FO Delancy #2

I finished this sweater the same time I finished the other Delancey. I made this one for my sister Jessi, for her birthday after she complimented mine in progress. I finished this sweater at a rapid pace because I was hoping to have it done for the knit-along goal. I was just a day short for that. It is currently blocking after I added fabric covered buttons.

fits before blocking!

Almost everything that I have knit these past few months have had short-rows incorporated in some way. I was impressed by the lack of seaming in this pattern, seeing as seaming is Hell for me. I loved that the sleeves were knit by picking up stitches at the shoulder. This was great for getting the length of the sleeve right. I was able to try it on and see if it was where I wanted it to fall. I knit this in Knit Picks Brava Sport using the extra skeins of yarn from my first Delancey and my mother-in-laws Delancey.

before blocking

Alexis Winslow, designer of the Delancey and author of the blog Knit Darling, did such an amazing job with this pattern. The finished sweater looks so much more complex than the actual construction, which is always nice for showing off. I decided to change up the bottom band for this sweater for two reasons. The first being that Allyson did and the second being my lack of my main color yarn. I actually ran out of gray yarn for the collar and was forced to use some of my left overs from the Umbre Lovre. This worked out well because the grays were the same weight and so similar in color. I think I will be the only one that can notice where the change occurs. I am excited to see how my sister like this! I will add pictures of her wearing it as soon as I get some of her in it.

FO Delancey #1

This week was an extremely busy week. Knitting wise, it was busy but with only two projects. Both of which were Delancey cardigans. Both of which are finished! I was invited into the Sweatshop of Love's fourth knit along by my sister Allyson; the third in which I have participated. When we voted on the sweater to knit with our last knit along, I voted for the Delancey. We knitted the Aidez sweater, but I really had my eyes on this baby. It was the second place winner, so it was chosen for this knit along.

DELANCEY FINISHED

I loved knitting this sweater! The construction of it was so unique and turned out so amazingly. It was also my first time knitting a sweater using ALL Knit Picks yarn. I again felt spoiled knitting with such great yarn. The color is so rich and the yarn itself is so flexible.

Diagonal stripes

I knit this using Knit Picks DK Swish yarn in Garnet Heather and Brave Sport in Dove Heather. I was unsure of how much I would like this sweater when I initially started, but the further along I got, the more I loved it. I have yet to block this sweater (as we all know, my favorite part) but it fits pretty well as it is. I need to block it in order to lengthen the sleeves a tad bit and get the collar to stay folded down. Im completely loving this sweater! I will share the sister sweater for my sister later this week.

Back of the sweater

Parky Park and the Baby Bunch

Only in Michigan can you spend a whole week in shorts, laying out, and playing in the park just to turn around the next week and need the heat on for freeze warnings. I enjoy the warmer seasons in Michigan thoroughly while I count down the days when its cold until it will be warm again. I have been spoiled this March with the 70 and 80 degree weather. My kids have enjoyed it too. Nolan throws a fit when we have to come inside after playing outside. He enjoys romping around in the back yard with the dogs, playing in the dirt, and loves going down the slides at the park near our house. Ryenn went on the slide with me and wasn't too thrilled. She liked the swings much better. She does love to see me or Adam play with the dogs. Moose, our Saint Bernard, is a big dummy. He chases sticks around the dirt like he is a cat. Then when he can't catch it and Ryenn is hysterically laughing, he runs over and tackles Xandar. I decided just to share some of my kids' playful pictures seeing as I am working on the same sweaters (my knit-along Delancey for the Sweatshop of Love and my second Delancey for my older's sister's birthday) and didn't make much progress this week due to an overload of homework (finals, rsearch papers, labs, etc.). Enjoy!

Nolan on the big boy slide by himself

Ryenn on Nolan's tricycle

Nolan on grandma's trampoline

Nolan on grandma's swingset

Ryenn's first time in the grass

Nolan pushing the Mac Wagon

Ryenn's first time on the swings

Still pushing the Mac Wagon

My little acrobat

Fun with Whip Cream on her high chair tray at Aunt Jessi's house

KAL Delancey

We are about to enter week 3 of our knit-along with the Sweatshop of Love. Allyson chose the Delancey Cardigan, which I posted about earlier this year. I chose to knit this sweater in Knit Picks Swish DK in Garnet Heather as the main color and Knit Picks Brava Sport in Dove Heather as my striping color.

Garnet Heather

Dove Heather

I have been making some great progress on this sweater (especially since I am also in the progress of knitting a blanket, hat, soakers, and 2 other sweaters). This first week, I exceeded the goal because I was unsure of my color choices once I got them on the needles.

Week 1

 I FINALLY decided I loved the color choice after this weeks goal was reached (or almost reached). I have completed 98 of 108 rows of this sweater (the goal for this week). This sweater has an amazing construction and I am having a ton of fun knitting it, even though the stitch is entirely Stockinette Stitch.

Week 2

I am dying to finish this thing already because the finished pictures look great on Ravelry! My mother-in-law and Allyson have chosen some great colors as well! Check out The Sweatshop of Love's blog for their and other's sweater progress

Aidez Sweater Knit-along

My sister hosted a knit-along this past fall/winter on her blog, The Sweatshop of Love, where we all voted on the sweater in which to knit. The Aidez Sweater was the winner.

The finished Aidez sweater (not mine)

The pattern was super challenging but proved to be such a fun knit. I learned so much and feel now that I can knit up anything I set my mind to. She was great enough to create a chart for us to follow rather than going back and forth between the pages and charts and getting confused. It was hard enough with the charts, I probably would have shot my self and scrapped the sweater (not necessarily in that order) if I was left with figuring it out as I went.

The back of my sweater!

I used a varigated yarn and LOVED the way it turned out. I fell behind due to Holiday knitting and finished like 2 or 3 weeks late. However, I finished and am super happy with the results. Its amazingly warm and have been using it more as a jacket than a sweater.

Seriously, pictures don't do this sweater justice.

I can't wait to start our next knit-along, which is scheduled to start on February 6th (the day before I turn 24). We are knitting the Delancey Cardigan by Alexis Winslow. This was the runner up from our vote this past fall.

Delancey Cardi

I have also been knitting some other things, such as Laura Loop's Short-row Sweater. This fun little sweater is short sleeved and somewhat backless! After recently losing 40lbs, I am excited to wear this. That means I have to hurry up and knit it!

Half-way done with the short-row sweater