The Sweatshop of Lovers Blog

March is flying by just like February did and most of the Knit a Sweater a Month Challengers are working hard on their March sweaters this week. There are a few fun sweaters to highlight, though!

Top-Down Reglan Cardigan

Wendy finished her February sweater/Ravelympics sweater (as you can see!), the ultra popular Top-Down Reglan Cardigan in amazing colors! I love top down sweater striping – it adds so much to a simple design. Great job Wendy!

February Lady

Tracey knit this beautiful and super popular February Lady Sweater! She totally finished it in February, I just missed her post about it somehow! I had to add it in now, a little late! because it is so beautiful. This sweater is knit in dark colors mostly, but the pink is so pretty! And aren’t those buttons perfect?

Two Tone Cardigan

Gloria finished this beautiful cardigan in two different reds. How fun! I love the combination; it really makes the sweater stand out. I’m going to have to remember that technique for when I don’t have enough of one color yarn! Two is ok!

Riding Coat

Zayna knit is amazing Debbie Bliss Riding Coat that I didn’t even think of until I saw her version of! Zayna’s just looks swing-ier, more wearable, and more comfortable than the original. This coat is for her grandma and she will obviously be so happy with it!

Where is my March sweater, you ask? It’s blocking. It happened so fast I didn’t even take progress pictures of it! Before I knew it it was drying on my dinning room table!

More on that later.

Get out there and finished up those sweaters! You guys freak me out when there are only a few sweaters finished. It’s like the calm before the finished sweater crazy storm!

So many knitters got their February sweaters in this week that my Dollar and a Half Cardigan, sitting in the other room blocking at this second, is just going to have to wait.

And March is here! I know this challenge is filling my closet nicely. Two sweaters down, ten to go!

Shrug

Blue Shrug

Becca knit these cute shrugs! I’m pretty sure it’s our first shrug in the Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge. That wide rib closure is so pretty and it looks like a quick knit!

Eyelet Patterned Cardigan

Lin (rav) knit this beautiful Eyelet Patterned Cardigan! That eyelet pattern is so pretty! I love lacy patterns in sweaters and this one is stunning.

Sweater Dress

Mellisa (rav) finished this adorably sweater dress for her daughter! It totally reminds me of sweaters I had when I was that age in the 80s that I wish I still had!

Vogue Cropped Jacket

Zaynab knit this Vogue Cropped Jacket. Look familiar? I love this sweater! It makes me happy that there are other knitters rocking this sweater out there in the knitting universe. And it turned out so well!

Ribbed Sweater

Clara finished this cute sweater for her daughter, which she finished in 10 days thanks to the deadline set by the ravelympics! Two birds with one stone, Clara!

The Nicolas Cardigan

Alexandra (rav) finished this absolutely beautiful little Christening sweater. This sweater would be great for any occasion, though! The cuteness is universal.

St Brigid Cardigan

Vicki knit this beautiful cabled cardigan, the St Brigid, for both the Ravelympics and KaSaMC. The idea of knitting all those cables in 17 days blows my mind! Well done!

Neck Down Cardigan

Wickleweste

Amy (rav) finished her January sweater, the neck down cardigan, and her February sweater, the Wickelweste Junghans! I love the bright colors used in both of these sweaters. And the sideways buttons on the vest are so cute!

Shalom Cardigan

So far the Shalom Cardigan is the most popular sweater pattern in the Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge! I think Sernakl’s beautiful Shalom is our third one! And it’s no wonder; they have all turned out so well!

Andrea's Sweater Dress

Alexandra (rav) knit and designed this beautiful sweater dress! This is another ravelympics creation so she designed and knit this all in 17 days! All these sweater dresses sure makes me want to knit one myself!

Bombshell Sweater

Valentina (rav) finished up this Bombshell Sweater and bombshell is right! What a flattering fit and color! I love a good short-sleeved sweater and the bust shaping is perfect.

Congratulations to all the KaSaMCers who are right on the knitting track! Every time I write a Tuesday Knit a Sweater  Month Challenge update post my mind is blown, my ravelry queue gets bigger, and I’m inspired to knit immediately. I can only imagine it’s doing the same for you!

So go get knitting!

1. Look at lots of yarn.

Twisted - http://twistedpdx.com/

Happy Lady!

2. Shop for records.

PT in Mississippi Records

3. Cause trouble in the Portland Children’s Museum.

Lucas and PT Disregarding the Wobble Warning

4. Drink a lot of wine and eat a lot of food at the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival.

Crunk!

PT Loves the Sushi

Look at that Hot Cowl!

5. Touch a tsunami!

Oregon Coast

Lucas, PT, and Random Dog

What Tsunami Advisory?

6. See bald eagles!

Eagles We Haven't Killed!

7. Find a new place to live.

Cape Foulweather

8. Admire very large rainbows.

Whoa!

9. Finish your Dollar and a Half Cardigan!

Dollar and a Half, Pre-Block

10. Start your March Sweater, Mrs Darcy Cardigan.

Mrs Darcy!

Here we are at the end of Month Two of the Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge! I’m so overwhelmed with pride every time I check in with our Ravelry group and get an email from someone with pictures of their finished sweaters.

This is our last February update! Get those sweaters finished up this week! I can’t wait to see them!

I had to sub in my DinoSweater for February because I couldn’t finish my Dollar and a Half Cardigan in time, what with the Ravelympics and everything. But DinoSweater is coming along and will be done by month’s end for sure.

Ok enough enough! I can’t wait to show you all the beautiful sweaters finished up this week!

Fitted Knits Cardi

Kathy knit the Fitted Knits Cardigan! Look familiar? I love this sweater! And Kathy did such a great job with the yarn choices.

Mirepoix Bodice

Robin has been finishing projects up left and right! Her Mirepoix Bodice sweater turned out so well! I’m constantly amazed at knitters who can tackle fair isle. The top of that sweater makes my eyeballs hurt just thinking about knitting it.

Birgitte Lace Pullover

Robin also finished up this beautiful lacy number, the Birgitte Lace Pullover. I have never knit a mohair project I haven’t wanted to set on fire, so this sweater totally motivates me to try it again! So pretty and super flattering.

Short Sleeved Cardi

Ksana finished up this super cute Short Sleeved Cardigan for her mom from Fitted Knits. (Mom, don’t get any ideas!) It turned out fabulous! I love the color, even though Ksana says that the teal is really hard to photograph. If it is anything close to the color we see, we all want one!

Robert's Sweater

Alexandria (rav) knit this absolutely beautiful sweater for a very lucky little boy named Robert! It’s Bear Necessity and that intarsia work is stunning! I NEED to get better at intarsia so I can rock a sweater like that! So cute.

Five days left! Go get knitting!

When we last saw DinoSweater, he was just some bottom ribbing and a couple body rows.

Real Live Normal Sweater!

Then he turned into a normal baby sweater! Complete with PU button hole and button bands. I’m seaming as I’m going because there are a ton of pieces to this sweater! If I waited to the end this sweater would languish in a pile of pieces forever.

On With The Hood!

I knit this hood separately and attached it.

Baby Sweater+Hood=CUTE!

I’m not around babies very much. My friends who have babies don’t live in Chicago. And when there is a baby around I’m not one of the first to jump up to hold it. I just figure I’d let the baby loving girls hold the babies while I just keep knitting. So the idea of something fitting into this sweater blows my mind.

Bear Sweater?!

Like, my teddy bear from when I was three fits into this sweater. Very well, actually. He looks quite dashing!

But yeah. Someone fitting into this sweater makes me nervous. It seems like it would be easily kicked or squashed, like my cats are constantly.

What Now?

This also makes me nervous. Stegosaurus spikes, why you gotta? So much seaming. So much crap! If I were to make this sweater again I would change the entire pattern.

… Yeah I said it. And I know you are all going to hold me to it. I’m ok with it.

Also! Anyone reading this living in Portland?! I’d love to meet you! If you are in the Portland area send me an email at allyson[at]thesweatshopoflove[dot]com so we can have a knitting coffee meet up this Sunday, February 28th.

I’ll be there avoiding snow, so we should get our knit on together for sure!

So I’ve had my Ravelympics plan for quite a while. Hoodie Devoted, which is just waiting for some lining, (pictures soon), and the Bella’s Mittens, which I was going to switch to be hand warmers.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned this on the blog before, probably because I’ve got some reservations about it and am trying to focus my attention on the good as opposed to all the issues, but my little brother and his girlfriend are having a baby.

As a sister of course I want my brother to be happy, and he is, and despite his age, etc etc etc, etc. etc. etc. He and his girlfriend are really excited about having a baby, and I, of course, have to follow suit.

DinoSweater!

I’ve had this sweater in my brain since seeing it in the Holiday 2003 Family Circle Easy Knitting Magazine. That is right. For SEVEN YEARS.

I Mean, SERIOUSLY?!

Adam was huge into dinosaurs when he was little, and even if he wasn’t, this would still be one of the cutest sweaters ever!

DINOSWEATER!

I accidentally bought yarn for it yesterday. Lion Brand Wool Ease Worsted in Avocado. And it was staring at me. I put it in a bag and hid it in the closet and I could hear it yelling, ‘DINOSWEATER! DINOSWEATER!’

What’s a girl to do?

And this is seriously throwing off my Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge! I’ve still got Dollar and a Half sitting on my work table like 90% finished. So I might just make this my February sweater, finish up Dollar and a Half as a bonus sweater, then knit something else for March.

You know what? I don’t even really care. LOOK AT THAT DINOSWEATER! It’s got stegosaurus spikes down the back! Come on, now.

While my Dollar and a Half Cardigan takes a break for my Ravelympics projects, there are a TON of finished sweaters this week that I can’t wait to show off to y’all!

Java Fold Back Cardi

Gloria finished her February sweater in January and her January sweater in February, but who is counting? I love the fun buttons! They were made for that sweater.

Sexy Vesty

Tracy knit this beautiful vest, Sexy Vesty, for her sister. I’m not a big vest wearer but I am all over this vest! I put it in my queue for sure.

Barfly Pullover

Clara finished her first sweater, the Barfly Pullover, and it looks amazing! I love that bottom shaping and the neckline. This sweater is really flattering on her!

Aquitaine Pullover

Robin, who is knew to the group, posted her January sweater this week, the Aquitaine Pullover. I love the lace detail! This sweater is from the new Interweave, so if you had it on the mind grapes take a look at Robin’s project page because she made some really helpful notes!

Diva Tunic

Liz knit another Diva Tunic! This one for her sister. Remember the sweater she knit for herself last month? It’s like knitting two socks! Only, really large socks. They both look fabulous! I bet Liz will be knitting something else for March, though!

Liesl

Here is our second Liesl sweater! This one also completed by Liz. She is a knitting fool! The color is great and you can really see the detail in the lace pattern. So pretty!

Trellis & Vine Pullover

Becca (rav) finished the Trellis & Vine Pullover that has been sitting on her needles for a long time! This sweater was in my queue for a while, then I dumped it, but now it’s going back in for sure. I love how it’s less fitted than in the pattern pictures. It is such a beautiful pattern for a roomy pullover!

Granny Square Jackets

While not knitting and made out of previously made granny squares, it’s still ok! Marolee made two granny square jackets by … seaming together granny squares, of course! Makes my granny square slippers look like a walk in the park! I know how hard it is to seam those up.

Placket Sweater

Kris knit up this adorable Placket Neck Pullover! The yarn she used, the Brown Sheep Serendipity Tweed, has beautiful yellow flecks throughout! Such a beautiful choice.

Congratulations to everyone who finished this week! I love seeing the variety of projects coming into the group. Non knitters are always shocked when I explain this project to them. How can you find 12 different sweaters you want to knit?

I’m pretty sure I could knit a sweater a month for the rest of my life and STILL not get to all the beautiful sweaters out there I’d like to knit.

We’ve even had some new people join this week! Our Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge Ravelry Group is up to 148 members! And my mailing list is growing, too. Please don’t hesitate to join us!

Now get knitting!

What did I do this weekend?

Lotta Hood

I barely left my house. Barely left my TV. I didn’t miss a ski jump, a cross country race, a mogul, and, most importantly, a pairs ice skating performance.

Yesterday I had Sweater Club in the morning, returned home around noon, then at 10pm when the Olympics ended I looked down at my knitting and thought, well shit!

I knit like 13 inches of my Hoodie Devoted. Since the opening ceremonies.

I even went out Saturday night! I brought my knitting to game night and happily knit while vampires and dinosaurs were fighting in Heroscape while listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack.

Take a second to let just how cool I am truly sink in.

Pudge Approves!

Pudge has grown very fond of this hood, probably because she has been laying under it for two days while I was knitting. I put it on the floor to take these pictures and she was so confused.

She was mainly confused that I was standing, and walking around.

The stitch pattern is fun and interesting, the bobbles aren’t annoying and every other cable is different. Thus, this is pretty much the best pattern to work on 12 hours a day two days in a row.

Yikes.

Well, what am I supposed to be doing on a February weekend in Chicago? It’s cold, bro. And it isn’t like I should be out celebrating a holiday or anything.

Last night’s 2010 Winter Olympic opening ceremonies were a little bizarre. Between the punk fiddlers and tap dancers, the huge Coke polar bear, an anorexic Brian Adams, and a huge torch lighting malfunction, there was a lot to take in.

Hoodie Devoted

I can safely say, however, that I have never looked forward to an Opening Ceremonies as much as I was looking forward to these, because of the start of the Ravelympics!

I’ve been getting a few questions about what the Ravelympics are. They are like the Olympics for knitting! You enter into different competitions with different projects and you have to get them done by the closing ceremonies.

I’m on Team Buttercream hosted by the lovely Julie at Knitted Bliss. I cast on Hoodie Devoted, out of Boutique Knits, last night.

Cables and Bobbles

This is a little more project than I was expecting! I’ve got a good start on my needles, but that is 215 stitches I’m working! 17 days? And I’ve got other projects on the docket?

Well, it wouldn’t be like me not to try to do a million things at once.

I tagged my ravelry project page with the official Ravelympics tag, my team name: teambuttercream!, and the event I’m entering with this project: Hat Halfpipe!

I was tweeting like a crazy person last night! Keeping up with other Ravelympians and Olympic Opening Ceremonies watchers. It was easily the most fun I’ve had on twitter to date.

Highlights:

rocketslide: Olympic drinking game! Drink for every cable knit, turtleneck, & hat with a pompom! RT @sweatshopoflove: Loving the Olympic knits!

jmgehrke: @sweatshopoflove Wait, which one was Michael and which one was Janet in that “We are the world” montage?

actifblue: Maybe we could start one… RT @sweatshopoflove NO JAMAICAN BOBSLED TEAM?!?!

adamfairholm: The dancers on each side of the athletes coming it is making it feel like a sad Wii Mii fashion show.

modeknit: Dang we gots some good lookin’ hats on our atheletes! ravelympics! MOOSE!

WaterlooWools: Loving all the live tweets of the ceremonies–but aren’t you people supposed to be knitting?!

acmevalley: If Sum 41 doesn’t make a showing here, I will be FLOORED. YOU HEAR ME DAVID ATKINS?!?!

adamfairholm: Leave it to the French Canadians to turn the Olympics opening ceremony into a bad student art show with gothic fiddlers and riverdance.

CaryWhitt: These dudes are like the ambian and Nyquil of Olympic speech readers.

rocketslide: This is what you get for using the metricsystem!

modeknit: RT @ebertchicago: U.S. tweeters snarky about Canadian Olympics ceremony. Canuck reply: If you’re so smart, why don’t you have health care?

Sleeves, Kinda

When we last checked in with my Dollar and a Half Cardigan I had just discovered two major errors. I was finished with the body and one side. Since then I’ve finished the second side and have got a good 8 inches of two sleeves finished.

Will I finish this sweater before the Ravelympics start during the opening ceremony of the Olympics tomorrow night? No way in hell. I’m saying it right now. There is no way I can finish those sleeves, attach everything, and knit the front button bands, by tomorrow night.

I know what you are saying. ‘Allyson, you should have figured that out a long time ago.’ And you are exactly right. What was I thinking? I am one woman! Frantically knitting a lot a sweater!

Geez, Allyson. Geez.

So what is the plan? I want to start my Hoodie Devoted! But I lent out the needles I need for that pattern. Which sucks because I need this hood!

Hoodie Devoted

I mean, come on. Everyone needs this hood. So I don’t really have a plan. WHY AM I SO UNPREPARED?! It’s really unlike me. I’m blaming Dollar and a Half. She has been zapping up all of my energy.

What do you have planned for the Ravelympics?! And I hope you are more prepared than I am!