End-of-Month Wrap Up: March

March had my fingers busy!! Like most knitters and crocheters, we can not work on just one project at a time. It's not possible! No matter how hard we try, we've got at least 2-3-4-5-6-7 UFOs (unfinished objects) in our project bag at a time. 

This month was no different. I had good intentions. HONEST! I was going to get the back of my Victor-Victoria Sweater finished. HA! I think I knitted about 2 inches on it. I'm almost finished with the first ball of yarn with about 1-inch left to go before a pattern change at 17 inches...UNLESS I decide to add another 1-2 inches to make it a tad longer. 

Then there is the Canopy Cardi I am crocheting. I haven't worked on it much at all this month. I got about 6 rows done this week...I won't get it completed this year at that rate!! There's about 15 more inches to go before a pattern change. :( I've only crocheted 5 inches. I'm such a slacker!!

BUT...to make up for not getting much done on my two sweaters, I finished TWO projects and cast on another!! ROFLMAO! The first UFO for March was a TOP SECRET need-to-know project. All I can tell you is that it was squishy soft and made with lots of love.

My second finished project was a test knit for a wonderful friend and fantastic designer. She has created a beautiful Jane Austen-esque cap called Lady Chadwick Cap. I just love it! I used Louisa Harding's Kashmir Aran. mmm mmmm good!

Then there was the NEW cast on...a Baby Granny Blanket. I've crocheted about 30 squares so far with about 50 more to go. WHAT HAVE I DONE TO MYSELF!?!?! Think of all those ends that will need weaving in!!! o.O  Oh well, it will look wonderful. It was originally intended for one expecting mom in my building but now I'm thinking it's for my new expecting neighbor. We'll see. I might just end up making two. O.O

Guess you can say March blew in like a knitting frenzied lion and will definitely be going out like a relaxing knitted woolly lamb!

I'm Knitting ME a Sweater!

Yes, it's true! I'm actually knitting ME a sweater!! I can't wait to finish it. The texture of this pattern is wonderful. It's Knitty's Victoria sweater from Fall 2010.AND it comes in plus sizes!!!

I think I'm going to call it my Victor Victoria sweater. It is solid 2x2 moss stitch in worsted weight.

Now don't have a conniption fit! I know I am a total yarn snob BUT in order to make a sweater that I can wash and wear and not go broke buying enough yarn to FIT me...I went with a cost effective yarn. Yes, I am using Caron's Simply Soft in Ocean. OK...pick your jaws up off the desk. It's not the end of the world. Hell did not freeze over. It's a beautiful color. And feels good, too. It's a good knit.

I've got most of the back done...just about to start the armhole shaping. That's just one skein (315 yards). It's going pretty fast. My goal is to have this finished by the Fall. At this rate...that's quite possible. I'm probably going to add 2-3 inches to the length. It should mess things up as long as I watch the button hole spacing...got to do a little figuring with my gauge.

See! Isn't that just wonderful texture! It's a 4-row repeat that's pretty easy to memorize after 10-11 repeats! And actually, the drape is pretty nice, too. Nice body.

Almost Finished!

YAY! The January Baby Sweater is almost done!! It is blocking now. All that's left will be to sew up the side seams. This is a super easy pattern by Lankakomero. There was only one place in the pattern for the.Baby Outfit that through me. It must have been in the translation. It said to "hop over" -- It must be a Finnish technique :P

Now I'm working on matching booties and maybe a hat. We'll see how motivated I get about making the hat.

I loved knitting with Crystal Palace's Panda Cotton. It's scrumptious!

FO: Hey Teach, I'm Loopy Sweater

YAY!!! I'm done! I've finished Camp Loopy's Project #3 -- Hey Teach, I'm Loopy Sweater.

This was a doozy of a project!! We had to knit/crochet at least 800 yards in ONE MONTH!

X.O.M.G. Why did I think I could make a sweater?!?! I don't mind knitting it...but to make one in a month is very ambitious.

The yarn is fabulous! Universal Yarn's Cotton Supreme is sooooooooo soft! And the purple is scrumptious. This picture doesn't do it justice.

The pattern Hey Teach! from Knitty was super easy. I added an inch to the bottom part and made the sleeves about 4 inches longer. Overall, it took 6 skeins (or 1,100 yards) to make this. WELL over the 800-yard minimum.

I found gorgeous buttons on Etsy in Roadside Attractions and Perpetual Revolution. They're iridescent Czech glass buttons with gold details. Nice and flashy.

So know what do I do? I finished all three Camp Loopy projects in the time frame. WOW! Wonder how many will make it through? I think they started out with approximately 700+ in Project #1.

Guess I'll finish a lapghan and my stained glass socks. But first...a MARGARITA!!!

Camp Loopy: Hey Teach! I'm Loopy Sweater

After much deliberation, I finally decided on the project I'm going to knit for Camp Loopy Project #3. I know I had gone back and forth between patterns in my previous post but I went a TOTALLY different direction. I'm knitting Hey Teach! from Knitty. Ain't it cute!?!? This will be my first official sweater to knit.

I started about two weeks ago. I've got the back finished and half way up the left front panel. My needles need to start flying...I've got two and a half weeks to get this finished, blocked and sewn together. ARGH!!!

I'm using Universal Yarn's Cotton Supreme in purple. GORGEOUS!

It didn't take very long to block the back in this 109°F weather we're having. I think it was dry in an hour!

So I don't have much time to blog. I should be knitting!!! :P

Cast On: Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket

I've been getting the sweater bug lately. I have NEVER knitted a sweater before and I see so many GORGEOUS sweaters out there that I would love to make.

Nancy at The Hook and Needle in Bryan showed me Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. I was hooked. So today, I decided to take the leap. I cast on 160 stitches of Araucania Ulmo Multy. I have lavendar Stylecraft Pure Luxury Merino and blue Fibra Natura Cottonwood that I will use for stripes. During lunch I was able to get started – cast on and first row knitted. If all goes well, I might even make a matching hat and booties to go with it. Awww! LOL

Maybe in a year I'll have my FIRST baby sweater! Not sure what I'll do with it but I will have knitted a sweater! :)