Skip to main content

Hooting

I finished my Owls sweater and I am so happy with it.  I mentioned before that I've never knit myself a whole sweater before, but after this I think I'll do it again and again and again.

Owls sweater

I'm happy with the fit.  The right sleeve looks shorter in the picture above, but they are actually the same length.  Knitting in the round does have some disadvantages, but for this project I really liked being able to try it on to check the length both in the body and the sleeves.

Owls sweater

Blocking really helped with the shaping in the back.  The increases and decreases created some strange lumps and bumps that flattened out nicely.  Blocking also helped smooth out the owls a lot.  I have been frustrated before by yarn that relaxes a lot during blocking - enough to even change the gauge.  This yarn (Cascade Ecological Wool) didn't do that at all.  I kind of held my breath during blocking really hoping it would come out the same size.  I was really relieved to find that the blocking did exactly what it should do and nothing else.

Owls sweater

It felt like it took a looooong time to sew on all those buttons (34!).  When I'm sewing I usually attach buttons by machine.  That wasn't an option here.

Owls sweater

This sweater might make the rest of the winter endurable for me.  I need to make a long-sleeved shirt to wear under it as it is rather itchy.  But, once I've got that done I'll probably wear it a lot.  And if someone tells me they like my sweater, I'll probably say, "Thank you.  I made it myself."  And then I might hoot.

Comments

  1. You should hoot!! It looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!! The color looks great on you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Artistic and the quality looks amazing. I am so glad it turned out as you had hoped. Awesome color! Better practice your "Hoot"

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love it. The color is perfect as well as the fit. So glad you didn't compromise on the yarn selection.

    ReplyDelete
  5. How long did it take to knit? I love it! You did such a fabulous job!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Awesome sweater! The fit looks perfect and I'm happy the blocking didn't stretch it out. I love this design and will knit it for myself sometime. Currently I'm still working on the wool cardigan I started last November. It's going to be summer before it's finished. :(

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, it is sooo adorable... Great work!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your sweater looks awesome and you got the fit right on! the owls are really very cute.

    ReplyDelete
  9. That is a beautiful sweater! I love the details with the owls and their (piercing) eyes. One's attention is immediately drawn to them, which make them real stand-out details. Love-it!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Absolutely amazing! I love it! That is one of the nicest sweaters I have ever seen! You truly make amazing things!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful!! do you mind if I ask what size you normally wear? I would like to knit this but can't decide which size to do and your sweater fits you nicely. :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grocery Bags

More gifts! These are just like the still-all-too-ubiquitous plastic grocery bags, but they're fabric.  I followed this tutorial and you actually use a plastic bag as a pattern.  The instructions are very good and include a pocket so that the bag can be folded up and is easy to keep in a purse or a car's glove box. Mostly for the sake of the gift recipients, here's how to fold up the bag.... 1.  Lay the bag pocket side down and fold it length-wise using the edges of the pocket as a guide. 2.  Fold it in half, aligning the top of the handles with the bottom of the bag. 3.  Fold in half again and then reach into pocket with your hand and turn the whole thing (pocket included) inside out. Happy shopping!

Shopping Bags

Most stores in our town charge you a nickel for a plastic bag when you check out. I love this practice and the way that it encourages people to bring their own cloth bags or reuse their plastic ones. My habit of bringing along bags to the grocery store is well established, but I used to find myself stuck at places like the drug store or farmer's market or other impromptu stops. Then I picked up a bag at an upscale kitchen goods store that rolls up quite compactly. Now I keep that in my purse, so I always have a bag with me. I like my bag so much that I wanted to replicate it for the art sale. The final result is a hybrid of the bag I purchased and these that I made last year. The bag is a little bigger than the average plastic grocery bag. The velcro tab is used to keep the bag rolled up, but also can close the top of the bag when it is full. Most of the bag is a single layer of cotton, but the handles are faced. There is a double row of top-stitching around both edges of

The Burda Skirt Again

I'm not sure what prompted it, but awhile ago I decided that I needed a green skirt. The last time I was at Fabricland I saw this green wide-wale corduroy. I wasn't really looking for the skirt to be corduroy and the color was a little different than I was hoping for, but since I had my eyes peeled for awhile and hadn't seen anything better, I thought I'd try the corduroy. After looking for a suitable pattern, I settled on the Burda 2/2010 skirt that I've already used three times . Because of the weight and bulk of the corduroy, I didn't want to try to mess with too many details. I'll use another skirt pattern soon. Really, I will. One of the things I really like about this pattern is the pockets. This time I made the pocket facings and part of the pocket bag out of a cotton woven solid to reduce bulk. Since I'll be wearing this skirt with tights I added a lining. Adding the lining was really simple except that I cut the lining exactly the sam