KP IDP: My Favorite Sweatshirt

Knit Picks just posted another of my designs .... My Favorite Sweatshirt and Mitts!  This is done using KP's organic Simply Cotton worsted yarn ... which knits up like a dream and looks and feels so wonderful to wear. [This is the same sweatshirt that I completed for my NaKniSweMo project! and is also available thru my Ravelry store.]

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Merry Christmas from our house to yours ....

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Designs: another in cashmere ...

I just finished the fingerless mitts that coordinate with the Snow on the Mountains Scarf ... introducing the Snow on the Mountains Mitts ...

Cool, huh?  You can buy the pattern from my Ravelry store or directly from Spring Gate Farm.  Remember, if you buy the cashmere directly from Spring Gate, you can get the pattern free!

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Designs: lots of fun to knit this one!

Thanks to NaKniSweMo, I have another design ready for your knitting pleasure:

Ready to go play!

"Hoods up!"

Back of sweater is 1-1/2" lower than front ... and the cables at the top of the hood match!

My Favorite Sweatshirt and Mitts design is a fun knit ... and a comfy sweater, to boot!  The sweater is knit by first making a cable panel, turning it on its side, knitting in the round and adding a sqaured-neckline, a hood and 3/4 sleeves (knit from the armhole down to mid-arm.  Because so much of the sweater is knit in the round, there is VERY little finishing work (I'm lazy, what can I say?).  I made a pair of matching fingerless mitts -- which are fun to knit and fun to wear!

I've sized this design for XS - 5X, so you can make one for all the ladies you know!  You can purchase this design or others of mine from my Ravelry Store .  Check 'em out and let me know what you think!  And if you have any suggestions for designs you'd like me to do, please let me know!

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Charity Knitting: Scarves for Special Olympics

A good friend sent me a link to this VERY cool project organized by Red Heart and the Winter Special Olympics -- scarves for all the participants!  I know this is a VERY hectic time of year for us knitters ... we're busy finishing gift-knitting for family and friends.  I know this is a VERY hectic time of year for us designers ... we're busy finishing commissioned designs and drafting new submissions and generally up to our ears in work.

But a scarf doesn't take that long ... and if each one of us makes just one ... that will be many more than they would have had!  So won't you take a minute ... look up your state and the requirements ... and make a scarf for one of the athletes, families or volunteers who annually make the Special Olympics a reality? 

My state of Virginia needs the scarves by January 6th (mailing by December 30th) ... wouldn't that be perfect for post-Christmas dinner knitting?  And it only needs to be 6" x 54" or 60". 

Please let me know if you decide to participate ... and what state you're in.  If you'll send me a picture of the finished scarf (or SCARVES!), I'll be happy to post 'em on here ... THANK YOU for your help in this project of love and perseverance!

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

NaKniSweMo: I made it!

I did it ... amidst everything else going on, I made a sweater, start to finish in the month of November.  "My Favorite Sweatshirt" is done ... the stitch count is less than 50K (more like 35K) but since I ripped and re-knit and did other knitting, I figure I did pretty darn well.

I'm not sure if I like it or not.  I love the split hem cable and the cable along the armholes.  I also did a cable on the hood and I'm not sure if it needs it?  I'm also thinking maybe the sleeves need a cuff -- the cable?  The sleeves fall about halfway between my elbow and wrist and are just reverse-SS.  The body is a comfortable fit with drop shoulders which aren't really too floppy ... which is good.

The sweater needs blocking; the Simply Cotton, an organic cotton from KP, should soften after that first bath which will occur tomorrow. 

So what do you think of this original design?

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

NaKniSweMo: progress report

This month, I've been quite busy with the cashmere designs using Spring Gate Farm's cashmere.  That said, I haven't been neglecting my NaKniSweMo project -- it's great knitting for fencing practices or meetings or just for a change from the 9/10 sts per inch on the cashmere (this one gets about 4 to the inch!).    With SIX full days to go, I have started the second sleeve ... and then just need to do the hood ... on "My Favorite Sweatshirt" .... an original design that I can't wait to post! 

I'm knitting this in KP's organic worsted weight cotton and it is knitting up beautifully ... the finished sleeve looks narrow but that's because it's pure SS and so is curling ... it is actually a 20" sleeve that goes down to about 10 inches once it's blocked -- it will end about mid-arm and should roll nicely for a very casual look ....
I'm quite excited about this design.
Here's my design sketch (which so far has only deviated by having the cable done on the sweater body armholes rather than on the hem of the sleeves ....):

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com