Finished items - February

I've been knitting and finishing some big knitting items lately, including my February Fitted Sweater :) So this is going to be a post with photos of finished items.

The first item is not finished in the strictest sense of the word. It still has no buttons. I did get buttons for it but then decided to have a double row of buttons so it could be more wearable (or maybe that's a silly idea???). At any rate, the jacket still doesn't have buttons. I'm thinking to give it as a Christmas present, so I still have some time to put the buttons in.


Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket, by Elizabeth Zimmermann (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Ella Rae Classic and Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Superwash.
Needles: 4.5 mm (US7)

For some reason I figured that 100 grams of wool would be enough for the sweater. Well, I was wrong. I needed twice that amount! Last time I made this sweater, it was kind of small and now it's kind of big. Maybe I'll have to do it at least once more and then I'll find some good middle ground. Good thing about babies is that they grow and chances are that he (my unborn nephew) will be able to wear it at some point.

The extra yarn I got came out nicely with the first yarn. Then I had to wash it while it was still on the skein because I managed to spill Kung Pao sauce on it. Out of all the different items in my knitting bag (including the BSJ itself) only the skein of yarn got the sauce on it. The yarn bloomed when I washed it and when I washed the entire jacket it grew a lot, but thankfully it came all back together once it's dried. The two different yarn have completely different qualities. The red one didn't bloom or grow as much when wet and its not a superwash, so I really hope this sweater will never accidentally felt, because only half of it would shrink.



The next item I finished this month were mittens for my MIL. They were originally meant as a Christmas present. My husband saw other mittens I'd made and really wanted me to make a pair for his mom. His mom is a really nice and kind person and so I obliged. It wasn't easy to give these away (I just packed them up and they are ready to be sent out as we 'speak'), but I got used to it. Maybe one day I will make nice stranded mittens for me.


Pattern: Vespergyle Mittens by Elinor Brown (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Knitpicks Palette in Navy and Green Tea Heather.
Needles: 2 mm (US 0)

Both of these items (mittens and the jacket) I finished on February 12th. So now it's time to reveal the latest finished item. My February Fitted Sweater. I'm so thrilled about it. It took me 2 months (along the other knits as well) and I just barely was able to finish it in February (although I didn't even realize it until I added the date in Ravelry). I love to have a nice looking sweater for myself. This is my first real sweater (i.e. not Icelandic sweater, they don't count, ha ha) and my first set-in sleeves. I tell you, set-in sleeves in a lace pattern is NOT a walk in the park. But I made it through. Today I even got a white shirt so I would be able to dress it up.


Pattern: February Fitted Pullover by Amy Herzog (a take on February Baby Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann) (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Cascade220 in Sapphire (5 skeins)
Needles: 4 mm (US 6)