New Listing on Etsy

I've just added a new baby sweater to my Etsy shop.  I'm really excited about this sweater.  I knit it in a style of knitting called "mosaic knitting," which is a type of colorwork that results in something of a geometric pattern.  Sweaters knit this way tend to be a little bit thicker than others, so this is definitely a fall/winter sweater (perfect for a spring baby shower). 

I'm particularly pleased with the color palette.  I love the way the lime green and blue balance the red.  So often red ends up being the dominant color when it's combined with other colors, but I feel like all four of the colors are equally prominent in this sweater.  Plus, I like that it incorporates stripes--which everyone knows are my favorite--but with a twist.

For more information about mosaic knitting, check out this great Knitty article.

Knitting for Grown-Ups

People often ask me if I knit sweaters for adults. The very first sweater I ever knit actually was for me, and I still wear it--and I still get tons of compliments on it. But it's so old that I don't wear it very often. I'm always afraid that it will fall apart while I'm wearing it.

Today, I focus mostly on (much) smaller sizes and knit adult sweaters only occasionally. (As a reminder: Top 10 Reasons Why Knitting for Babies and Kids is Better than Knitting for Grown-Ups.) But there are lots of very talented sellers on Etsy who do knit sweaters for women--and men. Here are some that I think are especially lovely. Click on the pictures to go to the sellers' Etsy stores.

Ouch!

What's the most painful thing about knitting? Without question, it's ripping out what I've already knitted. I just finished the front and back of a sweater and decided that I'm just not happy with it. I don't think it can be salvaged, so my only real recourse is to scrap the whole thing and start again. What a bummer--not to mention a ton of lost time! In the end, it's the best--and only--decision, as I don't want to waste time finishing a sweater I'm not happy with, and I certainly don't want to offer for sale a sweater I don't love. But it's super frustrating nonetheless!!

One of My Favorite Patterns

My favorite knitted gift to give is, of course, a baby sweater (or sometimes a dress or hat), but for those friends who aren't expecting or don't have little ones, I love this hat. The pattern was designed by Emilee Mooney, and it's printed in the Fall 2007 issue of Knitty: http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATTfoliage.html. Shortly after the pattern first came out, I saw someone in my LYS working on a hat, and I had to make one myself! Since then, I've probably made a dozen.

I typically do it in worsted weight yarn, so my hats look more like the orange hat on the right. I really like the way the thinner yarn shows off the pattern. I even made a couple for myself, one in a light aqua, another in forest green--I get tons of compliments on them.

Knitty is a great resource for patterns (for personal use) and for tips and techniques.

Great How-To Videos

Happy New Year! My resolution is to keep trying to improve my knitting by trying new techniques. It's easy to get stuck in a rut, but I'm resolved to keep trying to grow my work.

I've always liked Berroco yarns--especially the really fun novelty ones. But I LOVE these how-to videos on the Berroco website: http://www.berroco.com/multimedia_videos.html.

I especially like that they show how to do some of the nifty details that make handknit sweaters really special. There are some on more basic techniques--picking up stitches, showing seams, etc. But I particularly like the ones on making scalloped edging and bobbling.

Look for some of these in my upcoming sweaters!

Top 10 Reasons Knitting for Babies and Kids is Better than Knitting for Grown-Ups!

10. No harm, no foul: Babies and kids look cute in everything
9. Instant gratification: Garments come together super fast
8. Snuggly yarn: Good to cozy up to
7. Crazy kids: Kids and babies can pull off mixing bold patterns and colors (red stripes and orange polka dots)
6. Figure friendly: No need to worry about fit in the hips and bust
5. Commitment free: I can experiment with different yarns and stitches without committing to an entire sweater
4. Space saving: Works in progress don't take over an entire room
3. Traveling companions: Projects easily follow wherever I go and tuck into a small bag
2. No boredom: I don't have to survive 33 inches of the back of an adult sweater
. . .
1. There's no temptation to keep the final product for myself!!