Yarn – Yards of Happiness

FO: Boxed Pullover

This is my 500th post on Yards of Happiness. Wow! That kind of blows my mind that I’ve stuck to it this long. So thanks for reading with me. Now on to the latest finished object…

I have been staring at my overflowing stash and have really wanted to focus on using the yarn I have. At least making a big enough dent in my stash before Maryland Sheep and Wool and because I have some really beautiful yarn. I also really love this Madelinetosh Vintage color, Clue Board from 1984 and I wanted to use the rest of it (you may remember it as the accent color in my brioche cardigan I made in October). So I dug through my sweaters I’ve favorited on Ravelry, thought about something with a bigger gauge to make the 800 yards I had left work and landed on the Boxed Pullover.

This isn’t my usual silhouette but I’ve seen so many other people wear cute cropped pullovers that I thought, why not try it? Too often we just say this isn’t for me and miss out on something good. I’m glad I decided to knit this one because I love it. I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. And if I didn’t like it I’d either give it to my BFF or just frog it, no harm no foul. The only modifications I made were to make the body pieces 2 inches longer than specified and make the sleeves 2 inches shorter – so I knew I’d have enough yarn to balance it all out. I think I had enough leftover that I could’ve added another inch to the body, but the 10 inches from underarm is the perfect cropped length for me. And since my arms are shorter, the original 13-inch sleeve would’ve been too long on me, know your measurements so you know what to modify to suit your shape better!
Boxed pullover
One of the reasons I wanted to try this silhouette is because I wear a lot of high waisted pants and I thought it would work. These are a pair of fun high waisted wide leg jeans that I love. I’ve also paired it with skinny jeans over a longer top too. Next I’m going to throw it on top of a short sleeved dress. I really, really love this color. It’s like a rainbow with a charcoal grey wash on top of it, it’s a perfect neutral in my book.
Boxed pullover
Also, this sweater is knit in pieces and seamed. That’s not my favorite technique but I told myself I really need to get better at it, so I’m going to also stop using excuses for things I don’t like to do to keep me from making what I like. And maybe the more I work on it, the better I will get. Maybe.

December 2018 Finished Objects

December FO
I still feel weird saying that it’s 2019 but a new year is here! And that means I get to do my last month recap of what I knit. December was a highly productive month of finished objects.

My husband’s Shawl Collared Vest. I think I worry a lot about things I knit for him because I fear he won’t like it. He always does, so I’ve got to let that go.
Not one but two Glass Ceiling Sweaters (mine and Jelly’s). Let’s be honest, Jellybean’s is the best version.
A Bandana Cowl. The quickest and best gift I know how to knit.
Farm Slippers for my sister. They’ve kept her warm and cozy while recuperating.
My Gabrielle pullover. I’ve wanted to knit this for a long time and then it only took me 48 hours to make it! Also, it was featured on Knitted Bliss’s Modification Monday.
A Black Nutcracker. And to say this little guy is loved is an understatement.
Cher’s holiday photo sweater, which she refused to model and Jellybean’s holiday photo sweater, which she happily modeled.

I think I was so productive because this month was light on teaching so I had more time. Now I’m prepping for the new semester and getting myself ready to go back to the classroom but this has been a refreshing and much needed break to reset. Now to figure out what I want to make this year.

January 4, 2019January 2, 2019 by IamDWJ Categories: FO: Finished Object, Knitting, Monthly RoundupTags: #yardsofhappiness, finished objects, Knitting, Monthly Roundup, Yarn 8 Comments

FO: The Shawl Collared Vest

A while ago, my husband and I were watching the show Power and the main character had on a lovely navy blue shawl collared vest. My husband leaned over and asked, ‘could you make me something like that?’ and I immediately responded yes. I ordered blue yarn…and then later he said he didn’t want a blue vest. Why does this man do this to me every time? LOL So I decided to use this opportunity to try a new to me yarn, Berroco Remix and make up a vest for my husband.
Kendell’s knits
I’m pleased with the end results, although I questioned myself the entire way. You also get to see his hat I knit him!

I went with Remix yarn because he doesn’t like to be too hot (or smile in photos) and it’s a mix of non-wool that’s light and has a soft drape. I randomly picked the color patina, it’s a grey brown with flecks of white so I paired it with dark grey buttons from my stash. Remix knits almost like a Noro silk blend but I didn’t feel like it was as fragile as when I knit my rainbow cardigan with a silk yarn. Now I love the end results of the yarn so much I want to knit something for myself in a pink or teal color. I took about two months to finish this because I just didn’t want to do all the stockinette for the body but in the end I finished it for him.
Kendell’s knits
I based this around the instructions for a saddle shoulder sweater from the Knitter’s Handy Book of Top Down Sweaters. I made garter stitch saddles and trim since the yarn is so tweedy I didn’t think anything else would really stand out. And I used short rows to make the shawl collar. Since I used garter stitch I didn’t have to pick up the wraps, they just blend right on in. I could’ve gone bigger with the collar but I always worry it’ll be too big until I’ve finished it. I also use a stretchy bind off to make sure it lays flat. I think I could’ve added a touch more length to the body but he seems to be okay with the finished item. And hopefully he will wear it often. This was a pretty good project to end my 2018 on, now on to many more!