FO: Caroline

Ta-dah! I finished my Caroline and it fits! When I knit a sweater and try it on for the first time I feel a bit of fear that all those hours knitting were wasted.  I am still at the stage of knitting where I am surprised when I knit a sweater that actually fits me properly.  I am very happy with the fit of this one.  I guess swatching does work!

This sweater was knit for the MadMay KAL, an annual knit-a-long, where during the month of May knitters sign up to make something with the very popular Madelinetosh yarn.  Sweaters are just one of the many categories.  Here are some other sweaters that were completed.  

Cables go up the sides both in the back and front

Caroline, is a seamed sweater, by Amy Miller, knit in fingering weight yarn.  I chose Robin Egg, a newly discontinued colour in Madelinetosh Merino Light. The colour is hard to capture on camera but it reminds me of candy floss. This sweater pattern was a very simple pattern to follow and made for a relaxing knit. However, the main reason I chose it was to practice my seaming skills. The front and back and sleeves were all knit separately.  Before attempting to seam this sweater I rewatched Sally Melville's Craftsy video called Essential Techniques Every Knitter Should Know. This video has helped me so many times with many different knitting techniques.  I highly recommend it.  I am always surprised at how long it takes to seam a sweater. You can do a beautiful job knitting all the pieces of a sweater but it's those last couple hours seaming that are the most important. I definitely want to practice more.

Caroline by Amy Miller

The only modification I made to this sweater was to knit the body in stockinette, instead of the reverse stockinette suggested in the pattern.

 
I enjoyed the process but I think I need to knit with thicker yarns for a bit before I go onto Lake Effect which will be my next fingering weight cardigan project.  I seem to gravitate to fingering weight sweater/cardigan patterns but knitting them is a slow process.  I need some instant gratification that a thicker yarn can provide.  So the pattern hunt begins!  

Sock Knitting: It was inevitable

Well I can't take it anymore.  I have knit sweaters, cardigans, scarves, shawls, hats and mittens.  But I have resisted knitting socks.  I have long admired the beautiful sock patterns available, but the thought of those tiny needles, those tiny stitches, those hours spent knitting something that no one would ever see prevented me from knitting them. Then a few things happened to make me change my mind.  My lovely mother-in-law recently knit me a pair of socks, and once I put them on, I just loved wearing them.

Sweet Fiber Yarns Super Sweet Sock

Then when I saw this lovely skein of sock yarn arrive in my mailbox I knew I couldn't resist any longer.  I decided the time had come for me to join in and knit my first pair with this gorgeous yarn above. 

Wildflowers colourway

I joined Sweet Fiber Arts Yarns five month long Sock Club.  As you all know I am a big fan of this yarn line and I couldn't resist signing up.  This first installment is the May colourway called Wildflowers in Super Sweet Sock.  I thought I would knit shawls, etc. with these yarns.  But once I saw this colourway I knew this was the skein I had to knit socks with.  So I will start out knitting a very basic sock pattern by Susan B. Anderson, nothing fancy.  I think this colourway is so pretty that a simple pattern will really show off the colourway.

I have watched the Craftsy video on My First Socks with Lucy Neatby knitting socks to get me started and received some very good tips there.  Stay tuned and please follow woolercoaster on Instagram as I will be posting my progress.  I hope you are enjoying your knitting as much as I am!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all those that mother someone.  I still miss my mother terribly...she passed away nine years ago.  I have had the pleasure of mothering a son and a daughter.  I can't believe how quickly time flies as my son is now 22 years old and my daughter is 19.  I am proud to say how amazing these two individuals are and how lucky I have been to be part of seeing them grow.  So to all you young mothers out there try hard to enjoy each day with your kids because it's so true what they say...they grow so quickly and before you know it they are adults.   Here is what I have learned:

1)  Let your children hear you say that you love them. My husband and I said it so many times over the years to our children, that they are very comfortable and say it often to us.  What a thrill!

2)  Make rules for your children.  They really do want rules.  Don't be influenced by their friends' parents rules...listen to your gut about what's right for your family.  They will thank you later.

3)  Try to really focus on them, put away the technology and be present for your child.  I can't tell you how many of my students complain that it is hard for them to get their parents to listen to them.  They want to be heard.

4)  Celebrate your child's successes.

5) Teach them it's o.k. to make a mistake.  Guide them to learn from their mistakes so they don't repeat the same mistake again.

6)  Let your child explore their interests.  You never know what it will lead to.

7)  Spend time with your kids.  They are really interesting individuals.

8)  Eat dinner together as much as possible.  That dinner conversation is so important.

9)  Don't ever think motherhood is easy.  It's not.  But it's oh so rewarding.

10)  Don't shelter them from disappointments.  It's better to learn early that things don't always go their way.

11)  Teach them, by example, to help others.

12)  Read to them even when they are 12 years old.

13)  Let go of the mother guilt.  The fact that your child is being brought up in a loving home makes them so fortunate.

My sweeties

Well that's just a few of the things I learned.  I could keep on going!  I am sure all you mothers out there could add to my list too!

I hope you all enjoy your special day.  Happy Mother's Day everyone!  xo