The Sweatshop of Love Blog

I put my nose to the grindstone yesterday and knocked out two of the seven projects I had on the needles. I wish I could finish two projects like that every day! We knitters rarely get that kind of instant gratification.

From Norway With Love Hat

The From Norway With Love Hat is so freaking cute I can’t even stand it. I can’t wait to knit this hat again! And its stranded color work! I don’t even know what I’m saying!

Hearts On The Side

Even though it looks amazing on me, this hat is getting wrapped up and given to my sister in law, Emily. I’m sure it will also look amazing on her. She is easily distracted, too, with all those babies running around, so I’ll get to visit it a lot.

Hearts and Hearts and Hearts

When I knit this hat again I’ll use size 6s for the rib and switch to the 7s for the body of the hat. I’ll use the exact same yarn, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport, and probably the same colors! Sapphire Heather, Tidepool Heather, and Wonderland Heather.

I know I’m a little late for Halloween, but do you want to see something TERRIFYING?!

STRANDED!

THE INSIDE! GAH! LOOK AWAY!

Mary Jane Slippers

Also finished up yesterday were my Mary Jane Slippers. The yellow and gray combo is almost too easy, right? Instant cute.

Just a Tiiiiiny Bit Small!

My feet look like they are working overtime because they are. Since these are gifts, I made them a normal size and not a gigantic Dutch girl feet size. SO SMALL! I peeled them off and packaged them up for my friend Colleen.

Now I’ve only got 5 projects going! I’ll try my hardest not to cast on anything else.

Pattern: From Norway With Love Hat by Pickles

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport

Needles: Size 7 16″ circulars and DPNs

Ravelry Project Page

Pattern: Mary Jane Slippers by Lisa Gutierrez

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tweed

Hook: Size G

Ravelry Project Page

Things are still pretty out of hand around here. I had six work in progress projects last week, and I’ve still got SEVEN this week. And most of them are new!

From Norway With Love

First up is a project you don’t see very often around here – COLOR-WORK! I’m knitting up the Pickles From Norway With Love hat for my sister in law Emily for Christmas. It’s a stranded heart stocking cap and I’m in love with it. I’m using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in three different blue-ish heathers and as much as I hate stranded color-work, this hat is flying off my needles. It must be the hearts!

Mary Jane Slippers

I taught my Mary Jane Slippers class last week, so I got started on another pair of these adorable slippers. I made a pair for myself this summer and knew they would make an amazing Christmas present for a friend. I’m using the left over yarn from my #25 Rib Yolk Topper, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tweed, so they look crazy-similar to my pair! They crochet up super fast so I’ll be done with these in no time.

Striped Something Something

Super abstract shot of something else I started this week! More on this later.

Entrelac Beret

And another amazing hat project! Remember my Entrelac Beret pattern I wrote for Lion Brand? I’m teaching a class on this hat this week so I’ve got one on the needles. Oh entrelac! I love you! Knit Picks Merino Style and Lion Brand Amazing are two peas in the pod of this hat.

Granny Squares!

Another mystery project: I’ve been granny squaring my little heart out all weekend and it’s going to be awesome! More later.

With all these projects working overtime, I haven’t touched my Ruffle Rose Pillow in a week, but it’s on the mind grapes. And, naturally, Aidez is happening, too.

Is it knitting intervention time?

After lots and lots and lots and lots of problems, I finished my #Rib Yoke Topper!

Rib Yoke Topper

I can’t really believe it turned out so well! With the issues with the front shaping, and the issues with decreasing and the front inserts and the button holes, I thought it might be cursed.

$*(^%*(# Sweater!

The only other modification I made were to not add stitches to the neck pick up. I just picked up a stitch for every stitch I had at the back neck. It looked big enough! So I worked about 32 sts across the back.

Big Sleeves

I’m also going to seam the sleeve folds, because they are a bit floppy and not so cute. I like the sizing of the sleeves a lot, but they are meant to be folded up and held with the loop and button, but it’s just not working. I’ll seam it down and I’m sure that will do the trick.

Yellow Striped Fabric Covered Buttons

I picked out some fun yellow striped fabric for the fabric covered buttons I used, and it looks fantastic with the dark gray tweed. I LOVE how the Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tweed knit up! It’s perfect for this big, cozy, fall sweater.

Hot Sweater!

You can tell in these pictures I’m not very happy with this sweater. None of these pictures are all that great, and my face kinda says it all. I’m hoping I have a short memory because I think the sweater turned out beautifully, despite all the problems, and it super wearable this fall! But right now I’m just mad at it.

It better make it up to me by being super hot!

Pattern: #25 Rib Yoke Topper by Anna Cohen

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tweed in Flagstone Heather

Needles: Size 7 and size 9 circulars

Ravelry Project Page

The knitting content has been a little lacking around here lately. With yarn orders getting held up, a move, and a craft show – it’s because the actual knitting has been a little lacking!

Ruffle Rose Pillow

First up, though, is a crochet project I started a few weeks ago. For the first time ever I grabbed one of those free patterns that hang in the yarn aisles at Michaels and JoAnn, and it was for this Ruffle Rose Pillow. I immediately thought they would make fantastic holiday gifts, and I’ve got three of them on my to-make list this holiday season.

Ruffles!

On the pattern sheet I took from Michaels, it says this project will take 10 hours. That is the biggest crock of shit! It’s a 16″ pillow that goes up to something like 229 half double crochet stitches at the biggest round, AND THEN you have to go back into each stitch to make the first round of ruffle, AND THEN do it again! I’ve been working on the ruffle alone for 10 hours.

But it looks fantastic. I bought 3 Caron 1 pound skeins in white because I read on Ravelry that the pillow is a yarn suck, and as usual Ravelry was right. Now I just can’t wait to get done with that darn ruffle!

Wedding Shrug #2

Another project I’ve got going right now might look familiar. Remember the wedding shrug I was hired to knit back in January? The one that I hated knitting and hated the yarn and promised myself I’d never knit again? Well, my friend Rachel is getting married on October 2nd, and I said I’d knit her a little something to wear over her dress, and here we are.

Mohair? Yep.

The only redeeming factor here is that Knit Picks came out with a super kid mohair yarn called Aloft, and it’s lovely. It’s less than half the price of the yarn I used for the last shrug, and it’s the tiniest bit more sturdy, which makes it easier to knit.

(I also upped the needle size from 4/6 to 7 – don’t tell anyone)

#25 Rib Yoke Topper

But the project I’m enjoying the most? The #25 Rib Yoke Topper in this fall’s Vogue Knitting magazine, that I blogged about a couple weeks ago, and that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about! I cast this on during the first football game of the season a week ago today, and have been rolling on it since. Worsted weight yarn and size 9 needles and this top is flying.

Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tweed

And this yarn is fantastic. Knit Picks Wool of the Andes I’ve used before, but the new line of tweed colors are perfect. It’s knitting up so pretty I can barely stand it. And I can hardly stand working on my other projects! I want this sweater. I want to knit it and I want to wear it. Immediately!

Alas. Rachel’s shrug needs to get finished before her wedding, so I’ll be working on that until it’s done. BUT THEN! Then, #25 Rib Yoke Topper, it’s just you and me.

So I’m kinda into sports. If you’ve been around here for long, if you follow me on twitter, or if you have taken one of my classes (which are routinely interrupted by me screaming at my score updater and fantasy football stat tracker), you might have noticed.

But GUESS WHAT?! I’m not alone! There are tons of knitters out there that love football just as much as I do. You need proof? I started The Knitting Football League group on ravelry and it’s already got over 140 members! And how awesome is the banner I made for it on Microsoft Paint?!

KFL!

The Knitting Football League works a lot like the Ravelympics – knitters will set goals for themselves and all cast on together on September 8th – the first game of the season! But because the football season is so long, we are splitting the goal setting and achieving into three parts – the first half of the season, the second half of the season, and the playoffs.

Rib Yoke Topper

I haven’t even gotten my hands on the Vogue Knitting Fall 2011 issue yet, but when the preview came out I instantly fell in love with the #25 Rib Yoke Topper. I love the collar, I love the sleeves, I love the pockets. I just picture throwing it over long sleeved tees all Fall long. I’ll be casting this bad boy on during that first game for sure!

Wool of the Andes Tweed Flagstone Heather

I’m putting in a HUGE Knit Picks order very soon! ALL of the yarn I need for my holiday knitting will be in it, and also this fantastic new Wool of the Andes Tweed in Flagstone Heather for my Vogue sweater. Is that hot or what?!

I’ve got a LOT more planned for The Knitting Football League knitting, including ALL of my holiday knitting and our next knit along sweater! But more about all of that soon.

If you are into football get your butt over to The Knitting Football League and start setting yourself football knitting goals! It’s going to be a fun season and a great way for you to stay on top of your holiday knitting.