As to my Olympic challenge… …well, I had an exceedingly productive Olympics as far as fiber goes. Unfortunately, some of it was tangled up in a submission, other parts were tangled up in starting to learn to spin (!), so I didn’t wind up finishing the sweater.

Even with all the distractions, though, I got really close, and I’m totally proud of that. I just have one sleeve cap and seaming/collar left to do. Thanks to the effort, I’m passing along a pattern I’ve already completely knit to my test-knitters (instead of knitting it along with them, as was the case with Morgan’s Flower Garden). And, flying through this knit so quickly leaves me time to work on the next self-publish design, another submission (or two), and perhaps a knock-off of a cute beret I saw at Cole Haan this weekend.

Because really. If a knitter were to spend $125 on a beret that would take her all of an hour to knit? It would nearly be a sin. Think of all the cashmere I could buy for $125!

…or camel-silk, as the case may be.

Pattern: Morgan’s Flower Garden (rav link)

Yarn: Cascade 220, in #4007, 9404, 9557

Time Elapsed: A few weeks

Notes/Pattern Info: First, the standard-style pattern info. Morgan’s Flower Garden is an A-line, zippered cardigan for little girls, adorned with a tulip motif and sized with plenty of ease to accommodate youngsters’ rapid growth. It’s finished with tulips on the right front and left sleeve cuff. Seed stitch collar and zipper cover look neat and trim, as do the folded hems on sleeve cuffs and at the sweater’s bottom. Pattern includes individualized intarsia charts and detailed instructions.

I have sized the sweater to fit 1 (2, 4, 6) year-old girls, with bust measuring 22 (25, 27, 29)”. You will need one set of needles in a size to get gauge, and another two sizes below the main size. Special techniques include intarsia for the actual flowers and (very) simple embroidery for the tulip stems. Pattern is available for purchase here or in my ravelry store for US$5.00. Special and heartfelt thanks to my test knitters Bertha, Ruth, Erin, Wendy, and Cathy. Y’all rock the house.

Now, for the story: I am a very lucky knitter indeed and have several friends who are a pure delight to knit for. I have been knitting for Morgan since she was born, and when her mother Beth (our sons’ godmother) mentioned that Morgan had outgrown the last sweater I knit for her, I knew it was time to start thinking.

I sketched this design out months ago, and tried hard to think of any other way to do the tulips than the obvious choice: Intarsia. I don’t mind intarsia too much for vertical stripes, but for anything else? Let’s just say it’s not high on my list of favorite techniques. I eventually gave in to my knitting intuition, though, and intarsia it is. I found it totally worth the annoyance.

The best part about this project was giving it to Morgan. She’s old enough now (4.5) to really get excited about her own clothing. She immediately donned the sweater, started dancing around the room, and apparently hasn’t taken it off since. We visited them last week, and she was still wearing the sweater. Now, that’s a girl who’s going to receive more hand knits.

Though it may be awhile before she grows out of this one.

Pattern: “Nessie”, from Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh

Yarn: Berroco Vintage Wool, in, uh, green and blue colors. *cough*

Time Elapsed: Mere days

Notes/Modifications: I didn’t really modify anything. The instructions for these toys are fiddly, but the results are worth it. The entire book is adorable and Jacob immediately demanded that I knit him “One of everything, starting with the praying mantis. No, spider. No, ant. No, spider. No, praying mantis. No, spider.”

Nessie is a gift for Ronan, our dear friends Stacy and Neil’s new baby. They live in San Jose, and since I knew Ronan would get all of older brother Asher’s old sweaters (including this one, by the way), a toy seemed more climate-appropriate. There was never any question that Ronan would receive a hand-knit: the whole family is a knitter’s dream in terms of hand-knit recipients.

Anyway, back to Nessie. Really, she’s adorable. As are all of the other patterns in the book.

The Vintage is great, as well. Very soft, nice halo, acts just like wool… but is machine-washable. Geniuses over there at Berroco, I tell you.

Since I don’t seem to have much more to say, how about a baby picture in closing?

The challenge: Knit up the next design so that I can wear it to SPA in a couple of weeks. Think I can do it?

What are your Olympic knitting projects, if you’re playing along?

I’m excited about my knitting, though. I’ve been obsessed with it since taking the hobby back up nearly 8 (!) years ago now, but the fiber arts have rarely been as fulfilling as in this last year. It’s so soul-renewing and rewarding to be truly creative in this way. Lots has been said, by those more eloquent than I, at the wonder and beauty of this particular online community. But I wanted to take a moment to say thank you, for being here, for your incredibly inspiring creative pursuits, for your comments, for your reception of Arm Candy.

I’m in the midst of my next (few) design(s), but when a baby came early recently a toy needed to be immediately produced. Since it’s still en route to the recipient, I won’t share details yet, but it’s pretty adorable. Since I can’t show you the toy, how about a peek at February’s design? The test knitters are nearing completion, and I hope to release the pattern in a couple of weeks.

Happy knitting!

Pattern: Arm Candy (rav link)

Yarn: Sundara Aran Silky Merino, color Wild Blueberries

Time Elapsed: A couple of weeks to knit

Notes: I knit the pattern as written (aside from lengthening the body for my super-long torso). But what a perfect place to share notes about the pattern with you! So here goes.

Arm Candy is a figure-conscious V neck with seed stitch and button trim details. The elbow-length sleeves, princess seam waist shaping, and deep V are flattering on a variety of body types. This pattern works well for the bustier among us, and it is a cinch to add more (or less) shaping. The pattern includes notes on fit and suggestions for how to alter for different body types.

I’ve written this up in 7 sizes, from 32″ to 50″ in the bust. I think it looks best with 0″ ease in the bust, and 1-2″ positive ease in the waist. I’d suggest altering the shaping to ensure this–perhaps by eliminating the waist shaping in the front, while leaving it in the back. This gives a nice curve behind without making the sweater too clingy in the front, which is one of the things I love most about shaping with princess seams.

It works dressed up for work or down for play and looks gorgeous in fancy, hand-painted yarns. I’ve knit it (and the uber-talented splityarn photographed it) in Sundara Aran Silky Merino, but your favorite aran or worsted weight yarn will look divine, too. (This is probably an appropriate place to say that all images in this post are copyright splityarn 2009, and for the love of pete please don’t take them without her express permission.)

This is the latest installment in my design quest to use up my stash while enhancing my work wardrobe. So far, I’m loving it. And I hope you do too!

To here:

Without too much trouble, even. We’re very grateful to have such enjoyable children.

Knitting-wise, my mosaic looks a lot less impressive than my knitting year actually was.

Let’s go in order, shall we? First up, some socks for Jacob. Then, a a cowl for me. A sweater for Jacob, followed quickly by a sweater for Daniel. I test-knit some mittens, knit another sweater for Jacob… and then the secret knitting started, the designing bug bit, the secret knitting continued, and… well, there went the blog. I’ve been working steadily, and managed to finish a sweater for Beth and some socks for Danielle, and a sweater for me. Very recently I cast off on some socks I started in March.

I was able to share one piece of secret knitting, and will soon share another (that last photo in the mosaic). But let me tell you, my needles have been flying this year. There are three more entire sweaters that I’ve designed and knit this year, and another that’s designed and halfway knit. It’s nuts.

The design process is reminding me a little of the academic publishing cycle. You get a good idea, and it can anywhere from a few months to a year or two after the work is done for the work to actually see the light of day. It’s sometimes frustrating, but now that my “pipeline” of projects is full, I hope to see a more steady stream of content around these parts.

Speaking of which, I finished some socks.

Pattern: Cookie A’s Devon socks, from her book

Yarn: Sundara sock, Deadly Nightshade

Time Elapsed: Something like 9 months.

Notes/Modifications: None. These socks are perfect.

Happy new year! May 2010 shine brightly and happily on all of you and yours.

Yeeah. We’re still hoping. He’s 15 months, it has to happen sooner or later, right? Nobody goes to college without sleeping through the night. :)

But we’re not there yet, so for the moment can I just give you a sneak peak of the design that will get the moving mud buttons from my last post? It’s with the test knitters now. I’m hoping it will be ready for you by the new year.

Cheerio!

Well.

You and the cormo, if I’m being honest.

(Just kidding! Really, you all had me–and still have me–on cloud 9. Over 700 rav queues, really?) But I did have a fantastic time at Rhinebeck, even though this is the only yarn I purchased. Quite a difference from two years ago, when I purchased everything I could possibly lay my hands on. My budget was small this year, and I was determined to make the most of it, and purchase yarn for a sweater that would be something very special. I’m very, very happy with my choice, and thrilled that Foxfire still had enough of this stuff for a sweater by the time I arrived at 11am on Saturday. :)

I am not much for the usual link-a-doo roundup, but I got to hang out with my knit night pals, and meet some fantastic new ones, and generally spent the weekend recharging from the physically exhausting job that is parenting two kids under 5. I got to geek out about all of the designs I hope to be sending your way soon, and drink in the ideas and creativity all around me, and (this is important) choose when I went to sleep and woke up. I came back to work on Monday refreshed in every sense. Hooray for breaks!

I got some various and sundry things other than yarn at the festival. A darning egg, some stitch markers, and various & sundry little hand-out goodies.

I have a bunch of design ideas in my head and on my needles, but haven’t decided the fate of all of them–which I’ll release here, which I’ll submit and to where, and so forth. But here are some little tastes, including my final Rhinebeck purchase:

Some moving mud buttons. I’m pretty sure I’ll release this design here. (Sundara ASM in Wild Blueberries in the background, if you’re curious.)

A beaded teaser.

And another thought-in-progress about how to use up more of my Sundara stash. Just writing this post makes my fingers itch to knit!!

Pattern: The February Fitted Pullover, by yours truly

Yarn: Dream in Color Classy, Deep Seaflower, 4 hanks (with around 1/2 of one left over).

Time Elapsed: Knitting this only took a couple of weeks, even with writing it up. Hooray for worsted weight yarn in an open-work pattern and 3/4-length sleeves!

Notes/Modifications: Though it may seem strange, I did actually modify the pattern, lengthening the body to accommodate my super-long torso. (I added a little over an inch.)

But really, there’s more to say about the pattern than about my knitting. The February Fitted Pullover is a fitted, 3/4 sleeve scoop-neck pullover in the gull lace pattern made popular by Elizabeth Zimmerman’s “February Baby Sweater”. The shape is definitely great for the bustier, curvier gals among us. As written, there are about 3.5 inches of waist shaping, worked into the lace pattern:

Though of course, if you are not interested in shaping at all, leave it out! If you want just an inch or two, I’d recommend eliminating the shaping and going down a needle size or two instead.

Bust sizes measure 33 (36, 39.5, 43, 46, 50)”, although the lace gives you quite a bit of leeway when you block. Please, please, pretty please give yourself some negative ease in the bust on this knit. The lace and scoop neck really look better when they’re filled out a little.

I knit my version in Dream in Color Classy, which I used for the February Lady Sweater I knit for Beth and loved. I loved the way it looked in the gull lace pattern, I loved the way the color looked on me. I think it would look completely fantastic in many other hand-painted worsted/aran yarns (check your gauge!), too: I’m looking at you, Sundara ASM.

I guess I don’t have much more to say about this. I’ve been doing some other design work I can’t talk about, this summer, and the bug has bitten me hard. I’m so very glad to finally have something I can share with you all.

I hope this goes without saying, but while I have been very careful in writing and editing this pattern, and it has been test-knit, it’s my first to be released–if you find anything that confuses you, if you find an error, if you have comments, if you have questions… please email me. I really look forward to hearing from you.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!