Cabled Vamsegarn/Finullgarn Cardigan

It's finished! I found the perfect buttons too!

This sweater has taken a lot longer to make than I thought it would. I got interrupted a lot with other projects while working on it. Then I got bored and really didn't want to do the sewing up parts.

I really don't like the sewing up. That's why many years ago I taught myself how to make seamless sweaters!

This will be a great winter sweater. It is a bulky weight but made with a strand of a worsted and a strand of a fingering weight. That is how it gets those beautiful subtle stripes. Can you see them?

I was hoping to get a picture of me wearing it but I didn't have anyone to help me with that. I needed to take it to Arnhild's so it could be packed with the display stuff. We are getting closer and closer.

Pattern: 2090RVF
Yarns: Vamsegarn and Finullgarn This one is the medium size and I had one ball of Vamsegarn that I didn't use.
Needles: Sizes US8 and US11

Hubby and I spent yesterday cleaning out the store room. It was mostly kids clothes, computer parts and wedding gifts (that we haven't used in 30 years of marriage). We had brought back a bunch of stuff from our college grad daughter, Jessie, which needed a home. I have been trying to get the kids clothes sorted for a long time now but I could only reach part of them for fear of toppling the towers of computer parts! I really should have taken pictures.

Well, we filled up our Suburban with things to donate and the room looks much better now. No, I didn't get DH to give up very much of the computer stuff but we did whittle it down a little bit and we at least got things moved around so I could get to the clothes that I needed to sort. Now there is just one box of clothes for Carl to grow into and several boxes of things that we are storing for Jessie while she is between apartments.

Now we need to start working on the collections of toys that have accumulated after almost 27 years and 8 children! We have so much which could be blessing someone else!

Toddler Sweater and socks

Things are coming together for the TNNA trade show. Only 2 weeks to go and much to do yet! Arnhild and I went over the preparations list again yesterday. We are pretty much packed up for the display now except for the models that are not finished. These 2 projects will be going into one of the rolling suitcases.

The River Jeans cotton Cabled Sweater. I made the size 2-4 toddler. This yarn is so soft and nice. The cables really look good in it and it has really good resilience for a cotton yarn. This is a sweater that is going to hold its shape I think!

You can see the cables better behind the Magi Socks here. Magi is another one of the new yarns that we will be displaying. It is a machine washable sock yarn. 75%wool/25% nylon. Really nice stuff too! This pair is just over 5 inches long. I made the sock to fit a little wooden shoe last that we are going to use for display. I really want to make some socks for myself now with one of the other colors!

I don't usually worry about having the stripes of the 2 socks match. I kind of like having them be fraternal twins but since these are going on the display at TNNA and on the pattern that I still need to write up (ahem), I thought they should probably match. I am very pleased at how closely they match. And I only had to cast on the second sock twice! Oh, if you can't tell in the picture, one of the socks is turned down at the cuff. They will work either way.

My web site designer, and second oldest son, took the socks to the park for a photo shoot. Here is the lovely photo that he took.

I made both of the socks from one 50g ball of Magi and still had some left over.

I am now finishing up the Ladies Cabled Cardigan (2090RVF) in Vamsegarn and Finullgarn. I need to sew in the sleeves yet and knit a neckband. Then I have to pick out some buttons that will go well with it. I find that to be the hardest part sometimes. I will often have an idea in my mind of what I want but does it exist? maybe-maybe not We will see what I find!

I thought I was getting almost finished with the projects for the show but after Arnhild and I went over the list again she handed me a baby sweater in another new yarn--Chiri Alpaca--which needs some crochet for finishing. Then she said that we needed to make more of the baby sweaters in this yarn if we could find the time.

So, I will be knitting.........

I WON !!

I can't believe it! I won one of these skeins of beautiful hand dyed yarn from Ray at Knitivity!

He asked people who read his blog to answer the question: “Why did I name the single ply line Biagio?” or indicate the significance of the name. The correct response, of course, is that Biagio is named after Santo Biagio (St. Blaise), the patron saint of wool-carders.

Ray makes some of the most beautiful hand-dyed yarns I have seen anywhere. I have yet to try them because I couldn't decide which ones I wanted!

If you haven't seen what Ray can do check it out here. He has an amazing talent with colors!

Thanks Ray!

Toddler Cable Sweater in River Jeans cotton

I haven't posted in a while because I have been busy trying to get this little toddler sweater knit up for the TNNA trade show next month. This pattern is newly translated into English by Arnhild and will be available as soon as it arrives from Norway.

I am making the size 2-4 for display at the show. We don't have a lot of the yarn on hand yet either but there was enough for this size and it will be faster to knit up than a larger size. I wish it would fit Carl though because it is really going to be a nice sweater.

The River Jeans yarn is 100% cotton and remarkably soft. I have enjoyed working with it. Many cotton yarns make my hands hurt or feel rough but this one doesn't.

This is a great yarn for summer tops too I think. We also have a new tank top and cardigan pattern that is translated and being knit up. There are so many things that River Jeans could be used for. I just wish that it came in more colors!

Pattern -- PT 795-River Jeans Cabled Pullover for Children and Men
Yarn -- River Jeans 100% cotton


Tomorrow we start playing with all of the yarn and sample models to decide how we are going to display them for TNNA. We have lots of new things to show! I hope we can fit it all in the car! I am looking forward to meeting store owners and pattern designers from all over the US.