Sophisticate Cardigan and Knit Along

I started knitting for Valentine's Day.  I'm knitting a cardigan for my dude.  The pattern is called baby sophisticate, it's a baby boy's sweater with the shawl collar.  He's not having a baby but I'm using DRIH's mods to make a men's sweater.

Used needle size is 5mm and the yarn by Lang Yarns Tosca Jaspé.

I finished the yoke, so far so good!  I'm in the middle of endless stockinette stitch for the body right now...  A skein a day is my goal.

Today I was browsing Groups on Ravelry and found out there is a group called Sock a Month!  Isn't this a perfect group for me to be in.  (This year I declared to knit a pair of socks every month for new years resolution.)  It got me curious, I did more research on KAL (knit along) groups, ended up joining 10 Shawls in 2010 where you're oblige to knit 10 shawls during 2010 and  IntSweMoDo2010 which is short for International Sweater-a-Month Dodecathon, who's goal is to knit an adult size sweater each month....

Here's the finished purple cowl my daughter made. She says she's going to make a matched pair of mittens next!
 

Dreamy Mittens

I feel like knitting another pair of Noro mittens, something colorful before I start knitting sweaters with gray and black. Sadly I'm allergic to Silk Garden and Chirimen, I keep sneezing! But I'm okay with Kureyon...  Does that mean I'm allergic to their silk!? 

Aren't they pretty? Very dreamy... Color number is 150.

I started knitting yesterday using Carola Haglund's Kolenya pattern.  The color turned out so beautiful!  I had to search for the same color ways from another skein to match the both mittens, I'm glad I did.

I pretty much followed Kolenya's pattern using 3.25mm needles, but I didn't like the shape of the thumb and it was too small only having 15 stitches.  So I only decreased between the thumb and index finger (where you picked up the stitches) once by knitting 2 together after picking up and knitting all the stitches for the thumb.  I decreased once more between the thumb and index finger (the same spot) a couple rows before the knit 2 together decrease for the tip.  This way the decrease is not so obvious that the shape won't turn out like an eggplant or a squash!

 

 

Noro works best with a simple pattern, I really like how they tuned out.  It's just not so dreamy anymore like I named the title since I omitted most of the purple this time.  More like a lagoon?  I better start naming things after finishing a project.  I'll keep that in mind...

I have some left over yarn, maybe fingerless gloves?

The Leyburn Socks

I finished the layburn socks!

 

 

I knitted 8 rounds of twisted rib for the cuff.  I like the result, they fit well, but I wish I used some different yarn.

I'm planning to knit something for Valentine's Day.  I might start a sweater... :)

Top-Down Raglan II

Finished blocking the cardigan. It turned out nice and soft.  It looks very pretty and springy!!

 

 

 

I'm happy with the result :)

Short Rows

I tried the short row heel with no wraps.  I found this video very helpful.  It's much easier than "wrap and turn".




I first learned the Japanese short row.  Here is the video.



I'm curious which looks better. 

Top-Down Raglan

I was going to finish this project before Christmas.  I was procrastinating a bit...  knitted a pair of gloves (which was also due on Christmas), a mitten I didn't get to finish, and a clapotis...  but I finally finished the endless "k, k, k, k...." of the cardigan sleeves and now it's blocking!

This is my daughter's cardigan, I made one size smaller than the smallest size of the actual pattern using 3 skeins of Cascade Yarns 220 Heather.  Here is the link for the pattern Easy Top-Down Raglan by Laura Chau.  It's free!

I also added some cables and etc on the front to be pretty enough for a girl.

I don't have good lighting in the house, so the photo turned out a bit dark.

I'll take better photos after blocking ;)

Happy Knitting 2010!

I decided to start my own blog this year. So here it goes!

One of my new year's resolution is to knit a pair of socks each month for myself and family.  I'm excited to learn new techniques along the way.  I like knitting socks because I can take it wherever I go!  And yes, it's quite addicting, too!

The Leyburn Socks are my January sock project.  The pattern is very pretty yet simple. It's a free pattern so you can download the file from the link.  I've started the first one on Saturday, and it's almost done.  Here is a photo of the sock before the heel.  It fits perfectly.

The yarn I'm using is the Universal Yarn Pace, a cheap generic yarn. I see people commenting on Ravelry it's splitty and itchy but I don't mind working with this yarn. Here is a photo of the sock about an inch to the cuff.

I can't wait to finish them up!