New vest for spring

I've completed fad-classic and I'm very happy with it. The yarn is Cascade pima/silk, and I used about 5.2 skeins. I knitted the 34" size but used a tighter gauge, so there is some negative ease. I used 4 rounds of waist decreases and 3 rounds of increases. I started the decreases about 3" from the armhole.

Since we're on the topic of clothes, the white t-shirt is one of the best layering t-shirts I've ever purchased. It's only $12.50 each if you buy 2 or more from the Gap. It's the essential-T, and it's very light, soft, has a wider-than-crew neckline, and is cotton with 8% spandex for great stretchiness.

Fad-Classic is coming along

I have probably less than a week to go on Fad-Classic. I'm one of those finish-as-you-go sort of knitters, so I've already done the neck and armhole ribbing before finishing the body. This prevents me from feeling discouraged by a large amount of finishing work when I've finished the bulk of the knitting. The pattern is easy to follow, and the stitch pattern is fun, so it's been smooth sailing.

First day of spring!

I buy my knitting tote bags from the local goodwill and other purveyors of used clothing and accessories. Usually, they come in boring colors. However, I managed to buy this one last weekend at the local American Cancer Society store. It's just so darn cheery looking, it puts a smile on my face every time I pick it up. Tomokee the Dog approves.

A little bit of sewing

Can you believe I used to fit into this shirt?? Well, no -- just kidding. I don't sew much these days, but once in a while I will sew something. In this case, I made this shirt as a gift for a big guy. By that, I mean one of these triple-or-quadruple-XL sized guys. I might post a picture of him wearing it at some later date. And, here's my other recent sewing project -- it's a "tux" for Tomokee the dog, so that he can attend the Fur Ball as a sharp-dressed dog.

A hat with no model

I knitted this baby hat for a recently-minted baby. I did not have a model for it, so I thought the melon would be a good fit. The pattern is from Charmed Knits -- Projects for Fans of Harry Potter. I did not use the Harry Potter red/gold colors though. I just used some leftover bright purple acrylic yarn and some yellow wool for the trim. The baby is a girl, but I'm not a big fan of pinks-for-girls and blues-for-boys. I just like bright colors for babies.

Green Gable done!

I love the fit of this sweater. I used an excellent-fitting purchased raglan-sleeved knit top as my sizing guide, and it worked out really well. The sweater looks quite dressy because of the yarn choice. It is a silk/wool hand-dyed yarn -- Silk Maiden from Handmaiden Fine Yarns.

Fit customizations: My gauge ended up about 21 stitches/4”. I started off at the 32-36 inches size, but I added 6 more rounds before splitting out the sleeves – 3 of those rounds have increases for the body, and 2 of them have increases for the sleeves.

Mine is probably 3 inches longer than the pattern. I had 9 rounds of waist decreases, 4 rows apart, and 8 rounds of waist increases. I added 4 rows on the sleeves before doing the rib. The ribs are 4 rows each.

Casting on for something colorful

I'm almost done with Green Gable, so it's time to cast on for something else. Green Gable is the last of the beige colored knitting for a while. This one is fad-classic, and the yarn is a dark pink/light magenta color. It's Cascade pima/silk, and is easy to knit with. I'm past the annoying start with the little shoulder strap knitting, so everything is pretty straightforward from here to the sweater bottom. I like the pattern -- it's easy and stretchy. I'm knitting for the 34" size, but my gauge is a little tigter, so I should have a little negative ease.