Tag: yarn

Sweaters in the Works (WIPs)

Knitting sweaters and planning the next pattern. I always have more wool and ideas than time.

Sweaters knit using fingering weight yarn, or DK, generally take a while to finish. It’s a lot of little stitches to create a sweater for my size.

So, let’s start with my favorite WIP. The Field Sweater is pretty awesome. The yarn I chose is super soft and lovely and the fit is great. As of this post, it is not finished. I have the body left to knit. I changed the pattern for the sleeves to make them looser.

I love the neckline and love the fabric of the merino and mohair (both from Knitting for Olive). I can tell it will end up being a favorite.

Update: I have finished knitting Field – see the post here.

Field sweater knitting
Merino & Mohair
knitting Field pullover
Loose sleeve
right sleeve knit on Field sweater
One sleeve down

I’m also knitting the Autumn Alpine sweater and this one is giving me a hard time. I guess it’s time to quit using patterns by this designer. For me, it’s always trouble getting the size right, or there is something about the pattern I end up not liking.

Autumn Alpine sweater
Corrugated ribbing
knitting Autumn Alpine
Rib colors match flowers

I began with a smaller size as I had planned to make this for someone else. Then, I didn’t really like the colors so I expanded the body to make it fit me. That really isn’t going to work – I don’t think. The neck is tight, and could get better after a wash and blocking, but overall, this is not a sweater I really love.

To end the knit quickly, I plan to do short, or 3/4 sleeves. The colorwork was fun (one of the reasons I chose this pattern) but I need to steer clear of this designer. She is very popular, and I am not putting her down, just saying that (for me) I have difficulties. She has some wonderful patterns and great designs, they just don’t work for my preferred style and sizing.

Update: I have finished knitting Autumn Alpine.

Looking Ahead

It’s easy to get bored with knitting a pattern. When the knitting takes weeks, or months, to complete, the mind begins to think about all those other colors and yarns, stashed in the back bedroom, just waiting to be used.

Sleeves and bodies are especially tough when the knitting is simple round and round and round. When I’m in love with the project, I can stay strong and get the task finished. The sweater will be a wonderful accomplishment. But, when the tedious knitting will end up with a project that is not such a favorite, it’s tough to continue.

I do plan to finish both of these sweaters before beginning another. Yes! I can do it (and I did finish them before beginning Rebel).

Yarn Stashed for the Project Queue

The new yarn in my queue is just dying to become something wonderful. I have more Knitting For Olive merino and mohair in pretty green. (The company is based in Denmark, but the yarn can be found at other places. They do offer free shipping from Denmark on a first order.) I chose green mainly because I have almost nothing to wear that is green. Also, you don’t see so many green sweaters being knit. So, it’s a bit unique.

Knitting for olive Yarn

Knitting for Olive yarn in green
Pea Shoots and Dusty Artichoke colors

The merino is “Pea Shoots” and the mohair is “Dusty Artichoke” and they will be held together to knit the Rebel Cardigan (link goes to the Ravelry page), by Ankestrick.

I tried a new online yarn shop to buy the mohair. The Starlight Knitting Society had a good price, and free shipping (although I don’t think it’s always free), so I chose my six skeins and had the yarn in no time. In fact, I had ordered one extra, which they ended up not having. I was contacted, and refunded, and all was good. It was a good price for this yarn, and with free shipping, I was very happy.

Harrisville Designs Highland

These Highland cones almost didn’t get to me. I had also ordered a book from Harrisville Designs, which ended up being out of stock. The order was placed around Christmas, so I figured it would take time. As weeks went by, I decided to check on the order and sure enough, the yarn was never shipped! It was all good, as customer service got it out right away.

Highland wool on cones
Highland cones in color Suede

The yarn is Highland wool, on a cone, in color “Suede”. I seem to have a thing for neutrals, on the brown-gray side! I had to put in a search for the cones on the site (they don’t seem to pop up otherwise) and was happy to find lots of color choices.

Cones contain approx. 450 yards x 3 = 1350 yards of worsted weight yarn. Cones (as of this writing) are $25.50 each and Harrisville Designs offers Free Shipping over $75… so that was wonderful as well!

What will I knit with my Suede cones? I’m considering the Clotilde Cardigan for this yarn. I may change my mind by the time I am free from WIPs…!! I had also thought about using my Alafosslopi for the Clotilde. So, we’ll see.

Purl soho’s Good Wool

Good Wool is from Purl Soho. These skeins are very squishy soft and I can’t wait to use them for something. The wool is undyed and this color is called “Hickory Nut”. Yup, it’s light brown! Haha… I will end up with a lot of neutral sweaters I think.

good wool by purl soho
Good wool

Keep reading my knitting stories…

Yarn Purchased at End of Year Sales

Say good-bye to the old year while saving money on favorite, or new, yarn. Like many other knitters and crocheters, the end of year yarn sales are something to look forward to.

Knitting for Olive

My end of year yarn sale purchases included, for the first time, Knitting for Olive yarn, a company located in Denmark. They offer free shipping – all over the world (I believe) – on a first time order. Along with that savings, the company offered 15% off on their Soft Mohair yarn, so I got a nice discount on this lovely yarn.

My order arrived the day after Christmas! That was fast, considering the holiday busyness and that the order shipped from overseas. I was impressed.

I bought enough yarn to make two sweaters. Still deciding on which patterns while I finish up knitting the gold Calliope pullover.

Dusty Moose yarn color
Dusty Moose in Mohair and merino
knitting for olive green yarn
“Pea Shoots” green yarn

*Update: Used the Dusty Moose color to knit the lovely Field Sweater.

Purl Soho

I took advantage of the end of year sale online at Purl Soho and ordered some new types of yarn. Good Wool is a light worsted weight / DK (per their yarn page) that comes in big, soft skeins of 383 yards. I chose a natural, undyed brown called Hickory Nut. I wound one skein by hand and found no knots or inconsistencies. It is truly very soft. This yarn is also affordable and is NOT Superwash. I will be knitting a sweater with it in the near future!

Purl Soho yarn skeins
Good Wool and Hedgerow
wool yarn skeins
Natural brown wool and Irish tweed

Almost all my hand knits in 2023 were sweaters and I was wanting to knit a new hat. The Hedgerow tweed caught my eye and I chose nice, neutral gray and blue (Woodpile Gray and Charcoal Blue) colors. It is spun from Merino, cashmere and silk and comes in skein lengths of 243 yards. 

This yarn comes from Ireland and is very similar to the Soft Donegal yarn I bought to make a poncho and Cobblestone cardigan. I’ve already begun a hat and learned how to do a tubular cast on for it! 

I’m excited to get knitting with all this beautiful yarn and will post my projects here, on my blog, as I go. I do have some knitting projects in the queue, but I tend to change my mind on the yarn I’ll use. Eventually, I will have to decide!

More knitting adventure stories…

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Discovering The Goodness of Icelandic Lettlopi Wool

The last thing you may expect a Florida gal to do is order wool from Iceland to knit a sweater! But that is just what I did a couple of weeks ago. I have now fallen in love with this wonderful Lopi wool.

Lettlopi wool skeins in white and blue
White and Air Blue Lettlopi yarn from Iceland

While living here in the jungle heat, I dream of being in a normal climate where seasons change and people wear sweaters, hats and mittens. My cold weather wardrobe is being knit with the hope that one day I will live in New Hampshire again.

I’ve come to love beautiful wool and appreciate knowing where my yarn comes from. Unlike many knitters, I never get to sit in front of a winter fireplace, happily knitting something I know I will need to stay warm. My knitting is mostly done in air-conditioned rooms with ceiling fans running. Fall doesn’t mean anything really to Floridians. Days do get cooler, but compared to the heat of summer, that means little really. Winter means some cold, damp mornings – we even get ice in the birdbaths occasionally – but snow never falls and temps usually warm up by mid-day.

It’s a boring place unless we get out on the water.

Florida neighborhood oak trees flat street
Live Oaks make a “tunnel” effect over the road where I walk in the morning.

Instagram For Knitters

I became interested in the Lopi yarns after seeing photos posted by knitters on Instagram. If you knit, you should set up an Instagram account (this link goes to my Insta account) and follow other people who knit. I’ve discovered new knitting patterns and sales on yarn (and patterns) from the site as well. I don’t do much on Instagram myself, except share a photo now and then, but I love to see what designers and yarn sellers have to offer.

Buying My Lettlopi Yarn

This has been my year for knitting sweaters. I have three pullovers on my needles at the present time- Calliope (finished!), Meadow Moon and Farfuglar (finished and knit with Lettlopi!).

Someone shared a photo, on Instagram, of a new sweater design using Lettlopi wool, and it was beautiful. I looked into the yarn further and ended up ordering from the Icelandic Store. I’d chosen a sweater pattern by Jennifer Steingass which used this yarn. The pattern, called Treelight, ended up being a pain in the neck to get started because of gauge. I gave up on it and found one in my new book, which I had ordered along with the yarn. The book, Lopi 40, is full of beautiful patterns and I have begun knitting “Farfuglar” meaning “Migrating birds”. (I finished this sweater in November and love it.)

Lopi 40 book of knitting patterns
Lopi 40 Book
Farfulglar sweater in blue and white Lettlopi yarn
Farfugla – finished!

A lot of Lopi yarn colors are out of stock, but I wanted light blue and white which were both available. I bought ten skeins of Air Blue and five skeins of white. I had to pay shipping, but the yarn itself was so cheap, compared to US stores, that I believe I got a good deal. The shipping process took over a week, but I was in no hurry.

Plotulopi Yarn

Another wool yarn that gets good reviews is Plotulopi. It is described as “unspun plates of Icelandic wool”. It is equal to a worsted weight and comes in lengths of 328 yards. At the Icelandic store each plate is about $5.. .which is a deal compared to ordering from US stores!

So my yarn plates have arrived, along with more Lettlopi, even though color selection in the Lettlopi was slim. The Icelandic Store is on the ball, and this shipment arrived very fast.

I have begun knitting a pair of mittens using the Wine Red Plotulopi. This yarn is unspun and that means it will pull apart very easily. I wondered how it would work while knitting colorwork! I did okay, except when I had to tug on an end that was hanging, and the red yarn came apart! I used a crochet hook to catch the short end piece and wove it in. It means being careful when knitting with this yarn.

So this yarn is a little weird, but it’s cheap, and I love the colors! They make up for all the missing Lettlopi shades that are out of stock.

Plotulopi wool yarn plates
plates of plotulopi wool yarn
Plotulopi plates of yarn
colorwork plotulopi and lettlopi yarn colorwork
Mitten in Lopi wool

Alafosslopi is The Bulky Yarn

By looking through the book, I discovered the heavier weight Alafosslopi yarn. It is a bulky yarn and is used to knit some wonderful sweaters that would be very warm. I have a pattern chosen to use this new bulky yarn, but many of those colors are also out of stock at this time. Since I had limited colors to choose from, I settled for Ecru Heather and ordered a box full of yarn.

This time the yarn was delivered much quicker, but I had to pay more for shipping. There was no choice and this may have to do with the size of the shipment, but I got the order very fast. AND… they kindly included a chocolate candy bar with my order! I have begun knitting the Carbeth Cardigan using this pretty yarn.

Alafosslopi yarn in ecru heather color
A little candy surprise in with my Alafosslopi yarn delivery!
Alafosslopi yarn in ecru heather color

Buying Lopi Yarn Online

Some places have the yarn to order in the US but the cost is about $5 more each skein! I’ll need about 13 skeins for the sweater I want to make. Webs yarn offers big discounts for bulk orders but at the present time, colors are scarce. For this reason I ordered directly from Iceland. The skeins are cheaper, much cheaper, but there is shipping to pay. Still, for me, it was worth it.

The Icelandic Store has very quick shipping. I also have ordered from the Nordic Store but haven’t had the best luck. They had a big sale going on and I placed an order only to find out a few days later that many of the yarn colors I ordered were out of stock. I was a little ticked off that nothing that showed as available was really available. So my preference is to order from the Icelandic Store.

I hope that more yarn is being created and we’ll have more color selections soon. Until then, I have plenty of nice yarn to play with.

A Simple Sweater With Stripes

My newest knitting project is a simple sweater with stripes. A link to the pattern page on Ravelry is…

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Once I Was a Crazy Yarn Buyer

I’ve been caught in the trap of yarn buying and now I am overloaded with the stuff! Self control and knitting from my stash has worked while Covid kept my income too low to have much fun. I’m no longer a crazy yarn buyer!

No one ever told me I would have this problem when I began knitting. I would become a crazy yarn buyer.

All knitters probably have the over-buying bug when it comes to yarn. Yarn is pretty….very pretty. The more you realize the options available, you feel like you must try it all. Every skein, ball and hank will eventually be used to knit something … you tell yourself.

Sales Are Deadly

Sales are the absolute worst! Pattern sales are totally worth it, but yarn on sale, that I can’t pass up, will need a place to live in my small house. I’ve bought yarn in bulk even though I wasn’t crazy about the color. It would be cute as a sweater, right? And look at this self-striping yarn for making socks! It doesn’t matter that I had never knit socks, I might one day.

Eventually I created a short list (in my head) of what I like to knit, and which yarns were my favorites. Now, the choices don’t seem so overwhelming. I bypass sales on yarn I never use. There is a lot of “good” yarn out there, so I stick with patterns that would use my favorite types of yarn.

wool yarn Jamieson & Smith
Jamieson & Smith wool skeins of yarn

I’ve come to love colorwork. Hats, mittens, cowls and other little projects that require use of two or more colors have become a favorite. Thin (fingering) wool yarn in smaller skeins are affordable and very useful and pretty for such projects. Jamieson and Smith’s small skeins are so affordable! And all those colors make me drool.

New Hampshire Travels

I’ve been vacationing in New Hampshire and have realized that fingerless mitts would have come in handy here! I could easily take iPhone photos without removing my mittens if I wore a pair of mitts, which I have knit, but didn’t bring. I could wear them for warmth in my chilly rental. So new colorwork mitts are on my to-do knitting list.

Now I buy a lot less yarn. I’ve accumulated bunches and don’t have a lot of space to store it. I guess having a big house could be a downfall for knitters with a lack of self-control and money to spend.

It comes down to being realistic. Knitting takes time. Before I get to that project I once loved, I have come across other patterns I love even more, and yarn needs change. You know what I am saying here. The yarn bought on sale gets pushed to the back of the drawer or bin and new yarn is added.

  • Fair Isle fingerless mitt stranded colorwork knitting
    Left mitt done
  • Maine Morning Mitts free pattern
    Same pattern with different cuffs
  • Oulu mitts
    Finished the Oulu Mitts before the end of 2020
  • little flowers fingerless mitts pattern

Last year (Covid year) reduced my income greatly, so yarn buying had to cease. It was the perfect chance to find patterns where I could use up my yarn stash, or at least make a dent.

This is where I pat myself on my back for doing a fairly good job of sticking to my self-imposed no-buying rule! I caved when I needed a comfy and warm sweater for my trip and bought lots of Brooklyn Tweed’s Shelter yarn to knit the Cobblestone Cardigan. I’m wearing it during my trip – a lot! So, I’m happy about that. My daughter is modeling the sweater below.

Modeling the Cobblestone cardigan and Katie's Kep
My daughter wearing the Cobblestone Cardigan and Katie’s Kep

If I Wear It, I must Like It

Living in a hot climate means I seldom get the chance to wear what I knit. When I visited a cold place for a few weeks, it was easy to see how much I would wear certain hand knits. The Cobblestone sweater is big and bulky and perfect to wear over anything.

And another item I brought was the neck wrap, which is a crescent shaped shawl. I have used that to keep my neck warm numerous times. Once I was back in Florida, everything was washed and stored away. Sadly, I won’t get much chance to wear those items again.

Sock Yarn Overload

Unfortunately I have lots of sock yarn – washable fingering in merino wool. I bought sock yarn back when I was simply buying yarn because it was pretty! I had no idea what I would use it for.

Now, I want nylon added to wool for knitting socks. I want earthy, rustic wool for warm clothing and colorwork. Sock yarn is often used for shawls, which I really have no use for.

  • lime green sock yarn
    Lime green sock yarn
  • Hedgehog Fibres sock yarn
    Hedgehog Fibres “Beach Bunny” sock yarn
  • Aqua blue Emma's Yarn
    Practically Perfect Sock yarn by Emma’s Yarn in two tropical blue colors
  • Tuku wool sock
    Wool yarn from Finland – pretty colors but quite scratchy
  • Shawl yarn
    Pretty purples

I’ve made progress in my knitting life by whittling down my list of must haves. I no longer randomly buy pretty yarn. I don’t knit to impress others online, or join in when everyone seems to be knitting “it”. If I won’t ever wear it, I won’t knit it. KAL’s were fun at first, but I’d rather knit on my own. And some patterns that go viral don’t interest me.

A lack of income has prevented me from buying this year, but I have a lot of yarn staring at me from the bins!

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