and indecisive sweater knitter I am, I decided not to knit any of them. I will knit them, eventually, but not right now.

Instead, I decided to focus on this other yarn I’ve had in my stash for a couple of months: a bag of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran in Muffin that I bought after seeing Melissa’s gorgeous Bubble Pullover. I decided pretty early on that the sweater wasn’t right for me or Melbourne weather, however, and the yarn went straight into the stash. I’ve had a few different ideas since then, but it wasn’t until last weekend when I was going through my queue that I realized I had a pattern that was perfect for it and with no other yarn attached to it. Yes, I’m jumping on the bandwagon with the Drops Jacket.

I cast on immediately to stop myself from more indecisiveness and I’ve been obsessively knitting it since Sunday. That’s the back and fronts blocking. I cast off the second sleeve today, but the sleeves might take a while to dry in this weather, even if I’ve pinned them out in front of the heater. The last week it’s suddenly felt like winter, albeit Melbourne winter, and I can’t wait to wear this jacket!

And finally, here’s some eye candy.

I’ve been part of Sundara’s Seasons Club for the last six months and on Friday I picked up my final shipment. This is the entire Autumn selection and I think it’s just gorgeous! Now I just have to start knitting from it…