The Sweatshop of Lovers Blog

I’ve been knitting nothing but bow headbands for the last few weeks for Renegade coming up in September, but I’ve been able to live vicariously through my Knit a Sweater a Month Challengers! They finished up a TON of beautiful sweaters for this week that I know you are going to love:

Oriel Lace Blouse-Turned-Cardigan

After what sounds like a really long struggle with this delicate lace pattern, Kate finished her version of the Oriel Lace Blouse. As you can see it’s not a blouse at all anymore, but a cardigan! I’m constantly amazed by Kate’s ambitious modifications. She turned a pattern accessible to only a handful of body types into a pattern for anyone! And I’m loving that orange.

Girlie Girl

Man, I’m going to need a little girl to knit for real soon or I’m going to start stockpiling baby girl clothes anyway! Ksana knit Girlie Girl and I’m so in love!  That ruffle detail at the bottom is to die for and I love her colors and striping.

And that little hat? A modified On the Sunny Side to match. I might need to see a picture of this lucky little girl all decked out!

Next up is a double sweater FO for Lily at The Owl and the Bee:

Dollar and a Half Cardigan

Lily knit the Dollar and a Half Cardigan, her very first sweater ever if you can believe it, as part of my Sweater Club this summer, and while it had it’s ups and downs, it turned out beautifully and we got her hooked on knitting sweaters!

That Girl Summer Jacket

Because before she was even finished with her Dollar and a Half she was working on the That Girl Summer Jacket. She is such an expert sweater knitter that she modified this design by adding adorable fabric covered buttons down the front and working shorter sleeves. Now THIS is a sweater I would totally knit!

Emmaline

My girl Cindy at A Sparkle a Day finished yet another sweater! This one is the popular Emmaline from this past issue of Knitty. I love Cindy’s fitted version. It’s so flattering and looks super easy to throw on with anything. I know she is working on her second Emmaline and I’m interested to see if she changes anything for the second sweater. Keep me posted, Cindy!

Pullover in Eskimo

And we’ve got our first finished Christmas present on the blog! It’s not mine, if you can believe it. It’s Natalie’s dad’s sweater, this DROPS Pullover in Eskimo, that is a big cuddly man’s sweater. I kinda want one myself! Way to be on top of the holiday knitting, lady!

Robin from Yarn Crawl has two finished sweaters to share, too!

Jordan

First up is her Jordan top that looks amazing in the yellow she chose! I love this sweater in yellow, whereas on the project page it looks kind of matronly in that dark beige. Robin’s is fun and summery and would look amazing dressed up or down.

Alexandria Cardigan

She also finished up the Alexandria Cardigan that I’ve seen popping up in knitting blogs a lot lately. The lacey-cabley detail is just enough to keep this cardigan looking really clean and beautiful, but again would look great over jeans, too! Like always, Robin, great job!

Even with all the FOs August brought with it I can only imagine as we get into fall that Knit a Sweater a Month Challengers are going to start really turning it on! Between holiday knitting and, of course, necessary cool weather selfish knitting, things are going to get a lot more busy around here. I can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store!

Finished sweaters for the Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge are coming fast now! I’m so proud of everyone for sticking with their sweater knitting through these hot months! These sweaters are getting more and more fall-like, so I can tell that everyone is looking forward to sweater weather hitting.

In the mean time, we are stocking up on fall sweaters to have them waiting in the wings! I’ve got a BIG TIME FO coming your way tomorrow. Hint: It’s a DRESS! Ok that is more than a hint. I’m just that excited to show it to you!

In the mean time, here are some beautiful finished August sweaters:

Kristen TenDyke Test Knit Cardigan

Wendy knit this beautiful cardigan as officially her May sweater, but who’s counting? This is a Kristen TenDyke test knit so the pattern isn’t available for us just yet, but I know I’ll be keeping my eye out for it! It looks like a great fall sweater that will go with everything.

Baby Sweater Buffet Zebra Sweater

Lori knit up this adorable zebra sweater from my Baby Sweater Buffet pattern and it couldn’t have turned out cuter! Well, Cayo here would have probably preferred it be finished in January and not July, but he was a trooper and posed for some FO shots before demanding the huge sweater be taken off. And yes! Lori even made those fabric covered buttons. Way to rock it, Lori!

Coachella

Cindy over at A Sparkle a Day finished Coachella, pretty much the most popular summer knit top ever. Cindy did a lot of math to figure out how to change the gauge of her sweater completely and I’m super proud of her! And the colors she chose for it are so fun! The perfect summer knit.

Mondo Cable Cardi

Lin (rav) has an amazing knack of picking a sweater and making it better than the original. Take a peak at the Mondo Cable Cardi pattern for the sample picture. I wouldn’t even think this was the same sweater! This is so wearable and that sweater looks like a big heavy sweater jacket. Again, Lin, great job!

Yoga Hoodie

Vicki at Purple is a Fruit knit this Olive Branch Yoga Hoodie and I just had to post a picture of the back of the sweater because that pop of detail makes this hoodie really special! It’s got really cute front kangaroo pockets at the zipper in the front, too. This pattern is so wearable and cozy and, yes, even yoga ready! Great job, Vicki!

Lace Cardigan Duster Test Knit

I was scanning Ksana’s (rav) pictures of this gorgeous sweater thinking, ‘There is too much sweater to pick just one picture!’ I’m sure she was thinking the same thing when she took this picture, obviously standing on her toilet to get the full length! It is, clearly, gorgeous, and worth the look at her project page to get the full scope. It’s a test knit, but Ksana thinks the patter will be available soon. I know my mom would LOVE this pattern!

While I’m holding babies and gallivanting in Michigan for a few days I’m going to show you pictures of knitters actually knitting! The Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge  is rocking through summer with shrugs and baby sweaters and other warm weather knits:

Openwork Knit Shrug

Kathy (rav) finished this lovely shrug pattern, Openwork Knit Shrug, that I just love in the mohair-y yarn she used! It looks light and wearable and lovely! And styled perfectly in this picture.

Jacket with Short Sleeves and Shirred Pattern on Yoke Sweater

DROPS sure has a way with words. This sweater pattern is called the ‘Jacket with Short Sleeves and Shirred Pattern on Yoke‘. It’s a good think it’s cute! And Natalie (rav) sure did a great job on it! Work that collar bone, girl!

Short Jacket with Short Sleeves Knit from Side to Side

And this one, also finished by Natalie (who is obviously on a knitting tear!) is called Short Jacket with Short Sleeves Knit from Side to Side. I mean, can I buy a proper noun? Natalie added length to this cute and simple garter stitch jacket to make it much more flattering. Way to rock them out this month, lady!

Milo

Ladybug!

Becca finished two baby gifts this month! First is Milo, one of the absolute cutest baby and child sized vests I’ve seen! The garter stitch yoke and off center cable make this sweater unique and interesting and versatile! Play with the colors for a girl or boy vest.

But her second sweater is just for little girls! Ladybug is a girl’s jacket pattern and sure to be a huge hit since I think every knitter is a sucker for ladybugs. I want one of these for myself!

Keep it up, ladies!

I’m putting the finishing touches on my latest sweater design, and with a forecast with temperatures only in the 80s I might even be able to model it! More about that sweater tomorrow.

First we’ve got finished July sweaters galore!

River Tweed Cardigan

Ksana knit this beautiful River Tweed Cardigan (every time I try to type tweed I type tweet. Addicted much?) as a test knit. I love the flattering cables on the sides and the corresponding cables on the collar. So pretty!

Anney

Robin knit this super seasonally appropriate and adorable sweater Anney.  I’m a sucker for ribbon details and cables becoming figures, so when I saw this FO I knew it was for me! So cute!

Miss Dashwood

She also knit this super cute shrug, Miss Dashwood! I love the color choice. Most shrugs are knit with safe neutrals so they are super wearable, but this simple lace shawl is a knockout in the lime green! Way to go out on a limb and rock it hard, Robin!

Corvallis Cardigan

Clara finished this fun cardigan, the Corvallis Cardigan, which is the perfect pattern for Clara because it has sizing for all 3 of her kids! This picture is a work in progress; you can see the ends and it needs some buttons, but you can see it’s going to be super rad! Great job Clara!

And we’ve got another two for one! Rachel finished two sweaters:

Corona Camisol

The Corona Camisol is one of my favorite patterns from this last issue of Interweave. The front detail is cute and the sweater is totally wearable! Summer sweater win for sure.

Emmaline

And this is the second Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge appearance of Emmaline from the summer Knitty. The more I see this pattern the more I like it! Those little sleeves! Another amazing example of a summer knit. Way to rock it out Rachel!

Didn’t think there were so many summer knitting patterns available? Where have you been?! Email me if you have questions about finding a summer sweater pattern or yarn choices. I’m here to help!

Keep the finished sweaters coming ladies!

I finished up my second DinoSweater so I’ve got July in the bag!

Other Knit a Sweater a Month Challengers are on the ball as well:

Off the Shoulder Cabled Sweater

Cindy at A Sparkle A Day not only wrote a lovely guest post for me last week, but she also finished this beautiful sweater! She says it is too sexy to wear to work, and that she wants to tighten up the top ribbing, but those cables are top notch and so pretty! I love the texture in this sweater and she better post some pictures of her wearing this sweater soon!

Mulberry Grid

Lin knit this scandalous cardigan (put a shirt on, lady! That cardi is SEE THROUGH!) in a beautiful checkered stitch pattern. The Mulberry Grid sweater, which doesn’t have a picture on the rav page, but if you click on on the link you can see the picture that was in the magazine. I’m loving this sweater in gray! It gives it a much more modern look.

Egret Pattern

Amy finished this stunning cardigan. I’ve never seen this sweater before, but Egret is so unique that I did a lot of searching around and ravelry studying when I saw Amy’s FO.  You can’t quite see what is going on in the sweater in Amy’s picture, but by clicking on the pattern page you can see that it’s a cardigan with a diagonal ruffle closure! I’ve never seen anything like it!

Scallop Edge Dress

Ksana knit this lovely little Scallop Edge baby dress that makes me wish my new nephew Nolan was a little girl! How cute is this dress?! You are looking at the back of the dress, so it buttons in the back, which adds a little surprise bling bling that every baby girl is looking for. I’m going to keep this dress in mind for the next baby girl that pops up in my life. Those strawberry buttons are a lovely touch!

Box 96 Pullover

Kathy finished up this really beautiful summer sweater from Interweave Knits Summer 2010 issue. It’s Box 96 Pullover, from the cover of the magazine, and a sweater I didn’t look twice at because of the magazine’s terrible styling of it. Over a billowy white collared button up? Come on. Kathy saw the design for the summer sweater it is and helped me see how cute it is, too!

Lets keep this up, y’all!

Umm… remember the Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge?

The challenge took a back seat to the ebook release this month, but I was so relieved to pop over to our Ravelry group and see that I wasn’t the only person to put this challenge on the back burner.

I was knitting something… don’t really remember what that was… and it surely isn’t going to come back any time soon. I’m cool with it. And I did finish my June sweater! More on that tomorrow.

Cable Car Sweater

Ksana is at it again with this super fancy baby cardigan! The Cable Car Sweater was a test knit but luckily the super cute pattern is already available. It looks super simple and fun to knit.

Buttercup

Vicki jazzed up this simple tshirt pattern, Buttercup, by using some different shades of blue throughout. While she doesn’t know if she is crazy about it, I’m digging the natural tie-dye effect on this flattering tee.

Test Knit Babt Tank

Ksana also knit this adorable Baby Tank as a test knit. Those buttons are great and I love those colors! This girl is just knitting up a storm over here!

Hearts Baby Sweater

Lin finished this sweet baby sweater, too! Those little hearts on there are so cute and unique. This is the Heart Sweater, clearly There are going to be a lot of lucky little girls getting beautiful sweaters this week!

Cardigan Neutral

Becca at Nutmeg Knitter finished up her Cardigan Neutral and it couldn’t have turned out better! I love this cardigan – it’s super easy to throw on over anything and Becca picked a beautiful color. The edging detail is subtle and lovely.

Emmaline

Clara finished up this Knitty pattern, Emmaline, in a beautifully wearable dark red color that looks so easy to dress up or down. This little tee is already a popular pattern and it was just released a few months ago. Great job, Clara! I bet you will be rocking this tee out all summer.

Not Really Animal Print Cardigan

Kate had to take a few shots before getting this fun cardigan into existence. I can’t speak for her of course, but I would be thrilled to get this fun striped cardigan no matter how it came about! See the process here. The original pattern is the Animal Print Cardigan, which makes me want to cry just looking at. Bobbins! Torture!

Juniper Hand Knit Shrug

THEN she turned around and pumped out this cute shrug! I always love when your have a knitting failure and can make your next project something you love.

The Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge is fun! I’m glad it made it’s way back in the rotation

The Dykhuizen family is counting down the days till Baby Nolan arrives. He will be the first of the next generation for our family, so he is bound to get a lot of shit.

So far Nolan has racked up a DinoSweater, Baby Bobbie Bear, Sheldon the Turtle, and a Socktopus, all before he is even born.

What else does he need? Onesies! But you know me. I can’t just give the kid some onesies. And you know I’m not going to buy fancy onesies I know are just going to be puked on a million times.

Solution? Buy cheap-o onesies ($8.99 for a pack of 5 at Target) and snazz them up.

Ready To Start!

How To Make Personalized Onesies

1. Get some fabric paint in basic colors. They are between 45 and 99 cents a tube and can be found at any craft store. Make sure you don’t buy the puffy kind! It’s really ugly.

Fabric Paint

2. Cut a piece of cardboard to slide inside the onesie. You want it to be snug so it’s holds the fabric taunt to make an easy painting surface.

3. Find an image to copy! Do a google image search for anything. I like searching ‘cartoon’ or ‘coloring book’ along with the object I’m looking for so I get a clean, easy image.

Dinosaur!

Dinosaurs are fun and a great way to use silly colors. You can see I searched ‘dinosaur coloring page’ to find this little guy.

4. Print the image and trace it onto your onesie, or just eyeball it.

Image Outline on Onesie

My printer is really annoying to hook up, so I just eyeball it. I like to start in the center of the image and built it out from there.

5. Start painting with your main color. If you are right handed, start at the top left and work your way down diagonally.

Start in Top Left Corner

This way you won’t be laying your hand in paint! If you are left handed, start in the top right corner.

Taking Shape!

It's Almost a Dinosaur!

6. Let the paint dry a little before adding any additional colors.

Dino Spikes!

7. Let the paint dry to the touch before adding any while or outlines. White paint blends everything and is really hard to use! Your outline colors will look a lot better on dry paint as well.

Dino Face!

8. Let the onesie dry for 24 hours before giving it away or packing it up!

Finished!

Some fabric paint instructs you to iron it once dry, so be sure to read the bottle.

9. Make four more onesies!

Old English D

Nolan will be a Tigers fan. I resisted the urge to paint ‘Yankees Suck’.

Go Blue!

My original design was a buckeye with an X through it.

Lion Fan?

Subtle Lions fan. Like the rest of us.

I Heart Aunt Allyson!

Too much?

10. Add up your savings! Dinosaur Onesie = $15.99. UofM Onesie = $17.99. Tigers Onesie = $9 ($17.99 for 2). Lion Onesie = $15. I Heart Aunt Allyson Onesie = $12.

Bought Onesies = $69.98.

My Onesies = $8.99 (onesies) + $5 (paint) = $13.99

Total Savings = $55.99! Holla!

So get out there and make some adorable, personalized onesies! I can’t wait to see Baby Nolan rocking these cute outfits.

Remember a few months ago when I tackled the making the super cute Charley Harper needlepoint canvas myself? I graphed it myself, marked it out, got my own floss and dug in, saving myself about 50 bucks.

With Colleen’s wedding on Saturday already I thought it was high time I finished her present!

I ended up giving it a little background color. I took Julie’s advice and just did a half stitch around the little birds.

Charley Harper Needlepoint, Ready for Framing!

I thought it added a lot! I went to JoAnn and got some framing supplies.

Charley Harper Needlepoint, Framed?

Lackluster, right?

Charley Harper+Water Color

So I decided I would try to give it a water color wash. I dug around and found some old paints with a yellow and orange I thought would work. I was a little scared!

Testing... testing...

I tested the colors in the corner of the fabric to see how much running there was and what the colors would really look like. Then I just dug in! The half stitches made it easy to not get the paint on the birds and I could play with actually painting the stitches and including those colors in the wash.

Water Color Drying in the Sun

I let the wash dry in the sun when I was finished. The water color adds a fun dimension to the piece! I’ve never seen water color and needlepoint and I love the look of it.

Voila! Charley Harper Needlepoint Finished!

Quite a difference! I love these little birds, I love the half stitch outline, and I love the water color wash. The green frame mat adds focus and the dark brown frame isn’t too harsh for the colors in the needlepoint. I hope Colleen feels the same way!

Total cost of project? Less than $15. Of course this project wasn’t about saving money, and lord knows I spent HOURS AND HOURS needle-pointing that damn thing. I might as well have knit her a damn plane they can use to fly to Italy for their honeymoon.

Never. Again.

But I love how it turned out and I hope Colleen does, too!

We are jumping the gun on our regular Tuesday Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge posts because of the HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT coming to you tomorrow. But luckily we’ve got a couple fun sweaters to bring you!

Baby Cherry Blossom

This FO kinda makes me want to have a little girl to make this sweater for. How sweet is this little thing?! Ksana (rav) is on a serious knitting roll lately and finished up the Baby Cherry Blossom sweater this week. Something tells me this isn’t the last we will be seeing of this pattern. It is out of this world cute.

Laughing Carrots... ?

Gloria made me scratch my head this morning! She knit this adorable summer top that I have never seen before, so I followed the link to the Laughing Carrots pattern. Which, if you click on the link, is a pattern for a long sleeved child’s cardigan. And here it is a woman’s short sleeved summer cardigan! Gloria is one talented pattern modifier!

And that brings another month to an end! It will be nice to have a long weekend to finish up any remaining May sweaters. I know I need a little more time!

And did I mention there is a HUGE announcement tomorrow? Involving videos? VIDEOS! It’s going to be awesome. Be sure to check back tomorrow!

Summer is in the air and in all our finished sweaters this week! There isn’t a sleeve in sight and we couldn’t be more excited about it. Looking for more summer knitting ideas? Look no further:

Little Black Blouse

Alexandra (rav) knit AND designed this Little Black Blouse. How perfect is this top for summer? It looks so nice and airy. Check our her project page here.

Coachella

Robin knit the very popular Coachella, a pattern featured in Knitty a few years ago. It’s another perfect summer tank! A lot of knitters had trouble with the armhole size and bra straps showing, and Robin talks about her mods on her project page. I think the key with this sweater is to wear a bra you don’t mind people seeing! But Robin has some good tips on her page.

Imagine Peace Vest

Ksana has been knitting up a storm and shared two FOs with us for May! First up is the Imagine Peace Vest which I’ve loved since the first time I saw it. Any time you can put such a simple, hopefully message on a baby is pretty awesome.

Test Knit Cotton Top

She also knit this top using Debbie Bliss cotton as a test knit. I’m floored by that perfect bust shaping! It fits like a glove and is super flattering.

Now if only the weather would cooperate! I keep gazing longingly at my summer knits as I throw on my huge winter sweaters.

Everyone keep up the good work and I can’t wait to see the sweaters the last week of May brings!