Dropped Rib Vest- Finished

I'm delighted to share my completed vest. I started it right around Valentines day- which must have influenced my color choice- and I love it. The colors shimmer and dance, and they make me want to dance too!


Pattern: My own, inspired by Macro Lace Cardigan (see below)
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted, in Intenso
I wanted to knit a shrug/vest/cardi in a similar construction to the Macro Lace Cardi by Laura Chau. I like her version, but I wanted it more fitted and I've wanted to use the dropped rib stitch for a long time. I love the way it undulates, and with the bright red and pink colors, the individual “drops” look kinda like tiny vaginas.


To knit the vest, you first knit a rectangle, then fold it in half, pick up stitches along the cast-on and cast-off edges, and join to knit the ribbed edge and collar in the round. Then you have a short seam on either side to make the arm holes the right size. I used the construction of the Macro Lace, but I used my own pattern, and worked out the increases for the collar as I went. It turned out with a sort of a ruffly edge, and I like the way it looks.


I wasn't sure I would like wearing it, as I've never been much of a vest person, but it's comfy and bright and fun to wear.

My Leafy Lagoon Vest (aka #100 little lace vest from Sweater Babe )is coming along too, and I like the yarn a lot. It's Knit Picks Shine Worsted, and the color has depth, despite that it isn't heathered or anything. The shadows from the plies, along with the shimmer from the modal, make the color shift a bit. It's also soft and smooth. I think it will feel really good on my body.

My next project comes via the new Knitty- I've already ordered the yarn for Que Sera by Kristen Kapur. I signed up for the KAL for it too- my first! Now I'm in an extra hurry to finish Leafy Lagoon so I can cast on this gorgeous cardi.

I'm having a lot of fun with the warm-weather knits this spring.

Olympic Dreams Derailed and Defeated by Startitis

My dreams of Knitting Olympic Gold were side-lined by an intense case of Startitis, that bane of crafters everywhere. I had a particulary bad case, as it attacked not only on the knitting front, but on the sewing front as well.
So, I have yet to complete the embroidery on the Duckie Onesie. It is so cute and perfect, and I’m afraid I will ruin it. So I have decided to practice first on a swatch. This decision, wise though it seems, has set things back considerably. Luckily, it’s turning out to be more like 6-month size than newborn size, so if it’s a 3-month-old gift, it will be perfectly appropriate, size-wise.

Actually, it’s probably the impending birth of my friend Molly’s baby that sent me over the edge. I went to her shower, where I observed no newborn sized hats and no handmade blankets, but I did see tiny perfect (non-handmade) socks. All of these things inspired me. The incredibly beautiful and sweet hat and tiny awesome booties that I knitted left my hands without a photo to mark their existence, but I’m proud to report that they, along with the bright, lovely and oh-so-soft blankets I sewed, are going to the hospital with Molly to be among the first things to comfort her new baby.
Here's some pics of the blankets:
The animal print is soft cotton flannel.

The back is remnants of cotton. I had a lot of fun making this.

I adore the owls. They are bright and psychedelic.

The back is a red fan print, which has a weird optical effect
that makes it look shimmery when it covers a lot of space.
Hopefully stimulating for baby's young mind.

So, I didn’t finish the Onesie or my Dropped Rib Cardi, and so I didn’t take Gold. But, I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished anyway. There’s always 2014!