To Space! And Beyond!

Finished Object Alert!!!

Pattern: Split-Neckline Cap-Sleeved Tee from Stephanie Japel's Fitted Knits
Yarn: Cascade Yarns Invito Print for body / Pima Tencel for trim
Needles: KnitPicks Options circulars, size US 8 (for body) and US 6 (for trim)

Modifications: I followed the pattern for size 34" until I separated the sleeves from the body, where I increased three stitches at each underarm. Approximately four inches below that, I decreased by one stitch at each underarm marker every fifth row three times. I finished the garment following the pattern, including the darling picot eding and the split-neckline. After the first wearing, however, I realized that this was just not practical. The split-neckline split sooooo far that my bra strap and my underarm kept showing, and that the fit of the tee was awkward and unflattering. The picot trim, while having a very "finished" look, tended to flip over, so that the inside of the trim would show and the neckline would pull and sag.

So, home I went, and ripped out all the edging. For the bottom of the body and the sleeves, I decreased the stitches by 10%, then knit a 2x2 ribbing. I stitched up the split-neckline, then knit in a little faux split-necking garter edge. Leaving the clasp in place, I knit a 2x2 ribbing around the neck, in the round, and decreased at the raglan "seams" on one round. And, yeah, I have to be a little careful when I pull the thing over my giant noggin, but the fit is so much better -- even if the sleeves do still flip out a little.

Knit Your Own Linebacker

Finished Object Alert!!!

Pattern: Two-Tone Ribbed Shrug from Stefanie Japel's Fitted Knits
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash -- 1 skein "Iris" for ribbing and 1 skein "Black" for body
Needles: KnitPicks Options 24" circulars, size US 8 (for body) and US 5 (for ribbing)
Modifications: None!

I didn't even have this baby on my To-Do list, but I thought it would be a nice little somethin' to wear with my little black dress. It was a very quick knit -- for me, at least -- at just under one week of Commuter Train Knitting in Public. I am pleased with the shrug, and I will most likely wear this combo to work tomorrow, but if I knit it again, I'd probably knit a larger size, despite my actual shoulder-to-shoulder measurement, to reduce the way my shoulders look like those of a linebacker.

Happy Labor Day!

Summertime Winter

Finished Object Alert!!!

Pattern: Winter Socks, Magic Loop book, Mens size
Yarn: KnitPicks Swish Superwash (worsted) in Grey, just under 3 balls
Needles: KnitPicks Options 40" Circulars US 6
Modifications: None

This is only the second pair of socks I've ever made. The first pair was for my mom's beau for Christmas last year. I had only been knitting for two months when I'd decided I'd try the sock thang. As much as knitting those socks flew by on the dpns, after a while I got used to using circulars and wanted to try out the Magic Loop method for my next pair. So I cast on for these, and I took months and months to knit them. Poor things kept getting put on the backburner.

This pair was for my boyfriend, who is seen in these photos sporting the warm, wintery things. He loves that they were especially made for his two different sized feet.

PS: Thanks for all the get-well-wishes when I was sick! Summer colds/flus are the pits! I tell ya, I have gotten sick more times in the past two years than I have in my whole life. I blame the building I work in. It's kept at 63 degrees year-round, has terrible ventilation, and there's a "clinic" on the second floor. Recipe for immune system disaster!

Mamma Mia!

So my mom finaly got the "hint" in my June 10, 2007, post and sent me a picture of her wearing "Sizzle."
Wowza! Not too shabby for not having had her measurements while I knit the garment!

FO: Summertime Tunic

Ugh! So I just started to make corn muffins, got the egg cracked into the 1/3 cup of milk and everything, only to open up the Jiffy box and find the corn muffin mix covered in tiny, tiny ants. Strangest thing, they were just inside the box. Not a trace of them in the cabinet. How on earth did they get there?! It reminded me of my apartment senior year in college. It had a serious tiny ant problem even though the apartment was sprayed monthly. One time, I left the apartment and went shopping for a b-day present for my mom. I was out at the mall for a long while, shopped around, stopped for a hot pretzel, you know the drill. When I finally found something for my mom and held out my credit card to pay, there was one of those tiny ants on my wrist! It had hitched a ride on my body for HOURS!

Tonight, the corn muffins were going to be a treat for finally (finally!) finishing the "Summertime Tunic" from the summer 2007 issue of Inteweave Knits. I used Knit Picks Shine Worsted in "Bachelor Button" and size US 7 circular needles. That darn tunic was some sloooooow going. Especially since this past week I had a cold, threw out my back, aaaaand there were three days were it was, I kid you not, hotter than hell outside. Too hot to knit.

Oh, My Darlin'

A few months ago, I decided I should learn to read a chart, and that I should do so by making the Clementine Shawlette from IK Spring 2007 in Knit Picks "Gloss" in "Pumpkin." Only three mistaks on the whole thing. Not too shabby. Oh! AND I learned the kitchener stitch! Double whammy.

My "Sizzle" Saga

Today, I finished by third "Sizzle," designed by Wendy at Knit and Tonic.



My first "Sizzle" was a little red number knit up in Karabella Yarns "Zodiac" on size US 7 circular needles. This was my very first garment, and I followed the pattern exactly. The fit on top turned out well, but the bottom half was too roomy and it was too short for my taste. I did, however, love the deep v-neck. What did I learn? Working with 100% cotton is the pits!




My second "Sizzle" was for my mom for her birthday. I used the recommended yarn (Silk Bijou by Olympus) and size US 7 circular needles. I followed the pattern exactly, again knitting a front and a back and then seaming the pieces together. My mom, who lives in Chicago, says it fits, but has yet to send me a picture to prove it.



My third "Sizzle" was an experiment. I've recently become obsessed with knitting garments from the top down, in the round. So I adapted the pattern to do this. The result? The v-neck isn't as deep as I would have liked it, and the placement of my bust darts are all funky. (How did this happen? I have no idea. Thankfully, I just received in the mail
"Sweater Design in Plain English" by Maggi Righetti.) The moral of the story: I continue to underestimate the extent of my bust. This third "Sizzle" was knit on size US 7 circulars in nearly 8 complete balls of Knit Picks Shine Worsted in "Snapdragon."



While this third "Sizzle" is by no means my last (I intend to keep trying until it's perfect for my body), as soon as I finished weaving in the ends, I cast on for the "Summertime Tunic" from the summer 2007 issue of Inteweave Knits. I am using Knit Picks Shine Worsted in "Bachelor Button" and (of course) size US 7 circular needles from my brand-spankin'-new
Knit Picks Options Knitting Needles Set. Oh, how I love these needles!

My "Fad Classic"

My favorite knitting blogs are the ones with extensive, no-nonsense photos of finished objects, complete with extensive, no-nonsense details about the knitting of those objects. That's why, here at Law and Garter, I'll keep my Flickr album (check the sidebar) complete. I'll also give you all the details, here.

Here goes.



Here's the "Fad Classic," designed by Wendy at Knit and Tonic. I used size US 7 needles and (almost) three skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in "Violet," which looked great in the skein, but looked more and more like Barney, the annoying dino, as I knitted along. The only modification I made to this size 34 garment was to not do any waist increases. In fact, instead of increasing, I decreased some more, though I don't remember how many times. I also don't remember how long this project took me. It got put on the back burner for a while, and I get the bulk of my knitting done while on the commuter train.

By the way, one round in the four-round stitch pattern calls for you to k1p1 into each stitch. I dreaded this round, because it took me so darn long --- until, that is, I discovered that I could k1p1 in time with Michael Jackson's Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough. Try it. You won't be sorry.