Page 41 – Elliebelly Knit & Dye Works

How Long Does It Take To Knit A Sweater?

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

If you're me, it apparently takes six and one-half months to knit a sweater that fits perfectly and is exactly what you hoped for. Here it is, my Vodka Lemonade, knit from the Plucky Knitter's Crew (merino/cotton blend) in the Fiona Colorway.

I started Vodka Lemonade on December 31, 2014. In between the time I started and finished the sweater, I've also started and finished these projects.

And, I finished these three projects, which were on my needles before I casted on for Vodka Lemonade.

All that to say, perhaps I should learn to focus, but I've had an awfully good time with my projects for the first half of the year!

I'm pretty sure it took me longer to knit the seed stitch collar on Vodka Lemonade than the rest of the sweater. But my favorite detail is the lace motifs.

I loved Thea Coleman's pattern and am motivated to cast on all of her things at once today. Vodka Lemonade was really that good of a knit.

It's great to know that your effort is appreciated. It looks like I'm going to have competition for this one.

I wore my new sweater out to dinner last night, since we were having dinner with friends who appreciate my knitting, and haven't take it off since I put it back on as soon as I got out of bed this morning. I love it! And, I can't say enough nice things about Plucky Crew. The cotton/merino blend yarn is lovely. I'm delighted to have knit a sweater that's a keeper!

Finishing Vodka Lemonade

Posted on July 11, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

Happy Saturday! I’m finishing up the last sleeve on Vodka Lemonade with a little help from a friend.

Cats Knit Sleeves

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

I am getting so much knitting help from the kittens. First this from Wingus:

And then more help from his brother Dingus:

Despite their ahem, attentions, which have caused me to weave in a few extra ends thanks to sharp kitten teeth, I've managed to pick up stitches and start both sleeves on Vodka Lemonade. It's slow going because I'm alternating skeins, but ever so worth it.

Here's hoping to a bit of progress over the long weekend. I'm really looking forward to wearing this one!

New Yarn: The Plucky Knitter’s Cachet

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

Cachet is The Plucky Knitter's brand new 100% cashmere yarn. Although it's listed at an aran weight, it knits up in the worsted range for me, with 18 stitches/26 rows to four inches on size 6 needles.

It knits up like a dream: a soft cloud of stockinette. And, the gauge is perfect for some of the patterns in my queue I'm longing to knit the most, including Carol Feller's Portulaca, Thea Coleman's new sweater, Rye, and Mailin and Monte Rosa, both by Isabel Kraemer . Decisions, decisions.

I'm also going to swatch this yarn a couple of needle sizes down to see what the fabric looks like. Originally, I planned to knit Alana Dakos Cabled Leaf Pullover in this yarn. Since its gauge is 20 stitches/26 rows, it seems like that might be doable.

I know it's obvious, after years and years of being a polyamorous knitter who carried a torch for a lot of different brands of yarn, when I discovered Plucky last year, I fell deeply in love with the wonderful custom spun, hand-dyed yarns they produce. All of the yarns I've used so far, from Snug Bulky, to Bello Worsted, to Cashmere Sport, to Primo Aran, to Crew, to Scholar, have made me really happy. Each new project makes me think I've found my favorite yarn of all time. And truly, they are all my favorites. I adore this yarn, and the new heavy weight Cachet cashmere is like knitting with a dream. If you haven't discovered Plucky yet, it's worth the effort. Although the yarn is sold in an unusual fashion, there is lots of advice for newbies here and a very nice group of helpful knitters on the Ravelry group. You'll be glad you took the time to figure it out!

Drachenfels

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

Here's the sneak peak I promised you yesterday at progress on Drachenfels, which for those of you who haven't seen it, is a large, asymmetric shawl, knit side to side.

I've completed just about the first third of it here. It's rather lovely just as it is, but I want the full large shawl to use on cold airplanes and winter nights.

This thought made me curious about the final dimensions, so I did a quick download of the pattern to check. Apparently I was a little bit too quick, as I downloaded the French version, which tells me:

Dimensions finales

Châle triangulaire légèrement asymétrique de 83“ [210 cm] par 25.5“ [65 cm] (voir le schéma)

It sounds so charming! And I'm guessing, since I speak no French, that it's indicating my final version should be around 83" in length and 25.5" as the maximum height of the triangle.

One note about color placement. If I were following the pattern as written, I would have only used the pink (The Plucky Knitter's Decorum Dictates) and the gray (The Plucky Knitter's Medieval). The yellow/green (The Plucky Knitter's Good 'Ole Days) would have only come into play in the midsection stripes. I wanted a bit more of a uniform feel, so I tucked two of the green stripes into this side, and will balance that with two stripes of the pink on the far side.

Catch Up For A June Morning

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

Don't you hate it when life gets in the way of your knitting? I say that jokingly, but it is exactly what has happened to me for the last two weeks. Between being super busy at work and getting kids set up for the summer, I confess I haven't so much as thought about blogging and haven't had much time for knitting either. My biggest accomplishment is that Vodka Lemonade now has a body. I hope to start with the sleeves this weekend.

I've just picked up my Drachenfels again, and want to finish the first section this weekend and move onto the stripes in the middle. It's knit in the Plucky Knitter Cashmere, and it's really soft. I pet it as much as I knit it, which is to say I'm really enjoying it. I'll have pictures for you by the end of the weekend.

The only other knitting I have to show for my two weeks of crazy is this one-day washcloth, which I knitted for this precious child before she started her summer ballet program out of some sense that when she used it every day, she would be reminded of how much she was loved. You can see the skepticism on their faces — clearly they don't believe a simple wash cloth can do that, but I'm pretty sure I'm right here. The wash cloth idea came from a kit my wonderful local yarn shop, In The Making, put together. The kits consist of a skein of Blue Sky Alpaca Cotton — the gray you see here — matched up with several different mini-skeins of perle cotton for the trim. I didn't follow the pattern, but instead made a huge oversized cloth for the ballerina. I'm going to use what I have left to make a few more for home. Donna, the owner of In The Making, is always putting together these cute little practical kits and I feel so lucky to have such a great store just a few minutes away.

Cats. Yarn.

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

It could have been a disaster. But thankfully, it wasn't. And they are just so stinkin' cute.

Usually, I'm meticulously good about putting up my things before I go to bed, but I wanted to knit a last row before I turned off the lights last night, and left everything on the floor, thinking it would be okay.

Our new kittens, Wingus and Dingus, are masterminds of chaos, so I should have known better. And really, for them, this was quite restrained. Fortunately, they were far more interested in a piece of kleenex and a pile of the Judge's dirty clothes (or at least they found them first), so the carnage was far worse there.

No more good yarnz for kittens in our house. But I will leave a few scraps strategically place around the house for them to discover, so they can enjoy the sensation of being naughty kittens. They are extremely pleased with themselves right now!