Category Archives: Knit-Alongs

Finished in 2007, Knit From Your Stash 2007, Sweaters, Yarn Diet

EZ Tomten

May 8, 2007 Rosi G. 11 Comments

I’ve finished a super EZ Tomten, a design by Elizabeth Zimmerman found in a couple of her books. I used the one in the Opinionated Knitter. I love knitting her patterns as you are given so much freedom in what you can do.

Take this tomten: I decided to do stripes, short-rows on the back for shaping, pockets, a hood, a button placket, and I-cord edging on the sleeves and around the front. You could choose not to do any of these. You could even knit it in the round and make it a pullover.

Also, the size is based on whatever combination of yarn and needles you use. My combo gave me a jacket big enough to fit my 5 year old, Li’l Rosi! Mind you that I never had more than 112 stitches on my needles at any given point.

The hardest part about knitting this was the striping and all the ends I would have so I wove in ends as I knit so as to have less finishing to do. I wanted to use up a bunch of Plymouth Encore I had in my stash from a previous project. But if you make this in one or two colors, it should be a snap.

Now to find some nice big buttons. They need to be unisex as I don’t like sewing buttons and I plan for G-Luc to wear this when Li’l Rosi outgrows it.

Anyone have any recommendations for me?

Tomten Jacket

Source: Opinionated Knitter by Elizabeth Zimmerman
Yarn: Plymouth Encore
Cost: $5.60 per skein (used a total of 5 skeins altogether)
Size: ~5 year old
Needles: Size 9 Knit Picks Options
Started: April 28, 2007
Finished: May 7, 2007

Finished in 2007, Knit From Your Stash 2007, Life in General, Socks, Sweaters, Tops, Yarn Diet

Random Thoughts

May 7, 2007 Rosi G. 5 Comments

Helloooo, buddies! Yes, yes, I KNOW I’ve been AWOL. But trust me when I tell you that it’s all for good reason, all of which I’ll explain probably next week. 😀

For now, I bring you some random happenings:

1. I got some free Regia yarn at Loopy Ewe. I looove Loopy! They rock. The free yarn came to Groupies who ordered a week or so ago. Got Claudia Handpainted in that gorgeous black multi you see there, and some more Schaeffer Lola.

2. I’ve pretty much been slacking on the Diet part. Yarn Diet that is. I haven’t ordered any BIG loads of yarn but I haven’t kept to it 100%, as I’m sure you all know. BUT I’m still doing the knit-5-projects thing and KFYS07.

3. Speaking of, I’m knitting a Tomten in some Plymouth Encore I had in my stash. Actually, I’m almost done so that’s coming up soon.

4. I finished Wicked, too. I’ll be unveiling that one as soon as I remember to take pix!

5. Bikini waxing doesn’t hurt as much as I thought it would.

6. Neither does full leg waxing (I’d done only half leg before).

7. I finished Traveler’s Stockings and Rainy Day Socks. I loved knitting both. Wonderful patterns and fairly easy to follow. I love Louet Gems (Traveler’s Stockings) and Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino (Rainy Day Socks) feels wonderful on the feet! Click on each pic to see more pictures of each.

8. Gian loves bread.

That’s it for now!! 😀

Finished in 2007, Knit From Your Stash 2007, Life in General, Shawls and Scarves, Socks, Tops

FOs and new WIPs

April 10, 2007 Rosi G. 9 Comments

Yes, I know the 52 Pair Plunge is INSANE but I may as well join along as I knit socks ALL THE TIME during my commute. Very rarely do I bring big projects for commuting knitting because half the time I’m knitting standing up leaning against the subway door. HE!

I have finished my first two pairs. The Yarntini Chevron socks are on their way to their recipient. I REALLY hope she likes them! They were a quick and easy knit (especially with the garter stitch short row toes and heels). I also completed my Cider Moon socks. Let me tell you guys how I knit a sock PER DAY on this yarn! Yup, one a day, like the vitamins. Made up my own pattern, too. (Click the pic so you can see the notes on the pattern). These socks are sooo comfy and soft. I highly recommend this yarn to everyone. I already wore my socks and I kept wiggling my toes in them cuz they felt so cozy. 😀

Once those socks were off the needles, I cast on for Traveler’s Stockings: Take Two. My first try at these socks proved that I SUCK at matching yarn to patterns, not to mention that they didn’t fit at all, so that went to the frog pond. This time around I’m knitting them on size 1 (US 1.5) Knit Picks Options needles (vs. the size 0 called for in the pattern). I’ve calculated that this will give me an entire extra inch around the sock so they should fit really well. I’m also using Louet Gems which I scored at the Loopy Ewe. I really like this yarn. It’s very soft and easy to knit with. Not splitty which is KEY for this pattern. (I had a bit of trouble with splittiness with the yarn I was using for these socks previously – the base yarn used by this Fiber Artist has since been changed so we need not worry about that happening again if you purchase from him – he’s a great guy so I recommend that you do get some wonderfully dyed yarn from him!…but I digress). Louet: the color at first I thought would be more grayish but it has hints of green in it. It’s called Pewter. It’s fine by me. I like it although I can’t describe it. Can you?

I’ve been making steady progress on my Wicked top, too. I’m 2 rows away from splitting the sleeve stitches from the body but Jeanine and Necia BOTH insist that I MUST put the stitches on scrap yarn and try on the thing before continuing…just in case….the thought of removing and replacing and putting back and trying on….ugh….I HATE trying on clothes when I go shopping. So not a woman like that. But I guess I’ll have to go by what the experts say.

And THEN….I got sidetracked. My Marjaana yarn was calling to me. I wanted to make a new shawl and so….the Flower Basket Lace Shawl was born. I KNOW that I have YET AGAIN maybe not chosen a correct pattern for this yarn but I did know that I wanted something made out of it that I could wrap around me. This pattern works great in worsted weight yarn and it is just FLYING off the needles!! I cast on Sunday and look where I am so far! Actually, I’m a bit further than that now but ain’t it a beaut? Can’t you tell how wonderfully soft this shawl will be? How cozy it will be to wrap around me? Hurry off to Little Knits and get your own skein. I think that the color that is left of this yarn there would make a BEAUTIFUL Flower Basket shawl, doncha think?? I can’t wait to finish this so I know that I’ll be done sooner rather than later with this project.

I leave you with three heads full of curls. (Someone will have to pry the diffuser from my dead lifeless fingers as I NEVER plan to part with it!!!)

Tomten Jacket

Rosi does it all!