Hello Knitty

If there’s one thing to be said about knitwear designers, it would be that they’re a prolific bunch. Every time I turn around there are 800 new patterns on Ravelry, and it is impossible to keep track of them all. I know I’m missing out on some really great stuff, and you probably are too, so I thought I’d start making monthly posts of my favorite new patterns.

Honeybee Cardigan by Laura Chau – This pattern came out in September, but I think because of the new Twist Collective/Knitty/IK it sort of got lost in the shuffle, which is a shame because it’s super cute. I’ve never been fond of cropped sweaters, but I can actually see myself wearing this. Instructions are also included to make the sweater full-length. My focus right now is on garments I can wear during the winter, but come spring I bet I’ll be casting on. I’m thinking a gold or red-orange color.

Ballard Slouch Hat by Felicia Lo – Felicia is the genius behind Sweet Georgia yarn, which if you haven’t checked out yet you should because she dyes up some gorgeous yarns. Actually, on second thought, it’s all truly awful stuff and you should leave it all for me to knit with. Or something. Anywho, I swear berets look good on everyone, and this pattern is free, so it’s a perfect quick knit for Christmas.

French Press Felted Slippers by Melynda Bernardi – Upon seeing this pattern on Ravelry, I promptly made a noise audible only to dogs and bats because these? Could not be cuter. I already have this scheme running in my head where I make 12 pairs, all in different colors, and while I wear normal shoes to work, I change into these as soon as I arrive. And no one figures out I’m wearing slippers all day long because they look like shoes. BRILLIANT.

Tea Leaves Cardigan by Melissa LaBarre for MadelineTosh – Do you know what’s better than cardigans that button only at the top? Nothing. I’m not a huge fan of single ply yarns so I won’t be using the MadelineTosh merino called for in the pattern, but I am going to use MadelineTosh worsted in Oxblood. Yes, I already have the yarn.

Those are my favorite new patterns! What patterns are you itching to cast on?

FYI, I stole all these pictures.

Not really.

All pictures were used with the permission of the designers.

Before casting on for the sweater I’m knitting, I knit a gauge swatch. A good gauge swatch, with a one inch garter border on each side, and five inches of stockinette in the center. And when I wasn’t happy with the material it produced, I ripped it out, made a couple changes, and knit it all over again.

Then I promptly cast on two sizes too small for me.

I’ve always been on the heavier side. From high school until a few years ago my weight hovered around 180, and then I met my husband. My bad habits plus his bad habits plus the comfort level you seem to reach when you’re in a long term relationship all equaled a lot of weight gain.

This summer I decided to do something about it and made an appointment to see a personal trainer. On the first day I weighed 254 lbs. It’s been just over two months since then, and I’m down 32 lbs.

I’m going to say that again because I’m so darn excited about it. I’ve lost 32 lbs in two months.

As you would expect, I watch what I eat like crazy, but one thing I didn’t expect is that I don’t mind it. I haven’t once strayed from my diet and eaten something I shouldn’t, and truthfully I haven’t even been tempted. I like what I’m eating. The hardest part happened about 2-3 weeks in when I started going through sugar withdrawals, which manifested itself in crankiness and depression. But that went away in about a week, and it was worth it because even though I have a lot more to lose, I already have more energy and feel better about myself.

I see my trainer twice a week for strength training. At first I felt so out of place at the gym that I would almost have panic attacks, but now I feel comfortable there. My trainer and I couldn’t be more different (dude CAGE FIGHTS. FOR FUN.), but his confidence in me and my abilities has meant a lot. And, like I said in my last post, I’m walking on my treadmill six days a week, plus I’m thinking about starting yoga.

I did not intend on having this conversation with you. But at this point my life has changed so much that it’s not something I felt like I could keep to myself.

So, back to the sweater. It’s Amelia, using Madelintosh Worsted in Fig.

It doesn’t fit me yet. But it will.

Take a deep breath, because I’m about to blow your mind. Ready?

I knit this sock on the treadmill. Well, most of the sock. Over 3/4 of it.*

Six days a week I do a fast walk on my treadmill for an hour, and I’m hoping this will be enough time for me to finish a pair of socks a month. I’m not much of a sock knitter, but I love handknit socks so this is a win-win situation. I will, however, be taking bets on how long it is until the inevitable happens and I end up in the emergency room with a puncture wound and an interesting story.

The yarn I’m using is Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop (in the We are the Champions colorway), which is either hand spun or made to look like it’s hand spun. It’s wonderful to knit with, very soft and squishy, although I know the thick/thin quality of the yarn isn’t for everyone. At $20 a skein (and it takes two skeins for a pair of socks) this yarn will be a rare treat, but it is well worth the money.

* I started these socks while camping earlier this summer, but never got past the toe and part of the foot. The rest of the sock (including the heel!) was knit in about a week and a half.

HelloKnitty’s Treadmill Socks – Ravelry Link

Fall is definitely in the air in North Idaho! I swear that overnight one day last week 75% of the leaves on my maple trees fell off.

Since the weather has taken a very sharp turn to the chilly (one morning I checked the temp on my way to work and it was 19 out!) I decided a hat was in order. I had almost a full skein of Wool Candy Fondant in Robin’s Egg leftover from my Mara shawl, and it was the perfect yarn to make Ripple, a new pattern by Wendy Bernard.

I’d never made a beret before, but I’m sold on them already – since finishing this hat last Friday I haven’t wanted to take it off!

HelloKnitty’s Ripple – Ravelry Link

I am still in the middle of knitting the project that must not be named (aka a new design I can’t share with you yet), but I really miss not blogging on a regular basis so I thought I’d switch gears a bit today and talk about what I’m not knitting.

Fall is such a great time of year to be a knitter, and not just because we get to break out the sweaters and other cozy items packed away for the summer. It seems like September and October usually bring about an explosion of new patterns, and this year is no different. There’s a new Interweave Knits, Knitty, Knitscene, Twist Collective, and Knotions, AND Interweave has introduced a new magazine called Interweave Knits Weekend. Phew! Maybe a better title to this post is Coming Attractions: what you’ll most likely see being knitted up on this blog in the coming months.

Heather Hoodie Vest (Knitscene) – Moment of truth . . . I’ve never knitted cables before. It’s not that they scare me, but more like I don’t want to bother. Hi, I’m lazy.

But the Heather Hoodie Vest might change that. It’s cute, and I bet it knits up super quick since it uses bulky yarn. The pattern calls for Lamb’s Pride Bulky, which no. NO. The first sweater I made used that yarn, and aside from being almost unbearably warm, mohair makes me feel rather stabby. I would rather knit with acrylic than mohair. I’m thinking olive green wool for mine, something on the rustic side. And possibly no hood.

Berry and Bramble Cardigan (Interweave Knits) – There are a couple changes I’ll probably make to the pattern, like adding a button closure instead of a belt, and shortening it a bit so it doesn’t make quite a show of my ba-donka-donk. But I will be keeping the color the same. Dusty purple, I love you.

Girl Friday (Knitty) – OHMYGODILOVETHISPATTERNSOMUCHTHEEND.

It’s slouchy but still kind of fitted because of the ribbing, and the lace is pretty, and it looks super comfortable, and I may have already ran out and bought yarn for it already because I NEED this in my life.

The yarn is chose is Dream in Color Classy in Blue Lagoon, and I’m hoping to cast on for this as soon as the project that must not be named is finished. Which could be a month at the rate I’m going.

Margot (Knitty) – Several years ago I bought a black shirt with a boatneck and three quarter length sleeves at Old Navy, and liked how it looked on me so much that I went back and bought two more of the same shirt but in different colors. Margot is basically the sweater version of that shirt.

Audrey in Unst (Twist Collective) – I really can’t place what it is about this simple little cardigan that I love. Perhaps it is because when I look back at the last 50 or so years I can’t think of a time where Audrey in Unst would have been out of style except the mid 80s through the early 90s, and I think we can probably agree that fashion-wise it would be for the best if we forgot that time ever existed.

My first thought for the yarn was BMFA Socks that Rock Heavyweight, but then I realized I already have the perfect yarn for it: Sundara Fingering Silky Merino, which is a blend of wool and silk. The color is Colbalt over Mediterranean.

So those are my favorite patterns from fall 2009. What patterns are exciting you?