My first BSJ

I have completed my first Baby Surprize Jacket and I was left guessing until I had cast off as to how it was going to magically turn into a Cardigan!I used five mini skeins of Merino-alpaca that I got from Hip Knits for my first EZ pattern.


I'm going to try the February sweater next when I decipher the pattern!

SOS--Need Help Modifying Heart Hat for Child

Hi Zimmermaniacs...

I want to make the heart hat for a 7 year old girl, and I'm having trouble modifying the pattern because I can't figure out what EZ is thinking!

She says that you can use 10+1 as your base. Got that.

Orphaned stitches are 10% of X + 1.
Final un-cast off stitches are 20% X + 1.

The point decrease of s1 k2tog psso happens at the center, and I think it starts on 1/2 x, right?

The end decreases gradually move inward--each turn happens 1 stitch earlier in, right?

I'm assuming you do this until you have 5 stitches on each end outside the turn.

After that, I'm totally lost! I don't understand the logic it takes to get down to the final 20% X + 1.

Can anyone help me? I want to 40 as my x...
My email is in my profile... thanks in advance--

Baby Surplice Jacket

I've finally gotten around to knitting an EZ baby jacket! This is the Baby Surplice Jacket from Spun Out #43.

Because I hadn't made this jacket before and I just wanted to test out the pattern, I used some cheapie acrylic yarn. I hope EZ would understand. Now that I've got the concept down, I may make another one in some hand dyed variegated wool I have. I may whip up some matching booties and a hat to go with this one to make a nice gift set for the many expecting mommies I know.

The only thing I'm concerned about with this jacket is does it actually "grow" with the baby? Because I used buttons on both sides for closure (instead of a button on one side and an icord belt on the other) I'm guessing one button will have to be moved to change the size of the jacket. I also wonder if the phoney side seams will look funny as you change the size of the jacket. Has anyone else made this jacket? Can you give me some tips?

You can get more info and see more pictures at my blog KnitAddictions.

Half-Pi Shawl

I have an EZ-inspired pattern for you! I decided to knit my own wedding veil for my wedding this summer, and wanted a semi-circle. EZ's pi shawl to the rescue! I cast on half the number of stitches, and knit back and forth instead of in the round. A lace pattern, a large border, a lot of knitting and voila:

To make it into a veil, I crocheted a chain through the top, gathering it to fit into a comb. The crochet came out between the wedding and the reception, and I was left with this shawl.

EZ's instructions were so easy to follow and gave me a wonderful template to use!

If you want to see more, or read more details, go to my blog.

Edited: I knit this in Merino Oro on US 1s. I also just fixed the link -- sorry about that!

Edit #2: I swear I checked the link and it worked, but it reverted back. Here's the website if the link still isn't working! www.kknit.blogspot.com Thanks for all the great comments!

Another Tomten...Finished!

This was a 'knit from my stash' project. I'm happy to report that now I have some space to buy some new yarn ;-)

Yarn: 4 balls Rowan Polar in cream (now discontinued), contrast pink is Rowan Little Big Wool
Needles: Size 6 circular, plus one 10 1/2 needle for binding off the edging
Notes: Fun, relatively quick and easy knit. Although with the Polar on size 6 needles, took a little longer than I had anticipated. My only comment on this little jacket is that when you're working on the edging, you need to be careful to bind off LOOSELY or use larger needles for the bind off. Otherwise, it bunches. Also, be sure to plan where you want the buttons located and how many, the directions are very loose as far as this is concerned. As for sizing, followed the directions for the 27" child from The Opionated Knitter. My daughter is 21 months and it fits her pretty well, with plenty of room to grow.

Fun pattern and loads of possibilities. I found the mathematical symmetry intriguing, although I suppose that's how all patterns are when you break them down. Looking forward to knitting my next Tomten!

Hi-- and my first EZ-inspired project

I've been watching the posts on this blog with interest for some time and have been considering joining; but until now, I hadn't actually started on any EZ or EZ-inspired projects. I'm going to be an aunt in February, though, so I thought I had to start on some baby supplies ASAP.

My first project is a square baby blanket based on EZ's April Mystery Blanket-- though I'm taking one single square and making that big enough to be a baby blanket in and of itself. Here's the WIP picture from the first day's knitting (I'm more than half through with it now, and will post pictures when I'm done).

After I've finished this, I'll start on the BSJ or the February baby sweater (I should find out if the baby is a boy or a girl at the end of this month).

Thanks for allowing me to join Zimmermania! I look forward to participating frequently in the future-- and seeing more of the beautiful EZ projects!

EZ Mystery Blanket

I wanted to use up 9 balls of a cotton and linen mix yarn, and knitted the Mystery Blanket square from the EZ book "The Knitter's Almanac" just one square on 4.5mm addi's, with the odd row of purl stitch and a little garter stitch to make the edge lie flat, then finished with a picot edge. This was quite a heavy yarn and drapes well as a blanket it is 36" square, I'm quite pleased with final result.

EZ Mystery Blanket

I wanted to use up 9 balls of a cotton and linen mix yarn, and knitted the Mystery Blanket square from the EZ book "The Knitter's Almanac" just one square on 4.5mm addi's, with the odd row of purl stitch and a little garter stitch to make the edge lie flat, then finished with a picot edge. This was quite a heavy yarn and drapes well as a blanket it is 36" square, I'm quite pleased with final result.

EZ's Angel

I finished the Angel in Christmas Fiddle Faddle in the Wilds, from the Knitter’s Almanac. She’s made from a white mohair yarn that I came across in my stash without a label: it has little patches of pale pink, lemon and lavender in it. You can see some of the snowflakes I knitted from the same yarn, from EZ's star pattern.

EZ’s angels have a colour pattern around the hem, but I felt that with fluffy white yarn I didn’t need to have colourwork as well. I used the same number of stitches and didn’t really have any idea what size she would turn out to be, but she’s just under 6 inches high. She isn’t big enough to become a hat after Twelfth Night. Perhaps I should knit her big sister and I could wear her as a hat.

Her little arms are i-cord and worked perfectly. I made up the wings because I thought she ought to have some, and I only needed to add blue eyes to her face because the yarn obligingly placed a pink bit at her mouth (that wouldn’t have happened if I’d tried, I promise).

Her hair can be smoothed down but I like her best with it a bit wild – in some of the dimly lit photos she looked more like the Corpse Bride than a Christmas Tree Fairy.

BSJ Information Table

I have started a very simple table geared towards collecting information about size, gauge, yardage, dimensions, etc., for making the Baby Surprise Jacket in various sizes and yarn weights. The information listed so far is from the people who responded when I expressed an interest in this project some time ago. I would like to add to it so am posting this request for more data. So far the headings I am using are: Size, Yarn Weight, Yarn Name, Yardage, Needle Size, Gauge, Dimensions, and Comment. It is not necessary to have detailed records, any information you can contribute will be a help to the knitter planning his/her first Baby Surprise Jacket.

One other thing, if you know how to post a downloadable pdf file I would appreciate help. I'm looking for a way to make this hopefully evolving table easily available without compromising email addresses. Do you think I should set up a specific blog to gather and post this information?

Mom's new Baby Surprise Jacket and February sweater

Mom finished this cotton baby surprise a few days ago. She still needs to go button shopping.She and I both started the February sweater a couple of days ago. I had to tear mine up after countless mistakes and am taking a weeks vacation from it, but she is on the first sleeve using King Tut in this beautiful shade.

Double-Knitted Baby Blanket -- Finished!

Here it is, unblocked but all finished -- my double-knitted baby blanket from EZ's Knitter's Almanac, the February project. I added my daughter's name in duplicate stitch (thanks to everyone who reminded me of the technique!) and a single-crochet border in the same rose color for contrast. A little blocking should smooth out the edges and it'll be all done with time to spare before little Zoe's arrival -- whew!

Ribwarmer Vest

This is my second try at the Ribwarmer Vest. The first time, I didn't get row gauge, and it was way too long. This time, I decided to be extra careful and worked my way painstakingly through the ribwarmer worksheet in issue #5 of Knitter's Magazine, using my measurements and my gauge. After I'd done all the math, I found I could just use the medium size in the pattern in that issue! And I think it turned out fine. I used Elizabeth's own adaptation for adding a collar, and love how it looks. I'd like to make more, adding sleeves on one, and doing another in ribbing. The yarn is Knit Picks's Wool of the Andes in color Stream.

Connecticut Tomten

I just finished a tomten for my three-year-old son. I've called it the Connecticut Tomten because all the sheep that contributed the yarn are from Connecticut--the blue is Farmhouse Yarn's Bessie in Slate, and the brown is Twist of Fate's worsted (undyed, from a wonderfully colored sheep, in my opinion).

I went with a zipper, my very first in any knitted item, so I learned something new. I wouldn't say I'm eager to repeat the whole zipper thing, but at least I know I can do it. I added a patch pocket by picking up stitches along the bottom ridge, knitting up, then sewing up the sides. I slightly modified the sleeves--more details on mods, needles, etc., as well as more pictures, are on my blog.

Nicholas and I are both pleased.

So I just made the February Baby Jacket

Last week I was concerned that the FBJ wouldn't be appreciated by my cousins if they have a baby boy. I still don't think they'd put a little boy in lace (I think it would be adorable), but I had a real longing to make this cute little thing and couldn't resist any longer. It's made in Araucania Nature Wool color #47 with slightly different celtic buttons than last time. I always find myself getting stately buttons for EZ projects, they seem to be so fitting.

Just in case a Y chromosome makes an appearance, I've started a Tomten in the same yarn. I picked up a skein of the lovely, limey, color #51 for i-cord edging. When the baby arrives in January, I'll just pull out the appropriate sweater and keep the other in reserve as an emergency gift. The tiny Tomten will also function as a practice run for my five-year-old cousin's sweater, which I'm still plotting.

Infant Tomten in Use

Here is our one-month old granddaughter modeling her pink cotton tomten. I was surprised at how well it fit her (at 11 pounds) and also how much stretch there is for room to grow.

I found out I put the top button way too high (see second picture -- it's level with her mouth, on the right). I forgot babies don't have necks! So I just snipped that button off, and since I used I-cord hidden buttonholds, no harm done.

Also, I should have either made smaller buttonholes or used bigger buttons. (See how the buttons have worked loose in the second picture.) It will be easy to fix with a stitch or two to shorten the buttonholes, but we live 1000 miles away so our daughter will have to do it!

(Her legs aren't really blue -- not sure why the color turned out that way.)

Baby Surprise Jacket Question

I read somewhere about making the BSJ from self-striping sock yarn. I've done a few rows. Maybe I'm just being impatient, but I'm wondering how this will work out with the long rows -- will I have stripes? The beauty of this pattern is in the simplicity of the garter stitch and the corners, I don't want to continue much longer if I won't be happy with what I'm making. Any thoughts?

thanks,
Mary Ann

Seamless Saddle Shoulder for a Preschooler

Seamless saddle shoulder sweater from Knitting without Tears.
Yarn: Dale of Norway Falk
Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm)
Gauge: ~6.5 st/in
Modifications (Choices): knitted in hems for the bottom and sleeves, about 1” of ease (will probably be less by the time it cools enough for him to actually wear it), rolled stockinette for the neckline

More details are on my blog.

Bavarian Jacket

Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Bavarian Jacket, Spun Out 29A, available at Schoolhouse Press
Yarn: Artyarns Supermerino, colorway 119, about 13 skeins
Needles: US 7 Options
Gauge: 4.25 st/in

Hi, this is my first post here, but I just finished a design that I hadn't seen elsewhere on the 'net, so I thought I'd share it. More details on my blog.

My first TomTen.

Worked in a Cheviot and silk blend handspun, using 150g for the main and a co-ordinating Shetland wool yarn for the trim. The yarn is a DK, giving a gauge of 20sts to 10cm/4".

Instead of adding a zip, I crocheted a button band in DC (US - SC) and added buttonholes using the same principle that EZ employs in the BSJ.

It measures just short of 50.5cm/20" around the chest when closed, so should be perfect for a Baba's first winter (due date next march)

More information and more photos can be found here.

I like the pattern, and it was an ideal knit for me whilst having a break from other work, but I think I prefer the BSJ.... infact, there's another BSJ finished and blocking right now...

Child Surprise Jacket

I'd like to make two child sized Surprise Jackets for my nieces. Has anyone done this? I'd love some advice/help.:)

ROMANTIC TOMTEN

This is my version of EZ's Tomten. I knit it with two strands of yarn using black as the constant and stash yarn in shades of dark gray to white as the second. Note how the colors become lighter as they progress from the bottom to the shoulders. Since I was using all the stash yarn in each color as I went along, I added steeks to the arm openings so the color would be constant around the chest area.

I decided it needed some color after the body was complete and added the red band around the front opening and hood. At that point, my copy of Annie Modesitt's "Romantic Hand Knits" arrived and I decided the touch of embroidery that Annie had used on "The Heiress" sweater would be a nice touch, so I used that as inspiration for the additional adornment around the front.

I will let its recipient, my granddaughter, Audrey, pick out a button from Grandma's button box for the front closure.

EZ Ribwarmer

Although I finished this ribwarmer in June, I waited to post it until after Knitting Camp! I used J&S chunky along with croceted hairties for the ties and buttons I discovered on a vacation to Austin, TX. To finish the ribwarmer I I-Corded around all edges.

Baby Leggings Feet and Knees questions

I'm working on the February Baby Leggings, and I'm wondering if the feet will be safe for a walking toddler. Have any of you put on non-slip soles? (I've tried them in the long-distant past and didn't like them, but maybe they've improved.) Maybe it'd be best just to stop with ribbed ankles.

Also, does a crawling baby wear out the knees? Should they be reinforced somehow?

I'm making this for our granddaughter born a month ago. I figure she won't be walking this winter, but she will be crawling. And maybe these won't even fit until a year from now.

It's fun knitting them and seeing them take shape. I sure appreciate the comments and pictures from those who have already made them.

a finished story about norwegian sweaters

i set out to make a trio of norwegian sweaters for my two great nephew age 3 and 1 and my great niece age 1. and i made just before work starts again tomorrow. argh.
the green and brown raglan is based on ez's recipe for a raglan and the patterns from books by vibeke lind and annichen sibbern bøhn (please join my contest over at my blog. i have certainly learned a lot of new techniques which is my principle. i learned the crochet steek and with the green and brown sweater jogless stripes. that works wonders.
the sweater is made out of rowanspun dk in the colours catkin and thor. the 3 year old didn't not want to try it on. no way. but there were lots of people at today's party (perfect strangers) who asked me to knit for them. and i will. i they will clean my house for as many hours.

Double-Knitted Baby Blanket

I'm more than halfway through a baby blanket for my second little girl, due this October. It's from Knitter's Almanac, February, the chapter that has a bunch of different projects for a baby. I've wanted to try this double-knitted blanket for awhile, and I really love how it's turning out. I thought the double-knitting thing might be a real pain in the neck, but it's turned out to be very relaxing and soothing knitting -- perfect for TV watching and subway riding. The yarn is Knitpicks Decadence, 100% alpaca, and sooooo lovely and soft! The double-knitting makes the center wonderfully squishy, and even though the edges are roll-free garter stitch, I think I'll still add a narrow crochet border just to tidy things up a bit more. I also think I'll add the baby's initial (Z for Zoe) right in the center of the blanket on the right side, nice and large in a rose-pink, just to break up all the burgundy. What's the name for that technique, where you over-stitch each knit stitch to make it look like you did some fancy intarsia when you really didn't? Well, anyway, that's the plan. Will post again once it's complete....

The Ribwarmer

I started this at Camp 2 last month. It has been an interesting knit. I have poured over EZ's directions in Knitting Workshop, the Spun Out from Schoolhouse Press and a Knitter's article. Typical of EZ, she made me think while knitting this one, wondering just where it was going at every turn. It has been sitting for a couple of weeks now, waiting for the final touches on it.


I'll make another one but not just right away, using the Spun Out directions and not sewing up the center back but knitting it as one piece. For now, I'm glad to be finished with it. And I really liked knitting with the two strands of Unspun Icelandic, it just is not any fun to try and sew up with it!

BSJ and Longies

This is my second BSJ and I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I've never made the longies before, but they were very quick and easy to whip up; I think it only took a few evenings' knitting in front of the tube. Both are Knit Picks' "swish," the BSJ is the worsted weight, in indigo heather and (the strangely named) squirrel heather. I picked up some cute celtic knot buttons at Webs to finish it off. The little leggings are in the coal-colored DK weight.

As superwash yarns go, I've never really liked them, and this one isn't really perfect, but I do like it more than others I've used. Its main flaw, in my opinion, is that the plies split pretty easily. This wasn't really troublesome in the main knitting of either garment, but it was annoying while completing the fair amount of weaving required. I was impressed that the yarn lacked that plasticky, squeaky texture that other superwash yarns can have. Always soft, I was surprised by how soft and lofty it was after (hand) washing.

I'm relieved to have this done before my upcoming wedding. I can't wait to give it to my cousin and his wife for their baby due in October. I'll probably be making another set for another cousin's baby due in January, but right now I'm really worked up to make a child's Tomten for my little flower girl (and cousin- are you noticing a pattern here?) Maybe the second baby will be a girl, an irresistible chance to make a February sweater.

contest

i am having a contest over at my blog . among other reasons because i can soon celebrate my 50th post and that my trio of norwegian sweaters are finished. to be delivered to the last recipients on sunday. the prize is annechen sibbern bohns: norske strikkemønstre that i came along in a used book store. and somebody has obviously used his/her book when knitting socks, mittens, hats or even the great setesdal kofte. personally i have had this book for more than 30 years. it was given to me by my paternal grandmother who was always knitting either mittens or socks to her grandchildren's hearts' content. i have posted a question, so if you want to be in the game come over and answer the question that you have probably also asked yourself every now and then.

oh and i forgot to say: saint elizabeth mentions this book as a source in knitting without tears.

The Very Warm Ganomy

Nothing like taking 2 brilliant patterns and putting them together. I like to call it the Very Warm Ganomy from Knitter's Almanac and the Opinionated Knitter.

The outside is barely spun Icelandic Lopi, the inside is a double strand of Silky Wool. Knitted on sz. 10 / 6mm needles. Extremely warm hat.

I cast on with the brown, knit one round, purled one round and started the Ganomy shaping. When the brown hat was complete I picked up the cast-on row with pink and knitted another ganomy going the opposite direction.

Ok, so no one really needs a double layer hat in the middle of summer, but it never hurts to be prepared!

Knitter's Almanac, August

EZ designed her Christmas decorations while she was camping (I nearly typed 'on a camping holiday', but I am of the conviction that camping, when done properly, with a tent and no facilities, isn't a holiday) one August, so that is where they appear in the Almanac, under the heading Christmas Fiddle Faddle in the Wilds. I started knitting some of these last December, but didn't get enough done in time and now I can't find them anyway, so I've started over again. They're fun to do because they're so quick and because they're tiny, you don't have a great mass of warm wool on your lap. They require next to no concentration so they can be executed while you’re sitting round the campfire or lazing on the beach.

EZ just gives instructions for stars, but after I had done a couple in white yarn I realized that they should be snowflakes, so I added another 11 stitches for the extra point. The aqua ones are Rowan's Kid Classic, in a discontinued colour that I've forgotten the name of, but it's very icy. I can't decide if they should five points or six. Are they stars or snowflakes? The tiny snowflake is a white sock yarn speckled with red and blue and yellow. The fluffy blue snowflake is La Gran Mohair. The red stars are Lorna’s Laces Worsted in Bittersweet. The huge fluffy white snowflakes are a mohair yarn which I found in my stash and can't really remember much about, but I just love the result. I'm going to make a lot more of those. I don't have any Kidsilk Haze in an appropriate colour but I think it would make fab snowflakes too.

You could felt these. I didn’t bother: I just pinned them to my ironing board and blasted them with steam.

For some unfathomable reason I enjoy doing the stars and snowflakes much more than I enjoy doing the Christmas trees. Maybe I'm just not that into green. If you can find a green yarn tweeded with red, they look like Christmas trees which have been decorated, which is cool. Maybe if I find a good yarn I'll do more trees, but for just now I'm sticking to snowflakes. Huge fluffy ones.

And next I’m going to try the Angel.

Knitting my first EZ pattern

Greetings from Sydney! I've bought several of Elizabeth Zimmerman's books from Amazon, and I'm now knitting my first baby surprise jacket (for a friend who is pregnant). I am fairly new knitter, and I found EZ's instructions a little sparce, so I Googled about a bit, and found Dawn Adcock's pattern notes. I thought that would keep me straight, and indeed I got along fine, until I reached row 47. In row 46 I have 90 stitches, which seems to be correct. But Ms Adcock's notes seem to require 94 stitches, to achieve K23, M1, K1,M1,K46, M1,K1,M1,K23. Puzzled, I went back to Google, to see if there was any one else who had got stuck at this point, and if so, how they got around it. I found no specific guidance, but I did find a comment on a blog that said that in the DVD from Schoolhouse Press, Meg Swansen knits the increase for back fullness at row 59, not row 57 as shown in Ms Adcock's notes. The blog authoress says that she has posted an alternate version of the pattern notes, but such is the blizzard of side bars, buttons and flashing gizmos on that page, that I cannot find it.

Now it seems to me that Meg Swansen is likely to be the authority on this pattern, and if she knits that increase in row 59, then that implies that (to stay true to the original pattern), she has 114 stitches in row 58. To get from 90 stitches to 114 stitches in 6 shaping rows, I needed to increase 4 stitches per row, so that makes row 47 K22, M1, K1,M1,K46, M1,K1,M1,K22 and row 49 K23, M1, K1,M1,K46, M1,K1,M1,K23, and so on. That brought me to the correct number of stitches in row 58, and ,after some tinkering, I rendered row 59 as K28,M1,K1,K3,(K5,M1)X10,K3,M1,K1,M1,K28, which isn't exactly even, but seems to be within the tolerances of the pattern.

In spite of all this, I have BO5 neck shapings in rows 72 and 73, so I have converged back to Ms Adcock's notes. I am about knit row 74, but it's not clear to me what, if any, difference all of the above will make to the finished article (which I am working in a rather basic acrylic yarn, and treating as a draft version). Can anyone give me some insight into how they handle rows 47 and 59?

Thank you, Meg!

Those of you in possession of the new 25th-anniversary Vogue Knitting issue will have seen Meg Swansen's little plug for our project here. I hope you'll join me in expressing gratitude to Meg for her continued support of our celebration of her mother's genius. When I asked her blessing to begin Zimmermania eleven months ago, I had no idea we'd grow to more than 500 participants, and I want to thank you all for the atmosphere of encouragement and respect and welcome you have created.

I also want to say again that we open the doors here to anyone who wants to knit Elizabeth's (or Meg's) designs. There are directions for contacting me to join the group in the sidebar link, and if you haven't had a response within a week it means I haven't received your message, so please try again.

I was finally able to round out my EZ library with a birthday gift of The Opinionated Knitter, which I fondly devoured over the weekend. Those early Newsletters were written when my mother was a little girl, but Elizabeth's voice is so vivid and Meg did such splendid work in assembling and annotating the book that you feel as if you're cozily knitting on the porch with old friends, with coffee and lap-cats for everyone. A final enormous thank-you to Meg, and I'm off to finish my first February baby sweater.

Knit on, everybody, and viva EZ!

Tomten in Handspun

I made this Tomten from yarn spun by my friend Lisa, for my baby that's coming in November. We're not finding out if it's a boy or a girl, and I love the way bright colors like this orange look on babies. The yarn is very, very soft, I think wool with some mohair. I've made the Tomten several times, and it's come out better when I've used different yarn, but since this was the first knitted item I made for my baby, s/he will wear it with pride!

This is my first post and I'm excited to be here--80% of the time I'm knitting some EZ concoction.

Heart Hat

Heart hat from Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop (p.156). This was made with various materials I had on hand. The heart is some fuchsia washable wool, the grey bonnet part is Paton's merino, and the I-cord cast-off border and ties are also a wool-blend worsted weight that I happened to have hanging around. I also crocheted a line of pink around the edge when it was finished to get some more pink in there as a balance.





Cross posted on my blog and at the book club that inspired it.

This was really fun to make!

Mystery Blanket

Here is my (finally) finished Mystery Blanket from Knitter's Almanac. This blanket is the April project. Each square is knit from the centre out, and the live stitches are then put on a holder (I used waste yarn). The squares are then grafted together, so you end up with a seamless blanket. Another winner from EZ.

When I first bought my copy of Knitter's Almanac, I was intrigued by this blanket. The picture in the book is of a solid colour blanket (in white). But when I first saw it, I wondered what it would look like in a self-striping yarn. The yarn I used is Paton's SWS. The inner part of the squares is done in the Natural Navy colourway, and the outer part (and the border) is done in Natural Denim.

For more details, please visit my blog

I'm really happy with how it turned out. I love the colours in the yarn, I love the variation in the squares, and it's going to be a wonderful warm afghan to curl up under on chilly nights.

New tomten, stash-busting striped raglan

Here are two more from my ongoing EZ binge. The first is a tomten in green heathered Cascade 220 with Dale Freestyle Stripes, blue alpaca i-cord, and my first full length zipper. The second is from two years ago, and it's my stash-busting raglan. It was not only my first EPS sweater, but the only sweater I have ever made without a trip to the yarn store. I made it entirely from leftover yarn, hence the stripes. It is my only thrifty sweater.