My First Sweater

Today I have a knitting finish for you - my first ever sweater! As far as apparel goes it is certainly nothing special, but I intentionally was trying to pick a simple project to transition into knitting clothing.

The pattern is "Vested Baby Boy" by Scarlet Taylor, which I found via Ravelry.

I had a little difficulty with the neckline - when I first completed the collar, my son's head would not fit through the hole! That would be a bit of a problem. :) The traditional bind-off I used just had no stretch at all. So I undid the bind-off and used this method combined with a larger needle size to finish it, and now it stretches easily to come on and off.

I definitely want to work on my knitting to be able to make sweaters and socks for myself, there are some absolutely gorgeous sweaters on Ravelry that are crying to be made. I just need to work on my skill to be able to do them justice first. :)

<3 Kelsey

P.S. Special thanks to my little man who posed so nicely all on his own. :)

Orange and Grey Cowl

Having recently finished my first knitting project, I jumped right into my second. This time I went with a nice simple garter stitch to avoid the rolling that happened on my first cowl. I actually really love the feel  and the density of the fabric that resulted - it was almost sponge-like.

 

I also challenged myself to one new technique by working with two separate yarns concurrently. I chose a bright orange and grey for a more masculine look. Turns out working with one yarn is just about the same as working with two. :)

This cowl was a gift for a good friend who we went to visit for a weekend recently (moving out of state causes a sudden need to give everyone gifts as it may be the last time you see them).

Next challenge: knitting in the round!

<3 Kelsey

My first knitting project

I learned to crochet when I was in the third grade, but until recently, I had never tried to learn to knit, though I always planned to someday. Well, I finally made someday happen, and decided to knit my mom a cowl for Christmas.

I did a simple stockinette stitch using a yarn I got from Joann's that was in a colorway I thought my mom would like.

Interesting facts I learned:

1. Stockinette stitch will curl in on itself. If you don't want this to happen, you should border your work with another stitch, like garter stitch.
2. Always plan out how much yarn you need and what length you want it to end up. If you just say "I'll just go until I run out of yarn.", you'll likely end up at an odd length where you wish it was either shorter or longer.
3. You can make a pretty gather to hide the seam on the back (if you aren't knitting in the round) using the tails you're weaving in.
4. I think I personally prefer a regular loop for my cowls, instead of adding a mobius-like twist. But that is just personal preference. :)

It's far from perfect, but I though it was pretty good for my very first try at knitting. :)

<3 Kelsey