Shortie Mania

Hello, I'm Jess, and I am addicted to cropped jumpers.

Evidence: Since my last post I have knit not one, but two additional cropped jumpers (one of which I'm wearing this very moment). One might think that I am just a selfish knitter, when in fact I am still suffering from the backlash of my holiday knitting madness. 
Now I am knitting for me and me alone. Me I tell ye! 
Okay, so there may still be some strong underlying emotions.  

Jumper #1 of the week was yet another rendition of Purl Soho's Short Row Sweater. I obvs had to have one in mint green, eh?

Then I wanted another shortie item with a bit more warmth, and whipped up this design myself. One of the many perks of knitting and designing for yourself, is that you can create things exactly to your personal specifications. 

 Blushing Lady

I adore this pink from New Lanark, it's akin to ladies blushing. Teehee. My only aim was to do the shade justice with the pattern design; simple and classy. And as soon as I get a chance, I will draw up this pattern to include some more size options (besides just my own).
 

For this week, I'm thinking I need/want a new pair of fingerless gloves. But because I seem to have issues with starting smaller projects, I am embarking upon another large-ish one that may involve a mohair obsession phase. Any guesses for what this hot mess is going to be? 

Until next time kittens!

Button Eater

What do your dogs eat? For most, the answer is dog food. For mine, that is not always the case.

Completing the Audrey In Unst cardi, I wore & washed it, then added it to the jumper shelf. Upon taking it out again, several of the lovely leather buttons had disappeared. Maybe they were simply past their prime?

Replacing them with extras, I put the cardi back on the shelf without a second thought. Intending to wear it again, I discovered still more buttons were MIA! Casper (as seen above), the wee devil, happened to be sitting at my feet licking his chops for more. The wee scoundrel ate my buttons, I'm sure of it!



I had used up all my extras, so I was on the hunt for a new set of buttons. As it turns out, I managed to pick up a horrid dress with lovely black velveteen buttons for a steal. Transfer made and problem solved.

Now, going back to last weeks post, I have finished the angora cropped jumper. Paired with a dress and my newly acquired white cowgirl boots, it's just my style. This pattern was such a delight, there will be another one coming along in minty green!

Bunny Talk

The aran jumper is complete. Ta-da! My personal requirements for leave to remain in this country have been fulfilled. 

As ye can see, I made it quite large for

optimum comfort. I also blocked it hard lengthwise, so it can function as a sort of dress-ish item.

Mission accomplished.

Now that Spring has finally sprung, my new project concepts are gravitating towards a lighter weight knit. And what says Spring better than Orkney Angora?

Angora = Bunnies = Springtime. 

As you may know, I adore cropped jumpers, and I fell in love with Purl Soho's short row jumper pattern. Sassy small of the back exposure and perfect for wearing over a dress.

As an extreme knitter, I only bought two balls of wool for this project, which I estimated would be just barely enough. Living on the edge...but things always seem to work out, don't they? Stay tuned for results.

On a total side note, I've just found these amazing white cowgirl boots at a charity shop for a steal.

Yee-Haw!

Twistin' My Days Away

I am a ginger and I like to twist (both in dance and knitting). This past season has found me intensely focused on cables, and the twisting continues into Spring.

 

I don't recall making a conscious decision of devoting myself to cables, but alas, it is so. The madness started with a couple pairs of simple cable fingerless mitts for my pals. Then I thought I deserved a more detailed pair for meself.

Elbow-Length Fingerless Mitts

 

The obvious next step was to knit a cable jumper, yes? I wanted something cropped that I could wear over dresses, as that is pretty much all I wear. Digging through my stash, I discovered an amazing dk red wool that served its purpose well.



My very first cropped cable jumper!

 
I am proud to say that I have been in this country for two and a half years. It is high time I read myself a Barbara Cartland novel  (the term novel is used very loosely) and knit a classic aran jumper. I have to say I found the later of the two tasks much more enjoyable.

After purchasing a  few large hanks of un-dyed aran weight wool for a steal, I was on the pattern hunt: classic and not too cabled. Ravelry, as always, was a great help. The only problem with my desired pattern was its construction...knitted flat. Gasp! Egad!I am now converting this jumper pattern into the round.

This pattern appeared quite fitted, so I opted for the size large to make it extra comfy. The pattern was easy to convert and I'm loving the super dense and squishy textured pattern.

Poonam by Berroco Design Team
 

More to come next week. This feature has been brought to you by Ginger McTwist.