cosmicpluto knits!

cozy Carter cardigan

A couple of years ago when I went to TNNA in Columbus, I met Stephen West for the first time. Impressions? Sweet as anything, tall, has some wild trousers!

I was exhibiting some of my pieces in Ysolda’s booth that year, among them the Carter Cardigan. Stephen tried on my original, waist shaping and all, and of course looked smashing (as he always does). Photographic evidence!

Stephen knit up another for himself (proooobably omitting the waist shaping) and he’s awesome enough to let me share some of his photos with you. Here’s his Ravelry project page.

Thanks Stephen!

happy new year!

How was your new year’s? Me, I made a delicious vegetarian moussaka for dinner, dipped homemade peppermint patties in chocolate for gifts, and hit up not just one but two parties! (Let’s ignore the fact that I only spent half an hour at each one.)

2011 seemed to be a bad year for a lot of people I know – and I had my share of ups and downs too. Focusing on the “ups” though, I got a great new apartment, a wonderful boyfriend, and I finished lots of great knits!

This one came off the needles way back in November, but I don’t think I ever blogged finished photos of it! I just love this cardigan. It’s knit out of Ultra Alpaca, and it’s a bit fuzzy after some wear but it’s sooo warm and cozy.

The pattern is my own, and will be coming out for sale soon! I have some big hopes and plans for 2012, and while lots of other people are doing the “12 sweaters in 2012″ thing, I have a bit of a challenge set for myself – to design and release 12 sweater patterns in 2012!

I’m cheating a bit – some of the sweaters have already been knit up, and are nearly ready to be released anyway. But hey, the final few steps are the hard ones – photographing, editing, general tidying up before a pattern can be sent out into the world.

I’ve decided not to do this as a pattern club or anything, since I like the idea of being able to decide what you want to purchased based on each pattern alone. The other thing I’d like to do more of this year is blog, so I’ll be writing lots of posts along the way! (I hope.)

Anyway, I hope you all had a great holiday, and thanks for supporting me in 2011 – here’s to a bright new year!

NaKniSweMo – done!

I finished my lace sweater!

It isn’t blocked yet, and it needs buttons. But it’s off the needles, and I’ve even woven in the ends.

I’m really pleased with it. And it only took 4 skeins of Dream in Color!

Just in time for the taste of winter we had this afternoon – it’s all gone now.

neat and orderly

I really busted it out this week on my sweater with bows!

The upper body went really fast with lots of decreases.

Seaming raglans is really easy and satisfying.

Even the button band didn’t take too long.

Just needs some buttons and a good blocking. The temperature’s dropped quite a bit today, so I’m rather eager to have this one ready to wear!

grey (and brown) monday

It’s a pretty gloomy day today, with rain in the forecast, but I’m planning to be cozied up with lots of tea and knitting!

I’ve gotten pretty far on reknitting my sweater with bows – it’s nearly up to the armholes again, and I’m really happy I ripped. A cardigan version is going to get a lot more wear with me than a pullover, and since the nows are spaced one more plain row apart than before, it’s going quicker!

(It looks about the same though, really.)

I also started a new sweater, out of that brown Dream in Color classy – this one is coming along really quickly. Worsted weight lace is super fun to knit. I’ve been feeling overheated more these days, so I thought the lace would be a good way to get some ventilation while still being nice and cozy. The real cold hasn’t actually settled in yet though, so who knows what’ll happen this winter.

riiiiipity rip

Well. I was knitting along on my Ultra Alpaca sweater from a few posts ago, and I got up to the underarm – only to realize that while I’d planned the bow spacing correctly, I hadn’t actually knitted it that way. The spacing made it very difficult to work back and forth, which I need to do above the underarm.

While I’m at it, I think I’ll make it into a cardigan – I just don’t wear pullovers very much, and I’ve been feeling overheated really often lately. So, farewell, 15″ of Ultra Alpaca sweater:

At least I can make sure it comes out the way I want, right?