Crafting Update: some progress but no finishes

I am in love with working on this jumper :D I LOVE the steller yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills.It just slides through your fingers beautifully when working on it.

 I'm shaping this one in so it should be a lot more fitted and flatter my waist more. It's still going to be loose but it is a little more smooth I hope!

It's working up a lot slower than the first one for two reasons. It's 8ply vs 10ply which changes the size but the main reason is that it's into crunch time at uni. I have had an assignment due each fortnight and this will be continuing until the end of April. Then the last week I've been sick as a dog! Actually I don't know how sick that is but I haven't been well, I spent most of the week on the couch barely moving so as much as I had 'time' to stitch I didn't have any energy. Unfortunately it seems to have hit my partner now and he's not well either.

 I actually started a new cross stitch when I was feeling sick though again didn't get much done. It's from my oriental cross stitch magazine. It's a little panda but you can see I've only done a tiny bit of white so far.

Once I actually have time I think I will be finished with this little panda quickly. It looks like a simple little stitch I just need the time to devote to it which isn't happening quickly.

Happy Stitching,
Caitliin

Oops my finger slipped...

So happy with my new yarn :D

 
So you guys would know I've been making a homebody sweater and I should have a review of the pattern and the changes I made up. But I made it in Acrylic, a fairly cheap one at that. It was tester and a lot of fun and I will wear that jumper until it dies :D... But a couple of problems with it. I used 10ply worsted weight acrylic, the USA style spot saver from spotlight and it worked up beautifully soft.  However, it is quite a heavy yarn and I used a 5.5mm hook so the resulting fabric is quite solid.

Soo my finger slipped last week and I ordered some Bendigo Woollen Mills Steller 8ply. This yarn is beautiful :D and I am looking forward to making a jumper in it. I love the wool/bamboo blend and the colour is just delicious!! I ordered 5 balls in the Amethyst colourway and as you can see here I didn't manage to take photos before starting my project with it!

This yarn is so beautifully squishy and feels just gorgeous to touch! I am so excited to be working with it!

 

This is me at band during rehearsal working away on the band for my sweater! I got it that day and started working with it that night... that never happens!

Have you had an oops moment recently and received so pretty happy mail?

Happy Stitching,
Caitlin

Homebody Sweater: Pattern Review

So I never expected to say that within 4 weeks of starting this sweater that it would be finished and able to be used. I started this expecting to MAYBE get it done by this winter. But it ended up being such a quick make. It's the Homebody Sweater pattern by Meg Made With Love.

 I used Spot Saver yarn from Spotlight in the purple and donkey. I had bought the purple last year thinking of maybe making a shawl but I wanted to start a project and this one was calling me. The spot saver is a 10 ply or worsted weight yarn like the red heart super saver (at least that is my understanding). I made a size medium with a 5.5mm hook so it made quite a heavy thick fabric. Next time I will use 8ply yarn and a larger hook to make a softer fabric.

It's a very boxy sweater designed to be worn off the shoulders. With arms that are meant to be cuffed.

I love how it looks on me. Though you were really lucky to get any photos with me modelling this as it was REALLY hot over the weekend. You wouldn't think that it is now autumn but the temperature is still over 30 degrees celcius most days.

Now being me and being a little laxy I did make some significant changes to the pattern.

I worked the main body of the sweater in the round. Instead of working the front then the back and then seaming I didn't want to have to seam it at all so I did the two bottom rib sections and then joined them in the round when I did the first row of the body.

 I did have one problem with this as you can see by the photo above my seam moved. I managed to fix that for the arms by turning every row but forgot about it for the main body.

Now the pattern calls for you to seam up to row 33 or something (check the pattern for your size if you want to make these changes.) So I worked in the round until then and then worked across the front the 72 stitches (in my case) and just worked the front up to the top. Then I came back in and joined the back on and worked it up to the top. I'm sorry I don't have any photos of this process because it was all done in the middle of lectures at uni and I felt very self conscious trying the take photos. But if you want to know more I am actually waiting for yarn to make a second one so .... photos will be coming I hope! Also send me a message and I'll try to explain it a different way if you want.

I then did a single crochet seam across the shoulder points. I did debate doing a join as you go thing but I wanted a very solid shoulder point. To add some structure.

I then joined the arms on as the pattern stated and went from there.

As you can see from the photo above I did some research in to how to stop the travelling seam (diagonal seam shown on the body above) and the best solution seemed to be to turn your work every row. This also gave the piece the ridges that the top half is showing but the bottom isn't because the work there wasn't turned (difference between rows and working in the round)

But because of the green stripe it isn't noticeable as it could be.

So my final thoughts:

Will I make this pattern again? Hell yes and I already have yarn on the way, but this is time I will do it differently.

What would I change? I would work the body in the round again but this time turning every row to create a seam up the side and also I would work it in a yarn other than acrylic. I am also tempted to try shaping the sleeves to come in more on my next one so that they're sitting tighter around my arms instead of just hanging but I may not do that if I can manage a drapier fabric overall.
 
But for now, I will leave you with this awesome photo of me attempting to do some fancy modelling and having a lot of fun :D

Have you attempted this pattern? How did it go for you?

Happy stitching,

Caitlin