A new design: Cables and Lace Cardigan

As most knitters do, I like to read pattern books while knitting. I have quite a collection from various designers and am always inspired by their work.
I was flipping through my copy of Sock Innovation by Cooke a not to long ago and saw her sock design called Sunshine. All the socks in this book are designed for someone and this certain someone was named Sunshine. Anyway, I was intrigued as she blended a pretty lace pattern with a cable int he same 6 stitch vertical area, WOW...
And then I noticed that every other row was just knit and pearl. Even better. I have no trouble doing a pattern row on each row IF I'm working in the round. The sweater that I had in mind for my next project was a cardigan so either I knit in the round and include steek stitches to cut or find an interesting pattern that I can work from the right side of my knitting while knitting flat. Here it is! I ordered some Stroll sport from Knit Picks right away to see how this might knit up.
I was very pleased with the results...so cast on for a cardigan. The gauge is 6 st. per inch on #4 needles. I'm working up a size 40 so ordered 11 balls of 5 gms. This sweater will have a border added after it is knit so I added 3 extra stitches to the 21 pattern repeats to have a 2 stitch twisted cable and a pearl stitch on the edge. The last stitch is pearled on the right side and knit on the wrong side creating a nice place to pick up the stitches for the front band. I'm not positive what the front band will look like as yet. Thoughts are: lace with garter, simple yo, knit 2 tog. or possibly the twisted garter stitch border I've used before that was inspired by Grimes' book on French Girl Knits. Anyway...more on that later. The sweater will be a cardigan with v neck shaping, all over pattern and raglan sleeves. After blocking the lace will be more apparent but I like the fact that my shaping is done for me because this is basically a ribbed sweater.  It will shape in nicely for the waistline.   A sport weight gives it great versatility for wearing along on warmer days but not to heavy to add a jacket of colder ones. More on this soon.

Something small and pink

I have a wonderful friend that I've known for 25+ years...hard to believe, time goes so fast. I've known her daughter since she was a year old and now this girl is married and having a little one of her own. We know that the baby will be a girl so ...get out the pink yarn...
I found this darling pattern in my stash filed under "I'm going to make it someday" and ordered an organic worsted weight cotton from knitpicks to make it. It is knit from the top down with a cute YO, k2tog lace pattern interspersed with stockinette. It worked up in a weekend! The little hat is a basic rolled brim hat and I worked the pattern on the crown, voila, a matching set! This gets packed soon and sent off as the baby is due this month!

To frog or not to frog........

I bought French Girl Knits a year or so ago and was super inspired by the lovely designs! I started straight away on the cover sweater in a yarn from Knit Pick (my fav source) in their Shine Sport in a gorgeous shade of purple. The technique was sleeve edge to center back gusset, make two pieces , sew a center back seam then pick up and knit a beautiful twisted front band/collar in garter stitch. Love this!
I finished it in about a month and..I loved it while working on it, I loved it to photograph but I didn't love it ON ME! oh no! I put it in my drawer and for 6 months or so took it out to wear it and for some reason didn't. Quite strange. I decided that I loved the color, the yarn and I certainly learned a great deal from knitting this sweater so maybe I just needed a more tailored style. The decision was made! I got out my small scissors, snipped a few threads and began to unknit and the yarn into balls. The feeling of relief was instant. I found a nice ribbed vest pattern in a recent Debbie Bliss Magazine;great for spring and summer wear here in California.

For the love of socks

I got into knitting socks last Christmas. Started with the idea of making a pair for my sister-in-law and ended up loving the process and making 7 or 8 pair for different members of my family. This year this self same wonderful sister-in-law gave me Cat Bordhi's wonderful book "personal Footprints for Insouciant sock Knitters" and a "sock cocktail" from Knitpicks. The sock cocktail contained enough sock yarn for 5 pair of socks in beautiful Stoll; greens, blues and purples and patterns for different heels, toes, and 12 great pattern stitches suited to sock knitting.
I have spent the whole month is sock bliss; trying out the new techniques in Bordhi's book, and new heel and toe techniques from both pattern sources. The real question among sock knitters is "top down' or "toe up". There is much contraversy over this issue and much heated debate. I see the merits of both but I still like the top down method and and a gusset heel. Maybe it just fits my foot best.
I did however create my own cardboard pattern as described by Cat in her wonderful book and it's become a part of my pattern catalogue.
The photos show 3 pairs of socks completed this month. The dark blue is Stroll Sapphire Heather made toe up with a mitered heel and an eyelet rib pattern stitch. The light blue pair is also made toe up with cat Bordhi's technique of knitting to the leg line, adding 2 life lines, shaping the heel and then cutting and unraveling a row between the life lines to begin the leg. Daunting until you try it and then quite sensible and satisfactory. The pattern stitch is a 4 row bell lace.
The green (Stroll Pine) sock is made top down in a basket rib pattern with gusset heel adding Duchess Heather for a little 2 color accent in heels and toes.