Kris and I are back from our Southern California roadtrip and family visit (newborn niece! sister!), and I can’t wait to tell you more about it … just waiting for the 1300+ photos to download!  (Don’t worry, I won’t show them *all*…)  We had a wonderful time seeing this region of the US – meeting some amazing people, seeing lots of hockey games, and tasting the culinary delights, and finally being with loved ones.

… More on all of that later…

I worked on this cardigan to have it ready for hand delivery to my sister by the time we got to her new home in Monterey, and I finished seaming it in the car just a few hours before we arrived at her house.  Perfect timing!

Ruby Cardigan
Pattern: “Ruby” from the Breeze collection
Designer: Kim Hargreaves
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed (#15 colorway)
Needles: Size US 5 and 6

What a joy to knit, and it looks great on my lovely sister!  The cardigan had some great details, like the fold-over collar, the garter hems with picot edging… Mimi said it looked like the pages in an old book, slightly uneven and ruffled.  It really adds character, and was fun to knit too. 

The yarn was perfect.  It blocked so evenly and has such a professional look to it.  Along with Silky Wool, this is quickly becoming my favorite yarn.  I think it will wear well for years.  The tweed has depth and such a lovely range of color flecks.  The overall red – kind of a mix of rust and berry red, don’t you think? – looks great with my sister’s complexion, and should be a nice addition to her wardrobe.  I wanted to give her something comfortable yet flattering – something that a new mommy can feel good in, but still wear with baby.  I hope this cardigan succeeds in that goal!  It sure was a pleasure to knit, and even more of a pleasure to give it to her in person!

Yea for new knits on pretty sisters!  Yea for a new niece!  Yea for vacation! Can’t wait to share my photos with you all   Stay tuned~

There is this little voice I hear in my head: “Lolly, it’s Socktoberfest, and you haven’t even cast on for a single pair of socks!”  *sigh*  Yeah.  It’s true.  Not even a single pair.  Hopefully I won’t get kicked out of my own project! 

The plate was already quite full with sweaters when Socktoberfest rolled around this year, and I just couldn’t abandon the projects on the needles in good conscience…

2009 has truly been the year of the sweater, and I am not sure I will be able to fulfill my early hopes of doing a sweater-a-month, but I got over half way there, and that seems pretty darn good in itself.

Sweaters really are my favorite items to knit, but I am looking forward to a little change of pace in 2010 – hats and shawls, perhaps? 

In the meantime, I have three lovely sweaters in progress – all with (self-imposed) deadlines… 

Knit knit knit

“Fleecy Niecey” cardigan
Pattern: Baby Raglan (free pattern)
Yarn: Fleece Artist BFL Aran, “Cosmic Dawn”
Needles: Size US 8

I bought this lovely variegated yarn in Nova Scotia last summer - Fleece Artist is made in Nova Scotia, so what better way to think about my trip than to knit with the yarn I bought there?  Now the little cardi will be boxed up and sent to California for Baby V.   I was hoping to have longer sleeves on this, but I simply ran out of yarn – I didn’t want to make it any shorter, so it is a short-sleeved wool cardigan… yeah, I know…  My plan is to find a jewel-toned onesie for her to wear underneath – my little niece will be quite hip with the layered look.  I modified the pattern a bit here using seed stitch in place of ribbing and also turned down the collar.  I may add a button or pick up a cute pin or snap to match this… still deciding.

Using the same pattern, I made this slightly more summery version of the cardigan – little bit longer sleeves too!  I picked up the adorable watermelon button to match the marled pink yarn – RYC Cotton Jeans in “Sierra”.  I did use ribbing, as the pattern calls for, on the neckline, the sleeves, and the hemline. 

The pattern, like all top-down raglans, is so easy to knit and to modify.  Of course the small size of these make them such quick knits, and a great way to bust through some skeins of yarn from the stash.  Planning to make many more like these – perhaps a whole rainbow of them!

Knitting for baby is definitely fun – but I also enjoy knitting for sisters… and I  thought that Mimi deserved a nice garment too!  Her birthday was last week – and I am typically behind in my good intentions – but I started a beautiful Kim Hargreaves pattern for her:  the “Ruby” cardigan from the Breeze collection.  The wide open neck line is definitely the eye-catching factor in this piece.  When I picked up the pattern book a few months back, this (and the corresponding pullover “Rose”) was among my favorites in the book – one of the reasons I bought it in the first place.  When Mimi and I were discussing it recently, I sent her the link for the pattern and she liked this one the most too.  I love the chance to make something for her that she loves as much as I do!  We decided that a belted cardigan would be a good idea right now during pregnancy and after the baby is born - lots of options and easy to remove.  Plus, it is flowy, drapey, and has a nice shape.  I particularly love the frills of picot stitches on the edges. 

I cast on with Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed and immediately started the front left panel of the cardigan.  More progress since this initial shot too.  Garter stitches and simple stockinette – simple and beautiful