Favorite Fall Sweater

Well, my next post was supposed to be an update on my Marion for the MarionKAL but, this is much more fun! So, Andi asked us to name our favorite Fall sweater, which was not an easy task for me. But, after much debate with myself I will reveal my favorite Fall sweater at the end of this post.

Some did not make the cut. They are Marion (crappy yarn) and Shapely Boyfriend (gives me hip wings).

I just want to say that I used to dread Fall season. It meant going back to school and cold weather coming in. However, when I started knitting this all changed. I feel like now my entire year is prepping for my Fall/Winter knits. Then, I get so excited when the season changes so, I can finally wear my favorite pullovers. So, let’s get started.

Oh yeah, I had fun trying on different outfit combinations as you will see 😉

Aiken – Definitely one of my favorite pullovers. I plan on making another one soon in a better yarn.

Beulah – This cardigan will always have a special place in my heart. It was my first knit garment and it is still one of my most worn cardigans. I don’t see myself ever making another one because the seaming was the biggest pain! But, it looks like it was made for this dress I recently ordered from Modcloth (on sale at a great price).

Chuck – This was my first challenging knit. My Daddy was wary of my ability to create this so, I set out to prove him wrong. This pullover features 2 of my favorites–cables and hot pink.

Hetty – I absolutely adore this cardigan! The dusty pink is very elegant to me and goes perfectly with the lace pattern. To date, this is my most cardigan. I wear it year round and it goes with almost every dress in my closet.

A to Z – I consider this my varsity sweater. I like that it is personalized for me because of the ‘C’. I don’t wear it much in the hotter seasons so, I am looking forward to wearing it soon. The color combination is just perfect to me.

Miette – This cardigan sat in my queue for the longest. I am happy that I finally got around to making it. The fit is perfect. However, I must admit that I prefer it buttoned because it just looks better that way. (I’m covering my mouth because I felt like my lipstick clashed with the orange.)

Geraldine – This sweater had to make the cut. It’s named after my aunt. LOL. JK. But seriously, this sweater lets the world know that I am a knitter and I love it. How adorable are those knitting needles and yarn motifs. Perfect. I can’t wait to wear this with the matching hat during the colder months.

Hetty.2 – I loved my first Hetty so much that I had to make another. Initially, my second was supposed to be in a forest green but, I went with a loud red. I love it.

Hortencia – Yes, it’s black and simple but, I love it. I wear it sooooo much. There is nothing like a neutral sweater to add to your wardrobe. And to this day I love my 2 buttons and giggle every time I think about the story behind those buttons.

Elsa – I couldn’t leave my beloved crochet out of the mix. Most of my crochet garments are open and lacy so, I adore that this is not. I just love the Jackie O feel to this jacket. The details are also a major perk i.e. the buttons and zipper. I have actually been planning to make another but, I haven’t gotten around to it yet. Soon…

Well, after much debate I did decide on my favorite Fall sweater. I took into account how often the item is worn, the color, and the design features. It was a close call between Hetty.1 and Chuck. But in the end, Hetty in pink won. It’s in my favorite color, it’s worn once a week, and the lace design is the most beautiful thing.

This was fun! I can’t wait to see everyone’s #favoritefallsweater.

Finished Object: Geraldine and Ethel

I am so in love with this set. I mean really in love. I simply adore them. I can’t begin to express how much I love it so, let me get to the details…

As soon as Andi released her Wrapped in Wool collection, I fell in love. It really is like a “love letter to knitters”. The chart patterns drew me in because they featured knitting needles and yarn balls. Iknew immediately that this was the pattern for me to start my journey into the lovely world of fair isle. The design is what enamored me and I knew that I would have to cast on for the pullover and hat set first. I had plans to do the Aida mitts, which is also in the set, but it is getting warm in Alabama. So, I will save those for when Fall is approaching.

Before, I started the pattern I thought long and hard about the yarn colors. I knew I wanted to go with a vivid color and this Marine blue answered that call. I went with red for the yarn ball design because I really wanted it to pop. I went with camel heather for the needle design because I was thinking of the color of bamboo needles. This is the one aspect of the set that I am not completely crazy about. I feel like the needle design doesn’t pop and you don’t notice it unless you get close.

I definitely feel like this pattern took forever. It is longer than Andi’s usual cropped length and it is made with sport weight yarn. I believe I got spoiled with all those cropped designs made with worsted weight yarn. However, in retrospect a month is not a long time for a hat and sweater. And I did make a baby blanket and baby hat during that time.

The hat itself took no time just like I figured. I first did the chart pattern. Then, I put the hat down and finished the sweater. Once I finished the sweater I finished the remainder of the hat. I really think this hat could be whipped up in a day or two. I really like the swirly design that the decreases give the hat on the back. I also really enjoyed making the pom pom. I used my pom pom maker and made sure I wrapped it around numerous times. I wanted it to be fat and fluffy. It turned out perfect.

My row gauge was off and maybe that played a factor in the length of the sweater being 2 inches longer than it should be. However, my sleeve length was perfectly in line with the schematics so, I don’t know why this is. Because my body’s length was a bit longer I wear the sweater cuffed upward and I really like how it looks this way. I went up a needle size for the hat because I have a large head and thick head of hair. I am pleased with the fit.

Details:

Yarn – Knit Picks Brava Sport

Color – Marina, Celestial, Red, Black, Camel Heather, Tranquil

Weight – Sport

Needle Size – 5 (3.75 mm) for the hat and 4 (3.5 mm) for the pullover

Level – Intermediate

WIP: Geraldine

I have been moving along kinda slow but steadily with this pullover. So, let me update you…

My row gauge was off by 2 rows with my gauge swatch. I went with the size 4 needles because I don’t have any size 3 longer length needles (I really need to remedy this) and I figured I would adjust the rows. Well, I didn’t. I just kept on knitting and watching movies. So, my body portion of the sweater is 2 inches longer than it should be. I was thinking I would rip it back and adjust but, I am kinda ready to be finished. I debated with myself. So, I kept trying it on. I didn’t like how it was sitting in the middle of my hips. I debated some more and then, I cuffed the sweater upward and it is perfect! I am now so happy I kept knitting. I really like how it looked and now I am excited about finishing it up.

Now, I just need to make sure to monitor the length of my sleeves so that they don’t end up a weird length.

Hopefully, I can have this sweater and the matching hat complete by next week. I am really ready to start Marion because I am in dire need of a purple cropped cardigan.

This is the length of the sweater before I cuffed it upward…

WIP: Geraldine Pullover and Ethel Beret

As you know from the previous post, I am in the process of moving. Argh! It is so annoying and moving is interrupting my knitting. But, despite the stress of moving, I am excited to be leaving that area. I have actually started staying at the new place. I just have to get the last of my things moved to the new place.

Despite all of this, I have been steadily working on my Geraldine pullover. I am now on the Body portion of the pullover and I am really pleased with my color scheme. I can’t wait to show you all the finished product!

And since this pullover has a matching beret, I have cast on for that as well. The Ethel beret is a beautiful beret that features an adorable pom pom on the back. Last year, I ordered a pom pom maker from Knit Picks and I am very anxious to use it for this gorgeous hat. I actually got gauge with Size 4 needles but, I decided to go up to Size 5 needles for the hat because I have a rather large head and very thick hair.

This beret will give me the chance to practice stranded color work in the round. From my reading on the subject, I understand that things can get a bit too tight if you’re not careful. So, I am really going to try keeping the tension even. I would like to start the color chart on this beret as soon as possible but, who knows when that’ll happen with this full weekend ahead.

I also plan on casting on for the matching Aida wristers. It is funny that I was so afraid to try color work but, now I want to make everything in the Wrapped in Wool collection. I really think this collection is great practice for a newbie to color work.

WIP: Geraldine Pullover

For awhile now I have been wanting to try stranded colorwork (a.k.a. Fair Isle). But, I have never tackled and it always seems like such an enormous feat. I would look in all my knitting how-to books and see all those strands of yarn and get just super nervous. I have also looked at numerous videos on stranded colorwork, which helped to explain things a bit better. But, the nervousness was and still is there. I keep thinking What if my tension is too loose or too tight? What if I can’t get the hang of holding two-three strands of yarn? Will the different yarn balls get tangled? Yes, I really do battle with myself over this.

Then, one day I saw the most gorgeous vintage fair isle sweater. It was made with fingering weight yarn and the fair isle was all over the sweater. Since I couldn’t get it out of my mind, I figured I was up for the challenge. Well, I ordered the yarn then, that nervousness came back.

I talked with the owner at the local yarn store about wanting to tackle fair isle. She suggested starting with something small like a hat to get a feel for it. I had planned on doing this then, Andi’s Geraldine pullover came out. It was the perfect project to practice colorwork! It only features 30 rows of colorwork. And I especially liked that it was in a sweater because sweaters are my fave projects to make.

Yes, the nervousness is still there but, I am up for the challenge. And who knows, I may be building this up in my mind. So, we shall see…

I chose to go with colors in the blue family and I simply adore this Marina blue, which will be the main color. Last night, I winded all the balls of yarn and tried a gauge swatch on Size 5 needles. That didn’t work. This morning I tried Size 4 needles and it didn’t come out perfect but, I am going with the Size 4 needles. The pattern calls for a gauge of 24 sts X 38 rows = 4 inches. I am getting 24 sts X 36 rows = 4 inches. So, as I am knitting I will adjust the row count if the need arises…

The yarn being used is Knit Picks Brava Sport in Marina, Tranquil, Celestial, Red, Camel Heather, and Black.