Finally Cobbled.

This post is a long time in coming. A really really long time. It seems as if so many circumstances conspired against this post ever happening. But, without further ado, here is a finished project I'm really proud of ... my first real sweater when it comes down to it... the famous Cobblestone Pullover!

Pattern: Cobblestone Pullover by Jared Flood, Interweave Knits Fall 200
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes
Needles: Knit Picks Options -- to be honest, I forgot to note the size of them
Started: Late December 2007
Finished knitting: Early February 2008
Armholes/Ends woven in: Late March 2008 (shameful, I know)

(check out more pictures on Ravelry)

So making this sweater and then finally getting the chance to blog about it really is quite the saga. I initially cast on around exam time of my fall term -- late November. But I kept getting the gauge all off and had to start over. I put that off until around Christmas time, and before I had to go back to school right after New Years, I had the body and sleeves done and joined, ready for the yoke. It went so quickly! But then going back to school, I could barely work on it. My work load was very heavy and to make matters worse, it was a gift, and the giftee was always around when I had free time, making it hard for me to spend any time on it. I was shooting to give it to him for his birthday at the end of January, and when I realized that it wasn't going to happen, finally revealed the sweater with half the yoke done so I could work on it around him and give it to him for Valentine's Day. Then, I didn't weave in the ends etc. for quite awhile -- til I was home for Spring Break because while at school I don't really have a good way to block things ...

I enjoyed working on this sweater so much -- it was a lot of firsts for me. Most importantly, it was my first "serious" sweater. I've made little cropped cardis and shrugs and the like (ok, there was one full length cardigan, but I never sewed up the seams because I really disliked it ...), but this was my first real sweater. Also my first time doing short row shaping and Kitchner's stitch. I loved the seamless design ... I'm very spoiled ... I've never made a seamed sweater and it's looking like it's not going to happen anytime soon..

So why did it take so long for me to post about it? Well, had to have the photo shoot of course, then I was running around getting everything ready for my term abroad. Once I got to London, I realized I'd forgotten my computer charger at home. Now, after two weeks of limited computer access, I finally have a charger!

I'm still getting used to life in London and have found a knitting group that I'm going to start going to sort of weekly -- my first time is this week, so hopefully it will go well! Mom and I both have finished Juliets that we'll be showing off soon, so stay tuned for those! Happy knitting chaps!

That's a Wrap.

About a week ago, I taught a girl on my floor to knit. She had bought some GGH yarn from the only place in town that sells yarn, and I had some serious yarn envy. It was a really pretty dull yellow-brown-taupe sort of color, and I was really tempted to hop into town and get some myself. The above project was born out of similar circumstances. Last term, I taught one of my friends to knit, and she'd picked out some Malabrigo to learn with. As I showed her how to cast on using the Malabrigo, I fell in love with it. I wanted to take her fledgling scarf and run with it, keeping the soft yarn for myself. So this, coupled with the fact that here at knit two tog, we strongly believe in fiber therapy, led me to buy (and when I say me to buy, I really mean Mom giving me the money to buy...) a ball of Malabrigo a few weeks ago when I was feeling overwhelmed with work and sort of down with the intention of making one of those neck warmer things I'd seen peppering people's blogs. I couldn't decide what stitch pattern to use. I tried a couple of things that didn't work out for one reason or another, so the beautiful little ball of malabrigo lay abandoned in my room until Wednesday when Mom sent me a link to this Scrunchable Scarf. I decided that the stitch pattern would be perfect. So here it is ... the scrunchable neck warmer:

The Scrunchable Neck Warmer
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in 26 Continental
Needles: KnitPicks Options Size 7
Start date: March 12, 2008
End date: March 15, 2008

This was a super fast project, perfect for working on when I didn't feel like studying for exams. I absolutely adored the malabrigo! And the color was just fantastic. So I cast on 38 stitches (two for selvage). The pattern was just k2 p1 and I worked it until where I wanted the buttons to be, then used EZ's instructions for 1 row buttonholes ... my buttons were fairly large, so I made a five stitch buttonhole. The buttons came from a local shop, Digs, which I have mentioned before. So it wasn't anything difficult, but it made me happy to knit and I'm thrilled with the finished project, so I wanted to share!

Finals are coming up for me, so posting may be a little scarce over the next week -- but Mom might have a finish off to reveal and I still have an old finished object to share! Happy knitting!

Big Weekend

So, ideally, this post would have happened Sunday. Or Monday or Tuesday. Or Wednesday or Thursday. Even Friday. I had a grand plan to show off what Mom got done over last weekend, plus throw in a finish off (well, almost...) that I've been just dying to share. But there too many late nighters trying to get work done and seemingly no time for blogging. So alas, a week late, check out what Mom got done last weekend:

Above are the popular Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookies, found online at epicurious.com and featured on the Today Show. Apparently they went over really well at home, especially with the boys in the family ... I just wish I'd been home to try some of that chocolate-y goodness. But Mom's promised to whip up another batch when I come home (two weeks and counting ... here we come Ms. Marigold and Juliet!)

In knitting news, Mom got the Boy's Garter Stitch Yoke Sweater all joined in the round!

Since this photo was taken last week, a lot more progress has been made on the raglan decreasing. Mom hopefully will have an update on her progress soon! I don't have much to share ... I've been knitting along on my Wear Everywhere Pullover but since it's still just a tube in the round, I guess update pictures aren't that exciting. Also, knitting time has been a bit short this week, last night I was too tired to get much done, and I've been working on a summer fellowship application all day today .. but maybe I'll have something exciting to share soon. I could show you my big finished object, but think I'll save it for another day. So, until then, I'll leave you with a lovely Gerber daisy and wish you a knitting-filled weekend!


P.S. The picture above is of a t-shirt that I got in my stocking this year.. thought some other knitters might enjoy it. It's from a little shop in the town I go to school in, but you can check them out/order online (that's how Mom got it for me ...). They have knitting and sewing tees that really amuse me.