Newly Finished Knit Projects – Elliebelly Knit & Dye Works

Bulky Lace And A Shawl

Posted on May 7, 2017May 7, 2017 by elliebelly

Maya is a bulky shawl, knit here in Elliebelly’s Basilisk, as part of the Adventurous April KAL. It’s a great, quick knit. The stockinette section is perfect conversational knitting, you’ll carry this one around for knitting in all of those moments when you’re involved in something but need to have some knitting at hand. And, the lace section, which is easily memorized, goes quickly. It’s a pleasure to watch the lace pattern develop.

The surprise in this project for me was that Basilisk, which is a bulky weight blend of 50% Silk and 50% Merino, knitted up into a cushy, airy, fabric. I knit this at a slightly looser gauge than I would normally use, because I wanted the fabric to have drape. The result is a shawl that can be wrapped scarf-like around your neck for winter wear, but is perfect for a breezy spring day as well. I had it on all day yesterday, in our unseasonably cool Alabama May weather.

The color is “Grimoire” and you can find Basilisk and other Elliebelly Bulky yarns in our shop.

Fingerless Mitts. Finished.

Posted on February 15, 2017 by elliebelly

Paddle retains its place in my heart as an all time favorite pattern, with this second pair. The perfect quick gift for you, or for someone you love. My pair needs a quick steam block to work out a few wrinkles, but I’m so delighted with them! You can easily modify the pattern for different weights of yarn and they knit up quickly and easily, but the stripes keep it fun.

This pair was knit in Elliebelly Coventry Cashmere. I’m contemplating doing another pair in a different yarn later this month — strictly a defensive move, as the child who was nice enough to help me photograph them seems to have designs on keeping them.

A Hat & A Cat

Posted on January 8, 2017 by elliebelly

Finished hat for my friend who is marching in the women’s march later this month, fittingly modeled along with a cat.

If you are interested in learning more about the march or wondering why hundreds of thousands of knitters would knit pattern with such a seemingly offensive name (it’s been a major topic of conversation at my dinner table the last couple of weeks), there is information about why every knitter you know seems to be knitting a Pussy Hat or two, here. It’s refreshing seeing people find ways to express their views in a respectful, impactful manner. I know that the community of knitters will continue to find methods, like this, of engaging in civil discourse and help move us all forward. I was honored to knit this hat for a friend who will be participating.

I love this hat in Elliebelly’s aran weigh Blue Faced Leicester. The only question is whether it needs some embroidery to emphasize the cat ears, but it’s such a spectacular color that I think I’ll leave it as is.

Pink & Pom Poms

Posted on January 4, 2017January 4, 2017 by elliebelly

I don’t usually get lured into knitting because of a store sample. But, on my last visit to my local yarn shop, In The Making, it happened. It was silly thing, and not something I would normally wear, but I adore it. Yes, a scarf with “fur” pom poms hanging off of it is a bit theatrical, but in a nice and very wearable way. And it’s going to look great on my white coat. And on my black coat. And with jeans and it sweater. In short, this scarf looks great with everything, and you should knit one!

Rather than the sample yarn, I used Plucky Cachet in the Dreamy Colorway. And it’s accented with little snap on pom poms. Sadly, the snaps don’t stay closed too well, so I’m going to have to sew them in place, but seriously, pink cashmere and gray pom poms. I’m in love and looking forward to wearing it in our snow on Friday!

Glacier

Posted on December 27, 2016 by elliebelly

I’m thrilled to have finished Glacier, Martin Storey’s cabled sweater from Rowan 58. It’s my second Rowan sweater, knit in Snug Bulky from the Plucky Knitter in the Dive Bar colorway. And, it’s a keeper.

We are in the middle of a sultry hot spell in Alabama — high 70’s on Christmas Day and weather not at all conducive to wearing a bulky, cabled sweater. But I love it and I’m wearing it no matter how hot it is (and praying for cooler weather!)

The complex cables, which I really enjoyed knitting once I got the hang of the pattern, are incredibly pretty. And, although I was worried about the method I chose for increasing on the sleeves, seriously, it’s perfect. What was I worried about? My knitting mantra for 2017 is going to be “worry less and trust yourself more.”

I couldn’t be happier with this sweater, and I’m happy to have it finished.

The Kindness Of Knitters

Posted on December 26, 2016December 28, 2016 by elliebelly

There is a legendary kindness among knitters. It is a kindness that lasts year round, but is in keeping with the spirit of the religious holidays many of us are celebrating this week: compassion, thoughtfulness, helping others without any thought of help in return. Knitters specialize in this kind of behavior year round. So it should be no surprise that when I was struggling with finish details on my Glacier sweater, knitters reached out to help me. Finishing really shouldn’t have been an issue for me. Glacier wasn’t the first sweater I knit than needed seaming. But it did have a couple of issues, the one that concerned me the most being my interpretation of the pattern direction to “increase in pattern” on the sleeves, which involved some pretty complex cables. My seam edge wasn’t straight, but rather bugged in an out with the cross of the cables. And it had me worried. So I delayed and delayed finishing, always finding another project to jump to the front of the line.

Jess, a/k/a Fascine on Ravelry (make sure you go check out her finished projects, she’s amazing), volunteered to do the seaming for me. I shipped off all of the pieces to her, with an apologetic note about the “issues.” In record time, I had a lovely box back from her with a perfectly seamed sweater and an incredibly nice note. When I opened the box, which I wasn’t expecting to receive back so quickly, it came as a surprise. It was like having a candle lit in the dark. It was a touching kindness and it came right at a time when I need it and suddenly, I had a path forward, at least with the sweater. Gratitude.

Yesterday was my day. A few quiet moments and a wonderful way to spend the late afternoon. I picked up the stitches for the neck and wove in (ok, endlessly wove in because this was a low yardage/bulky yarn and I used a lot of skeins!) ends. I can’t wait to share the finished sweater with you. I’m super-grateful to Jess for giving me just the nudge I needed. The gift of kindness is a wonderful thing, and one of the special super powers of knitters.

Four Elliebelly Projects

Posted on December 5, 2016December 19, 2016 by elliebelly

Are you looking for something to knit? Something pretty for yourself or a quick last minute gift? I've got you covered today, sharing four projects that have been knit with Elliebelly Yarn recently.

The project on the top left is knit from handspun yarn — I dyed the fleece and my incredibly talented Cousin Ann spun the yarn. But then, it sat around in stash for a long time because it was too pretty, too valuable and I wasn't sure what project would be sufficient to honor it. The Demiluna shawl turned out to be the perfect answer to that conundrum. The pattern is versatile — you can adapt it, even late in the game if necessary, to use your yardage. And its shape makes it very wearable. Use your handspun!

Pictured on the top right, the I Want You shawl is knit in Elliebelly Rainey Fingering. This is one of my newest yarns, a Silk/Linen/Alpaca blend. It's wonderful and the perfect weight for wear all through the year. I adore the sweet edging on this scarf/shawl, and because it's a one-skein wonder, you can knit one fairly quickly as a gift, or spoil someone (yourself?) by knitting it using a sinfully luxurious skein that you would hesitate to buy a sweater quantity of.

In the lower left corner, Trieste Mitts, knit in Elliebelly Big Blue Bulky BFL. Quick because they are bulky and really warm, squishy, and pretty. I'm sure I'll be knitting a pair of these on Christmas Eve for one last gift.

Last, but not least, Anticlastic was written for a worsted weight silk blend, but this project used Elliebelly Seasilk DK and came out perfectly. If you aren't sure what to do with variegated yarns, this pattern definitely has an answer for you. It's like a fisherman's net made of silk, which, when wrapped around your neck, is stunningly pretty whether you're wearing jeans or off to something formal. I'm a huge fan of Seasilk at any weight and I think Anticlastic is the perfect pattern for showing off its many virtues.

I hope you find something fun here to help with your holiday knitting. Elliebelly will be back in January, but until then, please sign up for announcements about that (and perhaps a giveaway or two) in the box in the upper right hand corner. Happy Knitting!