But is it Mavis?

It's Stitches West and I have but this morning to post and then I'm off to shop my cowl off.  Wait, I don't have a cowl. (I actually already did some early damage at the market pre-show last night, so today I'll be helping friends spend money they don't have.)  I just can't believe I'm saying this but it's too warm to wear Mavis at Stitches this year.  It's gorgeous out but I want to wear my sweater! 

I'm really glad I reworked it.  I wore it all day after the photo session.  It's comfy and I'm not pulling or adjusting it.  This is basically what I did:

I reworked the body like the drop sleeve sweatshirt that I know fit the way I liked.  I opened up the collar as well and nix'd the cowl.  Then I reworked the sleeves to match. 

Although it has most of the elements of the original Mavis, somehow without the cowl I don't feel I can really call it Mavis anymore.

Or can I?

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Thanks to Kelsey for modeling the cowl (knit separately) -- those are my daughter's lovely tresses.

Mavis Revisited

This is Mavis.  I knit it back in 2006 and wore it to Stitches West and a few times afterwards.  The problem?  It was too big.  Set-in sleeves shouldn't fall off your shoulder.  My gauge was so off, even when I went down a needle and cast on for a smaller size. I tried to stabilize the neck (which I picked up off live stitches in the back instead of seaming) by single crocheting across the neck and shoulders. It didn't work.

Finally I decided to frog down to the lace and reknit using a drop shoulder to emphasized the slounchy fit.  I was inspired by sweaters I saw at Urban Outfitters.  So I took it apart and ripped down the sleeves and bodies.  I nixed the collar altogether and went for a rounded neck.

Here it is with the front and back sewn together and the neck redone.  I'm not quite done yet, but I do have the sleeves sewn in (although that's not what you see here).  All that's left are the side seams.  I'm hoping this time it'll work out better, as I plan on wearing it next week at Stitches West.  Wish me luck.

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Birthday Beret

Blocking on a Fiestaware plate (cobalt) we have:

Pattern: Arabesque, from Interweave Accessories 2011

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash Handpaints, it only took one skein and I had, oh about ONE yarn left to weave in. I bought 2 @ $15.75 each (less 10% discount as part of the yarn crawl) and will use the second skein for matching mitts, as per request of the recipient.  The pattern called for 2 sks of a worsted weight yarn at 200 yards per skein.  YMMV.

Needles: US 5 and 7

Here's the other side.  Finished size: um, that's a 10" plate and the hat is bigger.  Story: I was shopping with the recipient who wanted to buy this slouchy cabled red hat.  When I saw it I muttered, "I can make that." So of course she rolled her eyes (teens) and put it back.  Later I bought the yarn, which she approved of.  She then told her sister, "Hey, mom's making me a hat for my birthday."  Hmmm,...ok, now I have a deadline.

Knitting went well, the chart was easy enough to follow, hats are generally quick and this project was portable.  I knit it while chatting with friends at Panera, while watching TV, or just quietly as I settled down for the evening.  Cable crossing method: without a cable needle.  I'm lazy and I hate carrying around those things, plus there's a place where you need 2 to make the cross! 

Started: Feb 4, 2011

Finished: Today

Birthday: 2/12/12 (hey!)

So is she happy? 

Is it slouchy enough? 

She think's so.  Happy 14th Lindsey.

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No tags this time, the yarn is too new to count for 12in2012 and it's not pink!

Finished and Frogged

Finished: Norwegian Mittens from a class I took from Beth Brown-Reinsel at Stitches West a long time ago.  Yarn: Cascade 220; Needles: US 7 dpn.  When I dug these up I only had the thumb of the second mitten left to do.  They're kinda big, so big my daughter thought they were oven mitts.  Works for me, it doesn't get cold enough here to require mittens.  I just wanted to learn the techniques, including the Norwegian Purl which I already forgot.  If you're on Ravelry there are more details and pictures of this project here (and if you're not, just click on the picture to see others in flickr).

Frogged: Twined Knitted Socks also a class I took from BBR at another Stitches West. Do you know what's harder than making twined knitted socks?  Frogging twined knitted socks.  While I love the technique I definitely have no need for these, so I'm reusing the yarn to make Twined Knitted Fingerless Mitts (in the queue: Larus+Ardea) instead.

As a bonus to all the finishing up, I'm freeing up the project bags!  One of my many obsessions, these will be waiting for the next project I start.  Happy Fiber Arts Friday and FO Friday, join the party and leave a comment!