Category: sweaters

finish line

Hey, did you guys know that it’s really difficult to take a good photo of a whole quilt? It’s especially difficult with a) a fixed length lens and b) a Toronto apartment without a yard!

Relatedly, I finished quilting and binding my giant star quilt! I used Daiwabo Vintage Dry Goods from the workroom for this one, purchased in fat quarters. I think I originally cut the squares to be 15″. The finished quilt is 60″ x 70″.

When I finished the center star I decided that it needed to be a bit longer, so I put a border around all the sides and pieced together some short strips for the top and bottom. The purple binding is Painter’s Canvas by Laura Gunn, and the backing is some unlabeled chambray from the Textile Museum sale! Everything was sewn by hand with needle and thread – I really love Clover Black Gold needles. I use sharps for the piecing and binding, and quilting betweens for the hand quilting.

My Rhinebeck sweater is off the needles and in a bath as I type! This is my own pattern, which I hope to release in early November. If you see me in it this weekend, please say hello!

Between (Canadian) Thanksgiving on Monday and leaving for a night in NYC on Thursday, it’s a short week! Hope to see lots of you at Rhinebeck!

October 15, 2013
FO: Sheepcote

I finished my Sheepcote! Of course, it’s about 30C too hot to wear it, but I’m sure it’ll see lots of action in the fall. I’ve photographed it with jeans, but I’d definitely wear it over a tank dress or with a nice full skirt. I made size 37 3/4″, and used the same size needles as in the pattern.

For my version, I did a few things differently. I chose a yarn with more drape than the original Green Mountain Spinnery (which is also awesome) – I used Manos silk blend in Juniper (3043) and Nickel (3031). I love this yarn, it’s so soft and luminous! I bought all the skeins in the shop, but I was a bit short on yardage so I had to be a bit creative. I did decide to omit the waist shaping (which would have used less yarn) for a more casual body shape.

I made it a little less blouse-y in the yoke, by working the first decrease round at about half the yoke height, working even for a bit longer before the second decrease round, and working fewer short rows. I was juuuust able to get enough yoke height with the amount of Juniper that I had (I think it was 6 skeins) before starting the contrast ribbed collar.

July 9, 2013
a Winona for me

My Winona!

For my version, I used stash yarn that I’ve had for a few years – Sliver Moon Farm fingering weight merino, which is super squishy and bouncy. I used less than 4 skeins in a lovely grey blue. I knit the size 36.5″, which fits me well in the shoulders with a bit of negative ease (an inch or so), but is nicely flared over my stomach and hips. It’s a more exaggerated silhouette than you might be used to, but it is so easy to wear. I’ll be wearing it over a dress (the one above is from Garnet Hill) all spring and summer.

Not a dress wearer? No worries, jeans are awesome too!

Buy it at Twist Collective!

April 17, 2013