Last month, I shared some of my photos from my “Year in Photos” (YIP) project.  Today is Day 44 of the year, and I am still on track!  I am happy that I have been able to stick with it this long – more than 12% of the way through!

This week, I decided to do something new and fun – I declared it my “Week of Old Knits” and dug around for knits that were at least 1.5 years old.  Re-photograph and review how they are wearing and what the yarn looks like after the time has passed.  It’s been a fun project so far, and something I think that more people should do.  What happens a few years later?  How are they holding up?  Are they ever worn?

I would love to see and hear more about your own knits – we spend time on them when we knit and purl – so tell the rest of their story too!  It’s only fair, right?

Street Smart Hoodie

Finished: December 2007
Yarn Review: Doesn’t look a day older. This yarn, Cottage Craft wool, is one of those lovely rustic wools that will just keep ticking.  It was a joy to work with back then, and I would use it again in a minute.  Perfect for cables, textured pieces, and for colorwork.  I bought it at Stitches East in 2006 from the producers, and since then, they have made a nice website where you can see and shop for their wools and patterns online.
Wear Review: Until last winter, this knit didn’t get much wear… it was so pretty, but just sat in the closet. Last December, I pulled it down and wore it a lot over the winter. With the cold temperatures right back in Maryland now, I have already worn it several times this fall. No pilling, no stretching – it looks brand new.
Verdict: Love love. Would knit it all over again. This garment makes me want more hoodies in my wardrobe!

Twiggy Bobble Hat

Finished: January 2008
Yarn Review: Lovely natural alpaca from Kraemer Yarns; however, like most alpacas I have worked with, this yarn stretches.  It lacks the elasticity factor of wool, but it is almost forgivable because of the lovely halo!  It’s a tad scratchy right against the skin of my forehead.  It is very warm and toasty though, so perfect for the cold days of winter.
Wear Review: For a hat this lack of elasticity is fine, but a sweater in this yarn would be an issue… it would sag too much and just not fit.  The hat just gets some more slouch.  The pattern’s bobbles have not worn as well over time, and many of them get inverted and look more like dimples.  It’s not unattractive, it’s just the way it is.  If I had the real inclination, I would go back and stitch up the back of the bobbles… or if I ever made this again, I would do so after knitting each one – one or two stitches would do the trick.
Verdict: It gets a lot of wear because of the warmth. Plus, I love the chocolate brown and the general fit of it. A few things I would do differently next time, but still a nice knit.

Koigu Indigo Anklets

Finished: January 2006
Yarn Review: Koigu is still a hot topic and a well-loved yarn. The colors and the saturation was what drew me to this yarn in the first place, and they haven’t faded a bit since I made them. They have pilled with wear, and the bottom sole is kind of “felted”, but there are no thin spots or areas where a hole might form. The yarn has eased quite a bit, and they are a little baggy on the top of the foot.
Wear Review: These get a lot of wear – as around the house socks or slip on with tennis shoes socks. Considering this, they have held up well.
Verdict: Great color saturation and color fastness, decent socks. I don’t think I would make any more Koigu socks, but I would be happy to use the yarn for something like a shawl or scarf – something that wouldn’t be so likely to pill and lose shape.

I have completed 5 Days in the *Week of Old Knits* series along with reviews (although the ones written here are much more comprehensive than what is on Flickr) and I am planning another sweater and another pair of socks to finish out the week.  Stay tuned…

I started her last January… and here we are in the middle of December. It is good to have this little darling finished and off the needles!

Pattern: Hoodie from Patons Street Smart
Yarn: Cottage Craft 2-ply in Maritime Blue (100% wool)
Source: Stitches East 2006 (Baltimore)
Needles: Size US 7 and 8 circular needles
Started January 2007 / Finished December 2007

I did not make any modifications to the sweater, although I have to admit that I have not yet sewn in a zipper. I had a little mishap – purely my fault. I bought a zipper at the craft store and was thrilled to find such a close color match (without customization) and in my haste, I neglected to study the package: it was a non-separating zipper, which is really of no use for a cardigan. So, I have a choice of going back and looking again, or just holding off (à la Central Park Hoodie?) on the zipper all together. It does not pull to the sides, and is quite comfy, so it is quite wearable without it… still have to decide on that one.

The pattern was pretty easy to follow, and once I got going, quite enjoyable to knit. I really enjoyed the cables and the bobbles. The cables remind me of chromosomes (inner voice: hush now, your nerd is showing!) and I guess it is fitting that it is a female cardigan I considered cutting the cables out of the back panel, but I am glad that I stuck with it. They turned out really nice. I made the Medium size – which is supposed to be for a 38″ inch bust with ease to 41″ inches. I went up one needle size, so I think it may be closer to a 39″. It is a great fit – perfectly comfortable with different tops underneath.

The only notable problem that I had with this garment was the hood. It is BIG. Totally HUGE. It was a nightmare to seam up, and I am still not 100% happy with it (but I will settle for 98%) I blocked the thing like crazy, but when attaching it to the body in the seaming process, I had to do about five hood stitches to every body stitch. I looked at the directions, and I did it right, so I guess it is supposed to be that way. If I had known this earlier, I would have made the hood smaller in the first place. However, I do feel some accomplishment: this was my first hood ever, and overall the results are pretty good. Funny how a head covering can make you feel like a completely different person. (I can’t quite place it: I feel like a 16th-century milk maid, or a fantastical gnome…) Of course, the hood will be worn down most of the time.

I have already sung the praises of this yarn. I could easily sing an encore. It is amazing. I love it. It is a wonderfully simple wool yarn that blocks and blooms beautifully. It is one of those quintessential yarns that works for a large number of projects. I have only seen the distributors at Stitches, but I imagine that you can probably mail order from them as well. My stashbusting mantra forbids me from ordering more (now) but this yarn will undoubtedly be used again the future.

…and now my hoodie and I are headed off to the library for a first outing…

Bokeh: (from the Japanese boke ぼけ, “blur”) is a photographic term referring to the appearance of out-of-focus areas in an image produced by a camera lens. [Wikipedia]

I have been playing with bokeh aesthetics for awhile in my own photography, and it is all the rage in some of the Flickr groups. (Check out Minty and her new camera – she caught on to the bokeh really quickly!)

Since I finished up all of the knitting for the Street Smart Hoodie, I thought some blocking photos might be fun… with a little but of bokeh on top!

Now comes the seaming… I have a feeling that this will take awhile to block, but finished photos should come soon. Nearly a year in the making, and I am so close to be finished!

PS – Sweet Tina over at Knitting Contessa and I had a little chat – and she posted the interview on her blog!

This hooded cardigan has been on the needles for so long that I can only call it a labor of love. I picked it up again in October after many months of lingering in my knitting bag. I started this cardigan in January. While I have not been knitting continuously on it – I had my seventeen day affair with Aftur - I have been working on it quite a bit.

Since October, I have finished the back, and have finished 3/4 of the second sleeve. I am trying not to feel bogged down; there are still have the two fronts AND the hood to knit. I hate to admit it, but this is no longer a process knit – it is squarely in the MUST FINISH THIS THING AND GET IT OFF THE NEEDLES category.

Please do not mistake my urgency for dislike of the pattern or the yarn – that is really not the case. I encountered the Street Smart hoodie soon after I learned to knit – four years ago last month – and dreamed about the day that I could have the skill and the patience to make it. And the yarn – so perfect and blue. It is a true joy to knit.

I just want it off my needles before the year is out. That seems like a reasonable goal, right?

Do you have any long-standing unfinished knits?

Oh! `darkly, deeply, beautifully blue’ / As someone somewhere sings about the sky. –Lord Byron

Blue color is everlastingly appointed by the Deity to be a source of delight. –John Ruskin

… …

Aftur update :: sleeve one complete, sleeve two in progress

Saturday errands in the new blue shoes (and store bought socks)

…More thoughts and observations on blue…