I am officially on winter break! I survived my first semester of grad school and teaching and I am going to savor all of these days I’m not in a classroom or on campus. While I was working on my term papers last week I started a sweater off of an idea I had in my head, something to work on in the evenings when I needed a break. I keep pictures of sweater I like in an inspiration folder in my phone and I saw this sweater on Madewell.com. I liked the colorblocking but not the colors.
I kept thinking that I should experiment and see if I could make something like this. I went with some tweedy aran weight yarn from House of a la Mode yarns in Daydream (the lighter color) and Cherry Cola and big needles so it would progress quickly. And because I felt like mixing things up, I added beads to the front of the sweater too.
I knit the back panel, using the shape of another sweater I liked for a guide and then picked up stitches in the pink color for the front and then seamed the sides together. Because I couldn’t get a hook tiny enough to add beads to the sweater, I did a slip stitch method I saw on YouTube to add them to the sweater. I essentially strung the beads on the pink yarn and pulled them up as I needed them. The beads add a little sparkle to the tweed and I like it – expect to see more beaded knits in the future. If I make something like this again, I’d make the needles smaller when picking up stitches for the sleeves since there are little gaps, but otherwise I’m pretty pleased.
And since I had yarn leftover I knit a sweater up for Jellybean. Her sweater was completely seamed. I knit the middle panel, then the back and picked up stitches for the collar after I seamed it together. I whipped this tiny thing up in an evening and she was not excited about being woken up from her nap for fittings.
I realized this semester that even though I didn’t knit every day like I used to do, I did use knitting to help relax and give my brain a break from all of the heavy stuff I read and write about. I’ve been working on a vest for my husband but it was nice to pull out bright yarns to make something fun for myself. Added bonus, figuring out how to execute this design for myself. I plan to knit a lot this break, so hopefully you’ll get to hear a lot more from me over the next month! Tell me, what have you been working on?
Yards of Happiness 
Such fun colors, a very cheerful sweater! Jellybean’s version almost looks like a capelet. Perhaps she was grumpy that her version didn’t have beads?
I love it, this TOTALLY marvellous. Great job on both sweaters !!!
You and the bean-matching sweaters-never gets old!!!! Made my day!
Your beautiful smile says it all!!! You and your sweater are lovely!!!
Happy winter break!!!
I have been spinning yarn on a top whorl hand spindle and getting ready to teach a short class on hand spinning.
I’ve been working on a beaded version of the Luella top- I DID use a teeny tiny crochet hook for the beading, but stringing the beads might have been a better option; It was too easy to split the yarn with the hook. Hope to have it done to wear on Christmas! Thanks for the joy you bring to knitting! I always look forward to your posts for their enthusiasm!!
Congratulations on getting through the first semester. Now you get to relax and enjoy a break. I love the cheery sweaters.
That’s great fun, and it looks great !
Congratulations for making it through your first grad school semester with all limbs attached and your brain functioning. 🙂
I do admire knitters who can invent their own stuff: I have to be taken through patterns virtually stitch by stitch. Sighh …
Love the thought of Jellybean being woken up for fittings and being unappreciative. [grin]
Matching bling! You’ve made my day. Enjoy your vacation. Love the glasses too.
Friend gave me some Christmas red and made a cowl for me and a hat to match, now am making her a hat with what is left. Got a 5 1/2 ft. tube scarf like the Harry Potter ones I made (4). Then I will finish the sock class I am doing at my lys (W7W) in Ft. Worth, Tx. And will finish sweater I started and was too busy with the scarves to finish… I am going to make socks in 2020 if it kills me!!!! Merry Christmas to you, Jellybean and hubby. Happy New Year too. Linda
I love that store. I went when I visited my sister (her new apartment is super close to the store) and the people working there were fabulous!
You two are just too adorable!!! ♥ Your matching sweaters make my heart smile. 🙂
I like how Jellybean’s sweater is beaded too!
I am knitting multiple Treads in Woolfolk Far as gifts, and I’m still enjoying every moment of it! Your sweater is really lovely.
Congratulations on the completion of your first semester — hooohhhaaaa!!! AND you’ve tried a new technique (adding beads), way to go!
Enjoy your winter break. Your sweater and Jellybeans look great. I love your posts and I’m always excited to see one in my emails. Your posts wrap me in yards of happiness. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas and photos of your beautiful knits.
Jelly looks like a tiny superhero in that sweater!
Your beautiful in your new sweater, I think that is one on my make list!
I love it! Great colors. 🤩 Super impressed that you made it up too. That sounds like a fun knit. 🙂
There’s also an inexpensive, easy way to add beads with dental floss threader. https://stitch-n-smile.com/learning-to-knit-with-beads/ and YouTube videos. Love you, your blog and Jellybean! Congrats on finishing your first semester of grad school!
If you think you may be beading more, definitely check out the Fleegle Beader. It’s like an elongated crochet hook you can load with 20-30 beads at a time. Speeds things up exponentially! One of those not expensive tools that I find indispensable.
Going to buy one now! Thank you.
Fun colors! You both look great in your new sweaters! Oh, and congrats on finishing that first semester!
I hope we get to hear about the vest you are making for your husband. Men’s patterns are so hard to find.
Both your and Jellybean’s sweaters look great! Love the beads 🙂 And congratulations on finishing your first semester!
Woot woot for Christmas break! Enjoy a restful time off! I love the bright colours…especially this time of year. I’m working on a Campfire Sweater by Tincanknits for my husband. It has you do the sleeves first and then you do the rest bottom up to where the sleeves join. It’s a new kind of construction for me, and I’m really enjoying it! Have a wonderful holiday, Dana!