Knitting Dragonflies

Back to my same theme, who doesn’t love Elizabeth Zimmermann?? Her baby Surprise jacket ( rav link )  is the evolution of several patterns. From what I can piece together, that pattern is the result of her playing around with the basic idea for a bit. I see that she made the Baby Garter-stitch Jacket: The Prequel, which is published in Wool Gathering #61, sept 99. A very nice simple baby jacket. I also found the Surplice Jacket, ( rav link ) published in Woolgathering #50 . I also found the Tomtem jacket ( rav link ), which has a hood, and I love this addition to the pattern. Although this pattern was written for a child, I decided to give it a go, and try to make it for a baby present! Yarn:I settled on some Organic Cotton, I had knitted a small project with this and fell in love with it. It just keeps getting softer and nicer. I also wanted a color that wasn’t a baby color, and finally decided on this one called “spice”. I fearlessly cast on, knit about 6 rows and real...

  Knitters usually have a favorite item to knit. Shawls, socks, dishcloths, toys, to name a few. Mine is sweaters. A strange item for a women who is plagued by hot flashes that scare my co workers. But if you are a knitter you will understand, when the knitting muse calls, you just answer it, no questions asked. My first big success into knitting sweaters was when I discovered Elizabeth Zimmerman , and, suddenly, after years of odd sweaters, or frogged sweaters, I had a “sweater that actually fit”! This was the beginning of my long love affair with sweaters. I think of my knitting phases as; 1-My FLAT period; scarves, afghans, dishcloths, basically anything flat and mindless. I was into loving the knitting, just for the knitting. Then I heard the siren of the sweater, I knitted quite a few flat, funny sweaters, that got frogged, given to anyone resembling the resulting size, and just generally huge “gauge” issues. 2-Sweater; In the round, bottom up, Yay! I discovered Elizabet...

How many times have you bought all of the supplies for a project to knit, and then changed your mind about the yarn, or pattern? This seems to happen to me all too often. The above was a purchase several years ago. Somewhere along the line I decided I didn’t want to use the pattern I bought. I think it was due to the fact that I detest knitting a sweater in separate pieces and putting it together. I love to knit in the round. I discovered this after finding my first Elizabeth Zimmerman book, Knitting without Tears ! Her techniques and insistence on swatching for your gauge, turned me into a super sweater knitter. Her patterns were the first I could actually wear! Usually I would have to gift my knitted sweater to someone, anyone that was the size the sweater was. And while this had a certain excitement, and drama, I actually wanted a sweater for myself. Elizabeth's in depth explanation of gauge and how to calculate your size, finally made me realize how important gauge was, and...

I saw this pattern in Knitty Spring 2009 and fell in love with it! The simplicity and style. { rav link }. I had some beige 100% wool yarn and decided to use that instead of the cotton it calls for. And then something happened….. see this post , I wanted color, bold beautiful living color! OK, I had the pattern and the yarn, now ready to cast on! I knitted my gauge swatch , like a good girl should. Ready to go now. Studying the pattern  I kept thinking, it looks a little boxy, I’ll add a little shape to it, maybe some decreasing around the waist…..and I do so wish it was knitted  “ in the round ” sweater. My first sweater attempts were comical, several looked like they were made for Quasimodo , my next phase consisted of neck problems, I couldn’t get my head into the neck or the neck was x rated. I was apparently knitting for an entire sideshow. Then I discovered Elizabeth Zimmerman !  Amazingly, I could knit sweaters to fit, and I loved it! Like a good myst...

I don’t know maybe it is just me, but there just wasn’t enough knitwear in the opening ceremonies to satisfy me! Of course we are in the middle of a blizzard with high winds. I’m bundled up on the sofa with my DH watching the nations enter with their flags was beautiful. Yes, the outfits were great, nice colors, and patterns. I saw a few sweaters, mostly hats and mittens, But I wanted to see some serious knitwear, that looked “real” (hand knit), and soft, like I wanted to touch it and bury my face in the warmth of it. I didn’t see enough, but here are my favorites. When I think of the opening ceremony for the winter Olympics  I want to see some serious sweaters! Something like Dale of Norway . Here is the link for the Norwegian delegation sweater pattern. Of course they know how to make great sweaters. Check out some Ravelry knitters results here , here ,and here for your sweater fix.(oops more , and more ) Now that we all agree that Dale of Norway knows how to do inspirati...

I begin to wonder if the number of sweaters I have planned to knit is similar to the length of the hair on a wooly worm. If so, we are in for a severe winter. It all began in the middle of summer, it’s hot, humid and I’m sweating. But for some reason keep begin drawn to bulky yarn, and sweater patters. Now I’m at that point in my life when I can have a full blown hot flash, anytime, anywhere. And I haven’t worn a sweater, unless it was a cardigan that I could whip off in an instant. OK, I need to back up, maybe it actually started last winter. The winter of 09 here was a bad one, we had a huge ice storm and lost power in the house, (and most of the city) for days. Some residents in Kentucky were out for 2 weeks, it was brutal. During that time we stayed in he house and bundled up. Rummaging through the closets and locating that specific item is difficult, especially with nothing but a flashlight. It was then, that the insanity began. I didn’t find what I was looking for,...

Upon a suggestion from a fellow Plurker, I am converting a pattern that I am knitting, to a top down pattern. I am well versed in knitting in the round, bottom up sweaters . I found and fell in love with Elizabeth Zimmerman early in my knitting life. But have found limited info on top down sweaters. Bottom up in the round sweaters made me convert any pattern I could into this type of construction. When you are done, there are none to few pieces to put together, your good to block and wear. Top down, in the round sweaters have had the same effect on me, plus, as everyone points out, you can try them on as you go. I feel like I am “in the flow”when knitting this way. I didn’t think trying them on would be a great plus, but it is. Now I am in search of more top down construction books and info. The best resources that I have found are: Barbara Walker’s Sweaters from the Top down, great book, good explanations, great section on increases, more types than I knew there was, and exam...

Still knitting. Here is the body, knit in one piece to the arms, bottom up. I am going to join the arms and make a saddle shoulder. All of that plain knitting sounded like a good idea but makes me a dull girl. Ok now how did the arms get too long? Last I checked before I folded them and put them in my bag I was worried they were too short and added some. Now I think I will be ripping o Technorati Tags: Knitted Hoodie ut at least an inch before joining to the body, Oh and since I thought I was making it flat when I started and then switched to the EZ method, I will sew up the arms, so I can join them in-the-round to the body. Pictures to follow. I have been investigating the EZ "Afterthought Pocket" the instructions are rather confusing. Has anyone used this method? It involves cutting one stitch on each side of the sweater. My goal is to have this done, by the end of the basketball games.

Duke falls to W. Virginia, on the edge of our seats, meanwhile I am knitting quickly on the body of my Hoodie, which I am knitting with some yarn I bought online at HandpaintedYarn.com . I bought 8 skeins of a yarn called Odds N Ends, a (Beautiful Merino Bulky 6 ply hand dyed yarn. Incredibly soft pure merino wool, ideal to use next to the skin and on baby clothing.Yardage: 165 yards per skein. Gauge: 4.5 stitches per inch with needle size 10 or 11.) According to the website. It is very soft and I love the colors. I originally thought I was going to make a cardiwrap with this, but discovered it was going to be to heavy and not hang the way I wanted it to. Frog that.....   Purdue loses to Xavier, Boo hoo, my brother's school. I am inching along, sleeves done, I am planning on joining these to the body, a la Elizabeth Zimmerman's method. The Seamless Raglan Sweater. And hopefully will be able to find a appropriate zipper for the front. West Virginia 73, Duke 67 , ...