I host a Secret Knitting Santa gift exchange for students and knitting friends every year. The idea is to make something hand knit, or put together a gift for a knitter, like a kit or yarn or knitting gadgets we all want but won’t buy ourselves. Our exchange was at our holiday party on Friday! There is nothing like a bunch of hot women sitting around a table drinking beer, knitting, and exclaiming over their amazing Secret Santa gifts!
Me in Lily's Hat
I drew my friend Lily of The Owl and The Bee and knew right away what I was going to get for her. She knit my McCarren Park Cap up for herself a few months ago and before she could take pictures of it, on her VERY FIRST WEARING, she left the hat on the bus and it was gone forever. So I ordered the same yarn she used for hers, Knit Picks City Tweed DK in Lemon Curd, and knit her the hat.
McCarren Park Cap and Matching Beatnik!
She really needed the replacement so she could wear it with her matching Beatnik sweater! Amazing? You know it!
And what did Secret Knitting Santa get me?
MR DARCY CROSS STITCH PATTERN!
My Secret Knitting Santa turned out to be my good friend Tara who knows me so well she went off theme and put together a MR DARCY CROSS STITCH PATTERN KIT for me! I swear I was speechless for minutes! Isn’t it fantastic?! I can’t wait to get started!
Pattern: McCarren Park Cap by ME!
Yarn: Knit Picks City Tweed DK in Lemon Curd
Needles: Size 5 15″ circs, DPNs
Ravelry Project Page
I kicked it into high gear this rainy weekend and knit a ton of my mom’s Bergen Street Cardigan. Friday? Body and sleeves almost finished. Today? DONE!
Bergen Street Cardigan!
I picked up some fun wooden buttons at JoAnn that I really think my mom will like, threw them on and BAM! A finished sweater.
Sweater HOLLA!
It’s one size larger than the one I made myself last December, a size 39″, and I think it will be the perfect size for my mom. This sweater sizing runs pretty big.
Intarsia Back Detail
Knit Picks City Tweed DK is amazing still, and the colors my mom chose, Blue Blood and Sage Green, are GORGEOUS together.
Buttoning? Not a Strong Suit.
My mom, my sister in law Emily, and Baby Nolan are coming to Minneapolis next weekend, so I’ll be able to take some pics of the hopefully super happy birthday sweater recipient then.
Pattern: Bergen Street Cardigan by Alexis Winslow
Needles: Size 7s
Yarn: Knit Picks City Tweed DK in Blue Blood and Desert Sage
Ravelry Project Page
I made myself a Bergen Street Cardigan in December. I’ve worn it a ton since then and it’s one of my go to sweaters.
Somehow, even in December, I knew I would be making one for my mom.
Bergen Street Again
I’m using Knit Picks City Tweed DK again, this time in Blue Blood and Desert Sage, colors that my mom picked out herself.
Greeny and Purpley
I’m using size 7s, like I did before. I’m pretty much doing everything the same, only bumping it up a size, to 39″, and I’m going to try not to make the armpit have a weird stripe in it.
Bonus? My mom knows this sweater is her birthday present so I don’t have to try to keep her from reading updates.
Hi Mom! Here is your birthday present!
Another bonus? Knitting something big. All that stockinette, all, like, 191 sts in a row, is AMAZING. You don’t know how much you love it until you are knitting a million cup cozies.
Turns out that my goal was to make 14 Twin Cities Headbands, but I’ve kinda always been both an overachiever and bad at math.
Twin Cities Headbands All in a Row!
I honestly can’t believe I made 16 of these damn things. I’ve had a lot of distractions – I had 2 finished before I went to Michigan a couple weeks ago, then I had 8 done on the 5th. I punched 8 more out last week and this weekend and added buttons and finished them up yesterday.
8 White Headbands
I used the Bernat Softee Baby Yarn leftover from my Impress Dress for 8 of them, and pulled out a bunch of brightly colored fabric covered buttons to make them just that much more summery.
Knit Picks Comfy Sport Blackberry
I made 4 originals! Made with the yarn the pattern calls for – Knit Picks Comfy Sport in Blackberry, and I found some pretty yellow-floral fabric buttons to put on these.
City Tweed DK in Romance
AND I used up the leftover Knit Picks City Tweed DK in Romance from my Beatnik for 4 more headbands. Fabric covered buttons and tweed don’t really work, so I bought some wood buttons and I think they look awesome!
So that is another check mark on my very long Renegade Brooklyn to do list!
Pattern: Twin Cities Headband by me!
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby Yarn in White, Knit Picks Comfy Sport in Blackberry, Knit Picks City Tweed DK in Romance
Needles: Size 4s
White Headbands Ravelry Project Page
Red Headbands Ravelry Project Page
Purple Headbands Ravelry Project Page
Our eight week knit along has drawn to a close. I had a blast hosting it and can’t wait to do it again.
But first, my Beatnik!
Look at Those Freaking Cables!
It’s cute as hell and fits like a dream. When I blocked it it got longer and isn’t cropped in the lease now. It is exactly the length I want everything I own to be.
Too Cute!
I don’t think I’ve ever knit something that fits me so well. With my DK weight yarn, the Knit Picks City Tweed DK, instead of knitting the 36″ size I went with the 44″ size, and it worked out so well.
MOSS STITCH!
What else is there to say? I’m in love. I’m so in love that I ended up taking 98 pictures of myself in this sweater for this shoot. 98. Granted, my camera auto shoots 7 shots at a time, but still.
HOTT From the Back, Too
I hardly made any modifications to this sweater. The only things I changed had to do with adjusting for my smaller gauge, like when I added rows to the cap sleeves, which you can read about here.
Love Love Love
I highly recommend this amazing pattern. I highly recommend this amazing yarn!
I'll Miss You, Beatnik
And I can’t wait to show you the other Knit Along participant sweaters, too.
Pattern: Beatnik by Norah Gaughan
Needles: Size 6 DPNs throughout
Yarn: Knit Picks City Tweed DK in Romance, 10 skeins
Ravelry Project Page
