Tag Archives: Tweedy Wool

Covid-19 Social Distancing, Day 46

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Spring is just about to really make a commitment here in Maine! We had some rain and some very light flurries this morning … and I’m really hoping that we don’t see any more snow until October. Thank you very much!

I’ve been working on a Wonderful Wallaby sweater for my nephew. He’s already a year old and he’s growing like a weed. I love the Wonderful Wallaby sweater and I’ve made a few of them. One of them was for his big sister long ago and far away.

Wonderful Wallaby Sweater by Cottage Creations

The Wonderful Wallaby sweater is knit from the bottom up. The pocket (that’s why it’s a Wallaby) is knitted at the same time as the body of the sweater. The pocket and the body are knitted together, and the body is continued. Sleeves are then knitted in and you finish knitting the yoke and a hood. I am not going to make the hood this time. I’m going to knit a simple crewneck by continuing the decreases at the shoulders until there are 60 stitches and then knit a 1×1 rib on the smaller needles. At least that’s my plan. At this time, I am thinking that I will use the duplicate stitch to add a surprise on the pocket. I don’t want to tell you exactly what that will be until it’s done and delivered. The yarn has been following me around for over a decade. I did made myself a top down sweater with it. Elsebeth Lavold’s Tweedy Wool is 85% highland wool, 10.5% acrylic and the remainder is viscose, 136 yards in a 50 gram ball and it’s discontinued. The little surprise will be stitched in Cascade 220 Superwash … because I could get the right colors!

Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal

I’ve made a new batch, with a new recipe, of baked oatmeal this morning and it’s my favorite so far. It’s full of pecans, almonds, carrots, coconut, and cranberries in place of cherries. I found the recipe on Pinterest and it’s super delicious! I actually had a serving and a bit more for “lunch” today … I had to try it! The recipe is on Cooking in Stilettos. I fully recommend it! And I don’t like oatmeal! I will freeze the eight other servings and pull them out as I want them and “zap” them for a minute or so. I ate mine today with just a bit of almond milk … I didn’t need to use any additional sweetener which is always a win!

I seem to be hitting my stride here in “quarantine” and it’s feeling a bit more “normal”. I have made an effort to reach a level of acceptance around this time. It’s surely the weirdest experience that I’ve had in my life (and I’m no spring chicken!) I have been counting my blessings, finding things to be grateful for every day and talking to and checking up on people that I love. I am coming to believe that this time of not being so busy has been a blessing. I’m talking to my kids more, my friends more and my students and co-workers, too. I’m also getting my knitting groove back. I am able to concentrate a bit more … although I do have days when I get nothing done. I’m not perfect.

Our weather is improving. We’ve had some beautiful days and we have been able to have coffee on the porch. This is what we wait all winter for!

  • Boogie Man guarding the porch
  • Sunrise and loons

Gone Knitting!

Follow me on Facebook at Queen Bee Knits by LindaWarner and @QueenBeeKnits on Instagram. All of the details on my knitting and crochet projects are on my Ravelry projects page, I’m lindar.

Nearly Done

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This is my Neck Down Summer Cardigan by Knitting Pure and Simple. It is nearly done! I’ll be excited to get it off the needles when I complete the button band and front band. Which I am determined to do today!

I am knitting this sweater with a stashed yarn. A deeply stashed yarn that I have been carrying around with me for almost ten years. It may, in truth, be more than ten years. I don’t really remember. Anyway … the yarn is Elsebeth Lavold’s Tweedy Wool. It’s a (light) worsted weight yarn in wool with a bit of acrylic and viscose (the flecks). I’ve liked knitting with this yarn and the sweater is ok … I’m not sure I love the color any more but I’ll wear it … I think. 🙂

My swatch came out a bit off from the gauge recommended for the pattern. I decided to make the x-large rather than the large to compensate for my swatch rather than to change the needle size because I liked the way the fabric was when I knitted it on a US 7 needle. I wouldn’t have liked the fabric had I knitted with a larger needle.

The front bands shouldn’t use any more than the rest of one ball of yarn so I’m going to go out on a limb and say I used seven balls (50g, 136 yards each) of yarn to finish this sweater. It’s really cute and I’ll make it again. Initially, I just needed a good travel project … now I have a spring sweater. I think it’d be a fun one to knit in a solid yarn and embellish with some embroidery.

Knitting tip: When knitting the sleeve of this sweater, I wanted it to be around elbow length or just a touch shorter. Touching the top of the elbow. I alternated decreases, knitting two rounds, decrease a round and then knitting one round until I had 80 stitches. I did six rounds of ribbing so it wouldn’t roll and then bound off … but I bound off with the larger needle so I had some stretch! I don’t like it one little bit when the edge of knitted garments aren’t stretchy! This worked like a charm. Typically, when I am knitting garments, socks, etc. I bind off with a needle that is one or, in this case, two sizes larger than the one I was knitting with. I used a US7 for the body of the sweater and a US5 for the ribbing. I bound off with the US7.

My new favorite needles are the Chaio Goo Red Lace needles. I have three circulars. I used them all for this sweater and they make me happy. The tips are wonderful but the best part is the cords that have no memory and don’t get all tangled up in themselves. I’ll be buying more!

Gone knitting!