SWEATING THE SWEATER

I've been knitting for about five years and in that time I've done countless pairs of socks, scarves, ear warmers, and hats.  I've done a handful of afghans, lots of bears for the Mother Bear Project, and a few pair of mittens.  I'm always knitting something and have developed a crafty form of ADD which causes the inability to simply watch t.v. or a movie without knitting needles in my hands (a fact which embarrasses my daughter at a movie theater to no end).

The February Baby Sweater

The one thing I had not managed was an adult sweater.  I've done baby sweaters and am particularly fond of Elizabeth Zimmermann's February Baby Sweater from The Knitter's Workshop.  The thought of jumping from something tiny and relatively quick to something that would span my girth was a little daunting.  Last fall, though, I decided to cast on for a sweater of my own.  Six months later I have knit (and unraveled) five of them.  I knit a sixth that is still intact and I just finished the seventh.  Ding!  Ding!  Ding! I think we have a winner.

This gull pattern would have been
so pretty in an adult size.

I'd love to show you photos of my misadventures in sweater-making, but each time I started unraveling the second I realized it was a dud, figuring the quicker I turned the malformed sweater into wound balls of yarn the less time I'd spend thinking how many hours I wasted making it.  Because of my love of the aforementioned Zimmermann baby sweater, I wanted to make an adult version a lady developed.  (Free pattern found here.)  I made it and it was too large.  Not only too large, it seemed to hang off me as attractively as an over sized hospital gown...made of wool yarn.  Immediately unraveled.

All that remains of
The Tomten Jacket.

Next was my attempt at another Zimmermann pattern, The Tomten Jacket.  (Found in Knitting Without Tears or through Schoolhouse Press here.)  I had made a child's version for Foghorn when she was smaller and she got a fair amount of use out of it considering it was about 10% too small and she grew quickly.  Anyway, I knit this baby up in the same burgundy yarn I'd used on the February Lady Sweater above, but added a couple stripes of rose colored yarn around the bottom since this thing was nothing but garter stitch and I thought might be too plain.  I finished.  It was huge.  Now, for the non-knitters let me explain about gauge.  When you see a gauge listed in a pattern, it tells you how many stitches/rows per inch the pattern is based on.  Smart people make a test swatch and see if their gauge matches the pattern.  If not, they need to change the needle size until the correct gauge is achieved.  On the first two sweaters I did not make a swatch, but I did check the gauge after I'd knit a portion of the sweater itself and in both cases it seemed correct.  In the case of The Tomten Jacket, it wasn't just that it was too big, but that I misunderstood that this thing has super deep arm holes, so  when I measured from my underarm to where the sweater should end, my calculation didn't take into account that the armhole starts a good four or five inches below the armpit.  Therefore, this thing was that much longer.  Um, yeah.  It looked less like a sweater and more like a horseman's duster.  I realized, though, besides being too big, this thing was just not going to be my style.  Too boxy and those giant sleeves just weren't going to work for me.  Frogged again.  (For the non-knitter, "frogged" mean unraveling your work.  Rip-it.  Rip-it.)

My third Shalom.  I was
so sick of knitting this color by
then I never even bothered
to unravel it.

The third attempt was the Shalom Sweater, an extremely popular pattern out there on the Interwebs.  (Available free here.)  The problem with the Shalom Sweater is that it's written by an individual, not a professional pattern-maker, and has directions just for her size.  This pattern is for a bust measurement of 32-34". Ummmm, I think my chest was bigger than that at birth.  (Sorry, Mom.)  I found various people on Ravelry (bless them) who had resized the pattern and tried to find one that seemed to roughly match my measurements.  I did.  I knitted it.  It was huge.  Seeing a pattern here?  I decided I would be brilliant and re-knit the same pattern but with smaller needles.  Dud.  Then, and even I'm questioning why I wasn't stuck in a rubber room at this point, I unraveled it and knit it a third time.  And it was a disaster.  Okay, so maybe the Shalom Sweater was not for me.

Hey, it's at least wearable.

I gave up for a few months and then started scouring Ravelry for a new cardigan.  I came upon a Leisure Arts pattern (found here) that, based on the model's jewelry and clothing, probably dates from the 80s.  It was a long, simple, v-neck cardigan.  Not as intricate as my other attempts, which is what I wanted.  Something straightforward and relatively simple.  I was a good little soldier and knitted a gauge swatch.  Still, my tendency to knit big made me go a size down on the pattern.  I finished a week or so ago and I wasn't completely displeased.  It's not overly attractive, I admit.  My husband looked at me as we prepared to leave for my mother's and said, "Aren't you going to change into something else?"  Sensing my wrath (or perhaps catching a glimpse of my Charles Manson eyes) he quickly added, "It's a nice sweater...to wear around the house.  But why don't you wear something else to go somewhere?"  I actually considered this one a minor success.  It's a little big (cursed again), but it fits like a sweater and it looks like the pattern picture and I even managed to sew all those seams competently.  I slop around the house in it, but it wasn't the home run I was hoping for.

Fast forward to a week ago when, pumped up on Easter candy, I headed to Ravelry again.  I found My Favorite Cardigan from Fancy Tiger Crafts (pattern here).  It was a very simple sweater.  No frills, no lacy pattern, no pockets.  Just a basic cardigan.  The pattern description mentioned that it was adjustable and there were several points during the process when it could be checked for fit.  Revolutionary!  I downloaded the pattern and used the JoAnn gift card and cash given to me by my mother and sister in my Easter baskets to get some yarn.  I so lacked faith that this would work out that I chose Red Heart acrylic yarn in the color Grey Heather, which I'm currently using on a charity project for the Arkansas Special Olympics.  I figured when this sweater-making session ended in tragedy, I'd use the unraveled yarn for the S.O. kids.  By some miracle, that turned out to be unnecessary.

Vintage buttons stolen from my mother.
They were still in package and were originally $.15.

This one actually turned out right!  It's not fancy and it's (dare I admit it) a little on the small side.  I was so certain I would knit it too big, as I had every other one, that I sized down.  Turns out that was a mistake.  My gauge was spot on.  Technically I could button the little darling, but it would look too much like a sausage in a casing for my taste so I'll just let it hang open until I lose those ten or fifteen pounds (which I'm sure is going to happen any year now).  Yes, I made some errors.  It's about an inch too long, as I misunderstood part of the instructions for the border.  And I ended up not liking the look of five buttons on it after I made five button holes.  Pretend you don't see those extra ones.  All in all, though, I'm happy.

Bingo!

Of course, this is the sweater that caused someone-who-will-remain-nameless to shout, "Ahhhh!  Ugly sweater alert!"  Now I know what hand-knit goodness to make the little darling for Christmas.  She didn't really want that new iPod anyway.

VINTAGE BIRTHDAY KNITTING - THE FINALE

Today wraps up a birthday celebration that started in July when my mother began opening the daily gifts counting down 80 days to her 80th birthday.  She began displaying the gifts on a bookshelf in her living room and eventually they overflowed onto additional pieces of furniture.  She's now the proud owner of all manner of junk spanning eight full decades.



She now also possesses eight decades' worth of knitted items, some lovely, some practical, some...well, let's just say they were of their time.

Nothing says 1963 like a toilet paper roll cover.  To have a bare roll of tissue sitting naked would just be tacky, whereas this little baby is...ummm....  Anyway, the free knitting pattern is available here and my Ravelry notes can be found here.

I don't care what my sister says, these mittens are gorgeous.  Mrs. Brady would be proud to go skiing in them and that's good enough for me.  Plus, they just scream 1974.  The pattern actually came from an old Coats & Clark accessories booklet I found at an estate sale.  My Ravelry notes can be found here.

I didn't like much about the 1980s (curse you, teenage years!), but these place mats from a 1983 Workbasket magazine are kinda cute.  Ravelry notes here.

By 1997, I was really struggling to find patterns that didn't repeat an item already made.  (The poor woman can only use so many tacky lovely bathroom accessories, after all.)   The Tiny Cables Washcloths came to the rescue.  The free pattern can be found here and my Ravelry notes here.

These Eyelet-Edged Knitted Coasters filled the spot for 2001.  The free pattern can be found here and my Ravelry notes here.

The knitting finale was 2011's Drachenschwanz.  My mother herself sent me the link to this pattern after she stumbled across it last year.  Drachenschwanz is German for "dragon tail" and the pattern has this interesting effect that really does look like the spiky back of my fire-breathing friend.  The free pattern can be found here and my Ravelry notes here.

So, the big day has finally arrived.  Before she even has her official party on her actual birthday, my mother has received 80+ gifts (including ones from family and friends), had two birthday lunches, and endured a tree full of balloons (which have popped and shriveled constantly over the last two days).  If only the city had come through with that damn permit for the fireworks display...  Happy Birthday, Mom!

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CELEBRATING 80 YEARS...WITH A KNIT DUSTING MITT

My mother's 80th birthday celebration continues with her daily gifts.  You can see this week's update at  Lillian's Cupboard, her blog, here.

This last week contained only one knitted item from me (although I found two Cincinnati Reds goodies for the lifelong fan).  What says 1953 better than a hand-knit dust mitt?  June Cleaver would be so proud.

This pattern can be found at Free Vintage Knitting here and full details can be found on my Ravelry page here.  The mitt part of the pattern knit up super fast and as I was putting the dusting strands on it I was thinking what a great idea this would be for my 9 year old daughter (assuming I could get her to use it on furniture and not on the dog).  After my second row of tying little dusting tassels on the thing, I decided I never wanted to see this pattern again.  It's a boring, long process to attach those little bits.  The result, though, is fairly cute and functional.  Granted, you can buy a made-in-China version for a couple of bucks at the store, but mine will last a lot longer and, trust me, the yarn hair is not coming out if you throw it in the washing machine.  Those suckers are tied tight.  Now if I can just get my mother to quit saying "but it's too nice to use..."


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* One Way to Celebrate an 80th Birthday

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ONE WAY TO CELEBRATE AN 80TH BIRTHDAY

My mother turns 80 years old this September.  We're known in my family for going a little over-the-top on birthdays...and Christmas...and Easter...and Groundhog's Day...  This birthday, however, called for something beyond the norm, even by our standards.  My sister and I had talked about taking our mother on a trip, but she doesn't enjoy travel much these days and she nicely put the brakes on that idea.  She doesn't like big gatherings, so we're not attempting to corral long lost friends and relatives for a surprise party.  What then?

July 13 marked exactly 80 days until my mother's 80th birthday, so my sister and I have assembled a collection of gifts, one for each day and each representing a year of her life.  She's currently up to 1943, so I'm safe in saying that the first gifts have included a recipe booklet from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, a compilation disc of 1930s music, postcards from the 1939 New York World's Fair, 1943 secretarial magazines, and handmade items from vintage patterns crafted by my sister and me.  My mother is chronicling her months-long birthday celebration in weekly blog updates over at Lillian's Cupboard (found here).

Personally I'm thrilled to no longer have to keep my knitting projects from the last four months under wraps.  I was constantly hiding my works-in-progress when my mother stopped by and I couldn't take part in the weekly Yarn Along over at  the Small Things blog since mommy is my most dedicated reader.  Now that the gift-giving has started, I can at least reveal the four hand-knitted items she's received so far.

1.  FINGERLESS GLOVES

This 1933 pattern is from the U.K. and can be found for free here.  Once I figured out the modern equivalent of the British needles used, the pattern itself was a piece of cake.  They're done is wool sock yarn and I chose a charcoal gray color which just seemed to fit with the Depression-era pattern.  Full information can be found in my Ravelry notes here. 





2.  THE HOOVER BLANKET

This reversable baby blanket was made from a pattern provided by none other than former First Lady, Mrs. Herbert Hoover.  It was my first attempt at double-knitting and I found the process so slow and aggravating I'll probably never do it again.  The results, however, I think were rather pretty, especially the way you get the thin stripes of pink and green on both sides.  It's the perfect size for my mother's 13 year old dog, Rusty, to lounge on.  I did it in pink and pale green that is the same color as my mother's beloved Jadeite.  The pattern can be found free here.  Full information can be found in my Ravelry notes here.

3.  WORLD WAR II U.S. NAVY WATCH CAP

The pattern itself is very plain and suited more for a military man in freezing climates than a suburban woman, but I couldn't resist knitting up this Navy Watch Cap from 1941.  It'll be a nice hat for her to keep in the car in case of emergency...or to put to use if she decides to take up cat burglary in her 80s.  The free pattern can be found on the Red Cross Museum's web site here and you can download a PDF of the original type-written pattern, which is neat to look at all by itself.  Once I figured out the type of yarn and size of needle (a common problem with older patterns), it was a breeze to knit...if ungodly boring.  Full information can be found in my Ravelry notes here.




4.  THE MISS MARPLE SCARF

It's a little big on Foghorn, but looks
very nice on Grandma.

Last year I got my mother into reading Agatha Christie mysteries, so naturally when I stumbled on a pattern for a scarf inspired by Miss Marple, Christie's elderly spinster detective, I couldn't resist.  Christie's The Body in the Library was published in 1942, so I included a copy of the book with the scarf, knit in a color called Chipmunk Tweed.  Definitely looks like something an older lady would wear in an English village.  The free pattern can be found here.  Full information can be found in my Ravelry notes here.









More vintage knitty goodness is still to come, but I'm afraid that's all I can reveal at the moment.  I hope you all can stand the suspense until I can reveal the next pattern...  Come on, admit it.  This is more suspenseful than game seven of the World Series.

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ULTRA COOL VINTAGE CAMP FIRE GIRLS NECKLACE

I often lament my lack of Camp Fire Girls awards and dwell on the one tiny red, white, and blue bead I earned in 6th grade.  A few months back you may remember I had been eyeballing a necklace my sister had created for her Etsy shop, made of vintage wooden Camp Fire Girls beads in that familiar red, white, and blue.  Well, I didn't get my thumb out in time and a complete stranger swooped in and bought it. 

Never fear!  Chester is here!  At the end of the epic Camp Gonnawanna this year, my sister (lovingly known as "Uncle Chester" to The Inmates) presented me with two hand-crafted gifts.  The first is a journal she created using the covers of a 1917 novel called The Camp Fire Girls at Lookout Pass, adorned with a string of the vintage Camp Fire Girls beads on the top ring.

The second present, which is really more an award for not throttling any children during Camp Gonnawanna, is a necklace made with those same vintage Camp Fire Girls beads, but all in my beloved, horrendously beautiful 70s colors of avocado, marigold, and tangerine (with purple thrown in as well).   Now that summer has ended and my Official David Cassidy Puka Shell Necklace has been lovingly tucked away in the jewelry box, I think it's time to put this little darling to good use.  And since I just took down my summer-themed family room knick knacks and reestablished the area as my Brady Bunch room, I think this baby will work nicely as a piece of home decor when not being worn.

My sister has been hard at work with some gorgeous vintage rose-shaped beads in an orange-y coral shade which she's pairing with black beads for some awesome Halloween-ish necklaces, as well as some with shades of light green and cream which I have my eye on.  (That's if those pesky customers don't get there first.)  In the meantime she's having a summer clearance sale and you can check out her shop here if you're interested.

And while we're on the subject of kudos for me (isn't that what we were talking about?), yesterday Corinne commented on my post No-Blog Tuesday that I didn't provide "after" photos of my two disaster areas.  Just to show, contrary to what The Vulcan says, that I did do something yesterday, I give you the excavated tidied "after" pictures:

I know...  It's not nearly as much fun as seeing all my crap, is it?  Don't worry, my friends, I have so many other condemned spots I could share that you can rest assured of your superiority over me.


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PATCH ENVY - PART 2

I previously confessed to my frequent breaking of the 11th commandment -- "Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Daughter's Patches."  As a Camp Fire Girl dropout, I have no vest tucked away in my hope chest dripping with patches and beads marking childhood accomplishments.  Foghorn recently bridged from a Girl Scout Daisy to a Brownie and the royal blue smock with its colorful patches has been hung in the spare closet and replaced with a brown vest.  At the moment the vest has only her troop number and a few insignia pins, although she may be on her way to filling this garment if she receives a patch for her appearance in yesterday's 4th of July parade.

Foghorn showing her lack of patriotic fervor by refusing to pass out flags to the spectators.

My sister, Nancy,  may be one of the few people who can understand my lust for recognition.  She could care less about patches.  Her obsession is for ribbons and medals.  While I sat gawking at a particularly fetching military man in dress whites who was nearby in the crowd, my sister noticed only the plethora of medals dangling from his chest.  

Given my feelings of inadequacy, a full 29 years after dropping out of 6th grade Camp Fire Girls, it's no surprise that I'm enamored of a new item in my sister's Etsy shop.  Nancy does beautiful crocheted jewelry and doilies, cool wall hangings combining vintage elements, and even a bracelet inspired by Emily Dickinson.  But what has my eye at the moment is this necklace:

It is fashioned from vintage wooden Camp Fire Girl beads and includes some of the red, white, and blue beads.  My one and only bead that I ever earned, and which was sewn on the front of my vest looking lonely against that huge expanse of dark blue fabric, was just such a bead.  Actually, my bead was much less cool, being made of plastic and about the size of my pinky fingernail.  These are larger and chunky and wood and combine my love of beady recognition with vintage goodness.  I keep trying to think of a way to earn this for myself.  If I go the whole summer with The Inmates and don't run screaming down the street naked in an insane fit or stow away on my neighbor's next Airstream excursion, isn't it just possible I deserve a little reward?


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*  PATCH ENVY

*  ULTRA COOL VINTAGE CAM PFIRE GIRLS NECKLACE