the emotional life of sølje

Here is my first fully finished (except for buttons… I am searching for the right ones) knitted garment I’m so proud of myself! Of course, here we are starting the warm season so I won’t be wearing it out for a while. Hopefully by then I will need to shrink it up (because of miraculous weight loss I am glad that I changed how the sleeves sit, I like having more room at my wrists. I also added a few more rows on the collar.

Again, here are the specifics: pattern from Sally Melville The Knitting Experience: Book 2 The Purl Stitch, “Not Your Mother’s Suit Coat”. Yarns from Danette Taylor, bulky merino and brushed mohair.

Tags: Knitting by Solje
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After searching for a yarn swift that not an umbrella swift, I came across this one from The Oregon Wood Worker I received it a few weeks ago, and just love it. I really like that I don’t have to clamp it down to anything in order to use it. It comes with a non-slip mat to put underneath, and it works like a charm. The swift is economical and quality USA made! Can’t go wrong with products from the Pacific NW! I actually enjoying winding up balls of yarn now

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I am waiting on more yarn to arrive to finish the second sleeve of this lusciously (is that a word?) soft and wonderful to look at knitted coat. I am going to probably add a button loop at the top for a third button (two button holes made this far), and I still have yarn ends to weave in, but after adding the collar and blocking the coat to shape, I am in love with it already–even with just one sleeve This is the first of three garments that I have knitted this year, but it’s the one that I really love the best.

Some changes in this pattern: I created one sleeve, attached it, but absolutely hated the way it hung and the length. After tearing it out, I cast on more stitches than suggested to create a wider, more dramatic sleeve. I also made it longer than the pattern suggested.

At least I am not shy about working different ideas beyond patterns.

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It’s not looking like much at the moment, but this is my progress as of yesterday morning on my ‘Einstein Coat’ by Sally Melville. This is a novice project, and I took the word ‘novice’ even further by using a lighter weight yarn than the pattern was written for. but instead of then using the pattern for the ‘Not So Warm Einstein Coat’, I continued to use the directions for the bulky. So! It’s not as wide around, and it is a few ridges less in the length for the front and back sections. Oh well. I think overall, it will still be ok, it’s fine in the width… and even if it wasn’t, I need to lose weight anyway
I am already considering over dyeing it… I am tired of that orange-red color, and becoming less fond of it as time goes on. I am almost finished with the back section, and I just have the right front left to knit before the sleeves. Based on the size of my changes to the pattern, it may actually become a cardigan rather than a coat!

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Happy 5th Birthday Daniel!!!!!

Tags: A Family Affair by Solje
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Here is another project I started this weekend. I have pinned the left front to the back, and I am currently working on the left sleeve. I am using a pattern from Sally Melville’s “The Purl Stitch” (Not Your Mother’s Suit Coat), but I have changed a few things with the pattern. I want to have “fluffy” cuffs and collar, and in the pattern, the cuffs need to be more defined, IMO. So for the cuff, I have changed yarns to a loopy and boucle along with brushed mohair, and I worked it in garter stitch. So far, I like how the sleeve is coming (it’s about 1/3 of the way done). The rest of the coat is a bulky merino and brushed mohair. It’s soooo soft

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I am getting closer to being finished with my Erica hooded sweater (pattern by Lopi)! I am feeling so proud of myself–even if I started off knitting very tightly so it doesn’t fit my hips! LOL! I love how the raglan yoke turned out. I need to now work on the hood and then finish it up with a zipper. This is my first real knitting project–other than scarves–and I am really glad that I decided to tackle this pattern.

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I am moving along on my Lopi Erica sweater. I had to undo a few rows last night because I read the directions wrong for the raglan portion for attaching the sleeves and the decreases. So right now I am a few rows above the armpit area. I am really enjoying this sweater. Nothing like jumping right in when learning something new

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