Hey fellow knitters,
If you've been following my Instagram account, you'll have seen my new green colorwork sweater (see pic!).
Well, since I bound off this one, I have to admit that I've developed an addiction to knitting colorwork sweaters. I wonder how long it will last, but for now they're all I want to knit on.
So I casted on another sweater using Lettlopi again, because somehow in the past few months I've developed an addiction for that yarn too. Some may think it is scratchy, and it is scratchier than lots of other yarns for sure, but I find it becomes super comfy once your wear it. Like, you don't overheat when wearing the garment, as though this type of rustic wool regulates body temperature better than other yarns.
I don't know if that's true or not, but it does feel this way, and in the middle of a California winter this is welcome. I can easily wear this sweater outside on a Sierra hike, or inside in my Bay Area office without overheating (and there's like, a 40F difference between both places).
So what needed to happen happened... Again.
Oops I did it again! (Now this Britney Spears song will be stuck inside our heads, playing in loops, for days. You're welcome.)
I ordered some more Lettlopi and casted on another sweater. Woot woot! Of course, as it often happen to us knitters, I didn't order enough yarn, so I had to put the sweater on hold until I received another shipment (throwing extra colors in my cart and a whole other sweater quantity of Lettlopi while I was at it because this is often how we roll, us knitters)... Did I say, oops I did it again? And Again?
And while this sweater was on hold, I did the unthinkable...
I casted on another colorwork sweater. For this one, I used some Woolstok yarn by Blue Sky Fibers I had leftover from when I knit my topdown Marius sweater, and I wanted a light gray one so... I ordered more yarn. Oops. Sorry not sorry.
Here's a pic of my topdown Marius, with it's ugly ends not woven in yet, because let's keep it real here folks:
It is one of my most comfy colorwork sweater, although I find the sleeves are too short. After frogging and knitting it again (if you look at my project notes on Ravelry, you'll know why... hint: it's how I learned that row gauge IS a thing!), I was kind of fed up with the project, so I cut the sleeves short. Don't repeat my mistake. Be patient. A few extra rounds of sleeves can go a long way...
Anyways... enough with the Marius segway. I gotta say, while I love Lettlopi, I am also in love with Woolstok! As a polyamorous yarn lover, I find the stitch definition with Woolstok is even better than with Lettlopi, and the yarn is so soft! If you're not a Lettlopi lover, I dare you to try out Woolstok. It's heavenly!
PSA: I am not sponsored by any yarn company. My opinion is mine alone and based on my own purchases with my own money.
If you've been wondering when I'll be sharing images of these new sweaters, well the wait is over. Here they are.
In the spirit of keeping things real here, those sweaters are still in progress, unblocked, and the ugly ends are not woven in yet!
Here's a closeup:
Maybe when they're finished I'll post a blocked picture of them, so you can see the difference between the harsh reality of a project in progress, versus its polished version posted on social media...
But what I wanted to share with you friends isn't really my colorwork sweaters, but the gadget I've been using lately that totally changed my knitting life. I've talked about those at lengths before, but I don't think I did them justice.
See the stitch holder cords for the sleeves? I know I sell them in the shop, so you might think I'm trying to close a sale here, but that's not the case.
I simply really, really, REALLY LOVE those!!!
Honestly, they changed my sweater knitting life, and I cannot say this about a ton of knitting accessories, except maybe my Chiaogoo interchangeable set and my fancy stitch markers...
And as you can see, I own more than one set, and I don't think I have enough 😬. These are a total life saver for putting stitches on hold and for trying out sweaters in minutes, and I want a couple yards in every project bag I own!
Also, on this pic, you can see that I snapped my needle tip to the cord. I was too tired to pick up stitches for the second sleeve after binding off the first sleeve late at night, so I simply attached the needle tip to the stitch holder cord and voila! It's all ready for tomorrow. I'm not gonna run around looking for my needle, because it's attached right here. Keeping it simple, and efficient.
Those stitch holder cords are a true treasure for me, and I ordered a lot for the shop, as well as more cords in larger circumference to fit bigger needles sizes. I'm actually thinking about what would be the best combination of cords and lengths to have in a single product for us knitters, and as soon as I've figured it out you'll see sets available for purchase including the 3 different cord diameters. Stay tuned!
For now the ones available in the shop are the common size, which will fit knitting needles between US 0 - US 10, and they work for most of my needs.
Lastly, I find myself stuck on sleeve island for both sweaters... which might become a challenge. I know I've got to power through, that the finished garments will look so nice, and also that I've only got a couple weeks of California winter before the temps rise to 70+ degrees and I'll have to hide these in my closet for 6+ months.
I gotta stay motivated! I'm itching to cast on another colorwork sweater, because now I have so much Lettlopi and Woolstock yarn stashed, I just might have to.
Oh my!
Note:
If you feel intimidated by colorwork, fear not! Colorwork only means knitting stitches with one strand of yarn over another. If you know how to knit, you can do it! It's not much more complicated than that, except that you have to keep in mind how you're spacing your stitches apart (not overcrowding stitches, knitting too tightly and minding your floats).
There are a lot more advanced techniques (wrapping up floats, jacquard floats, dominant colors), but you don't need to get into this when you first get started!
For an easy first colorwork project, I strongly recommend the Snowshoe Hat & Cowl Set.
For a great second colorwork project or if you're feeling adventurous, try the Point Reyes Cowl Knitting Pattern (scoop: the matching hat pattern is coming soon!)