By and large, the average (non-knitting) person automatically thinks of wool as the go-to fiber for knitting.  And while I could extoll wool for many a-blog post, I can also say that wool just is not suited for warm weather knits in my “neck of the woods” where it gets hot and steamy and sticky in the humid summer.  While we seem to be in a bit of a cool spell after a little heat wave earlier in the week, my mind is racing thinking about all of the spring/summer knits for those 90+ degree days!

 I made a tank top – so simple and fast to complete – out of some leftover yarns (stashbusting continues!) and I am nearing completion on a simple spring pullover next…

This is the A-Line tank from the Spring/Summer 2007 issue of Knit Simple.  I used leftover Classic Elite Classic Silk yarn in this lovely perwinkle color.  The tank is knit bottom-up, flared at the bottom with small decreases all the way up along these faux princess seams – then a small ribbing in the middle to gather the stitches.  I modified it to knit in the round,  adding an edge stitch to each side.  The pattern only goes up to a 36″ bust, and since I wanted a little ease, I went up a needle size (size US 8 and 9s) to make it more of a 37/38″ bust.  My plan worked, for the most part.  It isn’t the most “flattering” knit I have ever made, but it is cute and it will be worn. 

If I made this again, I would add some more length to it.  I often forget that my torso is longer than I think it is, and I tend to like my tops and tanks to be longer – around the top of the hip.  Luckily, I have a periwinkle camisole that is nearly the same color underneath to give the illusion of a bit more length. 

This pattern page on Ravelry has some lovely projects by other knitters, but none of the other knitters have my body shape – so I wasn’t quite sure how this one would out since I have a larger bust and wider hips.  Jury is still out if it is a success or not!

My newest knit – which is nearly done after lots of weekend knitting! – is another version of the Forrest Pulli top that I made last March.  This time, I am using a different fiber to get a more relaxed shape with some more ease.  This RYC Natural Silk Aran reeled me in hook. line. sinker. at the LYS awhile back.  The steeley blue/gray with little color flecks was just too much for me to turn down.  I didn’t have a pattern in mind when I bought it, so I was quite happy to match this pattern to this yarn.  The picture shows the knit as it looked late last week… you can now imagine a completed back and a front left panel.  Now onto the right and the sleeves, and it will be good!  I didn’t expect to motor through this knit so quickly, but now that I have, it seems almost possible that it could be done by the weekend – for Maryland Sheep and Wool festival

I am analyzing many garment shapes in my Ravelry queue to see if this is really the best style and knit shape for my body… luckily, I have Amy’s *amazing* new series of blog posts called “Fit to Flatter” to help me determine this kind of thing.  Amy has put together two amazing tutorials (so far) with lots of visuals, drawings, models, etc.  to aid the knitters/crocheters out there on the search for the perfect garment for your body shape.  Check it out.  You will definitely learn something.

Right now, I am particularly drawn to long tunic-style tanks and shifts – and while it’s a lot of knitting, it’s also a nice stashbuster too.  Some of the patterns that have caught my eye:

• Berroco’s Moska
• Interweave’s Summertime Tunic
• Purl Bee’s Leah Tunic
• Pegboard Lace Tunic
• Bottoms Up Tank
• Rebecca Yoked Lace Pulli

…and the list could go on and on!  Wonder how many I will realistically make this summer…

Mid-April and life is moving along quite nicely… then again, when there is so much natural beauty around, it’s hard to not put a smile on…

(Bradford Pear, Azalea, Dogwood)

Kris and I have both had busy schedules at work – which makes the downtime that much more enjoyable.  Last weekend, we took the doggie girls over to the dog park (my good friend Ang joined us with her two pups), we went to a show in DC (Vampire Weekend!) and then had a nice Easter Sunday with both sets of family.

(Jenny and Bella are worn out after running around the dog park!)

This past weekend, we woke up early on Saturday to set up a yard sale, and then went to Kris’s brother’s surprise birthday party.  Sunday offered some downtime – I read some books (graphic novels are my flavor of the month – book reviews to follow) and we did some gardening.  This afternoon/evening, we are heading up to Delaware – Kris is giving a presentation and I am hitching along for the ride.  And tomorrow I am heading to Philly for a work conference (Caring for Unusual Formats!) and I am gonna meet up with this amazing lady.

I have been in a bit of a cast-on frenzy… I have started several new projects over the course of the week, but some didn’t quite make the cut since they were more crochet practice.  I am still trying to work on my tension, but the stitches are coming a bit easier.  My recent project of choice has been cotton washcloths – made with Sugar n’ Cream Cotton.  Practical and functional.  I like using the small swatches to practice stitches – this one is half-double crochet:

The newest knit on the needles is the A-Line Swingy Tank from an old issue of Knit Simple (Spring/Summer 2007) [Ravelry link]- it’s a simple and flattering tank that seems like a good shape for me.  It would be cute with a camisole underneath, or with a cardigan on top.  I am using leftovers from the Sienna Cardigan I made last year – Classic Elite Classic Silk.

The recent spike in stashbusting is because 1) I always do this before MDSW – less than one month away and I start to get serious stash guilt and 2) the Stanley Cup Stashbusting KAL/CAL over on Ravelry’s Puck This! group.  I am heading it up again as I eagerly anticipate the NHL playoffs.  Feel free to join us if you are interested!

How are you enjoying the change of season?  Are you outside more?  I would love to hear what you are up to!

It is a very rare occasion when I knit something that has had so little “face” time on this blog.  The Pintuck Tee has been steadily growing over the last few weeks, and on Friday night, I looked at it and knew that I could finish it soon.  So, once I set my mind to it…

Pattern: Pintuck Tee [rav link]
Yarn: Schulana Sojabama (bamboo/soy blend)
Source: The Loop in Halifax, NS
Needles: Size US 3 / 3.25mm

You may recall that I purchased this yarn in Nova Scotia.  Mimi made a beautiful Wyvern Wrap [rav] out of it, and when I talked to her at the shop in Halifax, I decided to take the plunge and try the 55/45 bamboo soy blend.  This pattern had recently come to my attention on Ravelry, and right there in the shop, we did the math, and I walked out with 7 balls of yarn specifically for this project. Beautiful gray with blue and purple flecks.  I should have picked up another ball (hindsight is 20/20, don’t you know) so that I could have added sleeves.  Honestly, I don’t wear too many tanks because… well, I don’t like my arms.  But, this one will get worn.  Maybe with a shrug on some occasions

Other than the sleeve, I also omitted the buttons on the little “bib” portion, favoring the open neckline more.

[More photos of Pintuck here]

This pattern was well-written, and the designer, Lien Ngo, incorporates some great techniques to keep the shaping and inserts interesting.  I really liked the short rows; they provided a crisp look on the armholes and neckline.

I have a feeling that the yarn is going to grow – I have heard that about bamboo and soy yarns.  That is why I chose the 37″ size, hoping that it would relax a little with wear.  I think it may get a little longer too.  Have you had this experience with these fibers?

It is nice to have such a timely knit – it is soft and cool to the touch and will be perfect for the hot summer days.

I unpacked my new yarn from The Loop in Halifax, only to pack it up again to head to the beach for a long weekend. What can I say? (I will be staying put for awhile… well, a few weeks, at least). The Schulana Sojabama first caught my eye when I saw Mimi’s Wyvern Wrap (Ravelry link), and it didn’t take much for her to talk me into it when I visited her shop. I did go in with a plan, however… the yarn was perfect for the Pintuck Tee that I had added to my queue only a week before…

The bamboo/soy blend is going to be perfect for this summer tee. I am thinking about modifying the sleeves on this one, but it all depends on how much yarn I have left. The yarn appears to be a great gray, but if you look a little closer in natural light, it is actually quite multi-tonal: lavender, blue, and maybe a little pink too. Quite lovely.

(beaded stitch marker compliments of dear Coleen)

It’s a small gauge knit in the round – worked on size 3 needles with hundreds of stitches per round. Perfect kind of knitting for lazy days at the beach ~ well, at the beach house, as I only venture to the actual beach after the sun sets and there is smaller risk of my skin turning red

Every year, we head over to Assateague Island to see the wild ponies.

This year, we had a pretty close encounter.

Ahh… now there we go.

Glee Tee
Pattern: Zephyr Style pattern
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in Periwinkle
Needles: Size US 3 and 5 circular needles

Still a little rippling, but I feel that this is minimal compared to what it was! I followed the pattern, and only made one change: not adding the hook-and-eye closures to the neckband. This modification makes the Glee look a lot like one of the other Zephyr patterns, Ms. Marigold, doesn’t it? I loved the way the hook-and-eye closures looked on the model, but for me it was just not practical. If I want a version with them there in the future, I will make a bigger size. The hooks pulled the neckband out of shape. I heard about the hook-and-eye tape, but did not find any at my local craft store, and I did not pursue any other routes.

Overall, I am happy with the final product. Thank you for your kind comments on the last post before I did the neckband “surgery”. The color of the yarn – and the yarn itself – were definitely the highlights of this project. I bought this yarn over a year ago at a Stitch DC sale – got a great deal and fell in love with the color.  I initially had my mind on another project for it, but I soon realized how perfect it would be for this one.  I used 4.75 of the 5 hanks I bought for the Medium (36″) size.

I am already planning more garments in this wonderful yarn. Heather told me how much she enjoyed working with it, and Eunny and I recently discussed how amazing it is… so lightweight, with a beautiful drape, and an amazing color palette. Wouldn’t this pattern be great as a cardigan too? I was thinking about a 3/4 length sleeve with the band extended to the bottom. Maybe then some hook-and-eye closures?

This was my first top-down pattern, and I really enjoyed it. It seemed to knit up faster for me from the top-down, and I was able to try it on in the process. I made a small cap sleeve instead of a longer short sleeve. This was a big step for me, as I am notoriously self-conscious about my arms. Hopefully I will actually wear it out of the house!

Knitting in the round is so satisfying. Sometimes, the whole seaming process really stresses me out. This garment was so easy because when I finished knitting it, there was little else to do!

Wishing you all a good weekend~ I am off to DC to help Jenna with some packing and moving…