Paint (or Knit???) Me a Sweater

Camden's second sweater of the season is the Paint Me a Sweater by  Elena Nodel.  It was originally published as a free pattern under a publisher no longer in business (why am I blanking on the name???), but it's now offered as a free Ravelry download, which is much better, aha!

I had liked it when I first saw it, because it seemed a bit hip  - and simple, which is sometimes nice.  I do find that it's a quick knit, in that it's stockinette, but it sadly is hurting my hands to use the size 4 needles, even though they're wood (Karbonz Dreamz...I was hoping to partly remedy the hand issue with wood circulars, but 'tis NOT the case).  I ordered from Handsome Fibers, as I keep doing with my Karbonz needles, and they are AWESOME with shipping super fast!!!  I totally recommend them!  I do definitely enjoy using the needles, but I have such mad hand issues now that it probably wouldn't matter what I DO use.

The sleeve increases took my forever, partly because of hand issues, partly because it was hard to sneak in knitting (crazy baby is having a hard time getting to sleep at night) and partly because there are two knit rounds between each increase round.  The sweater doesn't have much length, though, so, that's nice!

I used Colour Adventures on Dia Worsted in Pinktastic and Irises - both lovely colorways!  The yarn is nice, and I feel I haven't used this base before....or maybe only once.  I have no idea, but I'd like to use it again.  I do like the results, though I wish I'd gone a teeny bit longer, as, because of the design, anyway, it likes to creep up over her belly.  So, an extra inch would have made me happier.  Either way, it's fun, and it works as a ballet top before I finish her actual ballet sweater - also, incidentally, to be knit with CA yarn ;)

Now....this is what happens when brother attack....

Oh!  There is the little guy!

Isn't he just hilarious?

Here I come!

He found a stick????

Get away! 

Out of harm's way

So Fancy! The Bloomsbury Sweater

Say helllloooo to the Bloomsbury sweater by Svetlana Volkova!

Honestly, peeps!  What an PRETTY sweater for such an EASY pattern!  I vote y'all should go out and knit one up now ;)  I did, however, put my right hand through some rough times, as I was trying to rush finish this sweater, what with all the knitting I have on the docket.  I really should take another knitting break, but I want to finish my Whispering Pines...and then the Cabernet cowl and hat set I have planned for Camden...and an Anders for Tiberius.  The list, as usual, goes on.

I had purchased this blue yarn LAST year in order to match these pants.  (Don't ask me while I failed to get photos THIS time with those very same pants, aha!)  It is the insanely gorgeous Colour Adventures Dia Worsted in the Glacier colorway.  In the size 6, I used just BARELY over two skeins.  If I'd done short sleeves, I totally wouldn't have needed the third skein; as it is, I only cracked that sucker open when I was basically at the ribbing of the second sleeve, LOL.  And, as always, I likely lengthened the sweater.  I am in love with it.  If you can't tell, aha!  Naturally, also, I'm in love with Elena's colorways; Glacier is no exception.  I'd realized my yarn stash was lacking in blue, and I'm glad I went with this!

My ONE mistake is in NOT lengthening the shoulder/yoke/whatever it's called....as I'd sized up because of the yarn I used and the gauge I was at - so, I should have lengthened the top, as it cuts pretty closely into Camden's poor armpit.  Ugh - another 4 rows would have been nice.

Well...and I lie.  I wish I'd used size 4 needles on the sleeve ribbing.  I did do that on the hem ribbing, for which I'm glad.  I had used size 6 needles for the main body and sleeves, and I always think it's a good idea to go down two sizes for ribbing.

Anyway, I have decent lighting in the pictures, even if there aren't great shots, and I tried to pair the sweater with three different bottoms - it is quite versatile, which is awesome!

Lastly, these are two recent pictures of the little guy!  

The little guy eats everything...

On a hike up at Todd Lake