Here’s another plea for help from your intrepid knitter. It finally got cold enough to wear a sweater but my beloved sweater quickly grew pills. Ok so yes, this is “cheap” wool that I use often (Paton’s Classic Wool Merino) and the entire sweater cost me less than $20, but I am ready to overcome my issues of worthiness and branch out into something a little bit better. I’ve been knitting for nearly 30 years, after all, so I know that I can knit just about anything successfully at this point.

I’ve used Knitpicks wool of the Andes with good results and the yarn had minimal pilling but I would love to hear your suggestions for a nice worsted weight wool with little or no pilling. Also, I’m eager to learn of other non-wool sweater fibers that you have used. The California climate (along with my advancing age) has proven a little warm for wool.

Hanging out in my sauna-like upstairs sweatshop suite of rooms and with the help of Andrew Bird, whom I adore, I finished this lovely seamless sweater (aka the Garter Yoke Cardi) in a flurry of overheated knitting. I must admit I’m quite pleased with the results if I do say so myself.

I made the medium size even though I’m a chesty gal and usually wear a large or even extra-large. However, I followed my instincts and my new rule of sizing DOWN even though it seemed touch and go for awhile. I really didn’t think it would fit and I was preparing to give it away but voila and whadya know. It fits me! I am beside myself with joy!

Fresh from Pilates and with impeccable posture, my sister Karen modeled the newly completed Garter Yoke Cardi on a warm, warm evening. I knew it would look terrific on her! Remember I said we had a gaggle of July birthdays in our family? Well today just happens to be Karen’s birthday. Happy Birthday Karen!!!!

I did sort of promise this sweater to Karen – I tend to give away a lot of my hand knits – but I’m having trouble parting with it. It’s my baby. I know it all makes me sound like something of a schmuck but just like no one can love your child the way you do, no one can love your hand knits as much as you, the knitter, can. Does that make sense?

(Check out Andrew Bird performing one of my favorites, the Happy Birthday Song)

This sweater is easy and should have been finished by now. I’ve been working on it for a solid two months. So what’s the hold up? Length. I couldn’t decide how long to make the body so I put the stitches on some scrap yarn, and started a sleeve. Now I can’t decide how long to make the sleeve.

Indecision. The whole sweater is in a holding pattern right now awaiting my final decision(s).

I will probably make it a little longer than pictured in the magazine. I know! I’ll just measure one of my sweaters that has the proper length. Why didn’t I think of that?

What I’m loving about the sweater is the subtle shaping at the waist. I’ve tried it on and it looks like it will fit me even though I was worried (but I’m ALWAYS worried about the fit). The buttons are already picked out so can I knock this sweater out in the next couple of days? I’m going to give it the ol’ college try!

I have been obsessing about making this cute little cropped jacket which I keep seeing at Close Knit for many months now. Maybe over a year. Every time I tried it on, it fit me so perfectly that I thought to myself “I really must make this sweater”. Well I finally bought the  pattern booklet recently – Rebecca #32 -  and then looked up the pattern on Ravelry this being my first ever Rebecca pattern.  There were only two projects on Ravelry – only two other Ravelers making this pattern -  and it kind of surprised me until I started on the swatch. Yes folks, swatching is becoming a regular habit for me now and a good thing too. I couldn’t quite figure out the fisherman’s rib stitch as written but I found a lovely tutorial online (written for North American knitters) and now the stitch just flies for me. Ain’t the internet grand?

The yarn I’m using is Lion Wool-ease because I had some leftover from my Obama pillow which I used for the swatch and I liked the resulting fabric so much that I decided to knit the entire jacket with it. Yes, it is a cheap choice of yarn but I still suffer from issues of worthiness and also frugality. I knit a LOT so inexpensive yarns are a godsend. Also, I think this is a rather good choice of yarn for the project.

After several false starts I now have several inches centimeters of the sweater and it’s going strong. The cropped jacket is my current obsession, the roses have been neglected but springtime bandit is complete! I just need to find someone to model the shawl for photos. The weather lately has been spectacular – more like summer than spring. Here’s a sneak peak of  the bandit being blocked.

But I have to say this sweater is FAST. I think it helps that the the buttonhole band is knit in garter stitch as you go as are the buttonholes. I really love the construction and design of this sweater and I only hope it looks as good on me as off me. Not 100% sure about the neckline.

Here are the photos of the recently completed Urban Aran Cardigan which I promised you. Jessica seems to get roped into modeling all my knits from the Paton’s Street Smart booklet. Probably because she wears them so wonderfully. Can you believe she’s the mother of three!?!?!?

The zipper actually wasn’t so bad. With the moral support of Michelle, it went rather effortlessly. Just a lot of sewing up which I’m not so keen on. We took advantage of a nice warm break in the weather a few weeks ago and took our knitting down to Lake Lacamas. As the pollen floated in the air, I basted the zipper and finished it later at home.

The gals at knitting night have convinced me that it’s flattering and definitely a keeper. So yes, I’m keeping  it.

And of course I must acknowledge Jared Flood aka brooklyntweed who had the original inspiration to turn this sweater into a zippered cardigan. Thanks Jared!

It’s snowing again as I type this but during a recent spring-like break in the weather, I asked Patricia to throw the sweaters on her two dogs so I could play around with video. Max is the dachsund and Minnie is the Schnauzer and both sweaters were handmade by Patricia herself. Do you enjoy watching video? Thoughts?

My second Cobblestone Pullover, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

On New Year’s Eve, we had a rare dry day around here so I packed up the kids with their xmas knits and we headed to Reed College for a . I’m a little late in blogging about these FOs but I’m very proud of them, especially the Cobblestone Sweater designed by the oh so talented Jared Flood. It’s my second. I knit the first one about a year ago (see it here on Roland) and I have to say, the second one was just as much fun to knit. If you haven’t made one yet, find a guy, your brother, father, son, nephew, friend – anyone! – And knit one today.

I did stress out a little bit thinking it might be a bit short but Max insisted is was just fine (he’s so easy to please) and I think the sweater will stretch or drape with wear. I didn’t even block it before I gave it to him. The Cobblestone is so much fun to knit because while you’re working away on the yoke, you get to the neck and all of a sudden it’s finished and all that’s left to do is kitchener the underarms. That’s it! Oh how I love seamless sweaters.

Along with the Cobblestone sweater, Max got a Noro Striped scarf (also a Jared Flood design) to replace one he lost (I had no idea), two pairs of gloves and a hat, which he requested. I love the way the all work together. Browns and grays are my favorites but I never thought of putting them together. The bright fuchsia of his shirts and the stripes of the Noro Scarf pull it all together wonderfully. *sigh* I should be a stylist.

It was fun to get outside and wander around Reed and have Hot Lips pizza after. BTW Max is at Indiana University now. Say “Hi” if you happen to run into him.

I knit this sweater from Paton’s Classic Wool Merino and it cost me under $20 – one 40% coupon at a time. It’s a great sweater project for hard times.

lopi sweater pattern, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

I’m actually wearing the lopi sweater right now accessorized exactly like the model in the picture, with the jeans and denim shirt, except I look like an NFL linebacker. It’s toasty warm though. Hope you are too.

lopi sweater, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

I never thought it would get cold enough for this Lopi sweater but the time has come. Here in the Portland-Vancouver area, we are expecting the coldest temps in five years. brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr They’re even forecasting snow for tomorrow! Next week looks to be clear but frigid – down to the teens! – if you believe weather.com.

I have never worn this sweater which I knit about 10 years ago because I’m always covered in sweat within minutes of putting it on. It was a fun and quick knit made from Reynolds Lopi in the EZ seamless yoke method. The other reason I never wear this sweater is because it’s much too big. Because I’m such a relaxed knitter, I now size down, both in needle size and pattern size. So if I want to make a large, I cast on for a medium.

Just something I learned in 28 years of knitting.

Last Fall I threw the sweater on Alice and she looked adorable.

Here’s hoping that you stay warm and dry. Let me know how you’re doing.

spiral yoke sweater, originally uploaded by alicethelma.

I finished the sys several weeks ago but wasn’t very happy with it (am I ever?) It was intended as a christmas gift for Max but turned out way too small (sorry Max!). The gals at knitting night tried to convince me that it looked great on me but I didn’t believe them. It felt much too tight and the sleeves were too short.

It did, however, look great on Julie and I convinced her to model it when we were at the beach earlier this month. It was a spectacular day for sweater modeling as you can see.

I followed the pattern in Handknitting with Meg Swansen exactly as written using a size 7 needle and I later realized my mistake. I should have used the dimensions written for the cobblestone sweater which I made for max last year and then I would have [probably] gotten the correct size for him.

The sweater is starting to grow on me now although I would definitely choose a different yarn if I made it again. The left and right pattern twists in the yoke were not easy – but they look nice don’t they?