WIP: Anker’s Summer Shirt by Petiteknits

May 17, 2020 Emily Wallace HandwovenLeave a comment

I’m making steady progress on the Anker’s Summer Shirt pattern by Petiteknits. I started knitting it on April 30th–while also knitting the seamless raglan sweater and other projects–so it has taken me a little while to make real progress on it until the end of this last week. I’m on the home stretch now, however, and hopefully will have it finished by this week or next. I sometimes jinx myself when I set knitting deadlines for myself. Any other deadline, I have no trouble meeting…just my own personal project deadlines. Anyone else have that problem??

Rather than using a cotton/linen blend yarn, I decided on a merino/cashmere/silk blend by Sublime because I’m not a huge fan of plant fibers (even for a summer shirt).

It’s Finally Done! My 1st adult knitted sweater

May 14, 2020May 14, 2020 Emily Wallace Handwoven1 Comment

After about 6 weeks of off-and-on knitting, my first adult knitted sweater is finished. Although it’s made to be oversized, I wish I had chosen the smaller size because it does feel really big, but I’ll deal with it. I’m super proud of it…mostly because I’ve always shied away from really large projects like this one.

Now that it’s done, I’m excited about knitting other sweaters and tops. I’ve already started on Anker’s Summer Shirt by Petiteknit. I’ve already separated for the sleeves on that project.

Sweater Update: April 25th

April 28, 2020 Emily Wallace HandwovenLeave a comment

I finally finished the body of my seamless raglan sweater and now I’m working on the arms. I was getting low on the orange color yarn, so I had to improvise and add in a dark brown color of the same yarn to make sure I had enough for the whole sweater. I’ve reserved a ball of orange for each arm (92 yards/ball) and when I start getting low, I’ll start the stripes in the dark brown and transition to brown like I did on the edge of the body. So far, I’m pleased with the results of this sweater…but I am ready to be done with it and move on to other projects.

“Wee Fast” Baby Cardigan by Taiga Hilliard Designs

April 23, 2020April 23, 2020 Emily Wallace Handwoven1 Comment

My niece is about to have her first baby, so I wanted to knit something for the soon-to-be newest addition to our family. I wanted something that would work up quick since my niece’s due date just got bumped up by several weeks (due to potential complications), so I chose the “Wee Fast” cardigan by Taiga Hilliard since I knitted the “Wee Speedy” in the past and liked how it turned out.

I used “Odin” by Conway+Bliss Yarns in Lilac colorway. It took less than one skein of this super bulky weight yarn.

Weekend Weaving Projects

April 22, 2020 Emily Wallace Handwoven1 Comment

I decided to take a break from sweater knitting over the weekend so I could dress my loom again after a couple of weeks hiatus.

I ended up weaving two remnant yarn shawls on my 32″ Kromski Harp loom, one in neutral colors and one in warm colors with a few cool colors thrown in. I used a variety of yarns including Noro (wool, silk, mohair), Indie dyed merino, Lucca Dot Yarn handspun, my own BFL handspun, baby alpaca, and cotton yarns. I used a boucle yarn for the wefts of both shawls (alpaca, silk, linen).

I probably spent a total of 8 hours between both scarves…a reminder as to why I enjoy weaving so much over knitting or crocheting. If only I could make fitted objects on the loom….

Sweater Update: It looks like a sweater now!

April 16, 2020 Emily Wallace Handwoven1 Comment

I’ve been working on my first (adult) sweater for a week and half now (minus the 3 day break I took to knit my uncle’s beanie) and I’m almost halfway there, I think. Because I’m not used to knitting so much (hours everyday), my right shoulder has been giving me some problems and I’ve taken a day off here and there for fear of doing myself a mischief.

I mentioned in my first post about this sweater that I felt I was using the wrong yarn. I still feel that way, but there’s nothing for it. I’ll just have to finish and learn from my mistakes next time. I’m using Schachenmeyr Merino Extrafine 85…and the twist is so loose that I know this sweater will get snagged easily. Also, while the stitch definition is awesome, that can also be a problem, especially around join areas. Again, live and learn.

Here’s my current progress and I’m hoping to be finished by next week? We’ll see, I guess. If my shoulder gives out on me, it’ll be longer for sure.

“Be Loving” Beanie for my uncle

April 16, 2020 Emily Wallace Handwoven1 Comment

I took a break for a few days from my sweater knitting to make a beanie for my Uncle Eugene’s 82nd birthday. He is my oldest uncle and sends me a birthday card (most years)…and his birthday falls one day after my own.

This year, I decided that I would knit him a beanie since it has been so cold lately. It’s rare that I knit anything for extended family members, since most of them have no clue the time and energy that goes into handmade objects. But, I felt that my Uncle Eugene would be thrilled to have something I made, so I settled on this easy beanie pattern “Be Loving” by Melissa Simpson (free on Ravelry).

I know it’s super simple, but I didn’t have a lot of time to get it knitted. Otherwise, I would’ve chosen a “fancier” pattern. Sometimes simple is best…and this pattern was super easy to follow and it worked up great with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran Tonals yarn (the same yarn I used in my Pine Lake Shawl by Jaala Spiro).

So, here is the finished beanie modeled by my husband, Brad.

Mystery Grab Bag from Hook A Frog (Madison, AL)

March 28, 2020 Emily Wallace HandwovenLeave a comment

Yesterday, I picked up a mystery grab bag from LYS, Hook A Frog Fiber & Fun in Madison, AL. They’re offering these mystery grab bags via curbside pickup or FREE shipping. I told her what I wanted (anything DK weight or heavier, yarn-wise) and she put a bag together for me to pick up.

They’re offering these bags at $50 (You get $75+/retail items) or $100 (You get $150+/retail items). I loved my bag and might go back for another before all this COVID-19 craziness is over.

You can also order regular items and mystery grab bags via her online shop or call in any order and she’ll ship it to you at Hookafrog.net .

$50 Mystery Grab Bag from Hook A Frog Fiber & Fun (Madison, AL)

December 2019: Finished Objects

January 3, 2020 Emily Wallace Handwoven1 Comment

December 2019 was a blur for me and my family. My father underwent a major emergency surgery on December 7th after three weeks of being sick with an undiagnosed illness. He spent 25 days in the hospital and underwent 4 procedures during that time. My mother never left his side, so I did a lot of running around on her behalf until my father finally got to come home on December 30th.

I did, however, manage to get several weaving and a knitting project completed when I wasn’t at the hospital. Weaving (and knitting) kept my hands busy while my mind worried about my dad. Thankfully, he is on the mend and I am now able to look forward to new projects in 2020.

Here a few that I completed in December:

Boomerang Shawl knitted with River Cottage Farm Fibers Romney “Son of Chiefton” Wool Yarn

This week’s project #3: Handspun Yarn from Lucca Dot Yarn Scarf

November 23, 2019 Emily Wallace HandwovenLeave a comment

This scarf was handwoven on my 32″ Kromski Harp loom using Lucca Dot Yarn hand blended & handspun merino wool single-ply yarn for the weft and a 100% merino dk weight yarn for the warp. Lucca Dot Yarn is owned and operated by Claire Cabe, who is also a personal friend and fiber mentor. I love using her hand dyed and hand spun art yarns for knitted, woven, or crocheted projects.