Does un-knitting a sweater count for the SAM KAL?

One of the coolest features on Ravelry has to be the Groups. One of the groups I joined is called Thrifty Knitters and it was there that I found out (in detail) about buying sweaters at thrift stores, and raveling them for the yarn. I had a coupon for our newly-opened local Goodwill store, so we went to check it out.

C. found this men's size large 100% lambswool Old Navy sweater for $5. After my coupon, it was under $4.50.

And after washing, drying, and raveling it, I got:



(an awful lot of wonderful yarn!) Here's a closeup:


C. wants a sweater of some sort knit out of it (so I WILL be eventually knitting another sweater). But I'm addicted to this! I did some more research and found that cotton is another good one to ravel. There were a lot of mens and womens cotton sweaters at Goodwill, so one of these days I'll have to go back.

Oh, the possibilities!
(and C. said it wasn't breaking my yarn diet if I was buying SWEATERS... Oh, how I love that girl!)

:)

p.s. if you're interested in doing this yourself, here's a link to a great tutorial. The big thing to watch for is to make sure you buy a sweater that is knit, then seamed. If you have one that's seamed and then cut, the yarn will be in lengths the width of the sweater! No good...

March Sweater of the month

This was officially finished on Wednesday, March 21, but since it was a gift for C., I didn't want to post the picture until after her birthday...

I got the pattern from an IRL friend (don't know where she copied it from!) and knit it up with smaller needles (11 instead of 15) and doubled worsted weight yarn. I used Wool-Ease because that's what was in the stash.

Here's a picture:

March Sweater of the month

Just posting that my March sweater-of-the-month is completed and blocking! Photos next week...

February Sweater being modeled

Not great pictures, but I wore the vest for the first time last night. It was SOOO comfy! :)
The March "secret sweater" is coming along--slowly but surely!

February Sweater is Done!

YAY! After hours of sewing in ends (that was really the only thing I did NOT enjoy about knitting this sweater), it's done and blocking:
I can't wait to wear it!

Getting there...

Between the snowy day yesterday, knitting club last night, and my morning "off" (C. is home sick), I finished the back and got the neckline done:



Now all I have to do is seam the shoulders and knit the sleeve edging...

Sweater Vest progress

I had some free time today and once the front of the vest was divided for the V-neck, it went a lot quicker! I finished the front today:
Now I'll return to the back and knit it up (still in ribbing), then sew up the shoulders and pick up to knit the neckline and armholes. Yippee!

February sweater--NOT done

OK, I'm not going to make it for finishing my February sweater for the Sweater-a-month Knit-a-long. But I'm getting there! :)

So here's where I am on this, the last day of February:
The bottom ribbing is done; the back is still all ribbed and all one color; the front is somewhat striped :) (I'm going for a random striped look--whenever the mood strikes me, I stripe); I've even split and started decreasing for the V-neck; and I am still in LOVE with this yarn!

I haven't tried it on (too afraid I'll dump it off the circular needle) but it looks like it should fit.

Oh, and I've picked out a sweater for March, so I probably should get my butt in gear on this one...

More Progress on February's sweater

I had some time last night and today to work on my February sweater (vest). I finished the bottom ribbing and I've started the front, with two stripes so far:


And the back continues in K3P3 ribbing all the way up, so it's fitted:


I'm struggling a bit with knitting in the round and striping only the front, but I hope it'll be okay. Once I get to the split for the neck, I'll no longer be working in the round, so that should be fine, too.

Change of direction with February Sweater

I'd gotten started on my February selection for the SAM KAL but I wasn't really happy with how it was going. I hemmed and hawed awhile and finally decided to bite the bullet and try knitting it in the round.

So here I am:
I hate seaming SO much that I'm already happier. And this yarn is so fantastic to knit with, that I didn't even complain about having to frog.

Let's just hope that I'm smart enough to change the pattern to being knit in the round when I get to the v-neck and the armpits... :)

And I wouldn't hold my breath for it to be finished in February.

OTOH, we're expecting the worst blizzard in years this weekend and all the plans I had for the weekend have been cancelled, so there may be a lot of knitting and catching up on Tivo'ed movies these next few days.

Sweater #2's wee beginnings

Though I could not wait to get started on my second sweater (ok, it's a VEST, but I'm counting it!), it took until this weekend to actually pick up the yarn and get working. I've had so many other things taking up my time, but after a long day of sewing (more about that later), my fingers were dying for some knitting.

I wrote a bit about my plans and my yarn in this post, so I won't repeat it. Suffice to say that I am NOT disappointed. This yarn feels absolutely divine. Turning it into a ball was even fun! Knitting is fabulous, and the small amount I have knit feels so soft and sensuous. I'm going to enjoy this.

So I present to you the first inch (out of six inches) of ribbing, on the back:

And this is one of the many things in shades of blue, white and gray, that I have planned for Project Spectrum.

KAL updates/plans for February

So Stefaneener talked me into helping her with the Sweater-A-Month KnitALong, and I had already decided to do Project Spectrum 2.0, so my next project will hopefully accomplish both.

I was lucky enough to receive gift certificates to my LYS, Ruhama's from my mom and from one of the families that I tutor, so I went in search of a pattern and some yarn to make one of those trendy vest things that you wear over a long button-down shirt. I found Blue Sky Alpacas' Market Vest which is knit in sport weight, but I also found the most divine yarn ever--Plymouth Yarn's Baby Alpaca Grande--in a chunkier weight. Since the pattern for the Market Vest has you holding two strands of sport weight together throughout, I'm going to do a single strand of the grande. Cross your fingers for me that it works!

I figure a vest is close enough to a sweater for me, and the colors I chose are shades of blue--which fit in with Project Spectrum's Blue, White, Gray color family for February/March.

I cannot wait to start!

SAM KAL January--DONE!

Knitting done--needing to be blocked and buttons found.




Blocked, buttoned, and umbilical cord hat made to match!

Stats:
Lutzling Sweater
Knit in Fair Isle (other option is knit/purl pattern)
Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted
Adapted pattern to include an additional row of pattern along the neck yoke
Gift for C's Social Studies Teacher's new son

SAM KAL update #2

Quick picture of the cuffs:

I love doing both at one time on a super-long needle (magic loop)!

SAM KAL update #1

Start on the sweater-a-month KAL:


It's a baby sweater for C's social studies teacher. He had a little boy, born on G's bday. He's a Minnesota Vikings fan (as are C. and I) so it's in purple and gold. I'm doing the pattern found here:
Lutzling Sweater

The Sweater-A-Month Knit-A-Long

My dear friend Stefaneener approached me about helping her do a knit-a-long. I'm all *for* KAL's, but when she said it was a sweater a month KAL, I balked a bit. But she's nothing if not persuasive ;) and so here I am, agreeing to do a sweater a month for 2007. yikes!

So if any of you want to join us in the craziness, check it out at:
http://sweateramonthkal.blogspot.com/

and if you want to join, just email one of us, as per the directions on the blog above.

yippee!