The Sweatshop of Love Blog

Maybe it’s just because I’ve already carried all of this stuff from Chicago to Minneapolis, and I’m gearing up to carry most of it from Minneapolis home to Allendale tomorrow, but I had a hunch that I did a lot of knitting this season.

Most Everything!

I took a few pictures in Chicago before I wrapped and packed these up. That is pretty much everything.

The Amigurumis!

From left to right, a flamingo for my grandma (four flamingos in all), Adamgurumi for my brother, Adam (naturally), a Twin Cities Headband for my friend Colleen in Adamgurumi’s lap, Emilygurumi for my sister in law, a blackberry Hello Sailor Knot Necklace for my roommate Elizabeth, Matthewgurumi for my brother, and another flamingo.

And to the right...

A sweater for PT and another flamingo.

To the right and over the top!

To the left of PT’s sweater is Rachel’s Two Boyfriend Cardigan, and my mom’s Granny Bomber Jacket.

And to the left!

The Baby Nolan corner! Baby Nolan’s snowsuit and matching ear flap hat.

Not pictured here are Dadgurumi and BabyNolangurumi, because I finished them up here in Minnesota.

AND I’ve got one surprise gift for my mom to finish! I won’t get a chance to post it until after Christmas because I’m saving him for my 13 hour CHRISTMASEVETRAVELDAYFROMHELL, so stay tuned. It’s a DOZY. And I’ll need all the distraction I can get to keep from stabbing people in the Megabus and Amtrak. Seriously.

One of the best things about having a blog is you get to look back on your past project, and it sure looks like I knit a lot for last Christmas, but not nearly as much as I did this year. I don’t like where this is going. 2011 is already making me nervous.

I hope you all had a successful holiday knitting seasons as well!

My mom has been very concerned that she hasn’t had to avert her eyes at her name in the title of a post so far this knitting season. The truth is that she has seen her present already and just not known it was her present!

Granny Bomber Jacket Block Color Option

Look familiar? That is right! It’s my Granny Bomber Jacket, only toned down a little. There is an option in the pattern to use only a block color scheme, not the crazy intarsia granny square look of the sweater pictured on the pattern.

Pretty Twisted Rib Pattern

The twisted rib pattern of the jacket itself is a lot more clear when you use all one color for the body of the sweater. It’s a fun pattern to knit that you memorize quickly, despite having 15 rows. And with the contrasting button bands, cuff, bottom band, and collar, there is enough color going on to make this Granny Bomber Jacket still fun and interesting.

Ohh BUTTONS!

I had a hard time picking out buttons for this sweater. I obviously wanted to use fabric covered buttons, but the fabric options were limited because of the brown/teal yarn combination. A color that goes really well with brown, like red, goes terrible with teal! I ended up using this brown and blue and yellow plaid fabric, and I really like it. It’s the subtle kinda crazy that I like to work with.

My mom helped me a lot with this pattern. I came to her with a vague idea of a granny square sweater, and she helped me with the sizing and collar.

So, Mom, I love you lots and I hope you like this sweater! Look! I’m not even making you knit it for yourself.

Pattern: Granny Bomber Jacket – Block Color Motif, by… ME!

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease in Mink Brown and Patons Classic Wool in Teal

Needles: Size 9 circulars

Ravelry Project Page

Seven months ago I released my first collection of patterns, my Summer Tour, and today it’s time for more! We can’t knit summer sweaters all year long, after all.

This ebook includes 8 winter knitting patterns – 2 sweaters, a snood, a cowl, a hat, some mittens, hand warmers, and a sweater dress. It’s $16 for them all, or if you are only interested in 1 or 2 of them they are available to purchase individually.

Selfish knitting is right around the corner! Time to start planning now.

Sometimes I get ridiculous ideas, like ‘WHATIFIMAKEABOMBERJACKETOUTOFKNITTEDGRANNYSQUARES?!’ It turns out a bomber jacket made out of knitted granny squares WAS too ridiculous to pull off, so here is my much more wearable version. A granny square-like stitch pattern, minimal color work, and MUCH less seaming that a bunch of granny squares seamed together, this jacket is as knittable as it is wearable.

Granny Bomber Jacket

Granny Bomber Jacket is a loose fitting sweater with a fitted cropped waistband. The sleeves are knit big, especially above the elbows, and puffed at shoulder seams with exaggerated armhole openings. Shoulders are wide, like you are wearing your boyfriend’s bomber jacket. The button band is crocheted.

Care to tone down the crazy? The block coloring option, with no intarsia color changing in the body of the sweater, is included.

Ohh Granny!

GRANNY BOMBER JACKET

Finished Measurements S/M 40″(L/XL 48″) bust circumference. Jacket shown in Granny Square Color Motif in size S/M, and in Block Color Motif in L/XL.

Yarn Lion Brand Wool Ease (86% Acrylic, 10% Wool, 4% Rayon; 197 yds/3oz, 85 gms): Mink Brown (MC) 3 (3) skeins. Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted (100% Peruvian Highland Wool; 110 yds/50g): Daffodil (CC), 6 (8) skeins. Any combination of worsted wool can be used! Sweater requires 1300 (1600) yards of worsted weight yarn.

Needles Size 9 (5.5 mm): 24″+ circular needles. Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge. Size G crochet hook.

Notions Tapestry needle, 6 (7) 1 1/4″ Fabric Covered Buttons. Fun fabric for buttons. Scrap yarn for stitch holding.

GAUGE
18 sts and 24 rows = 4″ in St st.

NOTE

Looking for a sweater a little more basic? Knit the body of this sweater in your MC and the bottom bands, sleeve cuffs, collar, and button bands in your CC for the Block Color Motif. For this color scheme you will use 1050 (1300) MC yarn and 250 (300) CC yarn. The pattern is written for the granny square like color scheme, but look for notes throughout for Block Color Motif.

This pattern can be purchased individually for $5.50. It’s also part of my Hello Winter! Collection of Knitting Patterns.

See all the patterns in the collection here.

Buy Now Individually:

Buy Ebook:

Ravelry Pattern Page

I’ve got the pattern writing bug real bad. So bad, in fact, that I’m getting another collection of patterns together for another ebook. It is much sillier, however, knitting winter-wear in summer than it is knitting summer-wear in winter.

Granny Bomber Jacket

So, there is this jacket I knit! It has a bomber jacket shape – cropped, cinched waist, long sleeves, wide chest, exaggerated armholes, pop collar.

Seed Stitch Bands and Boxes

The stitch pattern is out of control! Twisted ribs around seed stitch brown boxes, with a seed stitch bottom band and collar.

Buttons!

The jacket has a crochet button band and, of course, fabric buttons. I used this fun black, white, and gray checkered pattern for mine.

Yikes

I’m not too awesome at color changing. My sweater looked like this, mostly, in progress.

Ohh It's HOTT Finished!

But all that is forgotten once it’s finished and looks so hot!

Test knitter found! Karin of iKnit2Purl2 will be tackling this one for me. Can’t wait to see it! I’m looking for a test knitter! Because this jacket is not fitted there are only two sizes – S/M and L/XL. The jacket I’m wearing is the size S/M. Interested in testing this pattern out for me? Let me know!

Pattern: My own, coming soon!

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Daffodil and Lion Brand Wool Ease in Mink Brown

Needles: Size 9 circulars, Size G crochet hook

Ravelry Project Page