Knitting Dragonflies

One of the main reasons I bought the book Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard , is due to this pattern. The model is on the beach looking free and easy, the sweater is oversized and comfortable looking yet complimentary to her figure. And we must always bear in mind that sweaters in books are worn by models, the average size now being a 2-4 US but they actually would prefer a 0. Well as we know, everything looks cute smaller! Never the less, I decided I had to have this sweater. I frogged a ill conceived hoodie from 2 years ago. Of course I had lost all of the yarn info, so I had a mystery amount of it. Slightly bulky with 6 balls I cast on without fear. Since it was top down I hoped I could alter it, if I needed to. Thank goodness for Ravelry, I read all of the helpful comments of those that had gone before me with this pattern and took note. The sweater took off at a great pace. Before I knew it I was on the sleeves! I decided to try to get it done before the week was over!  

I’m on a mission to reduce my stash. I was trying to come up with a good project for some bulky yarn I had. Sitting outside, enjoying watching some birds nesting in my last years knitted bird houses (see pattern 1 and 2 ), I decided to attempt a free form crochet bird house. I decided to base it on the little finch nesting boxes I use to have for my caged birds. Begin with some bulky yarn and a fairly large crochet hook, I used a K size. Chain 4 and join with slip stitch. round 1; Sc 7 times in loop round 2; Now 2sc in each stitch round 3; sc, 2sc, repeat round 4; sc all around, spacing in 2sc 3 times evenly continue round 4 until your base of your bird house is the size you want. Now just sc all around until the house is deep enough to make you happy. Then sc across, turn and go back stopping just short of your beginning of the row, (this is the entrance of the bird house). Continue sc back and forth until the house is tall enough to suit you. Now fold the

I saw this pattern in Knitty Spring 2009 and fell in love with it! The simplicity and style. { rav link }. I had some beige 100% wool yarn and decided to use that instead of the cotton it calls for. And then something happened….. see this post , I wanted color, bold beautiful living color! OK, I had the pattern and the yarn, now ready to cast on! I knitted my gauge swatch , like a good girl should. Ready to go now. Studying the pattern  I kept thinking, it looks a little boxy, I’ll add a little shape to it, maybe some decreasing around the waist…..and I do so wish it was knitted  “ in the round ” sweater. My first sweater attempts were comical, several looked like they were made for Quasimodo , my next phase consisted of neck problems, I couldn’t get my head into the neck or the neck was x rated. I was apparently knitting for an entire sideshow. Then I discovered Elizabeth Zimmerman !  Amazingly, I could knit sweaters to fit, and I loved it! Like a good mystery, you have