Beaded mini sweaters ... but wait!

Leah asked for a picture ... here you go:



These are all based on the pattern I posted here. I just string a dozen beads on before I start, put 6 on the purl stitches in the second row and 6 on the purl stitches in the second-to-last row.

The pink one has a knitted-on ribbed neck after the fact, and I made a loop with crochet chains from the remaining length of yarn.

But if I get tired of this pattern, I've found a dozen more mini sweater patterns from Berocco. Love the little cables, those I may have to try!

Woo Hoo...LOOKIT ME GO!

Hey UFO'ers...I might be getting somewhere! I have 2 UFO's to share that are finished...pretty much :) But they are SO close that it's worth posting and getting excited about. I even took crappy pics because I'm so proud of myself. Actually, I've finished three but am not sure if I blogged the sweater vest weird thingee yet....I think I did but I'll have to check here in a minute.

Anyway, the Chevron Waistcoat from Knitter's...this was a blast to knit, was an excellent stash buster BUT I ended up knitting past my gauge and it was huge. I have to admit I cheated and let my Mom rip it out and redo the sides because she knew I would be so disgusted with it that it would end up at the bottom of the UFO basket for ages. Anyway, she finished the rib edgings for me as well and was knitting along and forgot the buttonholes...LOL! But, that's no big because the buttons I wanna use will fit through the knitting, I'm sure. (I SWEAR I did NOT ask her to knit the edging...I didn't!)

Yep, those are loose ends ratting me out and screaming "I'm still a freaking UFO!" (And the conspicuous lack of buttons ain't helping either.) I did the back before I discovered the wonderful way of knitting in loose ends on THIS SITE. I no longer have unreasonable fear and hatred of stripes because of this :) Anyway, on those nights when I'm sick to death of knitting (and sometimes it happens!) I can weave those babies in and put on my abalone buttons and be a VEST WEARIN' STASH BUSTIN UFO'in KINDA GAL!!! And honest...having my mommy help me isn't cheating, is it?

Then there's the Summertime Tunic from Interweave Knits (free pattern HERE) and this is such a lousy picture but it's cute. I need to wash it since the linen/rayon blend I used is really weird and waxed...the water is just disgusting when you wash it and I *should* have washed it before I started but it's very slippery tape yarn that would have been a nightmare in a skein so I elected to knit as is and wash later. I need to add the beads to the ends of the ribbon ties and put it on a mannequin or something to take better photos. It was a LONG time in the knitting since it's done on size 6 needles in stockinette...ugh. The bottom is cute...you knit the waistband on size 4's in rib and that part sits right about hip level for that sort of fit. I think it'll be great under jackets or on its own in summer *if* I care to bare that much and these days, that's iffy. Pushing 44 and things just ain't the same in the ol' arm department. Sigh....

UFO's actively in progress include the big blue bumming around sweater and some "black" rambouillet on a spindle that will probably end up being a chores hat for me. It's 4 oz so am not sure it'll work but we'll see. I'm certain there's something else handspun in a small amount in my embarrassing stash of handspun that can go along with it for a cozy hat.

The hugest sweater in the universe custom knitting order is coming along. 58" chests in sweaters on size 7 needles should be against the law or something but hey...I got myself into it and one day soon I'll be halfway through the damn thing. And I've got dye pots on the stove...getting 6 clean pounds of polypay fleece ready to process into variegated roving so we'll see how that goes...charteuse, turquoise, deep violet and white. I dunno....but contrast is the key, I hear, in variegated rovings being successful. Not sure about the polypay either but it's good to have a new experience now and then, eh?

AMELIA...we want pictures of mini beaded sweaters! How cute must that be?????

And who's doing holiday knitting? NOT ME! I *might* do some holiday spinning but have freed myself (somewhat) from holiday knitting this year. I may possibly knit my hubby a black alpaca scarf but it ain't lookin too good folks....

Tackling UFO's ...

I ran across a great post on JoanKnits' blog, Joan's Wacky Dot System, which is a technique for prioritizing and finishing UFOs ... while still dreaming up future UFO's (grin!)

Me, personally, well, I'm still knitting mini sweaters; sometimes I do a stitch pattern on the front but lately I've knit them plain except I put some beads along the bottom border. Tres' cute and it helps cut into the bead stash, LOL. I must have beads on the brain because I've been spinning alot of beaded yarns lately too!

I did finally finish a fingering weight scarf on size 9's ... nice and drapey. It's a bit wider and shorter than I wanted, so maybe I will block it out. Hmm, does that mean it's not finished yet? I think next up is actually some weaving, as I joined a local study group and will be trying to keep up!

Well, no pictures, sorry(!) but the camera battery died and it's still in the charger with a red light.

Happy holidays all!