Every knitter has a process. Mine is a little messy, but approachable. I sat down on Thursday evening and knocked out what I though was going to be the matching mitt to a singularly knit mitt I worked up as a sample in October.  It was a to be a double score: Finished project off my list and warm hands. I was knitting a beautiful 100% Italian Cashmere yarn from Lana Gatto. It is a dream to work with. A light worsted weight allowing me to work quickly and feels like a cloud. Soft and light, I was so excited to have a finished set.

I set out to locate the partial skein of yarn left over from the first mitt. It had turned up a few times in my “local knitting supplies” ( the pile of things I am currently working from, all convenently stored in a basinette built by my grandfather.) Of course it was no where to be seen now that I wanted to find it. (The pile may be pretty big) No real problem though, I had an extra skein in my work kit in the same color and dye lot. Time to get knitting!

Like any other cast on of a new project, I just pulled up the pattern, Autumnal Mitts, on my phone and set to knitting.  I had a new skein of yarn ready and nothing distracting me. Did I have the first mitt next to me? No! That would have been smart! I knit the mitt up to the thumb gusset and then realized I had better find the prospective mate to my new mitt so I didn’t end up with two mitts of the same hand. It was easy enough to find in my work bag, along with all my other Lana Gatto Samples. I took notice of the thumb placement and hurried back to knitting.  It was shaping up to be a good evening, watching a Netflix series and knitting away.

And as I was binding off the top of the hand, I realized that I had knit the pattern exactly as written… failing to skip one repeat of the lace pattern as I had done with the first mitt.   Why I did not remember this fact when I made the trek to find the first mitt, I will never know. I think this is the only problem working from online patterns. I do like to make notes on paper patterns, but I just don’t print much anymore. Back when I was knitting the first mitt, I was second guessing the yarn usage even though a very trusted friend had knit multipule pairs from the same yarn, never running out of yarn from just one skein. I didn’t want to knit a third mitt and have one lingering leaving me in the same single mitt circumstance that I found myself in at the onset. Instead of being mad, I just undid the first mitt and set to reknitting it to be a matched set. Now this seems crazy, because I started with a fresh new skeinAs I was knitting I realized that having a cashemere hat with a matching motif would be fantastic. My brain was just clicking along and since I had an extra half a skein of yarn as well as another full skein in stash I might as well start planning!

As luck would have it a pattern designed materialized rather easily in my mind and now I have a fantastic set!   Keep a look out the end of next week for the pattern over on Ravelry and right here as a little Valentines Day cerci from me to you!

The Sweater:  The Sea Pullover from the indispensable knitting book Swoon Maine circa 2015.

The Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Newsprint.  This worsted weight, woolen spun, two ply yarn is one of my all time favorites to work with. It is hard wearing and looks great for a very long time.  I did knit this sweater way back in 2016…

The Designer: Carrie Bostick Hoge one of my favorite designers.  Her classic styling is easily translated to personal wardrobes and on top of that, her designs are often easily achieved.  I appreciate Carries’ attention to detail, and in the whirl of talent, skill  and classic styling the Sea Sweater is one of my all time, most worn and most loved sweaters.

The Details: The Sea Pullover is a simple construction raglan sweater.  I made a few modifications at the hem and the neck.

The high low hem is achieved with short rows, which I worked in reverse order, moving the wrap and turn stitches up agains the band of purl stitches worked as a transition from the ribbing.  This resulted in what I found to be a tidier result.  The wrap an turn stitches disappear in the difference of texture.

My second modification was to omit the turtleneck.  At the time it made sense, as I was not living where it was very cold.  I also pair my sweaters with my collection of flannel and button down shirts.  So having space for my colorful collars is important to my personal style. This is my go-to work wear. I know I have mentioned it a few posts back… and if we have ever had occasion to have a work appointment together I am sure you will confirm this as true.

I am pleased to say the Sea Pullover with a turtleneck is in the plan for 2020.  I bought some beautiful Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in a red two ply marl and if  I can get my knitting act together, maybe I can be wearing it by Valentine’s Day!!

When I started knitting, I was deeply entranced with the v shaped knit stitches  marching in straight lines, all working together to make lovely stockinette fabrics.  I was particularly entranced with small gauge projects, things that there was no way I could achieve at that time with my slow and deliberate pace of knitting.

As time moved on and I had grown past garter stitch scarves into knitting hats in the round for my new baby. Hats gave way to sock knitting for that same baby.  A voracious learner, I was willing to read a pattern and work through the challenges of knitting new things. I made a worsted weight sweater from Knitscene magazine that I was so proud of, managing to work the shaping of a raglan  with a seed stitch border. It had 3/4 sleeves and no buttons on the front. I uses a shawl pin to close it and was horrible proud of the whole thing!  I was growing as a knitter, I had knit hats and socks and now a sweater!

The very next project I attempted was a beautiful green February Lady Sweater, just like the one Pam Wynne modeled when adapting the pattern from the February Baby Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmerman .  I could not, for the life of me manage the raglan increases in the garter stitch yoke.  It was too much… my mind could not see the difference the increases subtly made, causing a slight ripple in the ridges.  I could not process weather the increases were right leaning or left leaning not to mention the juggling of stitch markers. I never made it down to the lace skirt on the sweater, which was my primary reason for picking this project.  It was elegant, classic, and at this point out of my reach. Looking back, my new knitter status was also the daily companion to new business owner and mother of an 1 year old. Did I mention I also had a full time job at a bank at that time?  All in all, life plus some knitting projects was just too much for my brain.

I retreated to a different project after consulting my trusted shop manager.  We must have discussed at length the purpose of directional increases, and fully fashioned garments and there benefits. Then as a team settled on me knitting a Clapotis as my next project. We had oodles of hand painted DK weight yarn from Unplanned Peacock Studio, it would be a great shop sample and  it would be good for practicing decreases and increases.  It would train me over a 1,000,000 stitches to move my needle tip back and forth knitting into the back of stitches as well.  And at the end, I would get to drop ever so many stitches and have a wonderful lace project.

The Clapotis was a wonderful jumping off point to introduce me to lace and the world of knitting textures. I developed a love for lace edges on shawls and after another year or so, I did finished that February Lady Sweater. I have no idea where that sweater ultimately ended up since that was a good 9 years and two yarn shops ago. (Photo circa 2011)

Now my knitting skills have made a jump and I find myself continually drawn to stranded color work sweater projects.  I love knitting with two yarns at once, playing a color changing strand with a subtle solid and ending up with something marvelous. Even with that passion I want to challenge myself and work outside of my natural proclivity and grow.   I see knitting as an art, one that I want to continue to develop.

My mind is constantly thinking about knitting.  My job as a sales rep has me traveling all the time and driving all over the western part of the USA.  I spend lots of time in silence, which is very comforting to me.  I cherish the time to think.  That time becomes the seeds of my designs.  I realized that during the silent time I was trying to think through projects and move stitches in my mind.  I was completely stumped by how to move a field of twisted rib to mimic a moving stream… This idea crossed my mind while traveling in Montana, where I am continually entranced with the water dancing across the landscape like ribbons dropped down from the heavens.  Not being able to move the “mental legos” of knit stitches in a design in my head was frustrating.  I began to think about the deficancy in my work.  What was the last textured project I had knit?  Did I enjoy it?  Why do I keep going back to the same familiar projects?

So this year, 2020 I resolve to introduce more texture into my knitting and not just cling to stranded color work knitting.  I know I can’t absolutely say I will give up color work knitting because I have a few to many unfinished projects that I am committed to finishing.  And it isn’t like knitting any style project is harmful… there is really no service to be done by abstaining.

Honestly, once I made this realization I began to seek out textured projects starting in October. My holiday hat gifts were all textured hats. I finished a long languishing linen stitch scarf for my mom that I started one spring day in Michigan back in 2016 and I dove head first into a textured sweater project for my darling husband which I had started back in July.

I am happy to report that this has already  been a fun task.  I have crossed off a few smaller projects off the list, completing a pair of fingerless mitts and a matching hat which will become a new design.  I have also finished a second pair of fingerless mitts to match a separate hat that I knit back in October. These mitts will also become a new pattern. The fruit of my new year challenge is already appearing.

 

I love to sew, and I really love to sew my clothing. My story to successful handmade clothing started on a very winding path of learning sewing skills which I am happy to recount for you here and hopefully inspire your journey in making.

I learned to sew clothing as a kid, making doll clothes. These skills evolved and then went into some historical costuming as a young adult. I always struggled with modern patterns from major brands found in fabric stores.  I never understood the seam finishings in modern sewing since I didn’t have access to a serger but had the knowledge to make a french seam. Why were these methods not utilized or why were there so few instructions available right on the patterns??  My Mom helped me whenever I asked, but lets face it… I was one of those teenagers who did not take instruction well, much less from my mom when it was unsolicited.  I am pretty certain even when it was solicited I was pretty surly for a while.  Anyway… back to sewing present day.

Once I was able to get a better handle on sewing, and acquire more skills through college and generally more time sewing I found my way through quilting back to sewing clothes.  In college I made a dress to wear to a dance, and I was able to make my costume to play Robin in the college presentation of Shakespere’s Merry Wives of Windsor. I also was able to start taking some sewing classes at Rachel’s Quilt Patch starting with some small Christmas Ornament patterns and moving  on to making quilts.

When I graduated from college  I had a great job in Roanoke, Virginia and plenty of free time so I was able to take some quilting classes at my new local quilt shop. I learned even more sewing techniques and made a few quilts and a few friends.  My boss, a man, could not ever fathom why I would want to take a quilting class. It only came up because I was leaving from the office one day after work and was asked what my weekend held.  I joyfully replied “sewing”.

It was through quilting and the growing boom of social media that I returned to sewing clothing.  I found through the quilting market and Instagram many fantastic designers and the one that I had connected with most is Meg McElwee of Sew Libertated.  Not only was she blogging about being a mom and generally being in the same season of life as me, but she made a case for sewing clothes and feeling good about being me.

Meg has made sewing so much more approachable and intentional.  Her way of writing about sewing and her clear method of pattern to designers like Meg who make patterns with lots of details, including great sketches I have been able to increase my sewing skills even more rapidly… and enjoy more clothing that I feel like help me express myself.

I seek out patterns that allow me to feature with hand knits. This is when I feel like my personal presentation is perfectly in line with who I am!  With that in mind I have landed on the Hinterland Dress.   It is in my opinion a perfect and classic sillouette.  It draws in at the waist, giving a lovely feminine shape.  It has two options for finishing in the front with button bands for interest, two sleeve lengths and hem lengths.   This gives lots of options for mixing and matching and having multiple styles from one pattern investment.  

So far I have made three versions.  The first was intended to be a wearable muslin, made from a light weigh woven cotton. It has the shorter skirt option and short sleeves. I finished it with black buttons and it has become a well loved summer dress.

The second version I have in my closet is a rayon linen blend. This dress is my absolute favorite of the three.  The fabric is the best feeling and has beautiful drape. I made this dress with the button placket from the waist to the neck line. But because my sewing machine  was acting up, I decided to stitched the button bands together.

The buttons are just decorative on this dress, but I learned something handy and it was confirmed through Instagram that other people were experimenting with the dress hack of a solid top, or no button band.  This is done my cutting the top on the fold, ignoring the button band all together. I had to try this!!

Enter my most recent version of the Hinterland dress.  This dress is made from a woven silk.  I love the look and color, an off black and purple.  I have to say, the fabric is a little fragile. Some squares are loosely woven and when sewing through  those sections the stitches are secure but the threads of the fabric can become distorted. I made this dress to be a holiday dress. Something special and not worn all the time, so I am ok with the fragility of the fabric. I also chose to omit the button bands and extend the sleeves for a more elegant look and instead of gathering the skirt,  I added a few pleats.  I love how it turned out.  And I look forward to wearing it on occasion.

Three great dresses, one investment in a pattern and what seems to be a growing opportunity to style a handmade dress with my favorite hand knits.

You can find the Hinterland dress pattern over on Meg’s website Sew Liberated.

The tree has been packed away and the festivities are concluded. All the gifts have officially been finished and delivered, so here is a brief round up of the 2019 handmade gifts.

This season was not my most prolific for gifts, but perhaps this holiday season was the one that the most handmade treats stayed with me. Call it greedy if you like, but I realized that over the years I have made gifts of some of my favorite projects. As a result of this realzation I kept all my tiny knit stars and more than a handful of tiny mittens stayed for our family tree.

Emaleigh was the recipient of this tiny mouse blanket as well as the photographed in matching mouse sized pillow. Some of you may recognize Summer, our favorite medium sized mouse from Maileg. She is sleeping cozy now, for sure!

Jane and Emaleigh both received hand knit hats made fromA Chick That Knitz hand dyed yarns. They are both topped with Lovafur animal free pompoms- and were instant favorites.

The peppermint garland is a hold over from days gone by decorating the cabin back at Camp Powhatan.  We had and still do have a 100% hand made decorated tree.  This year I made another 6 feet of this felt peppermint garland.  I have to say, it is labor intensive but it is one of my all time favorite decorations.  I think I need to make one more 6 foot section and then it will be JUST RIGHT.

The last three handmade gifts are photographed together.  First is a linen stitch scarf that was cast on some time in the spring of 2016 with the intention that it would be my mothers birthday gift in September of that year.  I picked back up and happily finished it this year.  She claims I gave it to her in 2016 as a gift and them took it back to finish… but I really just don’t EVEN remember that part of the story.

The two hats were gifts for my little nieces.  They live in upstate New York where there winters are beyond cold.  I made these hats out of Araucania Tierra Del Fuego, a bulky semi felted 100% wool.  They are nice and thick.  They should keep small heads warm for the rest of the winter or until they become playground sacrifices.

All in all I think it was a decent handmade Christmas… with the exception of the sweater that my darling husband is still waiting for.  I think that one can be saved for another story at another time. In the mean time, check out little Poppi soaking up the warmth of the fire after Christmas on her new rug.

 

Sometimes we all need a project where the yarn does the work. The Social Cowl is my personal answer.

This cowl just screams to be the knitting you keep tucked in the car for traffic, for doctors office knitting or basketball game knitting. It is pretty mindless and overall a great way to keep your hands busy and your mouth still able to talk. With just ones skein of yarn and basic skills you can successfully complete this cowl in the most social of situations!

Yarn: Urth Uneek fingering weight yarn, 435 yards 100% extra fine merino wool

Notions and supplies:

US 5 16” needle

Stitch marker

yarn needle

Cast on 90 stitches using a long tail cast on. Join for knitting in the round, placing marker to help keep track. Knit!!
Knit until you have one color stripe left in your skein of Urth. Knit one more round and then prepare to graph your ends together.

I used a combination Kitchener and sewn graph.

1. Bring the yarn tail through the first stitch Knitwise.

2. Then draw the yarn under both legs of the stitch in the column of cast on stitches opposite my live stitch.

3. Bring the working yarn through the same live stitch as step one, this time pulling the working yarn through purl-wise.

One stitch is bound off and joined with the cast on edge. Give a little tug to your tail yarn to snug up your stitches to match the tension of your knit fabric.

Repeat these three steps until all live stitches are secured. This will look just like they were magical knit in one continuous tube!! Perfectly simple and very unique❤️

The Sweater: The Winter Garden Vest is a stranded vest worked from the bottom up. stitches are added for both the neck and arm holes so that they may be worked in the round and then steeked open.  Neck and arm bands picked up and provide a neat finish after the work is complete. The pattern is graded in 7 sizes and up to a  55″ chest.

The traditional color work pattern is worked with two colors at a time. It features flower motif and smaller peri pattern to mimic the seed heads and dried leaves one would find while exploring a garden in its winter beauty.

The Yarn: Queensland Collection’s new offering, Walkabout is a 100% Organic Shetland wool in a sport weight. A sturdy and trusty wool, it comes in a multitude of colors perfect for color work knitting. The slightly heavier than traditional two ply yarn, this three ply sport weigh yarn knit at a larger gauge makes for dense fabric which will wear so well for many years to come. I love this quality in wool.  I love that I can make a garment and keep it looking new  with minimal effort other than gently washing and maybe a once a year de-pilling… and the while wearing it regularly.

Walkabout is put up in 50g pull skeins with 157 yards making it perfectly portioned for multicolor projects. Not to mention it is retailing for around $7.00 US in most store.

The Designer: Me, Whitney Terrell!! I published this design with Queensland Collection. It is available on Ravelry as well as in print in your  local yarn shops stocking the Walkabout line from Queensland Collection.

The Details: Of all the patterns I have written over the last year and sweaters I have finished or have underway, this vest has a bit of a siren song tempting me to come back and knit it again.  I would love to make a simplified version possibly with only three colors.  It would be fun to also do a louder more high contrast version, with different tones, making the pattern stripes much more pronounced.

The original is designed with so many blue tones like the icy clear days where the sun is bright, but not bright enough to overcome the winter cold. A true “bluebird” day, snow in the morning blanketing and highlighting details we overlook when they are awash with light, breaking into clearness and beauty in the afternoon.

Whatever palette is chosen the Winter Garden Vest is sure to be a fun exploration in color and pattern knitting.

 

Happy New Year!!! I spent the first day of the new decade traveling across the country – and pondering what I want my 2020 to hold and then another day trying to put my thought into words..  My prevailing thoughts are basic and core. Focus on family time and connection with those loved ones. Continue on a healthy path with commitments to exercise and adventure. Keep up with this posting, working on sharing more of my work and growing my creativity. Making this website a priority helps me feel connected to my friends and past customers all over the country. I also feel it keeps me focused on our maker community and how it is growing and changing.  It is those themes that I hope to weave into 2020.

Now a goal that can not be measured is much more difficult to achieve, so here is the breakdown of what I want to actually do this year.

1. 1. Find new trails to hike and new spots to connect me to my natural environment.  Not just at home in New Mexico, but while traveling for work too.
   2. More texture: 2020 the year of knitting texture into my work. I am really passionate about color work knitting and I have have found that I miss the challenge of moving stitches around and the forgiveness than comes with stitch patterns versus flat stockinette fabric.
   3. Make the first sale for Adventure Bound Designs
   4. Publish all existing sketches and designs. Get finished work out into the universe and capitalize on any inspiration that strikes.
   5. Visit more friends, make more friends, geez… just don’t be so solitary. I have discovered that without a knitting group and without a retail shop my friend pool is basicly only my husband and my customers from work.  I don’t get to see people I know just for fun.
   6. Paint, I think this will help with resolution 1 and 5. I started to pick up the brushes again this summer painting and gathering supplies for painting while traveling.  Now I just need to find the best way to make it a habit.
   7. Finish my WIPS…. there are so many. They will all be cataloged and shared in an upcoming post. Because there are SO. MANY.

This is how I plan to work through 2020, with intention and with a solid plan.  Each of theses goals will be detailed out in my journal and have framework to make sure I am making progress along the way. Milestones for success for an adventurous and prosperous 2020.