fo : thurman

pattern : Thurman by Lidia Tsymbal
yarn : Patons North America Kroy Socks in Flax
needle : US 8, 9 [5, 5.5mm]
size : Large

Thurman would be my second sweater ever knit (not counting baby sweaters), and was, like the first one, a very fun and enjoyable experience. I'm happy to have finally found the time to photograph it. Because of my smaller budget, I opted for skeins of Lion Brand Wool-Ease instead of a pure wool or wool-blend. I think it resulted in a different fabric density than intended for the pattern, but the extremely low-maintenance washability is a huge plus for now. Finances permitting, I intend to work through this pattern one more time in something like a brooklyn tweed.

The big feature that attracted me about this particular design was the ribbing and how that played into fitting the shape of the shoulders and wrists. I'm a very big fan of ribbed knitting! It was a joy to see how much give that particular pattern gave to this sweater. Unfortunately the price I pay for having used such a cheap and easy-care yarn is that the 'bounce' of the ribbed parts will go lax and disappear after a few washes, but it'll be fun while it lasts.

As far as the sweater goes as a wearable item and not just a finished knitting project? My Thurman is warm-and-a-half, which hasn't meant many opportunities in the California springtime to wear. I personally don't think it's the most flattering fit on my figure, but that's probably the result of knitting the size I'd go for when buying a sweater, rather than fitting to my measurements and trusting the ease. It's to say, Thurman II is likely gonna have to be a medium rather than a large.

Thurman is a very well thought out and straightforward pattern. It took trusting what Lidia was intending to do with certain parts of the process to really see that she knew just what she was doing and that you were in good hands. That said, there are two possible reasons why such a nice pattern has so few completed projects up on Ravelry:

• The $8 price point seems too steep to the beginner knitter,

• The one website where you can purchase this pattern is a total pain in the ass to navigate and purchase from, and was also previously only buyable as part of a much more expensive kit.

I can't do anything about that weird site problem, but let me assure you as someone very recently graduating from checking the 'free only' box while browsing patterns on Rav, that this pattern is well worth the price and the headache. Just go for it. Cast on Thurman and let me know how you like it.

fo: lassie

So Lassie is finally finished! It was actually finished months ago, but I took my sweet time to get around to posting about it. This pair needed some time to be off the needles, but it turned out alright.

pattern : Lassie by Jennifer Beever

yarn : Patons North America Kroy Socks in Flax

needle : US 1 [2.25mm]

size : 9.5

Solids were definitely the right choice for a project with a pattern that's this busy. I'm glad I went for the Kroy SockFX in Flax.

It took a sock project to be a little more certain of it but, yeah. I'm probably not a lace knitter. Cables though? That's a kind of work that feels like it really pays off in the end, and with notably less fuss when it comes to blocking (I'm not even speaking as someone who had to deal with something like a wedding shawl either, just a mostly-stockinette sock)!

A NaKniSweMo project is underway currently, I'll post a little about it soon.

fo: bapsi's first pullover

This has been such an indecisive project for me toward the end. Picking the pattern and yarn was a breeze. getting the knitting done? that hardly took a month to (mostly-will explain later) complete. But photographing it? Declaring it truly done? That’s been a completely different story.

pattern : Ladies Classic Raglan Pullover

yarn : Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool in Nature’s Brown

needle : US 7, 8 [4.5 mm, 5.0 mm]

size : 44"

I finished this sweater in late 2013. Yep. Twenty. THIRTEEN. In November. I hadn’t taken any FO photos, so Jason and I decided to just have a small forest hike/photoshoot while I was over in England. We did hike, yes. We saw miles of forest. We were just a 20 minute walk (if that) away from the woods on any given day. I stayed there for 6 whole months. Still no photoshoot, still no post about this being finished.

The reason for that is tiny, but a nagging one—

I couldn’t decide how long I really wanted these sleeves, so I left that bit of yarn hanging..

just in case. Over a year and about 12,000 miles of travel later, I decided to just relax and finally make the decision. The sleeves are absolutely fine, and I’ll just let them be. World, Bapsi’s first pullover. Bapsi’s first pullover, world.

BFP was a joy to knit if I remember it well. I felt very proud to have such a large WIP in my lap for those three or so weeks. I did have to redo the very beginning bit several times before getting it just right, but it was to be expected since I’d never made a sweater before. The rest was absolutely simple—just one big stockinette tube after another, with very gentle shaping around the waist and sleeves.

It lead me to learn about just how not-a-big-deal sweaters and larger garments really are at their core. It’s the same concept we do with hats and socks and the like. You increase sometimes, you decrease sometimes, you pick up stitches every now and then. The only difference between this and a hat is that you’re working with a much larger stitch count. And maybe you’re seaming a lot more than you might be used to (this particular pullover was seamless—thanks Jane Richmond!), but the core of it's really simple.

If you’ve never knit anything like this before, I highly recommend Jane Richmond’s pullover pattern. The way she’s handled sizing is super approachable and easy to read. I even printed copies of the worksheet well in advance because I’m confident I will knit from this pattern again and again in the future.

As for the Lassie sock, it's practically knitting itself! There are some parts that I completely ruin the pretty lace pattern but I'm just gonna accept those little mess-ups and move on. It's amazing enough for me to see a sock happening in my hands. I can't wait to see these done and in action. Already thinking about which yarn to knit with next.

fo: jason's domino socks

I've got just one word to sum up this project--FINALLY. The gradation is just beautiful. I hope these fit him. For the time I spent frogging and re-doing, I really really hope these fit him considering the distance this pair of socks will have to travel to get to him.

pattern : How I Make My Socks by Susan B. Anderson

yarn : Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball in Domino

needle : US 1[2.25 mm] 

size : 10

Have I mentioned the gradation is just gorgeous? I'm glad I didn't fuss over making sure they match for identical socks. These socks individually work great as brothers, rather than not-quite-perfect twins.This second picture offers colors that are a little bit more true-to-life.

I also made another addition to the personal stash. This is Patons Kroy Socks in the Flax colorway. I knew they were my shade the moment I saw them. I'm thinking of something with a simple and reliable look, like the Mr. Pitt's Socks by Kaitlyn Wong. I may have been down due to the nerve injury, but I'm certainly not out. I'm going to get my full drawer of hand-knit socks sooner or later.

What about you? Got any goals for sock-knitting? Knitting in general?