FO Photos!

Finally, I have FO photos to share! I must say that it is rather anti-climactic to finish a sweater and not post a photo of it until nearly a week later. Needless to say, here they are:

First, I finished the red sweater by sewing on some silver buttons. The front needs a warm iron - it looks crooked in front but it's just because it's been in a pile for a week.

Next, the two finished hoodies: the green is knit in Cascade 220 and the brown is knit in Elann's Sierra Aran. I never know which of the front sides gets the buttons so I usually just alternate. I love how the green came out. I admit that I like the brown one too, I just did not enjoy knitting with that color. I think it will look good on a baby. Fortunately, I only have one ball of that yarn left. I have no idea how to use 85 yds of it but it will sit in my stash for now. I don't think I can face any more Sierra Aran jsut now.

As you can see, I've altered the hoodie pattern between the brown version (original) and the green one. The green version is more trim and the fabric is stiffer because of the seed stitch. I also changed the kind and sequence of neckline decreases in order to make the hood/neckline join more seamless and less awkward.

I also shortened the arms in the green version. The size is supposed to be 3-6 months and the sleeves on the brown version are as long as the sleeves on some of the 9-12 month clothing I have.

Next, I've started another baby sweater (!) from Debbie Bliss' The Baby Knits Book: the seed stitch & cabled jacket (picture below). This is one of my favorite baby sweater patterns but it is way oversized. I've altered the pattern quite a bit because the 6-12 month size fit my 2-year old cousin. I used Phildar's dimensions for 3-6 month size and reduced the smallest size of this pattern (the 6-12 month size). It is knit with Cascade 220. I chose this red to go with some wooden buttons. Of course, I forgot to take pictures of the buttons. NEXT TIME. Anyway, they're adorable and I wanted to use them in a sweater. As much as I think they'd look best in another hoodie, I am *really* tired of working that pattern in spite of the alterations.

Finally, I picked up new yarn today at the local sidewalk sale! Every year for the last three, my LYS has been selling Kid Classic on clearance at the sidewalk sale and I've bought 2 balls each summer. This summer's color: cantaloupe. I also bought four balls of Dale Karisma (superwash wool) and some cotton yarn for my secret pal. The sidewalk sale is not really that impressive of a sale but it makes yarn from LYS only a little bit more expensive than Knit Picks if you consider shipping costs.

Every year, I am always amazed by the crowd of cranky knitters lacking social skills who turn out to buy garbage bags full of yarn. It's as if these people come out of their hiding places only once a year to buy fiber. Yes, that's awfully mean and critical but I have little patience for people who aggressively shop for yarn and argue about fiber with total strangers. When you are that rude and obsessive about your craft, it is time to 1) find a new hobby, 2) reacquaint yourself with the sun, and/or 3)return to civilization.

More on the cable & seed stitch jacket later this weekend. I also have made some progress on other UFOs but I will not post those until they are DONE. I need a reason to finish them.