Bridie by Anna Bell for KnitKnit by Sabrina Gschwandtner
small/medium size
8 balls of Karabella Margrite (80% extra-fine merino, 20% cashmere)
3.75 mm and 4 mm needles

I love so many things about this cardigan: the asymmetrical opening, the subtle texture of the lattice pattern, the delicate pearl shank buttons, the deliciously soft yarn. This was a smooth knitting experience (thanks to the perfectly written pattern) and it met all my expectations when I slipped on the finished cardigan this weekend. It’s a wonderful feeling when the sweater on the glossy page becomes a wearable garment in one’s closet.

Posted by brooke at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)

All the pieces for Bridie are complete and I’m knitting the button bands on the asymmetrical front.
Finishing requires my full attention, so I wanted to have a small project that would be easy to start and stop and carry in my bag. Haven – a scarf from Heartfelt The Dark House Collection by Kim Hargreaves looked like the perfect project. I pulled skeins of Rowan Cocoon in Tundra from my stash and went searching for 8 mm needles. I found a bamboo pair but after casting on the required number of stitches they were decidedly too short. I glanced at the vase of my Grandmother’s needles – heavy straight sticks in every color, size and length, but none in the size I needed. I really wanted to start this project, so I cast on using 6.5 mm needles. I knit two repeats of the lace pattern and wasn’t completely satisfied. No surprise that my gauge was off and the stitches looked forced and uncomfortable. I put the knitting aside and picked up a book to read for the rest of evening. A few pages in I remembered a drawer full of my Grandmother’s circular needles, each stored in a plastic bag with the number written on the outside. I was in luck and quickly found an 8 mm circular needle. I grabbed a new skein of Cocoon and cast on. After one repeat it was clear that this was the size required to create a scarf with big, soft stitches. It’s comforting to work with the same needles that my Grandmother once used – they are a bit louder than my addi’s, but it’s a pleasant sound, the sound of needles clicking.

Posted by brooke at 03:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I’ve been knitting a lot lately – enjoying every stitch.

The Beaded Cami didn’t linger too long on the needles. I really liked working with Rowan Purelife and love the result with the A line shape of the design. Drapes and flows quite nicely for cotton yarn.

Beaded Cami by Black Dog Designs
4 mm needles, 5 skeins of Rowan Purelife no. 986
mods: picked up stitches on front bodice, knit one center motif

The wool that currently occupies my needles is Bridie by Anna Bell.

The incredibly soft, luxurious yarn and pattern make for a great evening of knitting.

Posted by brooke at 03:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)