what to do?

The body of my seamless hybrid is finished - but none of the edges are and it's starting to drive me a little crazy. The original plan was to do hems like this one, but when I made the first hem on the sleeve I hated it. It's too thick and it makes a weird line where it's connected to the sleeve. It looks cool on Jared's sweater, but not mine.
So, I tried 2x1 ribbing, an idea I got from a sweater I bought this weekend. I hated it. Then I tried a hem again, hated it, then 2x1 ribbing again tonight and remembered that I hated it. So, you can see the hem I tried again in this picture, the white, but it's just pretty awful. I don't know what to do with all of the edges now, and I think the sleeve I've been experimenting on is starting to look tortured. I don't like rolled edges, so I can't just leave it as it is and cast off. I like the edges on this sweater, but that means hems again, and I think this yarn is just too bulky for hems. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Thanks! Nat

Norwegian Mittens (Knitter's Almanac)

Pattern: Norwegian Mittens from Knitter's Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Yarn: Knitpicks Telemark, Icicle (2 balls) and Aubergine (1 ball - just barely made it!)
Needles: US 3 DPNs
Recipient: ??

Notes: It's no secret, I have made a few pair of glittens, , gloves, and other handwarmy items in my short career as a knitter. Handwear are perhaps the knitted item appreciated the most by the naturally cold of digit (moi), and as projects are relatively brief, interesting, and portable. Call them the sock's hipster cousin, if you will. I do. These have been my go-to project since I started working and have limited knitting time, mostly on a crowded B train. They still took quite a long time since they were frogged not infrequently. Oh, and there were those two separate days when fellow subway riders asked me to please put my knitting away for fear they would be injured by the DPNs. Seriously. I had no idea exactly how uptight this rush hour crowd was until then. No friggin' idea.

These mittens are classic Elizabeth Zimmermann - she describes the Norwegian mitten archetype, and gives a pattern, which you see here, but really the "recipe" is yours to use for whatever pattern you like. Next time, I'll create my own motif, now that I am confident in the general idea. This pair is too large for me, but I've a holiday recipient in mind who does not read Fig and Plum. As the person drives an automobile, I am contemplating tricking out these mitts with suede patches on the palms to provide some friction.



Mittens are a great refresher course for colorwork. I hadn't done any since my last project out of Norway. The tension was all over the place as this project progressed, partly because my stranded knitting was rusty, and partly because I kept misplacing DPNs from the Crystal Palace set I was using and eventually replaced them with a different brand's US 3 that was, I think, .25 or .5 mm larger somehow. Why can't we just size by the millimeters?

Also, the first time 'round I placed the thumbs too high on the palm - even my short fingers were hitting the tip of the mitt. I ended up frogging and re-knitting the mitt portion of both hands before they were acceptable.

The one disadvantage of these is the positioning of the thumb. From what I can tell, it's a structural quirk common to all Norwegian mitts that the thumb is placed aligned straight beneath the palm (think: sock puppet).



The human hand, of course, more frequently includes a thumb sticking out at about a 45 degree angle from the hand. While it may detract from the symmetry of the back of the mitt, I prefer my thumb to jut out proudly at its natural angle, rather than be forced into some kind of permanent-shadow-puppet stance.



But, all in all, a minor beef. Norwegians have been cruising along with these mittens since time began, so I might get used to it, too.

In sum: Mittens = awesome. Norwegian mittens = the Norwegian word for "awesomer." I am en glad laks!!

Additional Photos:


[X-posted at Fig and Plum]

Best baby sweater ever

Perhaps it's bad knit-a-long etiquette to parachute in with a finished object but, well, here goes.



This is my February baby sweater from "Knitters Almanac." I used size 3 circs and, sadly, a mystery Croatian cotton yarn, the ball band for which I lost. (I picked it up at Knit-a-way in Brooklyn mainly for the color, since the little recipient is named Violet. Cute, huh?) I decided to use just three pearl buttons because I thought it might be easier for the parents -- and darling to boot.

I'll be knitting this pattern again, that's for certain. The lace pattern is my favorite kind -- easy to memorize and just challenging enough to fend off boredom.

I must admit that although I loved the simplicity of this pattern and the unique, nearly seam-free construction, I was a little stumped by the sparse instructions, specifically when it came to starting the sleeves. (I turned to Brooklyn Tweed, who gave me his interpretation.) But one hiccup in a pattern is nothing for me.

Carrie
Every Word's A Purl

Baby Pillbox Hat

baby pillbox hat
Originally uploaded by Joie | flâneuse.

Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pillbox Hat, from Opinionated Knitter
Needles: Size 4 mm DPNs
Yarn: Wolle Rodel superwash, dutch blue, ice blue, white and grey
Gauge: 5.5 sts per inch, 8 rows per inch
Modifications: used provisional cast on instead of picking up sts for hem, CO 91 sts, inc up to 95 for 2 rounds, dec 2 sts to accommodate the 11 row fair isle border, dec down to 91 sts for top of hat. Hat is sized to fit a 6 month old baby (14 inch head circumference).

This was a super fast and addictive hat to knit. I love working in fair isle--the knitting seems to fly by and I love watching the design emerge.

Typical of EZ's patterns, it encourages the knitter to add his or her own knitted embellishments to make the hat their own. This hat is for my friend's newborn baby boy and so I decided to add her little boy's name into the inside hem and bit of fair isle to the body of the hat. The hem is basted into the hat--it's nice and elastic but the interior looks a little sloppy to me. Next time I plan to use Fibersnob's method of knitting a hem for a cleaner look.

(cross posted at my blog)

Thanks Brooklyn Tweed!

Hello everyone! I have a new love interest...

Oh, it happened innocently enough, roaming the internet, when I least expected it, I saw your Seamless Hybrid WOW! You spoke so passionately about EZ and the Seamless Hybrid process, and I was so intrigued - that I bought Knitting Without Tears.

The next thing I know, I’m caught up in the excitment, and immediately began thinking of my Caribbean Pullover that I started in August as the perfect partner for my first EZ project. I had the hem done, and a couple of inches knit...it was in circulars, and the right measurements - it was serendipity - so my pullover will now become the Saddle-Shoulder sweater in KWOT. I'm in love with EZ's recipes!

I’m adding some waist and bust shaping. The overall pattern is 2×2 rib, with a neat rolled hem that will also be on the cuffs and v-neck. I’m taking advantage of the purl portion of the rib - and did the shaping there. Here’s a picture of the transitions from 2×2 rib - to the diamond shape of decreases in the waist where it transitions into 2×1 rib.




Then, she took a break. I knew I wasn’t going to finish it before my trip two weeks ago - and I needed another shawl to take with me. (Knitters - you know what I mean by need).

Since I was looking at several inches of 2×2 rib - I decided to take this project with me to Europe so that I could knit in the down times. I was able to complete the body up to the point of short row shaping for the bust - which I’m hiding in the purl portion of the rib as well. So here’s where she is now - short rows completed, and just one more inch to knit before I move onto the sleeves.



The FleeceArtist Kid/Silk 2ply is a pleasure to knit with. The colour’s pretty accurate here. It does look like the Caribbean ocean off Anguilla. Here’s proof - this photo taken during our trip this past February.

Thanks again for the diversion! And no surprise - from reading this blog It appears that your Seamless Hybrid has lured many knitters.

Cheers all
~ betseydoodle.ca

Swatch-a-roo's first sweater...

This is my first post. Ever. Anywhere. I hope it works.

I've been knitting again since the spring. I once learned on a long road trip across the country but it didn't take. I think it's because one really shouldn't drive and knit and I did most of the driving. Notice I didn't say COULDN'T drive and knit. Anyway I decided to do an EZ seamless as my first sweater after seeing brooklyntweed's. I really like understanding how things are made so this method really appealed to me. After a couple of false starts that included an inadvertant mobius strip, (Quite nice it was) and an unfortunate twist of 188 stitches when I made the seamless hem, I was off and running and knitting round after round after round of stockinette. Stamina is all it takes.

I'm using Classic Elite Skye Tweed Color #1238. I'm not sure what the color name is, but it's a beautiful rust brown with flecks of yellow, red, orange, and even hot pink. I love the color and I really love the yarn. I got a gauge of 4.75 stitches on US 7's. I'm knitting with Addi Turbo circs and I love them. I'm a fairly tight knitter and these needles really let me loosen up. The sleeves are started on Clover bamboo dpns. I put a purl ridge as a fake seam and I'm increasing the sleeves with kfb 'cause I can better keep up with where I am.



It's good to know, too that if in the end the sweater doesn't fit (god forbid) I'll at least have a nice pair of gauntlets.

Looking forward to joining the sleeves to the body soon and finishing.


(cross posted at swatch-a-roo)

Snail Hat

I love this hat!

It fits me - just. It's supposed to be made with sheepsdown in a gauge of 7 1/2 sts /3 inches. I have never had such a bulky yarn. I had to hold together three strands of Berroco's Ultra Alpaca and knit it with 8mm needles. When I put it on my head it stretches out and the folds disappear, but that's O.K. I'd like to make another one soon, but have to keep a lookout for a super bulky yarn. By the way, I've used three different colors, all leftovers from other knits. I followed the instructions in "The Opinionated Knitter", but I've cast on 50 instead of 40. I even steamed the folds but even with the dummy head it's stretched out. If I can't find a bulky yarn for this hat, I'll have to do a little math to make it larger, but for now it's fine. I'm happy with it.

Monika

Introduction by Splindarella

Hi, all

I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and thank you all for letting me join in the fun of this blog group! I only discovered EZ about a year ago and have been patiently trying to absorb her ideas as I read through her many books. I'm in love with the "no fear" approach to knitting that she encourages. "Unvention," experimentation, practicality and beautiful designs -- what more could I ask for?

Here's my first completed EZ project: Beethoven's Variations on a Dickey, knitted out of my own alpaca homespun:















It looks a little weird laid out on the table like that, but I just love it! It's warm, comfy and looks great under a denim oxford.

I've decided that my next EZ project will be much more ambitious: a fitted bog jacket from "Knitting Around." Here are the yarns I've picked out for it:















Three shades of Manos del Uruguay...yummy! I'm sure I'll be asking for pointers from all you experienced bog jacket-makers once I get started, so thanks in advance for being patient with an EZ newbie!

Feel free to pop on over and check out my blog.

Prisia Fair Isle

I've begun a new fair isle that I'm naming Prisia. I love the colors, and the pattern. This is either going to be a pullover or a vest. It's going to depend on what it starts looking like as the work progresses. It's coming along nicely. The bottom border was sooooo fun! I love the checkerboard pattern. I crocheted the bottom edging to prevent the dreaded curl. Of course it will block out nice and flat anyway. I've caston 252 stitches for the border, and increased to 288 for the body of the sweater. The pattern is a 24 st. repeat, and pretty easy to memorize. The yarn is shetland. I'm using a size 3 needle. In EZ's OK book, on page 22 and 23 (I think), she gives about 36 or 37 charts that one can use for norwegian ski sweaters. I'm sure though that she intended for us to use them for "any" color pattern knitting. Thank you EZ! 

This is the lovely chart from EZ's Opinionated Knitter book that I've borrowed for the new fair isle I've begun... 

Moebius Vest finished!

You have no idea how happy I am to have finished this vest. I started on October 08th and finished it today. Of course I've been knitting several other things in between, because the miles and miles of garter stitch seemed endless to me. I have not blocked the vest, because I'm only going to wear it at home.

I love this yarn. I've used Berroco Ultra Alpaca in pea green with 5mm needles. I've knitted many items with this kind of yarn and love it. It even is great for felting.

You can find the pattern in the book "Knitting Around". I made the back in one piece. I should have knit the built in I-cord because the applied I-cord is pulling the fabric in. I made the I-cord loops for the buttons, which are "Edelweiss" buttons. They make this vest very "folksy". I'm glad it's done.

Happy knitting,

Monika

Norwegian Mittens

I finished my Norwegian mittens!
Pattern: Norwegian Mittens from Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmerman
Yarn: Knitpicks Telemark in Northern and Bayberry (I used 2 balls of Northern and 1 of Bayberry, but I just *barely* made it with the Bayberry)
Needles: US #3 Addi Turbos, 32"I am thrilled with these mittens--I love how they look, and they were fun to knit. Who knew I liked colorwork? The only problem I had was that my first mitten was a WAY looser gauge than the second, so now I kind of want to knit the first one over. We'll see if that ever happens, though. My mom wants some of these now, so I've got to get to work on another pair!

Blocking, and Up Next

Sorry to clog Zimmermania with a basically knitting-less post, but you all don't mind a little yarn porn, do you? It's all in the name of my last and next EZ knits:

First, my Norwegian Mittens (from KA) are done and blocking, and will be ready to show off in a day or so. A sneak preview:


Next: I posted a little while ago about choosing colors at Knitpicks for my niece's Icelandic Pullover, from The Opinionated Knitter. Well, the Wool of the Andes arrived, and the colors weren't bad but the yarn was too lightweight, in my opinion, for such a rustic sweater. Then I ordered some Sierra, and the weight was better (and it was indeed soft), but the colors were a little bleh - much duller than they appeared in the catalog.

Then came Rhinebeck. And an hour and a half in the incredible Morehouse Farm store. And who sidled up to me but this amazing purple colorway the offer in their 3-strand merino (and her cousins, cream, avocado, and grey):


The colors at Morehouse leave many other yarns in the dust. And Knitpicks is great for an everyday yarn, but at its price point, it just can't compete. So, the kid is spoiled. That's not news to me :) She'll develop a taste for fine yarns at a young age, just like her Auntie Jess!

BSJ, Completed!

I love it and so does the family who received it. Of course, the day after it was delivered, the temperature soared back up to the 80s, but it will cool off. I'm sure it will!


I used Woolease worsted-weight because it was available and works. It was odd to knit with a blend after using wool or cotton exclusively for some time! The buttons are little baseballs and suit the sweater perfectly.

No new invitations this weekend

Hello all,

A server crashed at my email provider, and unfortunately it was the one with my account on it. Everything seems to be recoverable, but my account is down for the weekend. That means I won't be receiving any requests to join Zimmermania until Monday, so please don't feel slighted if you haven't heard back from me! I'll be delighted to add you to the knitalong just as soon as I can. Meanwhile, knit on and enjoy the weekend!

Thanks for your patience,
Sarah

Epaulet Sweater

Have you ever been intrigued by a design that you just had to make it?
Well, I first saw this sweater about six years ago and was totally charmed.

So I started. And I did not get too far.

Now I am a good knitter and I have made many of EZs designs. This design however is in a category by itself. About a month I posted to this blog wondering if anyone else has made it.

Well this month has been quite the adventure. "This is not one of Elizabeth's easiest sweaters, but it is fun."

I'm in the final stretch.

Lucette

Ganomy Hat: Take #1

The two-colour Ganomy Hat (in Ella Rae Classic Wool Yarn)

inspired by Jessica's Ganomy.

This was my Ganomy Hat (from Knitters Almanac) as of late last night (the photo taken this morning, though). This was how far I had gotten just before I tried it on...and tried it on...and tried it on. No matter how much I pulled and stretched and cursed (not really), the Ganomy remained unwilling to slide itself down onto my noggin in any way resembling a comfortable fit. Perhaps, in getting tied up in the Tigers stressful fight against the Cardinals last night, perhaps because of the mojitos and the wine and the ice cream, perhaps because I simply wanted to hurry up and begin my participation in this EZ KAL, I failed to notice (or to take the time to notice) that this hat was just plain too small. Ergo--rip, rip, rip.

"And so we beat on, boats against the current..."*

So, as of right now, Ganomy is no more, but will be something again very soon (hey, there's another Tigers-Cardinals game to get through tonight!)

In the meantime, let me distract you by turning your attention down below, to the Rowanspun Chunky, aquired specifically for an EZ sweater. I'm still humming and hawing and researching and trying to decide which sweater the yarn is meant for. I'm a bit worried that it's a bit too chunky for an EZ hybrid, but we'll see. Any advice? Recommendations? (I know that Jared of brooklyntweed is performing miracles with his Rowanspun Chunky, but I was hoping to use this yarn for an EZ project.)

So, until Take #2 of the Ganomy occurs, I wish everyone in the EZ KAL a happy weekend.

(*How's that for literary melodrama? I think EZ, a talented writer with a flair for the dramatic, might have appreciated the insertion of Fitzgerald here.)

cast on for surprise jacket

Cast on for my first EZ surprise jacket from The Opinionated Knitter.
I was planning on knitting the entire jacket in blue, but after doing a provisional cast on in green for the sleeves, I may add some stripes (or maybe just do the I-Cord trim around the edges in green).
Brooke

Baby Leggings help!

I need your sage advice, knitters. I have read, and reread and knit and frogged my attempts at a certain part of the baby leggings from the Knitter's Almanac, and I need help! Has anyone made the baby leggings with the booties part that can explain how they went together? Somehow an instep is made, then stitches are picked up... and after some knitting, things fold flat and are magically seamable at the sides to become booties. Unfortunately, I was never able to create something to fit human feet. Goat feet, maybe. Any more visual describers out there? How do they go together? How I wish a little scrawled drawing were in the almanac. I know I could just make the leggings end in socks, but it annoys me that I can't figure it out. Any advice?

Weekend Sweater Finished

This is the Weekend Sweeter from Wool Gathering #65. It is pretty obviously a variation on the simple yoke sweater, but I didn’t compare it with KWOT to see exactly how it’s different. It was made using Knit Picks Andean Treasure in Lilac using a US size 8 needle. I used 9 balls for 36”sweater and I’m tallish, so the arms and body are longer than for someone else. I really love how well it fits.

I only had to break out the calculator once. It happened that I got the same key number that Meg was using for her example sweater. She knit a larger sweater, but also a larger gauge. So, I was just able to toss my little Wool Gathering in the knit bag and off I went. I did the recommended short rows in the body to prevent DRU, and the short rows in the yoke to raise the back of the sweater. The only real choice/modification that I made was for the cuffs and neckline and yoke. Instead of ribbing or hems, I used Daisy Stitch from Barbara Walker’s Treasury of Knitted Patterns Vol. 1. I also repeated one of the pattern rows of the Daisy Stitch after I did the yoke decreases for the first two rounds. After the third yoke decrease I just changed to Daisy Stitch for the collar.

Knitting time: I started around end of September and have been knitting, sewing and painting for various projects.

This was my first EZ sweater and it definitely won’t be my last. I’m already eyeballing the stash trying to figure out what I want to swatch next, but I have a dinosaur costume to finish ASAP.

Leigh

Finished Object- Handspun Wave Yoke Sweater

Some details:









*sheep-approved*

The Facts:

Yarn: about 3 oz. of superwash Merino two ply from Spincycle Yarns and about 11 oz. of handspun natural brown 2 ply mystery wool, both DK-ish weight
Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Seamless Yoke Sweater, as found in Knitting Without Tears, with waist shaping added
Wave Chart: Here you go.
Needles: Size 7 Addi Turbo for magic loop
Gauge: 4.75 sts. per inch
Size: 42" bust (2" of ease)
Started: Not including planning, about Sept. 20, 2006
Finished: October 19, 2006


Thoughts:

This was a simple pleasure to knit. All the fun is in the yarn. The colors in the blue yarn entertained me without pause, and the brown woolly stuff was a total tactile pleasure. It's not baby soft and it's not harsh. It's just right.

The pattern is is about as clean as they come. Cast on in blue, knit a row, then switch to brown and knit in tubes up to the armpits, join together, and decrease to the neck. I decreased pairs of stitches at each side for the waist, then increased at the same rate, resulting in the same stitch count as the beginning. After all the ends were woven in, I went back and picked up from the back of the cast-on edges for the hems in blue, switching back to brown for the final rows. I then tacked down each individual stitch to the inside of the sweater. This took an hour for the body hem, mainly due to the fact that the brown wool sticks to itself like crazy, but it's so stretchy and lovely and without ribbing that it's totally worth it.

Now I've got 2 more similar handspun sweaters brewing in my head. It's too comfy and toasty not to want a few more!

Look! A body.

This is the start of a saddle-shoulder sweater based on the system outlined in KWT. I'm doing it on size seven/4.5mm needles with Highland Wool from Elann.com (color 1440). It's gonna be a Christmas present, if I get off my bum and finish it. I want to do some gansy-ish knit/purl patterning over the chest, and a twisted-stitch cable up the arm and across the shoulder strap.

Unfortunately, this is all I've got of a sleeve:


Time to get to work.

In-progress photos, grousing, and unrelated rambling can be found over at my blog, Samurai Knitter.

Am I lucky or what?!

If interested please read the comment on my blog ,

Monika

Skye Tweed

my tweed finally came for my Saddle-Shoulder Aran Cardigan from Wool Gathering #63.



I'm a bit late in the start, but I hope to get this thing on the needles in the coming week or so.

Norwegian Ski Sweater Done

All of the knitting is done! I still have to order the clasps from Schoolhouse Press. The final specs are:
Using a size 4 needle, Knit Picks Yarn in Telemark (Black, Cream, and Red) I was able to get about 4.5 sts. to the inch. There are no seams. Cut open the front steek for a cardigan, leave plain for a pullover. Cut open armholes. The sleeves are knit from the cuff up, and then sewn in. I used EZ's EPS for this garment, and also borrowed the first 3 charts from her book Knitting Workshop. The gorgeous top traditional norwegian star is from Meg Swansens Wool Gathering for September 06. Pick up and knit the collar for about 6", and pick up and knit the buttonbands about 1" wide each. I may try to write this pattern if anyone would be interested. It's pretty basic however if you follow the above info. Have a great knitting week, and knit on :) 

Didn't know if y'all had seen this....

.... but seems there will be an exhibition of EZ's work at UWMadison from Oct 27 thru Dec 17. Sounds like a great exhibit, wish I lived a mite closer to go!

Mary G.
Living Knitting

Percentages are your friend

I didn't start this sweater for this knitalong, but like most of my knitting, it's based on EZ's principles!

Gratuitous kitten shot

I used the percentage system and various EZ tips to make this raglan yoked pullover.
I love love love it! More pictures (and gushing) at the blog.

Humbled

I was merrily knitting away at my Fishtrap Aran last night, chuffed that the pattern was making so much sense to me and that I'd completed the first repetition of the chart without even needing to look at the book. Then I realized the middle of the fishtrap didn't look quite right. I got out the chart. Oops. I was making diamonds in the middle instead of trees. It looked fine, but it wasn't exactly a Fishtrap Aran any more. So I frogged half of it. Ah well, the silver lining is that I got to make the husband wear it like a cummerbund to check the fit, since it was coming off the needle anyway. (The light is terrible in our house at night, so no pictures of that, unfortunately.) And it fits just as he wanted. It's good to get knocked down a peg or two now and then - wouldn't want to get cocky about the knitting. Onward, with greater humility!

Intro

Just wanted to post and introduce myself. I've been reading/using EZ since my mom bought my sister KWT when I was 8 (and I stole it and taught myself). I've always loved the way she tells you to "just do it" and gives the reader the permission to have fun and not fuss!

When I was about 12 I really took off with her EPS and that's when I first started designing my own stuff. I've read (and now own) all her books -- and am waiting till the budget allows me to get The Opinionated Knitter (which I borrowed from the library -- but it had the pages on the Adult surprise jacket neatly removed! -- but I still got so much info from it).

On a personal side: my dh is a highschool geometry/theology/science teacher; I homeschool my 4 school age kids (17, 15, 7, and 6) and chase after my youngest who will turn 4 at the end of November. I have two blogs -- one for knitting musings and one for homeschooling and writing kvetchings! ENJOY!

Thanks for letting me jump in and join y'all!

Yoke Close Up

A few people asked for a close up shot of the yoke on my new cardigan.



Jessica

foiled once and recovering

I started on my gray seamless raglan for my man, but I was sadly disappointed to find that I was knitting at a radically different gauge than I'd gotten for my swatch. He's larger than I am, but not by this much!
Sigh. Relegated to the frog pond. In an effort to build up my confidence for take 2 on the sweater, but still keeping with the Zimmermania theme, I've now started a pair of socks.Hard to see the little garter stitch border on the heel flap
I'm keeping this a short post, but more details are available at my blog!