Tourist Sweater!

Pattern: Tourist Sweater
Designer: Joji Locatelli
Size: 40/42

Yarn: Mary Maxim  Natural Alpaca
          80% acrylic, 20% alpaca
          hand wash cold, lay flat to dry
          *I found this yarn marked down at a shop during yarn crawl.  It is the colors I've decided to                    use for a capsule style mix n match for winter/cool travel.  So I bought it all.  2000 yds.

This is a tunic length sweater with a cowl neck, kangaroo pocket and long sleeves.  I am hoping it is as perfect for a travel sweater as I envision it in my head.  The pattern so far is very well written.  I was nervous about a cowl neckline because I don't like turtlenecks or necks that I feel might be trying to kill me.  This one is perfect so far. 

Provisional caston uses scrap yarn and crochet hook to get the pattern started.  It is supposed to "unzip" to release live stitches to then continue, in this case to bind of with the other end creating a loop.  Mine never unzips as easily as I think it should....but the job is done anyway

 

I started adding sitch markers when it hit the quarter, half, and 3/4 mark of the cowl.  It made picking up stitches along the edge to start the sweater body much easier to keep even.  

Finished cowl neck! ready for 3 needle bind off.

The cowl neck is neither too tall nor too tight which means I don't feel like it is trying to strangle me.  

I've pick up the body stitches and done the short rows to shape the back.  I'm starting the raglan sleeve increases and am ready to just keep knitting! 

Since this sweater is worsted weight yarn and knitted on size 9 needles, it should be a fairly quick knit as far as sweaters go.  While knitting the cowl, I got a little concerned about the way the colors are going to pool in the sweater body/sleeves.  I am still a bit concerned (the sleeves and cowl are going to look striped while the body doesn't look so striped)...but I'm just gonna keep on trucking and see what happens.  I can't wait to see how it all comes together!  :D

Summer Sweater

I've been working on the Diamond Lake Sweater by Kay Hopkins for the better part of the summer and I'm finally nearly getting there.  I got the yarn at YarnCon this spring but unfortunately I've misplaced the tag.  *sad face*

The pattern starts by knitting the yoke -shoulder to shoulder- with the lace pattern across the front.

The first repeat of the yoke lace.  Its going to be awesome!

After finishing the neckline and blocking the lace you stitch the armpit seams and pick up stitches around the body. It took me a couple tries to get it and it still isn't exactly right but its fitting so it works.  

I took the lacework out of the back so its just straight knit knit knit knit knit knit....

.just a few more inches till I can do the hem. 

 Im absolutely in love with knitting sweaters.  You can see behind me (in all the mess) a cubbie of sweaters.  All 5 of those are handknit.  The teal is my very first one and I've never even worn it.  The gold is my second and I've worn it many times but the sleeves aren't well fitted and I don't feel great in it.  I learn something new with almost every project....but sweater knitting is definitely a learning game! 

Yarn Crawl 2019 and Knitting Bags

Last week, my mom and I took Lyrick, Abby (Lyrick's friend), and Delaney and Dannae (my neices) to an overnight yarn crawl.  Whats a yarn crawl you say?  Well, its like a bar crawl, but with more yarn and no beer (seriously, not one drink even outnumbered 2 to 1 by little girls).  It was not supposed to be that way but life happens and we decided 1) we could help dear friends and family out AND 2) have a good time AND 3) take our little beginner knitters to check out some yarn shops.  And you know what...we did all those things.  And it was awesome! 

Its our yarn crawl crew at breakfast on the second day.  :D  Still smiling!

We went on a walk along the Ohio River....but it was HOT so the walk was short and we found an ice cream shop instead.  (No photos of ice cream-we had to eat fast)

Supper time after a day of yarn shopping.  :D

Because I knew we were going to several shops.  And the girls were on a limited budget and I wasn't buying them all.  the.  things, I made them a scavenger hunt.  They had things to find at each shop.  This is the photo from when they found "Sheep" and could check it off the list.  They also found extra soft yarn.  Knitting needles. Crochet Hooks, yarn that matched thier outfit....and so much more.  It was so much fun!  In 3 of the 4 shops the owners/employees/other knitters were encouraging and helpful.  It made for a great experience.

I made each of the girls a knitting bag....but for the trip I filled it with snacks.  Cause snacks make every roadtrip better.
I made all 4 bags with a yard of the floral fabric and a 5 pack of fat quarters.  And I have enough floral for another-but I"m out of fat quarters.  Wait for it and I'll do a tutorial...gotta find one more fat quarter.  :