finito and almost-finito and almost-started

Item one: A finished jumper:

I used a Simplicity pattern that I’ve used before with great success to make this linen/rayon jumper. Isn’t it pretty? Not the height of fashion, I know, but I likes it anyway. =) I love the embroidered fabric- so pretty!

Item two: an almost-finished sweater:

I got the first sleeve nicely seamed in, although it did NOT want to fit in the armhole- the armhole was too big, the sleeve cap was too small, the pattern was wrong, my gauge was off, pick your choice. But I got it in anyway, with the ease fairly evenly divided around the sleeve cap. Now just to finish the second sleeve already!

Item three: results of a fabric splurge:

Amy Butler fabric (from her Lotus line- lovely stuff!). Isn’t it gorgeous? I’m going to make a skirt with it. Yes, a skirt! Specifically the ruffled skirt from Favorite Things “Cute Skirts” pattern. The panels will be the black floral, the ruffle will be the polka dots. It’s going to be an amazing skirt.

I’ve really enjoyed my spring break- had the time to really immerse myself in my fibery side again, which has really been lovely after concentrating so hard on my music for the last 8 months or so. Now my head is full of all sorts of fiberly plans and desires- I want to finish this, so I can start that, and ooooh, wouldn’t this Debbie Bliss vest pattern look lovely with that plaid fabric I got for a skirt…

Bosco says that I should get my nose out of my needles and pay attention to him!

~Sarah Elizabeth

a little spinning

~edited to add a better picture

I spun up a little yarn today!

It’s some of the heathered wool roving I got in January. I spun up a little bit as a fairly fine singles and navajo plied it for a DK/light worsted weight yarn. There’s 54 yds. there and TONS of roving left! Not sure what I’m going to knit with it, but it’s awfully pretty- would look gorgeous with cables.

I have been both sewing and knitting as well, so more to come!

-Sarah Elizabeth

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

mmm, home baked cookies!

Hope you all had a lovely one! Mine wasn’t so bad- got my new issue of Spin Off and a scholarship notification in the mail, got some knitting done while watching Poirot, and found some great CDs for cheap at the local used CD store.

yay, my collection of classical piano CD’s grows!

Endpaper mitts! These are so much fun to knit!

In other news, the sleeve of my sweater is back together, and ready for seaming:

Hey, look- happy socks!

My spring break has started- have all of next week off. Planning to do a lot of sewing, so stay tuned. =)

-Sarah Elizabeth

Sonnet of the Socks

A sock need not be humble, nor be plain
It need not be a boring, dull affair
Of old grey worsted, with an itchy grain
It need not be- don’t knit with devils’ hair!
But rather knit with softest, lovely wools
With fibers bursting full of vibrant dyes
A lacy stitch, more choice than any jewel?
There is so much to choose from- you decide!
Then settle down with yarn and tools in hand
And start your socks, so unique and so fine
Cast on and on, to far and distant lands
Where socks are oft the color of fine wine.
Enjoy your stay in this rich land of socks
And knit away- or you’ll end up in Crocs!

~Elizabethan sonnet that I wrote last night. I think I’ve finally lost it. =P

-Sarah Elizabeth

Lizzy!

Take the Quiz here!

I’ll take that result!

-Sarah Elizabeth

Sad Sleevage

Alas for a too short sleeve, for it finds no mercy in me:

The Dale of Norway models must have really short arms- or I have really long ones! As you see, I cut into the sleeve and am in the process of kitchenering it back together after adding about 1.5″ of length to it (to make it about 21″ from top of shoulder cap to bottom of ribbing). It *should* be long enough now! This sweater has just been one thing after another though, I won’t be knitting another DoN pattern anytime soon.

And I started another project!

Eunny Jang’s endpaper knits. I *love* these, they’re knitting up so nicely. I’m using Koigu (the brown) and Louet Gems Pearl (the white). I’ve never used either of these yarns before, and they’re really nice- so soft!

I’m planning to do a lot of sewing over spring break (next week, yay!), can’t wait to show you the fabrics I’ve gotten!

~Sarah Elizabeth

Biggy Print Fingerless Mitts

Published in the Knitting Garden’s e-zine- here’s the link!

http://theknittinggarden.com/gallery-dec/dec-art-6.htm

Small Bowl

Small Bowl Pattern
Designed by Sarah Elizabeth Burns, 2004
This pattern is for your personal, non commercial use only. It is free and is not for resale. If you have questions or comments about this or any of my patterns, please contact me at my blog
http://knitonespintoo.wordpress.com

Materials: 1 ball GGH Sombrero (you only need a small amount). Sombero is a papery viscose ribbon yarn, with 110 yards per ball. It is usually knit up on size 8-11 needles.
US size 6 double pointed needles, set of 5.
yarn needle

Short cuts make long delays. Remember to check your gauge.
Gauge: 10 sts.=2”
Finished size: 3” tall (including picot edge). Base is 2 3/4” in diameter.

Base:
(the base of this bowl is based on Anne Modesitt’s cup base in her free Fiesta Tea set pattern, avalible from http://interweave.com/knit/projects_articles.asp)
Cast on 1 stitch.
Row 1: (k1, p1, k1) into the same stitch. 3 sts.
Row 2 and 4: purl
Row 3: increase 1 in each stitch. 6 stitches.
Row 5: increase 1 in each stitch. 12 stitches.
Divide onto 3 or 4 of the double pointed needles (your choice). Join in round.
Round 6, 8, 10, and 12: knit.
Round 7, 9, and 11: *Increase 1, k1, repeat from * to end. Note: round 11 ends with k2.
40 stitches.
Purl 1 round.
Knit one round.
Begin body:
Round 1: *k4, increase 1, repeat from * to end.
48 stitches.
K 4 rounds.
Round 6: *k5, increase 1, repeat from * to end.
56 stitches.
Knit 10 rounds.
Bind off using the picot bind off.

The Picot Bind off:
Insert the right needle into the first stitch on the left needle, and knit a stitch but do not slip the stitch off the left needle. Slip the new stitch on to the left needle, then make a second new stitch as before. Cast off 4 stitches, then slip the remaining stitch back on to the left needle. Repeat along the row/round, until all stitches are bound off.

Weave in all ends. Wet the piece and block over an upside-down jar or cup. Blocking this piece is very important, as without blocking the edge will roll and curl.

Reversable Cabled Dishcloth

Designed by Sarah Elizabeth Burns, 2004.
For personal, non comercial use only. This is a free pattern and is not for resale. If you have questions or comments about this or any of my patterns, please contact me at my blog, http://knitonespintoo.wordpress.com
This cloth is worked in a reversable cable stitch, so the cables can be seen from both sides.

Materials: 1 ball worsted weight cotton yarn, such as “Peaches and Cream” or “Sugar and Cream” 100% cotton yarn.
1 pair US size 8 needles
yarn needle

Short cuts make long delays, remember to check your gauge,

Gauge: 12 stitches = 2” in 1×1 rib.
Finished size: 8” x 5”

Cast on 34 stitches.
Work 4 rows in garter stitch.
Row 1-6 of pattern: k4, *k1, p1* to last 4 stitches, k4.
Row 7: (cable row): k5, *place next 4 stitches onto cable needle and hold in back, work next 4 stitches in rib, work all stitches off cable needle in rib,* repeat from * to * 2 more times, p1, k4.
Repeat rows 1-7 4 times more (for a total of 5 times.) Work 6 rows in 1×1 rib. Work 4 rows in garter stitch. Bind off all stitches. Weave in ends.

Happy Sox

Happy Sox

Materials:
Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn [75% superwash wool, 25% nylon, 215 yards/57 grams per skein) color: Happy Stripe. 2 skeins
#0 double pointed needles set of 5 or size to obtain gauge
small yarn needle

Woman's size sock.

Gauge:
32 stitches, 36 rows= 4 inches.
NOTE: This pattern was written to fit a narrow foot. For a medium foot you will need to loosen your gauge to about 7 stitches per inch for a finished circumference of approx. 9".

Short cuts make long delays. Remember to check your gauge.

Stitches:

Twisted rib:
Knit 1 by knitting into back of stitch, purl 1, repeat around.

Heel Stitch:
Row 1: *slip 1 purlwise with yarn in back, knit 1, repeat from * to end.
Row 2: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, purl to end.

Abbreviations:
k: knit
p: purl
s: slip
tog: together
k2tog: knit 2 together
ssk: slip slip knit
p2tog: purl 2 together
sts: stitches
ndl: needle
R: Row
Rnd: round

Instructions:

Cuff:

Cast on 128 stitches. Divide evenly on 4 double pointed needles [32 stitches per needle]. Knit 4 rounds.
Round 5: Knit 2 together, repeat to end of round. [64 stitches, 16 stitches each needle].
Begin cuff pattern:
Work 10 rounds in twisted rib.
Purl 3 rounds.
Work 5 rounds in twisted rib.
Purl 3 rounds.
Work 10 rounds in twisted rib.
Purl 3 rounds.
Work 5 rounds in twisted rib.
Purl 3 rounds.
Work 10 rounds in twisted rib.

Heel:

Place first 32 stitches onto needle 1. Working these stitches only back and forth, work in heel stitch for 31 rows (ending with a RS row.)
Turn heel:
R 1: s 1, p 18, p2tog, p1, turn.
R 2: s 1, k 7, ssk, k 1, turn.
R 3: s 1, p 8, p2tog, p 1, turn.
R 4: s 1, k 9, ssk, k 1, turn.
R 5: s 1, p 10, p2tog, p 1, turn.
R 6: s 1, k 11, ssk, k 1, turn.
R 7: s 1, p 12, p2tog, p 1, turn.
R 8: s 1, k 13, ssk, k 1, turn.
R 9: s 1, p 14, p2tog, p 1, turn.
R 10: s 1, k 15, ssk, k 1, turn.
R 11: s 1, p 16, p2tog, p 1, turn.
R 12: s 1, k 17, ssk, k 1. (20 sts.)

Gusset:
Place last 10 sts. just worked onto spare ndl. (ndl. 1). With this ndl, pick up 16 stitches along edge of heel. K across ndls. 2 and 3. With ndl. 5, pick up 16 sts. along edge of heel. K the 10 sts. on ndl. 4 onto ndl. 5. (ndl. 5 has now switched places with ndl. 4)
Gusset decreases:
Rnd 1: K around.
Rnd 2: Ndl 1: k to last 3 sts., k2tog, k1. Ndls 2 and 3: k across. Ndl. 4: k 1, ssk, k across.
Repeat these 2 rounds until there are 16 sts. on ndls. 1 and ndl. 4.

Foot:

Knit until 2 inches from desired finished length.

Toe: (wedge style)
Rnd 1: ndls. 1 and 3: k to last 3 sts., k2tog, k 1. ndls 2 and 4: k 1, ssk, k across.
Rnd 2: knit.
Repeat these 2 rounds until there are 6 sts. on each ndl. (24 stitches.) Place sts. from ndl. 4 onto ndl. 1 and sts. from ndl. 3 onto ndl. 2. Graft remaining sts. together using kitchener stitch. Weave in ends.

——
Design by Sarah E. Burns. Copywrite 2004. This pattern is for your own personal non-commercial use only. This is a free pattern and is NOT FOR RESALE. If you have questions or comments, please contact me at my blog: http://knitonespintoo.wordpress.com
Thank you, and enjoy!