Mesh problem

I have a slight mesh problem ... 😂

Craft breweries

Those damn craft breweries... 😂

Autumn Mists vest pour moi

I crocheted a warm, button-front vest pour moi back in 2015, and it’s awesome, if I do say so myself. I didn't use a pattern, just kind of winged it and figured it out as I went along.

But it didn't take long for me to decide after wearing this that the vest really, REALLY needed pockets. It took me two years to finally get around to adding them, but at last it now has two patch pockets on the front. 

To make the pockets I modeled them on the patch pockets of my husband's Carhartt vest. Using the same double crochet mesh stitch as the vest itself, I did a fdc of 24 stitches wide and then worked the pockets from the bottom up. 

But I also wanted these pockets to be able to hold anything I put in there, so I knew it would be important to line them with fabric. That way even tiny coins and the like would not be able to fall out from between the crocheted stitches. I used a remnant of this adorable penguin fabric to make the pocket liners. I tacked the liners to the front of the vest and then sewed the crocheted pockets over the liners. I sewed around the pocket opening to secure all the layers together there, and that's all there was to it. I'm a lot happier with the vest now that it has pockets.

Living in California, this vest is the perfect thing to wear outdoors on just about any winter day, so I'm sure I'll get lots and lots of use out of it.

Dragonscale Hat and Cowl

I have made this hat before (Lotus Hat), way back when I was brand new to knitting. I loved this pattern because it was super easy to work and a great introduction to following charts that produced an impressive finished product with gorgeous texture.

Last year when my daughter LadyU visited her dad over Christmas in snow country, she discovered that she could really use something like a balaclava to cover her head and face while out walking the dog. Pressed for time, I quickly crocheted up a Warm Winter Ski Mask and mailed it to her. That was good enough to tide her through that visit.

After she returned home, LadyU said she wanted something similar in design to the balaclava but perhaps a bit nicer looking, something along the line of the Valanar Cowl and Hat -- a set with a hat and snug-fitting cowl that can be pulled up over the hat to provide coverage similar to a balaclava.

Well, it took me some time to get back around to making her a set like that, but I finally did it using the Lotus Hat pattern. (My version doesn't provide as much chest protection as the Valanar Cowl, but I figured she could wear another scarf if she needed more coverage there.)

I made the hat following the main pattern instructions (4 mm needles with a CO of 96 stitches), repeating the lace chart three times before working the decrease chart.

I wanted the cowl to be a looser gauge and be about 12 inches long but still have about the same diameter as the hat, so for it I used the 5 mm needles with a CO of 84. (The lovely crosshatch lace will work over any multiple of 12.) I repeated the lace chart eight times, with about 1 inch of 1X1 ribbing (six rows) at each end.

Moussaillon sideways cardigan free pattern

Finished my lil sideways sweater.

This simply brilliant free pattern is called Moussaillon by Cléonis.

You know how with most patterns (especially patterns for something as complex as a cardigan) you have to repeatedly count (and count AND COUNT) every stitch, every row? With Moussaillon, you can actually relax.

Front left panel complete; left sleeve started

Moussaillon incorporates picot edging and short rows, but don't let these frighten you because it's very easy to see when it's time to add them in the course of your knitting. (What row am I on??? What stitch number is this??? You can put all these concerns to rest because you simply will see where you are at all times.)

The English translation of the pattern is written by a nonnative English speaker, so some native English speakers may find it difficult to read. But if you are generally familiar with knitting techniques, you shouldn't have much trouble figuring it out. And if you aren't familiar with making picots or short rows, there are dozens of video tutorials on YouTube that can show you how, so you don't have to rely solely on the pattern to explain them to you.

Trying on after finishing front left panel, left sleeve, and left side

A project this size you of course will not be knitting all in one session. With some knitting projects, after you put them down and come back to them later, it can take an agonizingly long time to figure out where you left off if you didn't leave yourself detailed notes/counts/etc. With Moussaillon, it is always easy to see where you are when you return to the project.

When you get to the beginning of a row, will this be a picot row? Just look at where the previous picot is. Are you two rows away from it? Then just begin the row with regular knitting. Are you four rows away from it? Then it's time for a picot here. Simple as that.

I used two stitch markers when making this: one on the top edge to show where I began a new section, and one on the needle to show where to turn for a short row (that way I didn't have to count how many stitches were left on the needle each time it was time to make a short row). How will you know if it's time to make a short row? Well, is the stitch beside your turning marker a regular knit stitch or a wrapped stitch? If it's a regular stitch, it's time to make a short row. If it's a wrapped stitch, knit through to the end of the row. So easy!! I didn't even fuss with picking up the wraps on the knit-through rows because they all but disappear on their own inside the garter stitch fabric.

Yes, Moussaillon DOES require some counting, but the beauty of it is that you don't have to spend your time CONSTANTLY counting and recounting (and getting frustrated when someone else in the room speaks to you and causes you to lose count!). When I finished the first front panel, I counted how many rows wide it was so I could make a note to make the same number of rows when I got to the other front panel. Ditto for the width of the sleeve and the width of the underarm side. To determine the width of the back (as well as the width of the front panels and sleeves), the designer repeatedly suggests that you try on the cardigan and make adjustments based on how you want it to fit. This is very easy to do and gives you excellent feedback on how to personalize the fit.

All in all, I highly recommend this pattern. I plan to make it again and am looking forward to experimenting with different yarn weights/needle sizes and even maybe adding some lacy yarn-overs to change up the look. SO FUN!!!!

Front panel: two rows plus 28 bumps. Sleeve top: 28 bumps. Underarm side: 9 bumps. Back panel: 32 bumps.

Improvisational vest of many purples

I finally finished my funky, scrappy vest of many purples. 😁

Here's a link to my Ravelry project page.

Following the very helpful and detailed guidance at Karen Templer's Fringe Association blog, I decided to make a V-neck vest in stripes that would use up some of the scraps in my stash.

Following the instructions for a shaped back of the neck sweater, I started with an i-cord cast on and continued the i-cord throughout along the vest front edges. I wanted the vest to have a deep V, so I increased the front every fourth row. (I decided that if I make another one of these, I'll increase every-other row next time.)

Worked the body in garter stitch with one stockinette row inset at every 20th row for a bit of textural interest. The stripes change color simply where each particular scrap ball ran out. (It would have been "neater" to only change colors while working RS rows, yes, but this project was intended to use up stash scraps, so by golly, I used each scrap up completely.) :-)

I wanted the bottom to have a sort of handkerchief hem effect in the front and be longer in front than the back, so after achieving sufficient width for the front edges of the vest to meet (increasing every fourth row), where one would normally stop increasing the width for a regular-looking vest, I continued to add increases at the vest front (only faster, working them every-other row) until the desired back length was achieved. I wanted the front edges to drape into pointed ends sort of like the way the ends of a shawl drape. The final result came pretty close to what I was hoping for.

A long knit

I've been knitting for a looooong time ... 😎

This is a straight poncho, so the shape is very basic. I'm almost done with it (finally!), so stretched out lengthwise, it also doubles as a blanket. Except for the neck opening in the middle, which you can see in the photo right about where my knees are underneath.

Caedwyn Cowlette paid pattern

I like the way this project turned out. The pattern is Caedwyn Cowlette by Corrina Ferguson.