Secrets are hard and some news

So, I officially graduated from college (again). I am now a master of education! And now I have another school hounding me for money....

And, we're moving to Salt Lake City on July 22. Goodbye Big Apple, hello Beehive State! So I have a month of bumming around until we leave. Maybe I'll knit something.

On another note, I have not finished my secret sweater for Craig. And now that he is back from the Appalachian Trail it's hard to knit without him knowing. Especially because he is unemployed and is home all the time. But I was able to finish one sleeve and work on another while he was at his parent's house getting cavities filled. I was not, however, able to take pictures. I will have to try and get him to leave the house so I can finish/take pictures. I do really like the way the sweater is coming out, the green is really nice and the yarn is so thick that it will be really warm for those cold Salt Lake City days. I used Kraemer Mauch Chunky in Pinenut for this sweater for those of you who don't know. The yarn is super thick and warm. I made my buttony sweater, sweater vest, and second skirt out of it. And I still have some leftovers of all the colors. Any suggestions on what to use it all in?

It's been a while and new FO's

So the past few months have been crazy. I finished the hardest semester of my life (thanks to a 178 page Social Studies Curriculum I had to write) as well as a 92 page thesis, spending 3 days a week effectively volunteering in a 3rd grade class as well as going to class and doing the rest of my work. Needless to say, I didn't get much knitting done through March, April, and the beginning of May. (Read much = none) But once my 8 day vacation began between semesters, I caught the knitting bug again. Having no class to go to, as well as not having my boyfriend in NYC made life pretty boring. I was still going to the 3rd grade, but I had weekends and evenings all to myself. Therefore, I whipped out my needles and yarn I had bought but never used and whipped up a few things:

1. Pink Vest

This taken from Knitty's pattern. I decided against doing stripes and went for a solid pink sweater vest. I was kind of flying by the seat of my pants trying to change the numbers to fit the needles and yarn I was using. All in all, it came out really well. I can't wait for winter to wear it.

(Details: Knit with Kraemer Yarns' Mauch Chunky in Apple on #8 and #9.5 needles)

This brings me to my other bit of news: I am moving to Salt Lake City at the end of July. Craig already has a job, and I am in the process of applying for a teaching job. It will be cold, and we will need warm weather clothing like no one's business!

2. Craig's hat

Craig has been asking me for a plain grey hat that has no ribbing or curling, just plain. This is not the easiest job, since you either have some ribbing or the end of the hat curls. Anyway, I had bought him a skein of grey of the same kind of yarn that I knit the buttony sweater and vest with. With no pattern, but the general idea of how to knit a plain hat (as I have knit a rediculous number of them in my life), this hat came out. The picture is dark, and it's huge on me (since Craig has a big head), but I think it came out nicely.

(Details: Made with Kraemer Yarns' Mauch Chunky in Shiitake and on #9.5 needles)

3. Caliometery

This is a present for a friend that I made a while ago (it took about 15 min to make) and have not sent off. Sorry Kristen. It looks cool. It was made with Patons Classic Wool Merino in Wedgewood on #8 needles. I am really happy that I finally got to use those crazy pink buttons I bought for a sweater I tried to make that came out horribly years ago.

4. Craig's sweater

I knit Craig a sweater for his b-day from a pattern that I had already used for a sweater years ago with good results. I used the same needles, yarn, everything. And somehow this sweater came out way too big, and not really nice. So I promised Craig I would knit him another, one that he could actually wear. I had such a nice and easy time with the buttony sweater, I set out to find a similar one, raglan, and knit from the top. I found it: the Vanille sweater. In one day I finished to the armpits (the picture seen), and in two more I have almost finished the body (more pictures to come) and I need to find more yarn. I had originally bought 4 skeins thinking that I would have enough. Silly me. I need at least 2 more, but probably 3. On the bright side, it's coming out exceptionally well and quickly. I will be done with what I can by the time Craig comes back from the Appalachian Trail (tomorrow) and I just need to find more of this yarn in the meantime. Luckily, it's damn hot outside (usually) and he won't need the sweater until well after we move to Utah.

(Details: Kraemer Yarns' Mauch Chunky in Pinenut and #9.5 needles)

The semester has started again, but hopefully it won't be too difficult for me to write and knit more in the upcomming weeks.

Love Not Dead

The buttony sweater is finished and 90% dry from blocking! I only blocked the neck area because it was a little loose and I wanted the edge to stay against my chest and back and not hang off of my body.


















I got the pattern from Oh My Stars via Cast on a Cupcake. I used Kraemer's Mauch Chunky Yarn in Bing Cherry and size 10.5 kneedles. It went really quickly on such big needles, and I would have finished it a lot earlier had I bought enough yarn the first (and second) time I went yarn shopping.


I've been working on another skirt with the same kind of yarn in Mint Julep. Fun times!

finally!

I came home from class tonight ready to be sad about my almost finished sweater (it sits right next to the sofa in the livingroom, taunting me), but when I checked the mailbox I found the happiest thing!

Yarn! The yarn even came with samples of almost every other color of this kind of yarn. Super exciting!

Now I have a whole mess of colors to tempt and inspire me....

Anyway, now I have that last skein of yarn to finish this sweater. Here it is, right before I began knitting it again:

Isn't this the saddest thing? An almost finished sweater?

most annoying thing EVER

So, I thought I had enough yarn to finish this cardigan. But as I got closer to finishing the body, I realized that I would need another skein. Of course, I thought it would be only one more skein...I braved Wednesday's snow, sleet, and ice and bought an incredible amount of somewhat expensive yarn (the same stuff that I am using to make the sweater: Kraemer's Mauch Chunky) in various colors. I also bought thread and fabric to line the skirt I finished (which is now done, just awaiting shaved legs and a picture). I worked furiously over the weekend and only got a few inches down the second sleeve when I finished the skein I had bought. I ran out of my parent's Chinese New Year Party (Happy New Year, by the way...go year of the pig!) to make it down to the yarn store only to find that they had RUN OUT OF THE COLOR THAT I NEEDED! And of course there is no other place in NYC that sells this kind and color yarn. So I bought the last skein online (for MUCH more money) and am now waiting for it to come in the mail.

Talk about frustrating. I'll post a picture of the ALMOST finished sweater.

On the other hand, I started another skirt (one that fits a little better and is a little longer than the red one), but I have yet to figure out what kind of pattern to do at the bottom of it...suggestions? I am using "Mint Julep" from Kraemer's yarn and I also have "Apple." Any suggestions about how to incoporate the Apple into the Mint Julet body?

(Note: actual colors are a little lighter in real life...)

Quick and Easy Cardigan Time!!

I started this sweater on Sunday evening and have gotten quite far with this. It is super exciting to create something to substansive so quickly. The pattern is from katie knits and I had to figure out how to make it a little smaller since I do not have a 36-38" bust. The yarn is Kraemer Yarns' Mauch Chunky in Bing Cherry. Here is a close up of the decreases in the shoulder. It gives you a much better idea of the color. The flash kind of washed out the color in the first picture.


This sweater was knit from the top down, on circular needles. Awesome.

Because of how well this has turned out I went to PS Yarns where I bought this yarn and bought $75 more yarn. I bought some dark green to make a sweater for the boy as well as some "Apple" colored yarn and "Mint Julep" for another (better fitting) skirt and maybe a bag or something...who knows. Included in this is some remnant fabrics to line the skirt I just finished and matching thread. Fun fun!

Skirt!

So, I finished this skirt on Friday (more pictures to come when it is finished being blocked). It is very exciting to make something other than: a scarf, a hat, gloves, a sweater. I am so impressed by how professional it looks (especially the casing for the I-cord).














I wish I had more pictures of the process of the knitting. Alas, I will have to just add pictures of the finished product, once it is dry.

Now, onto the Buttony Sweater I have started. This time I will definitely include more "action" pictures.