About a week ago I finished knitting my lovely Vaya shrug. You may remember it from my *I love green* post. This light little sweater will be my defense against over-air conditioned buildings during these last hot weeks of summer. I’ll just toss it into my bag and be set, wherever I go. I made a few changes to the original instructions. I opted out of the scallopy edgings and substituted a few rows of garter stitch. You can find all of the details about it on my Ravelry page.
And do you recall this beautiful beginning?
Yes! I finished my Lanesplitter skirt! Crazy bright yarn and all…and I love it! You will have to wait until full fledged fall weather for me to photograph it being worn though. It is just too dang hot out. (or I could just throw this in my purse too, right? Like for when I’m in the frozen food section of the grocery store. I’ll bring my camera and ask the butcher to take a pic for me. Ha!)
This also has an alteration from the original pattern on Knitty. I decided to sew in a waistband facing rather than pick up stitches (choke) and knit one. I used a strip of jersey fabric I cut off the bottom of a t-shirt I no longer wore. It looks pretty woodgie, but I assure you, it is soft, smooth and comfy when it’s on. Again, more deets on my Ravelry page.
Next I plan to knit the Coquille shawl and then I’ll be ready to jump into some sweater knitting! I’ve got my eye on the Oatmeal Pullover and the Cozy Bolero by Jane Richmond. Any other fave sweater patterns I should know about?
I’d love to knit for my boys, but I’m just not sure they’d go for it. When my oldest was 5, I knit him a beautiful top-down raglan rollneck sweater. He did wear it a few times, but only after I stitched a custom Batman label in the back of the neck! I do like this sporty track jacket from Spud and Chloe…should I go for it? So hard to know. Those little people sure do have minds of their own.
Any cool boy knits out there for ages 8-10? I’d love to know!
GORGEOUS!!! That skirt is AMAZING!! (Can I borrow it? I mean, not now because it’s a gazillon degrees here, too. But come fall?? LOL)
I just bought a brown wool sweater at Goodwill today in anticipation of the birdhouse workshop — and I was the only one hunting for sweaters on such a hot day! 😉
I love the *choke* about picking up stitches… I so know that feeling 😉 Lovely projects! The colorway and stitching of the skirt is so scrumptious!
I have the Sk8r sweater mentally filed away for when my son is older.
That skirt! I’m in love with both these projects. See, dangit, I see things like this and it makes me want to knit something other than a square.
Lovely shrug <3
Love your shrug!!!
Love me some FOs!
I’m just finishing a sk8r for my son and am planning to knit him a boys can wear pink for Christmas (not in pink). I’m also thinking about the fisherman’s pullover since it will be quick and cascade eco wool is economical.
You have me continually revisiting the Lanesplitter skirt pattern! I just can’t figure out what colors I could make it up in where I could wear it enough to justify the handknit … Beautiful shrug, too. Looks like just the thing!
Why don’t you ask your sons if they like the pattern? Maybe get input on color, etc. They might be more eager to wear it if they felt like they had a hand in the process!
I personally love my modified Darcy Cardigan: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ayenforcraft/mrs-darcy-cardigan
It’s the neckline I love best, which means you could take any cardigan bottom of similar gauge and then substitute in the top.
Also loving the Leaf Yoke Top by Angela Hahn, I could see it in a beautiful fall tone, 3/4 sleeve.
Skirt looks great! Hope you will wear it to market so I can see it in person.
I’m all about the shrug in summertime. I keep wondering if I have that kind of project in me. I’m nervous about taking the leap into increasing/decreasing and trying to make something that “fits”.
I am so glad you posted an alternative to picking up the stitches! When you first showed the skirt I wanted to make one but then decided I didn’t have the skills.
About sweaters for boys, my guy is not quite 5. I made him a “riding the rails” sweater (from yarn girls big kid knits) in colors he liked. We’ll see if he wears it come fall.
great projects Betz!
for kids stuff, try PetitePurls.com, many of the things are sized up to 8 and 10 years old, plus you can look up the designers on ravelry and see more. I like Kate Oates’ designs, they seem wearable (and I’ll probably make one for the neph soon, but have no experience with her patterns to speak of).
love the skirt! You kknow, until recently i never ever would have considered knitting myself a skirt, body issues. But i have recently lost 40 pounds and being a size half my former one i think this would be a great introduction for a knit skirt! Hmmm, off to stalk that one!
amazing skirt – I love that you refashioned a t-shirt for the waistband. I bet you’ll get oodles of compliments wearing that.
I just saw this sweater on Debbie Bliss’ website – http://www.debbieblissonline.com/Book.asp?bid=63
It’s in her book 9-5 and is a kangaroo pocket sweater done in a very grown-up charcoal. Might be just the thing.
P.S. Love the skirt!
Thanks everyone for the boy sweater suggestions, these are great! I will show them to my guys and see what kind of reaction I get. 🙂