And just like that it's Summer weather

Summer Knitting/ what's on my needles

I never stop being amazed by how quickly Winter changes to Summer around here (there really is no Spring).
So, it's time to get your cotton and linen yarns out and  and cast on something new to wear this Summer.  Remember, a tee is much faster to knit up than a sweater (no sleeves!)

Here are some of my favorites:

The first few are done up in DK weight yarn (600-1400 yards depending on size and pattern). 

Click on the links for more information :)

 

Premiere Swing Top

 Iris Side to side Tee 

I modified this one a little , adding sleeves.

 Top Down Shell

Shevron Tank

Sommer

Cancun Boxy Lace Top
This is a great layering piece .

This top is in my queue this summer:

Novel- T by Laura Nelkin

And what's on my needles?

I just started on my second swing skirt.  I made one two years ago and love the way it wears.

Swinging Blues

After a few initial hiccups I am now on my way.

 Here is a picture of the skirt I made two years ago:

 

 

 

SUMMER TOPS

With the warmer weather finally here, I could do one of my favorite things to greet the Summer:
Put my heavier Winter sweaters away and bring out the cotton and linen tops.
There are a few tops I am especially looking forward to wearing as I only finished them towards the end of last Summer or earlier this Spring.
Who says knitting is a cold day activity?
There is plenty of Summer knitting to be done.
Just to wet your appetite here are a few of my favorite patterns:

For the beginner

Two raglan constructed tops; both knitted in a DK weight yarn:

Free on ravelry: Brenda

Free on ravelry: Summer Top

Two simple tank tops; also both knitted up in a DK weight yarn:

Free on ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/100-34-top-knitted-in-moss-stitch

Purchase on ravelry:  Sommer

 

For the more adventurous knitter:

Purchase on ravelry:  Caesura Tuck

Purchase on ravelry:  Spring Garden Tee

 

And for those who live close to Rhinebeck:  If you need help getting started or at any point you can contact me  formbyd8@gmail.com

 

Summer Socks (post #113)

 

Tony's summer socks

Summer Socks in CoBaSi                  

I finally understand why Tony likes to wear the hand knitted socks other than for the fact that I made them.  With a size 11 foot the 9-11 socks you can buy are too small and the 11-12 socks are too big... He  has a total of eight (!) pairs of hand knitted socks, but even the craziest Englishman (as in the song "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" by Noel Coward) stops wearing woolly socks when it is 90+ degree out there.

So I did some research looking for a cotton blend sock yarn and found the HiKoo CoBaSi by Skacel  which is a Cotton, Bamboo, Silk and Nylon blend, perfect for summer!! The skeins are 220 yards each (a steal at $9.50), so you don't have to divide a bigger skein for your 2-at-a-time sock knitting. The yarn feels awesome! So soft and squishy :)
But it gets better:  My LYS, The Knitting Garage, in Rhinebeck just started to carry this yarn <3 <3
For those of you who don't want to knit socks:  This is the yarn called for in the very popular 14 Carat Poncho by Michelle Hunter (as in Knit Purl Hunter). This pattern is a free ravelry download! (click on the link).
And you can use it for all sorts of your summer knitting (shawls, tank tops etc.) which calls for a fingering weight yarn (you get the picture).  On ravelry you can find three pages of patterns which specifically use the CoBaSi yarn; many of the patterns are free.  Click this link or put in "CoBaSi" in your pattern search:  Patterns using CoBaSi.
I knitted the socks in a simple 1x1 ribbing toe-up and two-at-a-time in just 16 days.  I used the methods which I had just taught in a class in Spring. An easy to remember method which lets you integrate all sort of patterns if you want.  If you are interested and missed that class, you may be happy to hear that I will offer the class again this Fall as well as two other Sock knitting classes.

So many pretty colors

What's on my needles (week 70)

  HAPPY 4th of JULY!

 

This week is again about "what has come off my needles" :)
I finished this really cute lacy layering top for my daughter-in-law. Shhhh, don't tell her that it is finished, because I am borrowing it for a week or so to display at The Knitting Garage at Stickles.
It may be good to stop by and have a look at the real thing as I have been told that the pictures don't do it justice...

This came out really nice and I cannot imagine anyone not wanting (at least) one of these for their summer wardrobe.

Pattern:  The pattern is free on ravelry here:  Cancun Boxy Lace Top by Erin Kate Archer

Sizing:  This is a "one size fits all", but can quite easily be knitted more narrow or longer (see also my pattern notes on ravelry here:  http://ravel.me/Strickliese/cblt)

Other changes to pattern:  I was very tempted to knit this in the round or at least to do a 3-needle bind off on the shoulders, but ended up to truly just make the two rectangles as it occurred to me that if ever Rachel gets tired of this top or the fashion changes, I can undo the seams and make it into a shawl by sewing the pieces together along the short edge:

 The Yarn: I used Cascade Sunseeker which has a little glitz in it which looks really cute when the sun makes it sparkle.  This yarn is a cotton /acrylic blend and seems perfect for this top. It has a nice drape to it and does not get too stretched out.  It is also easy on your budget at $8 per skein (about 2 1/2 skeins needed) and it comes in a lot of gorgeous colors!

Three ways to wear it: You can wear the top loose or thread a ribbon through the sides and tie it in the back for a more fitted look.  Either way looks great.
LOOSE:

WITH A TIE-BACK:

Back

WITH A RIBBON "BELT":

Front with ribbon "belt"

What's on my needles (week 69)

I finished my Leftie shawl!

 

This is my (almost) finished shawl using Martina Behm's pattern "Leftie".

In the end I had enough of the MC yarn for 29 leaves which I thought pretty amazing considering that I only had 436 yards of MC yarn and used a slightly bigger needle (Size US# 2 1/2 instead of Size US# 2). The yarn I used for the MC is the Artesano Definition Sock Yarn I had bought at The Good Wool Shop in Formby, England last April.

All the rest of the yarns are remnants from previous projects (mine and others) and I used a different left over yarn for each leaf.  I tried to remember which projects all the left over yarns came from, but drew a blank on some.  You can see a list in my pattern notes on ravelry here:  http://ravel.me/Strickliese/l4

 

I finished this last Saturday, but have to admit (very sheepishly at that) that I still have to weave in all the yarn ends.  I hid them as best as I could to show off my shawl to you:
HINT:  If you are using your smartphone and cannot open the video, try opening it on my fb page

 

If you want to use your left over yarns for something special, this is the pattern for you!  I suggest the "Wildfoote" Sock yarn by Brown Sheep which we sell at Stickles for the MC.  You would need three skeins,  but could make a slightly shorter shawl with just two.   And if you don't have any leftover yarns you can buy 4-5  Madeline Tosh Unicorn Tails for your own spectacular Leftie Shawl.

 

 

 

What's on my needles (week 68)

At The Knitting Garage

 The Summer Wrap is finished.

This is a quick and easy knit and makes a lovely summer shawl for those cool summer nights or when you are in an air-conditioned room and need just a little something to cover your neck.

The yarn comes in many pretty colors

Here is Donna's shawl; it looks so pretty in this color, too.

Boxy Lacy Top Class

Sylvia and I had a great time last Saturday and although her head may have been spinning at the end of it, taking in all the new lace stitches she learned, I think she is very inspired by the project and will look stunning in the white top she is knitting up.

This is how far I got on the top I am knitting.  Remember, I am knitting both front and back at the same time.

At Home

Last week I was sharing about how worried I was to figure out whether or not I have enough yarn.  I just finished the 28th leaf and I have enough MC yarn left for one (possibly shorter) section and will finish with a pink-orange colored leaf.
I should have it done by next week and am planning to post a list of where all the leftover yarns came from ;)

LEFTIE

What's on my needles (week 67)

At The Knitting Garage

Store sample

Every time I wear my Summer Wrap shawl, I am asked about the pattern.  So I thought that it is time to knit one up for the store especially since we have the perfect yarn for it:  The Lana Grossa Linea Pura California.  This yarn comes in so many pretty colors, you will decide to knit up more than one of these. This yarn is 80% Cotton and 20% Silk and feels incredibly luxurious; perfect to wear even on the hottest summer day.
Already one customer / knitterly friend, Donna, started on her shawl as a confidence booster project and walked home with five repeats finished (six row repeats). 
This is an easy pattern knitted on US#10.5 needles with just two skeins of the yarn.
The pattern is in the book "Gifted: Lovely Little Things to Knit and Crochet"

by Mags Kandis and is easily available from your local library.

Summer Wrap

 This week's class

Lacy Layered tops seem very popular this summer..
That is why I am offering two classes :  One for the beginner and one for the more advanced knitter.

This lacy top is in the latest pompom booklet and would knit up very well in the Shibui Linen

 This is the boxy lace top I will  be giving instructions to in my Saturday class this Saturday (June 13).
THERE ARE STILL SPOTS AVAILABLE IF YOU WANT TO SIGN UP!

 I am knitting one of these for my daughter-in-law and decided to use two techniques a little different:

1. I used the long tail cast on with two strands of yarn, I had mentioned this method previously, but here is a refresher:  Long Tail Cast On without the tail.  The nice thing about this method is that you do not need to calculate how long the tail should be and don't waste any yarn.
2. I am knitting the two pieces (front and back) at the same time.  This is my preferred method whenever I have to make two identical pieces such as two socks, two mittens, two sleeves etc. I mark the RS of the pieces.  The first to be worked when on the RS I mark in green and the second to be worked when on the RS I mark in orange.

1 1/2 inches of garter stitch completed.

Sample piece of the four different lace sections.

SIZING:  This is a boxy loose fitting top (one size fits all) , but I have changed the sizing for Sylvia who will be taking the class and wants it a little more fitted and for Rachel to have it a little more loose.  I did check with the designer about the gauge.  The 4.5 sts per inch is the gauge in st st, but the finished gauge after blocking your pieces is closer to 3.7 sts per inch.
For more information read my notes on ravery: http://ravel.me/Strickliese/cblt

There are many patterns out there for this kind of garment.  Here is another one which is for the confident beginner :) :
 Siesta Tee.  We carry both suggested yarns at the shop:  Trendsetter Lino and Cascade Ultra Pima.

At Home

Ready to mail

I am ready to mail the baby blanket, bonnet and shawl!

 

Leftie

With the gifts out of the way, I am working on the Leftie full steam ahead.
I want to use each yarn just once and have the color changes gradually.
Most of the yarns are from my stash with a couple of exceptions.

This yarn was too thick.  Since it is a 4-ply yarn I am changed it into a 3-ply.

This yarn (left over from my sister's shawl) was bleeding a lot, so I set the color by soaking it in a water/ vinegar solution and now hope for the best that it will no longer run

Loving it so far

I have realized a little problem with this.  The pattern calls for 130g in the Wollmeise Pure for the MC which is 497 yards.  I have 437 yards and so far I used close to half of it after 19 leaves.  It is a little tricky now to decide on the color sequence if I want to finish it once I run out of yarn, but I will keep weighing how much I am using and will decide as I go along.  There are some who knitted this project with just 26 leaf repeats instead of 29.
Another solution would be to ask Isabel at the Good Wool Shop to mail another skein.
A third solution, if I want to have the 29 leaves, is to flip the colors and start making the leaves in the MC and the stripes in between in the CC.  I will see how it plays out best.