Multicoloured sweater: finished product

Well here it is. This sweater has a little hood that you can't make out in these pics. It took me about 10 days to do. The yarn is coarser than it seems, so it knits up quickly.

I love the feel of these chenille and plush yarns, but I don't think I'll be using them much anymore. They feel fantastic but quickly lose their shape, especially with a long piece like this sweater. It's cute on Maïa, and I love the colours, but I think very soon it will be big enough to fit me! A little disappointing...

Multicoloured sweater

Back to school shopping has always been a highlight of the end of summer for me: that wonderful feeling of slipping on something new and pretty and slipping into new experiences. And I've discovered that back to school knitting is just as fun.

When I shop for Maïa (I rarely shop for clothes for Solanne since she gets all of Maïa's hand-me-downs for now), I try to find pieces that are all of the same colour family so we can mix and match and have dozens of outfits without breaking the bank. This year, I somehow forgot my strategy and ended up buying clothes from two distinct colour families: the pink/eggplant/brown mix and the blue/grey/green mix. When I realised that I would likely only have time to knit one sweater before fall arrived, I couldn't decide if I should go with the pinks or the blues.

A visit to my local yarn shop solved my problem. I had found this pattern on the web and knew exactly what yarn I wanted–if not the colour. When I asked the owner of the little shop where I could find this yarn, she told me it had been discontinued. I was heartbroken. But all was not lost: she directed me to another yarn. I loved the colour she had in stock, but since it was red, it was obviously all wrong. I told her I'd be back another time with a different pattern; I could choose my yarn then. Meanwhile, I just browsed through the colours and textures, which, by the way, is my idea of paradise. I admit it: I'm a yarn geek.

Anyhow, within moments, the woman returned with a ball of yarn, and I knew this was what I wanted:




She steered me to some other colours in the same yarn, but I was already sold. This was the perfect colour combination for all the clothes in Maïa's closet. The picture doesn't really do it justice: there are pinks, purples, blues, greens, and brown. I couldn't have designed a better yarn if I had tried. The best part of this yarn is something you can't see: it is likely the softest stuff I've ever worked with.

This Italian nylon plush yarn knits up quite quickly: I started the project on Thursday, and I've already done both front pieces, and I've started on the back. I'll post a pic of the finished product when I'm all done. I can't wait to wrap my little girl in it.

Cat hat

I'm still working through all the yarn that my mother-in-law and mom have handed down to me. Some of it is just little bits, which are perfect for smaller projects such as hats. I was going through Sandie's (mom-in-law) patterns and came across this great pattern from the 70's: it's a winter hat that pulls over the head and protects the neck... and it has cat ears! I knew this would be perfect for Solanne.

I scrounged through my collection of yarn and found the perfect stuff: a blue yarn (which will match with her mitts) with a red thread going throughout (that will match with her red snowsuit). She loved it right away... and so did Maïa. In fact, Maïa wore it for an entire day (with Sol's permission), until I noticed she was stretching out the face opening. I have promised her I will knit one for her, too. As soon as I finish her sweater...

This project knitted up quite easily within two days.

Boat neck sweater

I knitted this little sweater for Solanne early in the summer. It's knitted in 100% cotton, so I thought it would be a nice light sweater for the summer months. Turns out we had a rather hot summer, so she still hasn't worn it. I hope we have a gradual change in season so she can actually get into it!