Pomegranate Pullover is done!

…and since the weather was pristine yesterday afternoon, I decided outdoor photographs were in order! 

Of course, I needed one of the pomegranates from my collection to remind you just why I call this sweater "Pomegranate" – the color is a dead ringer for the fruit! It captures the three-way color blend of pink, orange, and red so well.   No wonder I was drawn to the yarn at the craft fair, nearly a year ago…

Pomegranate Pullover
Pattern: "Mohair Hoodie" from Knitting to Go Deck by Kris Percival
Yarn: Woolarina Handpaints Merino Laceweight
Needles: Size US 9 bamboo needles
Started: March 2006 / Finished: September 2006
See the Pomegranate Pullover Photo Mosaic!

This sweater started back in the Project Spectrum Red/Pink month of March, and it has been on the back burner ever since, coming to the forefront once again for Project Spectrum Clean Sweep.  I did a few rows here and there, but there was no real progress until the last few weeks.  I am so happy to have it finished! Maryland's weather is mild right now – chilly mornings and warm days – so this pullover is the perfect garment.  And I even have a pomegranate-colored cami to wear underneath! 

I used the pattern more as a guideline, primarily for the set-in sleeves.  I used a lot of creative license in this one:  I omitted the hood, which is an option that the pattern gives, but I also omitted the mock turtleneck that it calls for if you don't do the hood.  I picked up the stitches to do so, but the laceweight was floppy, and not suited for that kind of neckline. I did a pretty little single crochet chain – the extent of my crochet skills – and the crew neck is a much better fit for the yarn and for my style.  I also cropped the sleeves to my preferred three-quarters length, and made the torso longer than the pattern – seeing it now, I could have gone even more. 

The Knitting to Go Deck was a great find. It contains 25 patterns for women, men, and children – all of the patterns are printed out on folded cards that fit into a knitting bag so well! The patterns are basic in nature, and provide a great jumping off point if you want to experiment with lace, and/or textures in your knitting.  I split the deck with my mom and sister who wanted to try some of the beginner patterns.

I picked it up at a bookstore in Grand Central Terminal where I was waiting to meet Carrie back in March. I had a gauzy light pattern in mind for this yarn from the moment I bought it, and as I flipped through this deck, I found this pattern. It was perfect! When I got home, I swatched and had to play with the gauge a little to ensure a proper fit. As many of you have noted, my shape has changed since March – specifically up top (I am wondering just where my b**bs went…) I am glad that I decided on a smaller fit and size – I think it will fit me as I continue to lose weight.

Speaking of great books… I recently borrowed Amy Butler's In Stitches from my friend Avice (check out her lovely Rowan Seabreeze pullover and her Log Cabin blanket!) and after just flipping through, I added it to my wishlist.  This book is spectacular!  I really want to catch the sewing bug ~ this book has so many patterns, and best of all: detailed technical diagrams!

 Here's a little sneak peek…

(Click on the photo for links to larger photographs)

This weekend will finally be a restful one – it may even give me a chance to answer my huge backlog of emails (I am sorry if you have been waiting to hear from me!) 

♥

I know I am not the only one.  I hated the time of year when report cards were issued in grade school.  My teachers always liked me and gave me good marks – but the thing I feared the most?  The comment section on the back of the card.  They always said the same thing:

"Lauren is a very bright student, and a joy to have in class.  However, she talks to her peers and is easily distracted." 

Ahem. The worst part was that I had to get my parents to sign the report card, just to prove that they had actually seen it. (Forgery did cross my mind…)  Of course they knew I was loquacious Lolly.  Of course they knew that I was easily distracted.  They lived with me.  I prefer to think that I was developing good communication skills, and that I was a good multi-tasker…

I am still a talkative girl – but I think it has tempered a bit.  I still am easily distracted… but sometimes I know that "staying the course" is really best because the end result will be so sweet.

Take the Pomegranate Hoodie:  I really want to cast on for some other things… but I really want a finished sweater too.  So, I worked on her non-stop during my weekend road trip to Tennessee.  Sleeve 2 banged out in a few hours, and then the seaming.

I kept trying her on at various stages of seaming… first time doing set-in sleeves, so I wanted to ensure a proper fit. I am happy with it! 

I have been working on this hoodie since March.  I started it as part of the red month for Project Spectrum, and it is still on the needles.  Just as a reminder, I am using Woolarina Handpaints laceweight yarn (it is so great!)  I thought the color resembled a pomegranate, hence the name of the hoodie (sometimes shortened to Pom Hoodie).  I am using the Hoodie pattern from the Knitting to Go Deck by Kris Percival.

September is officially the Project Spectrum Clean Sweep month, and I want to finish this sweater, as well as my Sesame cardigan.  I hope I can make it before the end of the month! 

Sleeve 2 was set in and sewn up while watching last week's Project Runway episode. (wasn't crazy about that twist…) Since this picture I have finished both side seams, and have picked up the neck stitches for the hood attachment.

The hood is completely vestigial.  Purely for aesthetics.  In a rain storm, I would still be soaking wet.  In a gust of wind, my ears would still freeze.  There is no point to it whatsoever.  It crossed my mind to just leave it off.  What do you think? (See what the original pattern looks like here) Let me know, because I can't decide.  (You can add indecisiveness to the list of my "endearing" character traits, right beside short attention span and procrastination…)

Just because I needed a little change of pace while sitting in the car for approximately 16 hours round trip, I also started working on "My So-Called Scarf" pattern in the delicious new Malabrigo for my Scarf Exchange pal. 

My pal actually reads my blog (it may be you and you don't even know it!) and she lives in a colder climate, so I though the wool would be a great way to go.  She listed green among her favorite colors, and I think this fits the bill very well.  There are slight blueish green variegations in the yarn.  I had heard reviews about Malabrigo but had never seen it.  I ordered it online to give it a try, and I can't say enough good things about it.  It is so soft – that is definitely its edge over the other kettle-dyed Uruguayan wools on the market (and I have used several: Manos, Rio de la Plata, and Handpaintedyarn)  I hope it continues to hold up well, I don't want any pilling or fuzzing on my pal's scarf! 

Can I get these things done before the end of the month?  It appears that some six seven eight hundred people are devoting themselves to SOCKS next month, so I better 'get a move on'! 

I had the best of intentions for Project Spectrum: finishing all sorts of colorful crafts, trying new patterns, etc.  While I did do several things, I also left a lot undone. I am realizing through this Clean Sweep month that my good intentions translate into a busy September!

Take the Seed Stitch purse I started back in April…  If you blinked, you probably missed it.  I only blogged about it once. 

I am using some inherited Tahki Cotton Classic in gold, and basing my purse on the one seen in the book, Cool Girls’ Guide to Knitting.  The buttons are from my grandmother’s tin, all of the orange ones I could find.  I may mix in some other buttons from my collection, but I like seeing the seed stitch in the background.  I am planning to use a pillowcase I found at the thrift store as the liner for this bag.  So, all of the ingredients will be hand-me-downs or thrifted!

The Pomegranate Hoodie is still forefront on the Finish List.  I worked on her all weekend, and the front is nearly complete. 

The yarn is quite a lovely color – despite how it looks on your monitor.  It is hard to photograph without looking too “harsh” and fiery.  It is actually more pink than orange, and I hope that shows when it is finished.  Paula and Kate did an amazing job with this yarn – there is no pooling, just a beautiful variegation of light and dark pomegranate colors.  Just to make sure that the colors matched my complexion, I did the ol’ yarn-by-face trick before balling the second hank.  The yarn even looks nice as a cowl/necklace!

I was able to make such great progress on the hoodie because I had a great companion who knit with me all day on Saturday! Jenna was “baching” it this weekend, so she made a trip to the ‘burbs to see me, get some yummy Indian cuisine, and shop at the LYS.  After all of that, we made a cozy nest in my basement, watched movies and the Discovery Channel, and knit the night away. Despite the rainy day, we had a wonderful time. 

Behold!  A finished Carla sweater!

Jenna finished her Project Spectrum August knit: The Carla sweater from Rowan’s It’s a Tape Thing.  Just brilliant!  I think hers turned out better than mine - maybe that is because I am on such a brown kick lately.  She just blogged about it too! She also had something to do with this…

14 Balls of DK wool – brown, cream, and eggplant

Jenna wanted to go to All About Yarn and buy some yarn for her next pair of socks.  They just happened to have this lovely wool on sale – Jo Sharp DK Wool – and I just happened to have a pattern in mind for it.

This is the Nordic Memories pullover from Interweave Knits, Winter 2003. This was the first Interweave magazine I ever bought – I had just learned to knit, and I looked through and said “Someday… someday…” Now, almost three years later, I am finally ready to tackle the color work and learn how to do Fair Isle.

CosmicPluto did this sweater last winter, and I can’t wait to have my own version. Brown as the base color, cream as the bird’s eye pattern, and eggplant as the collar and sleeve edge. Jenna and I sat on the floor of All About Yarn putting this combo together, and I really couldn’t be happier.

Adding another knit to the list… yet another “good intention”.

PS - What a loss! You’ll be missed, Steve.

I had to dig down in the project bag for the Pomegranate Hoodie - it's been a few months since I spent any time on it. This has been a real "backburner" project. I cast on in the last half of March, and continued working into April, because it is a reddish/orange hue (hence the pomegranate moniker), I figured it would fit into both month's color spectrum. Other projects came to the forefront, and it was not until June that I finished the back. Sleeve one started in June and thanks to a Friday film night, I managed to finish it last night. This one has been a long time coming…

The yarn is handpainted laceweight from Woolarina. It is very nice to work with, and seems to be a perfect match for this garment. The original pattern called for a brushed mohair, but I was able to get gauge with this yarn, and it will be a nice lightweight hoodie for transitional weather – like now! – and also perfect for beach trips. There is so much yardage in these skeins (purchased at last year's Crafty Bastards fair in DC) that I am still on skein one and almost half-way through the project. There are definitely going to be leftovers, and I am thinking a lacy scarf is just the way to go!

The pattern "Women's Mohair Hoodie" is from the handy-dandy Knitting to Go Deck.This is one of the 25 pattern cards enclosed in the deck. Each of the patterns are simple and classic in nature – perfect for gifts and for timeless knits for babies, children, men and women. I split the deck with my sister and my mom, who liked many of the beginner patterns.

With the remnants of Hurricane Ernesto hovering over Maryland, and a special visitor coming to knit with me today, I have a feeling that the Pom Hoodie will be finished in the very near future…. no more lingering around!

In the interest of full disclosure, I have something to show you:

So, there you have it. I bought some yarn. However, I feel that I am completely justified – just shy of the deadline for Summer of Stash – but still 100% justified. I did not any exceptions – even when I was on vacation; AND I actually started my yarn diet after Maryland Sheep and Wool festival at the beginning of May. I am pretty happy with my purchases – and I am even happier about how I got them…

Carole posted a few weeks ago on her blog about her upcoming DC trip. I have been reading Carole's blog for a long time, so I was excited at the chance to meet her! So excited, in fact, that I left my camera's memory card at home when Erin and I went to meet with Carole in Alexandria, VA last Thursday! … despite my emptyheadedness, we had a great time doing our yarn crawl! Erin and I drove down from MD and met with Carole at Springwater Fiber Workshop. Such a great shop with a nice selection. I picked up a ball of Karabella Aurora 8 for some gift knitting, and some Louet Gems sock yarn.

(Thanks Carole for posting the pics!) After a yummy lunch, we trekked over to Knit Happens. This was my first visit to the shop, and I was so happy to see that my blog friends Holly and Rossana were both working! We were the only ones in the shop, and we spent our time playing with the yarns, looking at all of the new fall catalogs, and having a general great time! And, I did not leave empty-handed… in fact, Rossana helped me pad my bag with some Rowan Cotton Tape – on clearance, I might add. Cotton Tape is a favorite yarn of mine – I used it for both Virtue and Carla. Now with the lovely Lap colorway, I am planning a solid version of Tammy…

… I hope wearing this sweater does not induce the same bad posture and laissez-faire attitude…

You can read more about our Thursday fun at MamaE's blog and Carole's blog!

Have a lovely weekend!

I have come to the conclusion that knitters have well-developed wrist muscles… all of that knitting, purling, and ribbing works out the forearms, wrists and fingers very well.  This has to be the explanation, because I was so bad at bowling before. 

1. Kris Bowling, 2. Bowling Shoes, 3. Lots of balls, 4. Lolly Bowling (Arr!)

Then again, it may have been the roller derby/pirate face that helped me get my game on at the lanes last Friday night!  We met up with a friend of Kris's for dinner, and then we needed something else to do.  We were all so indecisive about what to do, and then someone suggested bowling… I snickered, but then I remembered that I had a fun time last year when I bowled with my sisters, so I gave it a go.  And I was good!  Kris said I had just the right "spin" on my ball. 

This past weekend was dreadfully hot, so there were no bike rides or farmer's market visits. We had a nice dinner with our neighbors: Kris and F played a mean table tennis match, while V and I talked about sewing.  I really need to catch that sewing bug that is going around – can you pass it this way, Blossom?

I finished the knitting portion of Mimi's present.  I am reworking one area that was problematic, but overall, I am pretty happy with the result.  I hope she will be too! After some minor fixings, it will be winging its way to Hawaii… hopefully by tomorrow… then I can reveal more details.

So, am I the only one who has some leftover works-in-progress from Project Spectrum color months?  I am still working on the Pom Hoodie (from March!) and I have several other knits that never saw the glorious cast-off day.  I started a discussion on the Flickr Project Spectrum group, and suggested a Clean Sweep month – September – when PS participants finish up their leftover crafts.  What do you think about that?  Of course, any feedback is welcome and highly encouraged!!

All I can say is that it has been a GREAT ride – and these five months have completely flown by!  And we still have half a month of purple left and a whole neutrals month!  I do encourage participation in the Flickr Project Spectrum group – because it is nearly impossible to visit all of your sites and blogs to see your current crafts.  Flickr puts it in a great format, and allows comments as well, so check it out.

Last but not least, we had a great time at the Columbia Meetup last night – and we had SIX new people join us!  Welcome Erin, Jen, Christa, Diane, Cherie, and Shayna! (Actually Shayna is an old friend, but it was her first time at the meetup) Hope to see you back at the next knit nite! Laura tells more about the fun we had in her post; I swear my cheeks hurt afterward from laughing so hard! 

Erin, Jen, and Christa are initiated into the group!

More pics
(including the ol' crew of MamaE, Coleen, Eunny, Laura and Amie)