The Sweatshop of Love Blog

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

Mrs Darcy Cardigan

It could just be because there has been a lot of shit going on lately, but I finished my Mrs Darcy Cardigan without even really realizing it. Which sounds silly, I know. But I write a KNITTING BLOG and I knit this entire sweater so fast that I only mentioned I was knitting it twice. Here it’s a pile of sweater in Portland. And here it’s a pile of sweater in the background of these Dollar and a Half Cardigan pictures.

Ug. Mrs Darcy Has Problems

To say I had issues with this pattern is an understatement. I knew what I was getting into kinda because it’s a free pattern, because everyone on ravelry kept saying there were lots of issues with the pattern, because there is a warning on the pattern itself that says there are lot of issues, and because one of my Sweater Club students, Laura, is also knitting this sweater and was coming across lots of problems.

Mods:

1. I had to add two rows of single crochet to the bottom of the sweater to get it from curling, and it still curls a little. There should have been more garder st at the beginning, or a rib.

2. The fronts are curling in; you can tell in the pictures. I started to add a row of single crochet but it looked weird next to the three garder stitches around the front. Maybe making the garder stitch band five stitches would have helped, but I probably would have left it off and picked up stitches around for a ribbed band later.

3. I knit the sides and body at the same time because there is no way I would have been able to line up the twisted rib sections based on how the counted rows were set up in the pattern. I just went with what I thought the pattern was saying based mostly on the pictures and am glad I didn’t have to duplicate it.

Darcy to the Side

But it’s finished, it’s March 15th so it was a super quick knit, and I’m happy with the results. Besides the front curling, but I’ll probably block it again and hope that takes care of it.

This Paton’s Classic Wool Merino is quickly becoming my go to worsted yarn! It’s cozy and not itchy and beautiful. I knit Caitlin’s Cardi in it, too, and couldn’t have been happier.

Damn You, Curly Fronts!

So, Mrs Darcy, I don’t know you very well since we didn’t spend a lot of time together, but that must be how people feel when they buy sweaters. Not a lot of emotional attachment. Weird.

Pattern: Mrs Darcy Cardigan

Yarn: Paton’s Classic Merino Wool in Red

Needles: Size 9

Ravery Project Page

The Target

A few weeks ago I spotted this sweater on my friend Caitlin and fell in love. After a lot of inappropriate groping I asked to borrow it.

Tiny Pockets, Cables

Caitlin said she got it at a resale shop, so it took me a lot longer than it should have to realize this is a hand-knit sweater. It just didn’t dawn on me that someone would donate a hand knit. My mom pointed out that the knitter might have just outgrown it, or gave the sweater to someone who didn’t like it.

I Mean, Cables on the Sleeves!

So I’m going to do something I’ve never done before and recreate this sweater with no pattern or direction. It’s a worsted weight wool or wool blend in a seed stitch rib with 6 sts cables and a single crochet button band and collar edging. Simple, right?  … … right?

Single Crochet Button Band

Have you ever attempted to write a pattern based on an existing knit? Any help would be great!

... There Was a Sale!

I went a little crazy at JoAnn this morning in anticipation of tackling Caitlin’s sweater. All of the yarn at JoAnn was on sale and today was the last day! What was I supposed to do?

I got four skeins of Paton’s Classic Wool in Jade Heather that I’m really excited to jump into for this sweater! I am always knitting other people green things but never myself.

I also picked up six skeins of Bernat Satin in Admiral. The blue is stunning and it was on super sale. I’ve never used it before but it’s really soft and perfect for a project I can’t get out of my head.

Reglan Wrap

Next to the yarn in the picture you can see I snagged my own copy of Boutique Knits from Tara! Everyone at The Sweatshop has been ogling the projects in this book forever and it hasn’t left my coffee table since I got it. Specifically this Reglan Wrap! I must have it. I think it will be really pretty in that blue.

Oh, and that huge skein of Bernat Cotton was half off and perfect for these:

Crocheted Flower Hot Pads

These are so pretty and perfect last minute hostess gifts. Or, for me. And probably for my mom once she reads this post.

I can’t possibly sit here on the computer any longer with all this yarn around me and not be knitting. Have a great (wild card) weekend!

So I started knitting a sweater. You knew I couldn’t hold off until January. I knew I couldn’t hold off until January. It was bound to happen.

King of Confidence

I started this sweater from the new winter 2009 knitty. The idea behind the sweater was to use yarn you spun yourself in a sweater without having to spin yarn for an entire sweater. I’ve never spun before, but it did make me think of that Kitchen Sink Dyeworks yarn I won a few months ago that I haven’t used yet.

Kitchen Sink, Patons

I bought a bunch of Paton’s Merino when it was on sale around Thanksgiving that I’ve got on my mind grapes for a sweater, so I thought if I knit the sweater in the red and used the yellow around the yoke it would be a great way to use that fancy yarn on something I would wear all the time, having only one skeins worth.

About 7 Inches

But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t get McDonald’s out of my head. Yellow and red? I would kill someone if I knit a sweater and got a McDonald’s comment. And I was bored. The sweater felt bulky, I pictured it looking bulky on me, and it had no wow factor.

So I ripped it out.

Ball Winder+Swift=Happiness

To make myself feel better I opened my new swift, attached it, along with my ball winder, to my work table, and balled all the yarn I had laying around. It was kind of awesome. Look how cool my table looks with a freaking swift attached to it! And it took about 30 minutes to ball that Knit Picks Gloss, where before I wanted to kill something even thinking about balling them by hand.

… yeah. I said Knit Picks Gloss. I might have something in mind. I might be a big fat cheater who can’t wait until January to start the Sweater a Month 2010 Challenge.

Yeah, that totally sounds like me.