Tubey is finished!

Love it, love it, LOVE IT!

Two days ago, I finally finished my Tubey! I have been wearing it for the past days, and I cannot tell you how PLEASED I am with the result. The yarn feels incredibly soft on my skin, it keeps me warm and comfy and on top of that, it fits me really well.

This wonderful design Tubey, by Cassie Rovitti, merely consist of 2 tubes. No seams at all!

I would like to write in detail about my finished project Tubey.

Yarn: 3.5 balls of Cascade Venezia Worsted weight
Costs of yarn: 4 x $ 14.– = $ 56.– (that’s a good deal for a sweater project)
Needle Size: US 5
Gauge: 20 stitches over 4″
Duration of project: 8 days

Modifications

In her Tubey design, Cassie uses a rib pattern for the body. I skipped that rib pattern all together and made decreases/increases at the following points:

I started to make decreases right after I passed my breast point. At the same time, I would make decreases in the back. For every decrease I made in the front, I would make the same amount of decreases in the back.

Just below the waist, where my body starts to curve outwards, I started to increase at the sides. For increase I would use the Make1 (M1) increase: knit in front and back of a stitch.

I finished the garment by using a k2, p2 rib.

When do you know when to exactly increase and decrease?

Look at your body and see where you go outward, and where your body goes inward. In other words, look where your body curves.

I would often just wear the unfinished garment and just look at myself in the mirror and then decide what to do! Simple as that, no difficult calculations.

How do you know with what intervals to decrease or increase?

Again, look at your body in the mirror. With my body, right where my waist curves into my hips, that turning point is a bit steep. So then I know I have to make a “steep” increase, meaning that I will increase every second or third row.

Further down towards the hips, the curves get less steep, so then I know I have to increase every 5th or 6th row.

I just would ask myself the question: If I increase every row, what will happen? Or if I increase every 2nd or 3rd row, what would happen then?

The more rows in between your increases or decreases, the less steep the curve in your garment will be!

Also, I made my Tubey short sleeved, and I used a totally different yarn.

Will this be your one and only Tubey based project ever?

This design so much tickles my fancy that I want to make more sweaters with it. I already have two different kinds of designs in mind where I will use Tubey as a base. I cannot wait to knit it up and to show it to you all.

I will document my thoughts and knit decisions thoroughly so that you can see step by step what I did. Sounds like fun!!!

Some more details

This is what my Tubey looks like from the back:

As you can see, the first upper part of Tubey consists of a shrug. It is important to measure your back from armpit to armpit in order to know how many inches you should knit accross. It is important that you have enough ease in order to move your arms and shoulders comfortably without getting pinched in the armpit.

In my opinion, I have a bit too much ease in the back. This causes for the knitted fabric to bunch up a little bit. For my next Tubey, I will knit 1 to 2 inches less across my back.

All in all, I find that this project is very enjoyable and I will wear this sweater a lot!

What is my next project?

Textured Tunic with side buttons from the book Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel!

I will use the yarn the pattern calls for: Royal Tweed by Lana Grossa.

I am very excited!

Thanks for visiting and untill next time…

 

Tubey…what a wonderful design!

Vintage Stole

The Vintage Stole is finished! I love love love it… the little pouch where you can pull through the other end of the stole just does it for me. No knot, so it lays flat.

There are many ways to wear this simple yet very feminine and elegant stole:

I got the pattern from a yarn shop called Mable’s in Portland. Unfortunately, this cute yarnshop is no longer in business. I am going to contact Cait, who used to own Mable’s, and ask her if I can post this pattern on my blog and credit the designer Annette. Fingers crossed!

Yarn: 7 balls of Rowan Kidsilk Aura (costly project!)
Needles: Bryspun circ 24″. #6

Tubey

What a wonderful and interesting design this Tubey is! The pullover consists of 2 tubes, no seams at all!

I examined Cassie’s instructions and design and then gave the original pattern a flavour of my own.

First of all, am making my version of tubey with short sleeves. Then I skipped the ribbed body. I decided to make increases and decreases in order for the design to hug my body.

So first you knit the first tube and that is like a shrug. Then you pick up stitches from the shrug, and join in the round to make the second tube, being the body. I made a mistake while picking up stitches. I picked up from the wrong side which creates sort of a ridge edge:

I am okay with it it though, so I just let it be.

What really really tickles my fancy is the neckline… LOVE IT. So feminine!

 

I cannot wait to finish it and to wear it!

Thanks for reading and untill next time!

Free Pattern: Double Dayflower Scarf

A few months after I first learned how to do a knit stitch and a purl stitch, I was ready to venture out to lace. I was in awe of those knitters who could do lace and would browse the knitting forums and lurk in every thread were lace was discussed.

One day, I stumbled across a lace thread over at Knittinghelp.com. The knitters were discussing a lace pattern called “Dayflower” and one knitter in particular wanted to double this pattern but did know how to.

Other knitters came to the rescue and at the end of the thread somebody wrote out the whole 16 row repeat pattern and doubled it! I immediately copied the pattern and stared at it for many days.

There are knit two together (k2tog), slip slip knit (ssk), purl two together through backloop (p2tog tbl) and purl 3 together through back loop (p3tog tbl) and my word was I intimidated!

What the hell are these abbreviations and how to knit them??? I had not to fear because Amy Finlay from Knittinghelp.com has excellent videos on how to do those stitches!

So I took a deep breath, got me some Noro Silk Garden colorway 205 / colorway 218 and some Addi Circulairs # 9 and bravely casted on…

Colorway 205

Colorway 218

It was hard for me in the beginning… but I did not give up and diligently kept on going. And this was the result:

I had so much fun knitting it that I also knit this pattern in Noro Silk garden # 84.

I have had so many compliments on this scarf!

Many thanks to the lace knitters over at Knittinghelp.com for writing out this pattern. And since it was posted for free, I made a pdf file for you to down load this Double Dayflower Pattern!

Double DayFlower

 

Have fun knitting!

Note added 10-23-07:

If you have never done lace before, maybe it is good to try the feather and fan scarf first…! If you are pretty confident you are ready for the Double Day Flower, go for it!

 

Sweet Surprise in Hood River

Roadtrip to the fruit orchards of Hood River

Ever since I arrived in Oregon, I had heard about the fruit orchards in the Hood River area. This time of year is the perfect time to head over there because of the apple and pear harvest and I was happy and excited as a child when we finally made the road trip to the fruit orchards.

As we drove alongside the Colombia River Gorge, we were surprised by the strange wheather; it was drizzling rain and the sun was shining brightly at the same time. Because of this, many little rainbows rose up from the Columbia River, forming a gigantic rainbow river snake diving in and out of the water, accompanying us while we drove further East. It was a wondrous sight…

The surroundings of the Hood River area is simply stunning: rolling hills, with many many fruit orchards, an abundance of apples, pears and gigantic pumpkins.

And then it caught my eye… this sign saying: ” Cascade Alpacas and Foothills yarn shop”. My heart skipped a beat! I had not expected this! A sweet surprise indeed!

When we arrived at the yarnshop, we were greeted by a cat named Knitty.

Next to the yarnshop was a barn with CUTE alpacas guarded by a big white dog.

The lady in Foothills Yarn was very very friendly! I bought some fingering weight homespun alpaca yarn and what made my heart melt is that the name of the Alpaca was written down on the label: “Moonlight”.

OMG! Alpacas are SO CUTE!!!

As for Knitting

Red Vintage Stole

My vintage stole which I am knitting with Rowan Kidsilk Aura is growing and growing and I am almost done! It is such a pleasure to work with this yarn… And the pattern is so easy and simple!

What I like so much about this pattern are the tapered ends.

And a little pouch is attached to one end so that you do not have to make a tie the ends but simply slip one end of the shawl in the pouch. So simple and elegantly functional. Love it!

What other projects are brewing in my mind?

I have made the choice of yarns I am going to work with next: Cascade Venezia Worsted and Chunky Cashsoft from Rowan.

The Cascade Venezia Worsted is such a luscious yarn. It is 70% Merino Wool and 30% Silk. I made a swatch, washed it and am simply taken by the shine and drape.

I am planning on making a short sleeved, elegant fitted top. I have been extremely drawn towards a pullover pattern I have found on knitty.com called “tubey”, designed by Cassie Rovitti from NYC. I really really like the neckline!

I am thinking of modifying the pattern and give it my “spice”. I love it when a pattern inspires me to make my own!

The Chunky Cashsoft from Rowan is simply a pleasure to work with.

I like its texture and I really really like this yarn in seed stitch. I am contemplating to make a simple shawl with either Seed Stitch or Moss stitch. I want to play around with several needle sizes to finally decide what I am going for in the end.

Thanks for reading and untill next time!

 

 

 

 

 

What’s next..?

Roadtrip to the Oregon Coast

How far away I felt from the Netherlands as we arrived at the Oregon Coast during a roadtrip last week. And how I gasped when we saw the beach of Manzanita.

Often times, especially when I experience yet another part of Oregon, I just cannot believe that I am actually living in the beautiful Pacific North West.

Manzanita is simply enchanting but Wheeler, a little tiny village, made me scream. How cute… Situated in a bay and surrounded by hills, mysteriously shrouded by misty fog, this tiny village stole my heart.

And as the sun was setting, we left Wheeler, with the promis to come back soon and stay for a few days.

As for knitting

After completed 3 projects I felt…lost and a tad sad. Not knowing what to do with myself, I gaze at the Lady Eleanors and gently pet my choli… I am being dramatic when I say it almost feels like saying goodbye to dear friends with whom I have spent many hours. But then again, that is the way it almost always feels when I finish projects.

So what’s next?

Pondering over new projects puts me in realm of many possibilities. I am floating deliciously, eagerly wanting to touch base with my next new loves.

How about working with some Qiviuk?

Or am I in the mood for yet again some Beaded Silk from Artyarns?

Hmmm… maybe my fingers would like to caress some wonderful Venezia Worsted weight Merino/Silk from Cascade?

And what about my Rowan Cashsoft Chunky?

This floating zone, this esotherical state of mind, this realm of many many possibilities is what I ADORE. What stitches will go best with what yarn? Which garment will I choose to make? Will I knit something from a pattern or will I design again? How I love this part of the knitting journey.

This state of mind however, cannot linger on for too long and I decided to start knitting up something very very simple with Rowan Kidsilk Aura.

It is straight stockinette stitch for many many inches and will ultimately result in a vintage stole. Simple, almost boring but great for a project on the rebound!

While knitting away on my vintage stole, I am more and more attracted to the Venezia from Cascade and Cashsoft Chunky from Rowan. I guess I will have to make some swatches with them!

Untill next time…