Homegrown, Handknit, Potato, Po-tah-to

This is BIG, people!

My very first sweater for ME.  I'm pretty stinkin' excited, y'all.

Note my Colette Violet blouse I can squeeze into these days....

I was super nervous in joining up with the Ultimate KAL over in the Plum Dandi group on Ravelry, but I'm glad I did.  I wish I was a crazy fast knitter like some of the peeps in the Plum Dandi group.  Some ladies are super awesome and whipped out 50 billion sweaters or somesuch!  (And P.S.  The knitters in this group are super awesome and supportive!)

Ah....posing....

I used some lovely yarn - Sanguine Sky on Cielo Worsted, dyed by Lisa Sanchez over at Becoming Art (FB page).  I LOVE her colorways and wish I had more, honestly.  This yarn was originally purchased for Camden, years ago, but I could never, for the life, of me, come up with a pattern I wanted to use with it....low and behold, I apparently wanted to use it for ME ;)  Also, I originally had four skeins, but she was awesome and dyed up two more for me, and they were slightly different in color, but it worked out fine with alternating, so, I wasn't worried.  I overall alternated every 2 rows, anyway, which is easy when working flat.  Also, I realize I used an insanely variegated yarn, but I somehow thought it would work, and it does...to me, aha!

Buff biceps??  Or blouse bulk???  Both, LOL

I will say that I was one of only three people to work on Homegrown, that I know of, a lovely non-button-up cardigan.  I chose this style specifically because I'm still nursing my little guy and didn't want to have to worry about having to fit to my normal bust size.  I figured, also, that it was a good choice as my first cardigan for ME - pretty basic pattern, etc.  The pattern is by Melissa Schaschwary, known as dandiliongrl on Ravelry.  I can't wait to see who else finishes this pattern.

I chose to do a size 38, but when taking my bust measurement and back measurement, I found I wasn't sure I wanted to do that size on the whole.  I believe I cast on fewer back stitches, and I also had a slightly tighter gauge, as I liked the fabric I was getting on size 5 needles.  I can't quite recall, but I feel I started out with size 4 needles and thought it wouldn't fit me.  I got nervous and moved up to 5s, even though for the body, 4s might have been just fine, aha.

This photo captures colorway well, as it's not actually as glowing as it appears in other pictures

I did not do a 1 by 1 rib on the cuffs, as the pattern calls for, as I prefer the look of 2 by 2, and the only other "change" I did (unless you count my crazy sleeve-splitting decisions/indecision with the counts and pick-ups) was to make sure it was my length, rather than just going with the pattern length.  I think, even after blocking out, that I have a good length.

My only thing, other than thinking the back has too many stitches in the upper section/right at the sleeve split, is that I feel there are too many stitches in the front, also above the sleeve split.  I know it might be the style, but I am not sure I like how the fabric sort of gathers up by my armpits.  I do realize this just takes more thought in fitting, too, so, next time, I'll put more thought into gauge, etc.  A picky thing, maybe, as I love it otherwise.

So.  For my first cardigan, not too shabby!  I will likely want to do another cardigan for my second sweater, so, I'll have a think, and I've definitely got my eye on some gorgeous Lakes Yarn for possibly a Sople ;)

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And....in other news, there is home life.....

My new project bag from A Homespun House

A reindeer...of course

Ahahaha!  Silly big sister!

Who's that little guy, up front??

Date night with Elissa from The Rarest Bird

Aren't we just cute?

Sweet Poppy, AKA Spring in Fall

Today is a chicken stock-making kind of day, which always means chopping up and throwing into a pan eight hundred types of vegetables and herbs - preparing for a white chicken chili.  I could go on and on about its awesomeness, but that's not what this post is about (and truth be told, I haven't had it in over a DECADE, and I've never actually even MADE it myself - here's to hoping, LOL), so, I must move on.

As for today, I honestly only have "Quick!  Let's snap some shots before we rush in for our chiropractic adjustment!" kind of pictures, so, I'm not sure they do the pattern justice.  It took me about a month, as always, to knit a sweater, and this one is Elena Nodel's Sweet Poppy.  It is honestly SUCH a quick knit, for as long as those sides are.  I used Colour Adventures (also Elena Nodel) yarn in Watercolours. I do know that with this pattern, more of a semi-solid would have been a better choice, but it still came out pretty, even if those cables aren't super obvious.

My one Greek tragedy (I just can't knit or sew without them!) during this project was getting a good way into the shoulder increases, trying to convince myself it'd be a good fit.  In the end, I had to spend part of a 3.5 hour car ride ripping the sweater out because it was too small - and then starting over on larger needles.  And who knows - the back on this version looks too wide (could be my poor blocking; who knows?).  Camden, however, LOVES it, and she keeps putting it on even just to wander about the house.  I could have gotten some super cool 80s shots of Camden today in her new Figgy's top, leggings, leg warmers and this sweater, but alas, I have to keep my cute Figgy's top a secret for a little bit longer.

Signature dance move???

The pattern was super easy to follow, and quick, as I said (keeping in mind that I can make ANYthing slow...hence the month in making it).  I do think my armhole stitch pick-up wasn't very clean.  I didn't weave the ends as strategically as I'd hoped, but I do think getting it wet for the blocking only made it more obvious, as it's such a drapey knit.

Did these indoor shots just to see if the color came out differently

Long on my baby girl, as it's a size 4 - no biggie!

Go out and knit one of these suckers!  They're great!