Baby Sophisticate

And there you have it! The Matilda bear modeling the sophisticated sweater in the libary reading Shakespeare!

 Just a few more buttons needed for this sophisticated baby sweater. The baby who wears this one should definitely be sipping tea in the library reading Shakespeare!  Baby Sophisticate, by Linden Down. A free pattern on Ravelry. Knit from 3 skeins Mission Falls merino wool (sadly, discontinued) with size 8 needles. This one is knit from the top down, raglan style. The sleeves are put on holders, then the body is finished. Sleeves are knit downward in the round. I shortened the body and sleeve length a tad.

 The shawl collar is picked up along with the button band. Short rows are added to shape the collar. The method of binding off was the "sewn bind off". I show this method on one of my previous posts. Very distinguished looking, eh? I like the look of it with the silvery buttons.

It's blocking now on a towel to help even out the stitches some. Blocking has a way of working its wonders. I imagine this baby will be very smart, whoever it will be.

Trying On Slinky Ribs and Blocking!

Voila! My new "favorite" sweater: Slinky Ribs, by Wendy Bernard from her book, "Custom Knits".
Used 5 skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, on size 6 needles, 6 dpns, and size 4 needles. LOVE! It is so comfortable and I will really wear this one alot!Modifications: I raised the neckline by an inch and made the sleeves 3/4 length, added in a purl row before casting off the sleeves as well as the hem to help it avoid curling. I also made buttonholes for the six buttons.
I learned about: provisional cast-on, short-row shaping on a sleeve cap, did alot of ribbing and made a few mistakes along the way!

Here's what it looked like all dried and blocked in the morning. I soaked it in Eucalan and then rolled in a towel, put both the towel with the sweater (still inside it), in the "spin" cycle of my washer just to get excess water out, and then layed it flat to dry overnight. Can't wait to get a photo shoot outside in this one!

A sleeve:

Blocking makes ALL the difference:

Found that extra button! I took out and redid the hem to include a purl row to match the ends of the sleeves. Finished picking up the neckline stitches and knit an extra row there than called for. The neckline curls a bit -it is meant to do that. Trying it on before blocking, I am pleased. Before blocking:

During blocking:

I can get a bit of extra length out of it through blocking and get the hem to lie flatter, especially with the purl row added in. This sweater feels super soft and comfy. I can see getting use out of this one! I knit most of the ribbing while down in Bend, OR and will always have the memory that I had started it on a hot September afternoon, poolside at the hotel, just as was pictured in the pattern book! Well...almost! I will remember this was knit just before attending a lovely couple's wedding on our trip there, and alot of time spent knitting it on the LONG car ride home.

Slinky Rib is Coming Along

Edited to add: After adding the buttons...looks like I am one button short! I actually found the buttons at Wal-Mart! Perhaps the greatest discovery ever...they were only 67 cents! Here's hoping they still have them. The pattern calls for you to pick up and knit 2 stitches for every 3 rows along each front buttonband edge, so I picked up 28 along the bands. Remember I raised my neckline up, so this may differ for each individual. On the left front band, on the 3rd (knit) row, I made buttonholes like so: K3, (YO, K4, repeat), K last 3 stitches (with one yarnover, spaced every 4 stitches). On the the following row, purled into the yarnovers and purled 2 together after the holes. I also knit one extra row than called for and cast off on the wrong side (purl side) of the band. I had read in the pattern you are to just sew on the buttons and not make holes, but I thought buttonholes would look nicer, even if I sewed them down secure to the other flap.

I think I can smooth out the ruffles during blocking stage, but here's a close up. Next I will do the picking up of stitches around the neckline and knit stitches off the back neck where stitches have been patiently holding on for a long, long, time.

Sleeves done, and up next: Picking up stitches on the front for the buttonband and the neckline. Every sweater I learn something new. On this one I have learned about shaping a sleeve cap with short rows and doing some rib detail, raising a neckline and doing a provisional cast on. In every sweater are little mistakes. Some I can correct, and others remain there, as a reminder that it is handmade! This sweater has its share of boo boos, however, all in all I am liking it so far.

Slinky Rib Sleeves, Alpaca Visit

Finished with the first sleeve. Made it 3/4 length instead of short like the pattern. I did decreases about every seven rows. Did stockinette for a few inches, then one purl row, a few more stockinette and then cast off. At the end I had 66 stitches on the needle. I may do this purl row finish to the bottom of the sweater to match, which would mean redoing the last bit of the sweater hem over. I don't like how much it rolls. It's supposed to roll and may block out a bit, but it's rolling alot. So the extra purl row should help the rolling a bit. The photo in the book pictures this "purl" addition on the modified version as well.

A parent at our school has an alpaca farm and these are some samples he brought in to show us today of the different fibers off three of the alpacas. (Bad cell phone picture) Undyed, these are the natural colors. Nice... Showing the sleeve progress on Slinky Rib, knitting downward on dpns:

I am getting a bit tired of ribbing, but I want the sleeves longer than in the pattern. So onward I go. Or downward I go.

Never Fear the Wraps-Front Side Helleborus

A glimpse so far of progress on Helleborus Yoke Sweater. This sweater has side to side construction beginning with the right front side. You are knitting the body and the yoke simultaneously and working your way to the underarm. You are following a cable pattern for the yoke, as well as doing a moss stitch for the body, all the while watching your row count for your increases, and then throwing in a few wraps and short rows to make it really exciting. It helps to write it all down! This is the first time I have done "wraps" and short rows for shaping. I have watched a few tutorials and have found them to be helpful in visualizing wraps and what their purpose is, as well as how to do them. I am still catching on to the technique as well as how to do the knitting on the rows following the wraps in order to close up the "hole" that wraps make. I looked at Knittinghelp.com as well as Techknitter (see links to right) as well as googled "knitting wrapped stitches" to find more tutorials. Every project it seems I learn a new skill or technique. Isn't that the great thing about knitting? We can be a fearless knitters!