A Long Overdue Finish

Men's Knitted Pullover Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

A little self-inflicted toe mishap has me currently home-bound.  I am finding myself knitting a lot during the times when I would rather be outside hiking a beloved trail.  That’s not so bad, since I managed to finish this sweater for my husband before the passing of another winter.

Three years ago, while visiting a yarn store, I found myself buying a set of yarn to make a sweater for my husband.  A daunting prospect considering all I could make at the time were simple scarves.  A year and a half later as a more confident knitter I started looking for a pattern, but I couldn’t find even one for the amount of yarn I had purchased.

 

Men's Knitted Pullover Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

Since a long time had passed in the meantime, I couldn’t just buy the extra yarn needed because of mismatched dye lots.  So I had to end up ordering another complete set of skeins with matching dye lots to make this sweater for him.  I learned a big lesson find a pattern first, then buy the yarn.

I have already found and purchased another pattern to make a sweater for myself with the original skeins.  I don’t mind at all since I was secretly wishing to make a sweater for myself in that colourway.

 

Men's Knitted Pullover Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

I learned short row during this project.  It makes for a little higher neck line on the back of the sweater.  Short row on the round can be a bit confusing at first, but it worked out quite well in the end.  I was initially worried because it looked a bit bulging, but blocking the sweater removed the bulge completely.

 

Men's Knitted Pullover Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

Although the majority of the sweater is knitted in stockinette stitch, there are two sets of cable design on two sides of the sweater underarms.  It’s an easy cable design that I could follow without paying too much attention.

 

Men's Knitted Pullover Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

The sleeves were the hardest part.  Strictly following the pattern made for really billowing sleeves.  I had to frog the first sleeve twice before I figured out the rate of decrease to make a more shapely sleeve.  I reduced another set of stitches right before knitting the ribs to get a perfect fit around the wrists.

 

I used the Gamekeeper Pullover pattern that I found on Ravelry.  I had purchased DK weight yarn, while the pattern is written for worsted weight.  After quite a bit of trial and error, I figured out the right size for him that would work with DK weight yarn. The pattern was very adaptable.

The pattern itself is well written.  I like to learn as I work through projects, this sweater was perfect for that.  Other than the sleeves, I had no problem with the rest of the pattern.  I will definitely use this pattern again as a base for another sweater.

 

Ravi Sweater | Whims And Fancies

 

Once I finished making his, I started on a new cardigan for myself.  This is Ravi by Carol Feller.  The yolk is knitted sideways and the shape is created via short row.  I kept putting this one off because of the combination of short row and garter stitch.  Then I learned German short row.  It is so incredibly easy!  If you are interested, here is the video by Very Pink that I used to learn it.

My husband is all smiles about his new sweater.  Now that I can knit a little better, hopefully he won’t have to wait so long for me to finish the next one.

 

-Soma

 

I am also linking up on other linky parties on my Events And Links page.

 

 

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Windy March Days

Cable Pullover | Whims And Fancies

 

I find March to be a very fickle month.  In this part of the world, poor thing just can’t make up its mind about the weather.  There were consecutive days of blustery wind and pouring rain.  Then the sun broke through the clouds, touching everything with the warm glow that can only be seen after a clearing storm.  In the meantime, the wildflowers have been taking full advantage of the rain and blossoming everywhere, free and playful in the wind, beckoning me outdoors.

After sunset, as it gets colder, I reach for those knitting needles.  I only knit a little everyday, so my projects take awhile to finish.  I have made good progress on my husband’s pullover.  I restarted those mitts, I like how the current pattern displays this busy variegated yarn.

 

 

Yorkshire Sky Yarn | Whims And Fancies

 

 

Recently I shopped a little for next winter.  Completely swayed by the name Yorkshire Skies, I got this beautiful yarn.  It has the shades of soft pastel aqua, with a hint of faded purple and a light steel grey.  I already know the set of mitts and hat I will be making with this one.

 

 

Madeline Tosh Sample Yarn | Whims And Fancies

 

 

I adore these tiny samples of yarn.  I got 240 yards total to make a pair of mitts with them.  It will be my first multi-yarn knit with the colours of dahlia purple, cardinal red, parchment, light sugar plum and log cabin brown.  I wish I had a tiny basket to put these in!

 

 

Malabrigo Plomo Yarn | Whims And Fancies

 

 

I am venturing into the grown-up knitting world with this one.  I got a whole set of plum yarn skeins to make a cable pullover for my husband per his request.  I had fun shopping for the yarn and the pattern.

 

 

Northern California Wildflowers - Wild Radish, Butterweed, Buttercup, Spring Vetch | Whims And Fancies

1.  Pink Wild Radish  2.  California butterweed  3. Buttercup  4. Spring Vetch (my favourite)

 

It is nice to have those warm woollies to don since we have been putting our hiking boots on and heading out right after work. Rain or shine.  I am learning to take close-up photos of wildflowers.  The afternoons have been extremely windy, making it very hard to get good portraits of the flowers.  They are also very small, sometimes no more than a few millimetres.  It takes a long time and a lot of patience, along with crouching in odd positions, waiting for the wind to die down a little.

 

 

Northern California Wildflower Star Lily, Douglas Iris, Redwood Violet, Wild Radish | Whims And Fancies

1.  Star Lily or Death Camas ( beautiful but extremely poisonous )

2.  Douglas Iris  3. Redwood Violet  4. White Wild Radish

 

One of the trails we go to is also a dog park.  The dogs see me crouching at their level and they come by to play with me, running around me while trampling the flowers.  Their joy is so infectious that I can’t help but laugh out loud and play along with them.  Once they move on, I find a different set of flowers and start the process all over again.  It is a lot of fun, you have to take my word for it.

 

 

Northern California Wildflowers | Whims And Fancies

Walking in the woods

 

If you don’t see me here too often, you know where I will be,  at least as long as the wildflowers are on display!

 

 

Camera And Photography Linky Party | Whims And FanciesWandering Camera

I hope to see a few photos of spring in your part of the world on next month’s Wandering Camera link-up.

Happy Spring,
-Soma

 

 

 

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