MMM ’12 – May 8

MMM 12 - May 8

Me-Made Item: Scarf
Originally Reviewed: Oct. 11, 2009

Raincoat: DKNY
Top: Gap

Wearability Report:

It’s a shame, but I always forget to wear my hand-knitted projects that aren’t sweaters.  Maybe it’s because they don’t take as much of an investment of time like a big sweater project, but I’ll make them, wear them a few times, and forget about them if it isn’t cold outside.  My challenge last Tuesday (one of my days off from work last week since I had to work on Saturday) was to find something in me-made in my closet to wear on a cold, rainy day.  If anything, I’ve realized so far this month that the majority of my me-sewn wardrobe is for warm weather.  Maybe it’s because I love sewing dresses and so many of the patterns I find “cute” are for spring and summer, I dunno.

So this scarf…this was the scarf that got me back into knitting after an almost six-month hiatus due to a marathon knitting session that led to major wrist inflammation problems.  I love the springy green color and the lace pattern was easy to knit once I got the hang of it (I really don’t like knitting lace), but it never lays flat.  Even after I blocked it and wore it the first time, it still curled in and became tubular.  It’s not exactly a cold-weather scarf, it’s definitely a “fashion over function” kind of item, which is probably why I forget I even have it in my hand-knit collection and don’t wear it often.  But it served its purpose on Tuesday to keep the damp out and bring a pop of color to my black raincoat.

Follow:

Adventures in Dropping Stitches

Clapotis - WIP

There are few things that terrify me when it comes to knitting, such as steeking (I could never cut my knitting!), size 0 needles (I’ll never finish anything on those teeny things), and skinny, laceweight yarn (goes hand in hand with the teeny needles).  Taking on the Clapotis, a project that has been in my queue for years since it was published in Knitty, is tackling one of those fears: dropping stitches

Dropping stitches has a stigma attached to it: as new knitters, we learn to fear it because it seems like something that impossible to fix.  To all knitters, it’s sign that oops, you made a mistake.  So to incorporate the concept of intentionally dropping stitches into a design seemed to blow my mind.  How could it be possible that doing that wouldn’t backfire and ruin a loved project?

The Clapotis is such a lovely scarf and oodles of knitters have made it in the last eight years since the pattern was published – that should be testament right there that this is a project with risks well worth the result.  And you know what?  Dropping that first stitch was ok.  I may have panicked when I sent down the stitch to be dropped, watching as it created a ladder down the edge of my knitting.  But when it got to the very end of the column and stopped unraveling, I breathed a sigh of relief that my knitting didn’t fall apart, that the pattern designer knew what she was doing when she wrote the pattern.  Since then, I have sent many other stitches to their dropped-down fate and the outcome of each dropped stitch has been just right.  I will say, there’s almost a rebellious feel to it – it’s making what would traditionally be a mistake into an intentional action.  Take that, knitting perfectionists!

I can’t say that I’ll be tackling any of my other knitting fears soon…especially steeking.  I shudder at the thought of taking my scissors to something that I spent hours working on.

So you know what mine are now – what are your knitting fears?

Follow:

Boyfriend Scarf

Boyfriend Scarf

I’ve never knit anything for a boy before, especially one that I’ve been dating. I think it’s because of the “Boyfriend Sweater Curse” – I didn’t want this to be a scarf that would end our relationship or something silly like that. 

What prompted the idea to knit him a scarf was the topcoat he bought to wear to with his suits this winter: the coat didn’t button all the way up and required a scarf to stay warm.  I knew that if I wanted to guarantee that he would wear it, the scarf needed to be a “manly” scarf.  And what could be more “manly” than charcoal gray and a thermal-like stitch pattern?

Boyfriend Scarf

The best part?  On days when it’s colder than he thought, he gets upset that he left his scarf at home since he said it keeps him nice and warm.

Boyfriend

MATERIALS:
Yarn
2 skeins Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick-N-Quick – Charcoal

Needles
US 15 straight needles

Notions
Tapestry needle

Gauge
2 sts = 1″

DIRECTIONS:
CO 20 sts

Thermal Stitch Pattern 
Row 1: K
Row 2: K

Row 3: K 2, P 2

Row 4: K 2, P 2

Continue in pattern until scarf is 58″ or to desired length.  BO and weave in loose ends.

Boyfriend Scarf

Follow:

Wisteria Scarf

Wisteria Scarf

Pattern: Wisteria from Twinkle Weekend Knits
Yarn: Twinkle Handknits Soft Chunky – Crimson
Needles: US 35

Wisteria Scarf

It’s mid-December and it still feels like early November in Boston, which makes it hard to believe that Christmas is a little less than a week away (crazy, right??).  I’ve been trying my hardest to wrap my head around that fact and get “in the spirit,” but with my crazy work schedule and the temperatures outside, it’s been a challenge.  So when we *finally* had a seasonably cold day, I knew this red scarf would help me snap out of my mentality and feel festive.

This was the quickest knit of my life – hands down.  Two skeins of Twinkle Soft Chunky and size 35 needles – can you say, “instant gratification?”  I used to own the book Weekend Knits but got rid of it after a bad sweater experience and didn’t want to buy it again, so I actually looked up the stitch pattern and figured out how to knit the scarf without the pattern.  I also opted for no fringe – not a big fringe gal, and the scarf was long enough after I whipped through the two balls o’ yarn.

This is a fashionable monster of a scarf and not for the timid or petite.  I even find it overwhelming at times if I don’t wrap it around my neck properly but boy, what a show-stopper it is.

Follow:

New WIP – Lace Neckwarmer

Lace Neckwarmer WIP

I must be a glutton for punishment because I started another lace project. Lace and I don’t get along, but this pattern was just too pretty to pass up. Plus, it makes a good project in-between my finished Jewel (a black tank) and my next project (a black cardigan). Color is good!

Pattern: Lace Neckwarmer by Classic Elite Yarns
Yarn: Rowan Silk Wool
Needles: US 7 16″ circs
The pattern called for a delicious cashmere Classic Elite yarn named “Wicked.” An appropriate name considering the yarn is about $55 a skein! Too rich for my blood, so I settled for a lowly 50% merino wool and 50% silk blend yarn instead (frankly, anything would be inferior to cashmere) that was much more affordable, and pretty soft to boot. Currently I’m about 60% of the way to finishing my little neckwarmer and the lace is going pretty smoothly, no major errors or problems thus far. And knitting lace on Addi Turbos makes it such a more enjoyable experience anyway.
Finished pics to come soon, I’m sure.
Follow: