Tag: cardigan

My Olympic Project
Knitting · yarn

My Olympic Project

My Time Stitching13 Comments

Hi friends. I can’t believe that the Olympics are almost over. What a wild ride so far. After hearing about an “Olympic project” during the last Olympics, I decided to go for it this time. So after hearing about the Olympic challenge again on The Yarn Garden’s Feature Friday Facebook video, I decided I would start the Liva Cardigan by Amy Christoffers. I purchased the yarn and pattern back in September. And since it was quite a bit of yarn and a cardigan that I wanted to knit for myself, I felt it was the perfect time to get it out of my stash.

Yarn for the Liva Cardigan

I actually purchased 9 balls of this yarn as I wasn’t sure I would need 8 or 9. This is the same yarn that I used for the Marit shawl that I made for my Mother in Law.

Liva Cardigan

And this is the cardigan. You can find it on Ravelry here. I fell in love with this cardigan when I saw it at a trunk show at my local yarn shop. So a few days before the Olympics Opening, I started “training” for the big event. And when I say training, I mean swatching, LOL

Swatches

The recommended needles are US size 8, but I had too many stitches for gauge. So I went up to a US size 9 and was still 1 stitch off. So after talking with the Head Gardener at The Yarn Garden and getting some helpful hints on whether to swatch again and needle size, I decided to go with the size 9. So I was all set to go the day of Opening Ceremonies.

Mitered square blocks

To start I had to make 5 mitered square blocks. 3 of these squares will form the back of the cardigan and the remaining 2 will be for pockets. This is my first time making mitered squares and I enjoyed making them. The pattern was well written and I didn’t have any problems. Well, a little with the center diagonal where the decreases are. I just had to remember to give a little extra tug. I love the way the squares look. The Topaz yarn makes them look a bit wonky. The yarn goes thick and thin throughout, so to me it makes them look lumpy. But like with the Marit shawl, they will look better with blocking.

So I stitched 3 of the blocks together for the back and picked up stitches for the left side.

Liva Cardigan

So this is as far as I have gotten. Last night I separated the stitches for the sleeves and to do a 3 needle bind off, but I had one too many stitches and I didn’t have a set of size 9 DPN’s for the sleeves. That called for a quick online purchase and then I put all of the stitches back onto the main cable. So, I will not be standing on the podium on Sunday, but I really didn’t think I would get this cardigan finished in 16 days. But the Olympic challenge was a good reason to get it started. I would like to finish it before winter is over, so fingers crossed.

So that is what I am up to. Do you have an Olympic project going?

I’m Sad Summer Is Ending
Bella Filipina Designs · Crochet · cross stitch · Knitted Shawl · Knitting · Mermaids

I’m Sad Summer Is Ending

My Time Stitching26 Comments

Hello blogging friends.  I have just enough time to squeeze in a post for August before it is over.  My blogging days have been few and far in between.  I will do better 🙂  My summer has been a little busy.  Lots of little day trips-mostly yarny trips. I went to a Wine and Wool Fest and I participated in the I-75 Yarn Crawl.  I visited 10 shops during the yarn crawl and purchased something at each shop.  And then last week I visited a new shop that I didn’t get to hit on the Yarn Crawl.  It was a lot of fun, but expensive, as I couldn’t resist yarn where ever I went 😉  I have been stitching, too.

First, I finished the Mermaid’s Garden Shawl.  It turned out beautiful! Here it is being blocked.

mermaid shawl blocking

Mermaid shawl finished

This was such an enjoyable KAL.  The pattern is the Mermaid’s Garden Shawl by Lena Mathisson and is available on Ravelry.  I will be making this one again for sure.

I recently joined other knitters at my local yarn shop and we are making the Veronika cardigan.  Here is my start on this one:

Veronika cardigan start

That is not a shadow at the top of the cardigan.  It appears that my yarn doesn’t quite match.  Ugh.  I will continue on.  I am using Malabrigo Rios in Tranquilo.  I’m not into switching skeins every other row, so I will leave it for now.  I am using a size 9 needle as I couldn’t get gauge with an 8.  And after using fingering weight yarn for so long, this worsted weight yarn and large needle has really done a number on my right hand.  It is aching quite a bit today, so this piece is in time out for now. But I am loving the color.  And see that cute bag in the back?  It was a special order to CleverGirl Designs Co.  It matches my tool bag.

Clevergirl Designs bags

Kristine does a great job making these bags.  The smaller one has lots of pockets and holds a lot! You can find her on Instagram @clevergirldesignsco

I started a new cross stitch.  I know, don’t say it, LOL.  I couldn’t resist Bella Filapina’s “Pearl of the Orient Seas”.  She is a beauty!

Pearl of the Orient Seas start

I am stitching her on 16ct aida, a OOAK from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics.  While I love her, I have found out I am not a fan of stitching with red, orange and yellow.  Hopefully I will be able to get through it as she is really stunning.  I have become a big fan of Bella Filipina designs.  He is so talented.

I am still stitching on the Pillow for a friend. It is coming along and my goal is to get it done by the end of summer.  Which, as the title of my post says, is coming to an end.  I better up my game now.  I can’t show all of my progress because I want it to be a surprise for the recipient.  But here is a peek:  (Don’t look at the back of it!)

Jens pillow

I am getting near the bottom!  Woo Hoo!

And remember this crochet project?

Spicier life blanket 3

Well, I finished it!!!  A little less than 2 years and not perfect, but it is finished and I just love it!

spicier life blanket finished

spicier life blanket finish 3

This blanket will keep me warm while hanging out in the finished basement with hubby.  Yep, the basement is all finished and put together.  We still have lots of boxes and bins to go through for the storage room.  We are hoping to get those unpacked within the next month.  So that is what I have been up to these last few weeks of summer.  What have you been up to?  Did you recently finish a project you are happy to finally finish?