Yarn Along

I’m going to be a rebel this week and just share knitting and not reading.  I know…wild and crazy over here.

I am so happy to show you a few finished projects.  I’m pausing from my fair isle sweater (a much needed pause!) to do some quick finishing.  I’ve found that it’s actually a good thing to have several knitting projects going on at the same time.  You see, there is different knitting for different circumstances.  Some knitting requires more brain concentration than others.  Bringing fair isle work is sometimes tough to bring places.  On the flip side, hours of endless stockinette stitch is perfect chatting with friends.

The picture above shows a finished “Buttercup” soaker for one of my nephews.  I need to make a second for his twin brother.  I was so excited to try out the polyresin snaps on the thickly woven fabric to see if it worked.  I used wool felt to back the snaps on the ribbing.  You know what?  I don’t like it.  It still pulls on both sides too much.  So I’m removing that part of the pattern and sticking only with buttons.  I’m going to have to figure out how to adjust this one before I send it out.  In the mean time, I’ve cast on the second soaker for the other twin (I’m not sure who is getting which one.  I think I’ll let my sister-in-law decide.)

I’m also happy to report I’ve been working on my pattern editing, and this pattern is very close to being released as a great solution for heavy wetters and overnights.  All sizes are edited except the newborn size, which I wasn’t planning on including at all, by my pattern testers requested.  I think I might wait for feedback from my sister-in-law as well, because this pattern was designed with my nephews in mind.

I also knit this little vest for Solveig this last week.  I’ve had this pattern design swimming around my brain for awhile, and I finally just cast on.  It was a quick knit: 2 days!  Usually when I’m designing something, I start with an idea, and look for a yarn that fits the bill.  This is one of those exceptions.  I’ve had the yarn since this time last year, just waiting for a project. 

I don’t like buying yarn without a project in mind, but last year when we were in Wisconsin for Knut’s Birkie race, I roped him into going to a yarn shop not too far from the starting line location and Knut told me to buy something.  He meant to treat me, so I picked out something nice even though I had no idea what it would be for.  I got this yarn called “Suri Merino” which I told Knut “feels like I’m knitting kittens.”  It is so soft I just love it!  It’s baby alpaca, merino wool combo put out by Plymouth Yarn.

I think the yarn was stretching the truth a bit in saying it was worsted.  It is most certainly DK weight, and I had to adjust my math and needle sizes several times because of this mis-marking.  I only tolerate such stupidity from kitten-soft yarn, so it’s okay.

I finally decided what I could make with the 2 skeins I bought last year, but then started worrying that 2 skeins wasn’t going to be enough so I thought I should see how far I got before I ran out, just in case I could pick up some more when we head out to the Birkie race this year in 2 weeks.

I didn’t run out.  In fact I have about 15-20 yards left over.  I made this in size 18 months so it should fit Solveig for awhile.  I think she’ll have to wear it at the Birkie finish line this year (although maybe not over her pajamas), since she’s coming with again.

The back has a little button closure.  I’ve been brainstorming what to call it.  Since there’s only 2 rows of purling (just how I like it!) I’m thinking of calling it “Little Pearl.”  I thought it could be “Little Purl” but I’m trying to keep all of my patterns having a name, and my name (Gretchen) means “pearl” and so Solveig would be like my “little pearl.”

I picked from the stash of buttons I recently got from Knut’s grandma as she was cleaning out her sewing supplies a little vintage mother-of-pearl button to go on the vest.  Plus, I’ve been helping Silje memorize a poem the last few weeks called “Little Pearl Honeydew” and I think the name is burned on my brain right now.  So I think “Little Pearl” might be it.

Since it’s so simple, I’d like to spruce up the pattern before I make it ready to sell…perhaps a few variations.  I have a specific variation of this pattern in mind, and so I’ll work on that next.  (As well as the other diaper soaker, and my fair isle sweater of course…) I even have some stash yarn in mind for a size 2T to make for the pattern variation.

I have the Buttercup editing and the Dirk editing to finish up first.  I’m hoping that my portion of the editing will be done by the end of this week for both patterns.  There’s no reason it shouldn’t get done.  Then I’ll start writing up the instructions for “Little Pearl.”  It came off my needles so fast it threw me a little off guard!