Tofu Baby Sweater from Flying Fingers - Done!

Two things I know for sure now that the Tofu Baby Sweater is done:

1) I have finally mastered seaming.  If nothing else, this project was worth it for that accomplishment.

2) This sweater contained an excruciatingly large amount of ends to weave in.  Tedium!  Not much is worth that.

No question, this was a lot of work.  But the cuteness is a pretty big payoff, especially in such bright, energetic colors.  The yarn is lovely to knit, and I upped my skills in several areas while making the sweater.  

Someday, some little baby is going to be decked out in this adorable cardigan—I just have no idea when.  

It’s the adventure of knitting…sometimes the project needs to find its recipient, and you never know how that will happen.

Thanks, Flying Fingers, for a true fiber adventure!

Tofu Baby Sweater from Flying Fingers - Day 5

Lots of assembly required…

While this pattern is adorable, and provides all the direction you need to create the four needed pieces, it assumes you know what you’re doing in the seaming process.

Which I don’t.

I avoid sweaters and other large seamed projects like the plague, so I found myself stumped when I finally had my four flat pieces.  Honestly, I looked at the process with the same trepidation I felt turning my first sock heel.  I knew it could be done, but I wasn’t sure I had the skills to make it happen.

Fortunately, the first two steps were well within my skill set: the button bands.  I can pick up stitches, I can make ribbing, I can wield a cast-off-cast-on buttonhole. I managed the left and right button bands with relative success.

Once I got to the collar, however, things began to look murky.  I was glad I tackled it at my Saturday morning knitting group, where another knitter far more skilled in sweater assembly coached me to join the shoulder seams before starting the collar band.  Nancy showed me the basics of a stitch ideal for baby items because it doesn’t leave a lumpy wrong-side seam.

Once fronts and backs were attached, I picked up around the neck hole according to the pattern instructions.  Three rows of ribbing, and I was good to go.

Then I had to tackle setting in the sleeves.  I was glad to have the shoulder success under my belt, because this one required two YouTube videos for skill acquisition and a hot bath for composure.  They didn’t turn out too bad, but I fear for the tangle that may show up when I join the side seams and try to create an un-bunchy underarm.  

I can hear the cranky baby cries already…..

Tofu Baby Sweater from Flying Fingers - Day 4

Watch what I'm not knitting...

What’s up my sleeves this week (sorry, I couldn’t resist)? A lesson in what not to watch when knitting…

Normally, I’m especially fond of knitting while watching television.  I don’t watch much TV, but when I do, knitting makes it feel like less of a time-suck because I’m multitasking.  Plus, I’m the fidgety type who doesn’t sit still very well, so this is a perfect time to invoke my value of knitting as “socially acceptable fidgeting.”

That axiom works well in most cases, but not this past week.  Why?  Because this past week was filled with compelling television that demands your full attention.  This week’s viewing entertainment included some long-awaited episodes of my very favorite TV shows, none of which lent themselves to accurate knitting:

While many Doctor Who fans are knitters, the past two episodes have been so mind-bendingly complex that I mostly just stared at the screen with my mouth open rather than stitching.  Really, I feel like I need to see both episodes again multiple times while taking notes in order to comprehend everything that happened.  The Christmas Special, always a treat and this year one of the most humorous and delightful episodes I can recall, was good for knitting.  I got a lot done and was near giddy with entertainment and accomplishment by the end.

Sherlock, which specializes in excruciatingly long gaps between seasons, offered another dose of “wait a minute…what just happened?” television.  Clever, enthralling, but too enthralling for simultaneous knitting.  I think I managed three rows during the whole program.

And then, there’s Downton Abbey.  Which needs no explanation. Sigh.

Fortunately for me, my Netflix ensured I had a few backups to entertain my knitting self.  Longmire and Jessica Jones are excellent, well-written shows, but not so challenging that I can’t knit.

Now those networks need to calm down so I can finish these sleeves!  

What television keeps you from knitting?  Post to Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #knitlesswatching and share what's so good it keeps you from stitching.

Tofu Baby Sweater from Flying Fingers - Day 3

Hey, it worked!

Not perfectly, mind you, but I’m okay with that.  The neck shaping took a bit of concentration, and the arc isn’t perfect as you can see.   That won’t really matter I think, because I’ll be picking up stitches to do a ribbing band as a collar.  

Finally, I was able to manipulate the camera’s flash to give you a true picture of the sweater’s lovely vibrant color.  Blues are always so hard to photograph with any accuracy.

I have found it best to label each side—left and right—just to keep my progress across both pieces in order.  This will be especially useful for the sleeves, which will have no neck shaping to tell them apart.  If I don’t label, I may end up going back over one sleeve without doing the corresponding row on the second sleeve (a problem I encountered with the identical part of the front panels).  

I like to label with these little gems. The marvelous Starla from Crafty Hands in Bowling Green KY taught me this trick with basic Clover locking markers, but there are several pre-made beauties out there as well if you want to get fancy.

You’d think, given that each panel or sleeve has a right and wrong side, that I could keep this straight without the extra step of labeling.  Evidently not.  My knitting life has taught me that I am far better off opting for stitch markers and labeling than relying on smarts.

It’s New Years Eve at DestiKNITions HQ, and how am I spending it?  With my knitting, a nice homemade Moscow Mule (requisite copper mug included), and Doctor Who episodes. Call me dull—I don’t care.  I’ll be happy.

Tofu Baby Sweater from Flying Fingers - Day 2

Outsmarting myself…hopefully

The next two sections of this sweater—mainly the two front pieces and the sleeves—come in pairs.  Now over a decade of pair-less  (not “peerless,” “pair-less,” as in all alone without a mate) sock knitting has taught me that duplicate tasks don’t sit too well with me.  Attention must be paid.

I’ve decided the best way to ensure I don’t botch this is to do both pairs simultaneously.  This requires a bit of pattern interpretation—but not yet.  Thankfully for me, the first 9 1/2 inches of the front sections are identical.  And they're supposed to end up looking identical, which is another fine reason to make them simultaneously.  Sure, it took a little brainpower and some labeling to ensure that row 12 on one side was completed the other, etc.  And yes, I had to go back and fix a few things more than once.

The result is, however, that I’m sitting looking at two identical front panels…so far.  Now, bolstered by this success, I’m pressing on toward the tricky business of adding the neck shaping.  This will entail more labeling, and the higher level of concentration required to read two sets of directions at the same time.  Hey, I’m a risk-taker.  Challenging those brain cells is supposed to keep them young, right?

Besides, if it does’t work out, I’m sure it will make for very entertaining blog content.

Tofu Baby Sweater from Flying Fingers - Day 1

Before anyone gets to making unwarranted assumptions:  There are no babies in my life.

Grandchildren are far off on the distant horizon, and I have no nieces or nephews soon to be parents.  This baby sweater is simply the result of Elise Goldschlag not being able to make up her mind which project to give me.

It makes it kind of fun, this lack of pressure.  Some baby some day will be blessed by my knitting, but I’ve no idea who or when.  There’s a certain adventurous spirit in knitting for an unknown recipient.  The last time I did it, I ended up with the intended little girl right under my nose!  I always trust that the perfect person will show up in my life when the project is finished.  It’s always happened, so I have faith that it will happen this time as well.

I must say I am a particular fan of bold baby colors.  Pastels are sweet and all, but I’ve always liked baby projects in bright hues.  They feel extra cheery and playful to me.   The soy ribbon yarn is so soft and shows off the stitches with such zeal that I’m quite enjoying myself (if you don’t count the endless untwisting).  

The small size also makes for quick progress—I’ve only made two adult sweaters in my knitting lifetime, and both were marathon efforts with less-than stellar results.  Baby togs guarantee quick and satisfying outcomes.  

Eleven inches of stockinette for the back?  Piece of cake.

Or is that piece of teething biscuit?

Pine Tree Cowl from Flying Fingers - Done!

A fluffy finish...

It’s lovely.  Light and lacy, soft and fluffy—just the way I hoped it would turn out.  

A nice large size that lends a bit of drama, or doubled up cozy around my neck.  And the edges are perfect.  

This, a red sweater, and a sparkly brooch are my choice for Christmas Eve services this year.

Next, I cast on the bright and adorable Tofu Baby Sweater to take me into the New Year.

Pine Tree Cowl from Flying Fingers - Day 5

A cloudy pine tree...

I was nervous binding this off.  My usual go-to bind-off for this sort of thing, Jenny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off, didn’t have the right look.  Another standard bind off (2tog, return stitch to left needle, 2tog, etc) had the right look, but isn’t especially stretchy.  Every time I do that one, it’s either too loose and gets ruffly and sloppy, or too tight and doesn’t match the cast-on edge.  I really like this piece and didn’t want to mess it up.  

I’m delighted to report that I didn’t botch it—by going slowly, carefully, and loosely, I managed to give the edge just the right amount of tension.  Or so I hope.  You never really know with something like this until you block it.

I’m rather fond of the ripply, puffy nature of this cowl right now.  Half of me wants to forgo blocking so that it keeps the current look that reminds me of clouds. Altocumulus, clouds to be exact (I looked it up for you).  Only we don’t truly see the lovely stitch pattern in its current state.  And I don’t like the way the edges look at the moment.  So into the blocking bath it goes.

How does it emerge?  You’ll have to wait and see.

Pine Tree Cowl from Flying Fingers - Day 4

Once more around the needles?

As a matter of fact, I did have enough yarn to go for an 11th cycle of the 5-row repeat.  Rereading the directions, I’m not entirely sure that isn’t what the designer had in mind all along.  After all, the direction read “Repeat rounds 1-5 a total of 10 times.” Does that mean 10 repeats of rows 1-5 (i.e. one and then ten repeats), or 10 repeats total.  Does it really matter?  Why waste splendid yarn as a tiny ball of leftovers when it can make my fluffy cowl just a bit more fluffy?

I’ve decided to pair this cowl with a red sweater for my Christmas Eve outfit—we do church on Christmas Eve.  Now, I’m on the hunt for the perfect sparkly pin to give it that festive holiday dash.  I’m envisioning a silver snowflake.  

I love the delicate-yet-dramatic texture this cowl manages to achieve.  Even though I’m not a small woman, all the bold big and chunky cowls never seem to suit me.  I need drape, not heft.  And yet truly delicate or small-scale accessories don’t fit my style either.  I’m always happy when I find something that has the statement I need without the volume I don’t.  

I’m looking forward to binding this off and seeing if it looks as lovely around my neck as it does on the needles!

Pine Tree Cowl from Flying Fingers - Day 3

Certifiable...

The more I knit, the more I like.  This cowl is easy, filled with texture, and…yes…very fluffy.  I love the ripply texture even though I know much of that will flatten out once it’s blocked.  I could almost see expanding this out in a flat project to make the most delicate baby blanket in a pastel pink or blue.

I’ve done 7 cycles of the five-row repeat, so I’m roughly two-thirds of the way through the 10 cycles called for in Fanelli’s pattern.  Honestly, if I’ve got yarn left over when I get to ten, I may be hard-pressed not to continue (but I need to remember that I’ll need to have five rows of yarn left wherever I decide to stop).  How could more fluffy be a bad thing, right?  Then again, I don’t need to be walking around looking like a cloud formation just settled around my neck.

Moderation…it nearly always eludes me in knitting and life.  When I like a pattern, I want to make ten of them.  When I like a desert, I want to eat three of them.  When I like an author, I buy everything he or she has written.  Obsessive?  That’s one way to put it.  I prefer the term “enthusiastic.”

Allie Pleiter, certified yarn enthusiast.  I like the sound of that.

Pine Tree Cowl from Flying Fingers - Day 2

First off--It's the Pine TREE Cowl, not the Pine Cone Cowl.  You'd think I'd get the name right the first time, but nope.  My apologies for the error.

Ahem, now to knitting.

Having cast on this fluffy wonderfulness—more whip cream than marshmallow, I decided—I began working the very easy repeat with a smile on my face.  I love repeats so easy and clearly stacked on each other that I don't need to fill my needles with stitch markers.  Place each yarn-over to the left of the one below it for five rows (essentially—it is a bit more complicated than that but not much) then start over.  Totally doable!

I’ll admit that after three sets of five-row repeats, I haven’t quite memorized it—but I’m close.  This is the perfect skill level for the holiday season—amusing but not frustrating, with a nice fast speed of accomplishment thanks to those big 10.5 needles.  If you’ve got about a week to whip up a gift for someone, this would be an excellent choice.  I don’t think a silky yarn would do it justice—you need a bit of loft for this—but any wool blend could serve nicely.

Those are fiber options, but what about color?  I find myself wondering what it would look like in a non-solid yarn.  Would you lose the lovely diagonal lines with a heathered fiber?  Would the long color variations in hand-painted yarn muddle things up?  It’s enough to get a knitter’s eye wandering to her stash upstairs to experiment….

SLEEPY HOLLOW AND TARRYTOWN, NY

Heedless of Headless Horsmen...

New England in late October—fall foliage doesn’t get much prettier than my home state this time of year.  I grew up in Connecticut, but don’t get back nearly enough despite my New York publishing connections.  This year, I vowed to correct that, and tacked a visit to the Hudson River Valley on to my work and family visits back east.  In a case of Providential timing, I found myself in Tarrytown and Hollow NY on Halloween—a thematically perfect DestiKNITions episode.  

My experience was especially meaningful because I had just finished Lisa Van Allen’s lovely knitting-themed novel The Wishing Thread.  Lisa was a DestiKNITions Authors Who Knit feature, and has written a lyrical, engaging novel about a fictional Tarrytown Yarn shop.

Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow share a zip code and a school district, so the communities are joined in many ways.  In this instance, Tarrytown was still crowded, but not quite as jam-packed as the Headless Horseman-crazed Sleepy Hollow on October 31.  I had hoped to slip into some of the more famous spots such as the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and the Old Dutch Church, but the press of tourists wouldn’t even let me get close.  Still, what’s more fun than saying you were in the epicenter of Washington Irving’s famous tale on Halloween?  Even if I didn’t get to do much, it was still fun to claim the experience.

Like all DestiKNITions, this one must start with Coffee:

Coffee Labs Roasters

7 Main St

Tarrytown, NY 10591

914-332-1479

http://www.coffeelabs.com/

The small, welcoming shop is filled with awards—proof that owners Mike and Alicia Love take coffee very seriously.  Ethics, sustainability, environmental integrity, and some world-class latte art show you the passion and skill level here.  I know just enough from researching my book The Perfect Blend to know that is one top-shelf espresso machine behind the counter! It even has a knitting connection, as one of the baristas is the child of yarn shop owner Elise Goldschlag (more on this lovely lady later!).  Not into java?  Elise recommends the Good Day Sunshine smoothie.

Coffee in hand, walk on down Main Street to the

Tarrytown Music Hall Theater

13 Main St

Tarrytown, NY 10591

914-631-3390

tarrytownmusichall.org

It was all decked out for—what else?—a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show when I poked my head in the doors, but this vintage venue showcases regional and national talent. At just over 800 seats, it’s a charming, intimate venue with a whole lot of history in the rafters.  And hey, it was built by chocolate manufacturer William Wallace, so I have to like it on cocoa credentials alone!  Stop in at the box office and see if tonight’s performance is one you might want to attend.

Just doors away, you’ll find today’s fiber fix:

Flying Fingers Yarn Shop

15 Main Street

Tarrtown, NY   

914-631-4113

flyingfingers.com

Wide, high 125-year-old windows on a corner shop give this place all the character I want in a yarn shop.  The store has a quirky, friendly feel with just the right amount of “packed in” atmosphere to set you wandering the stock for a special find.  Owner Elise Goldschlag and I hit it off instantly, and not just because we share names (my given name is Alyse).  This gregarious mom of seven “grew up in a house with yarn” and started designing and selling pieces in New York City.  Growing up in a retail family, Elise opened the shop 13 years ago and it’s been an industry staple ever since.

Part of that visibility comes from “The Bus.”  I knew about The Bus even before I knew about the shop.  If you’ve seen it, you remember.  Of course, I had to ask her how the distinctive vehicle came to be.  “To bring the customers from the city out to the shop, I thought to myself, ‘I’ll just go get them.’”  Elise asked her kids to imagine what a yarn bus would look like, and then took the ideas to the team responsible for building the Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobile.  Go big—I like her style.  You can book a ride from NYC every day the shop is open—and really, who wouldn’t want to take her up on a ride like that?

Thematic transportation is just the beginning of the Flying Fingers experience. Elise stocks the store with a wide variety of primarily natural fibers, focusing on good quality smaller companies and indie vendors.  That keeps customers from all over the Westchester area coming back.  “We’ll help you once if the yarn doesn’t come from us, but yarn from here comes with free help forever.”  Even if that blanket you started for your son is now getting finished for a grandchild, Elise and her staff will see you through.  That’s customer service.

A huge class selection—9 or 10 each week—keeps customers connected and widening their skill sets.  You can slot yourself into a convenient time and get help with any project or skill you want to tackle next.  “Our Saturday morning class has a year-long waiting list,” boasts Elise, who loves to see such a strong community grow from her store.  “Some groups have been together for years.”

So what project would you want to tackle from here?  Take a look at these:

Serena Summer Wrap

This store exclusive pattern uses Serena Alpaca Cotton Blend to create a cowl-like wrap perfect suited to warding off summer breezes or frigid air conditioning.  Choose a light airy hue for summer or go darker to get more of a year-round accessory.

Simplicity Baby Blanket

I like baby accessories with a bold flair, and this one fits the bill.  Combine 6 colors—one skein each—of Hikoo Simplicity in this store exclusive pattern.  Or just combine two or three if you want to wrap a little one in team or school colors.  Easy garter stitching, but with a clever mitered edge to lend some pizzaz.

Vignette Cardigan

This Knitty pattern is just the place to showcase your new shawl pin!  Nine skeins of Classic Elite Liberty Wool work up into a sturdy-yet-feminine sweater with openwork running down the collar and sleeves.

Elise couldn’t decide on a Knit A Long, so she gave me two (I told you we got along famously!):

Tofu Baby Sweater Kit

South West Trading Company’s Phoenix 100% Soy Silk lends this baby sweater it’s Tofu name.  Bright colors and a super-soft yarn make this simple striped cardigan perfect for the baby in your life.  The Flying Fingers kit includes Four skeins of yarn and adorable matching buttons.

Pine Tree Cowl

One skein of Baa Ram Ewe’s Titus wool works up on big #10.5 needles into this soft, fluffy cowl.  Tina Fanelli creates a fast-knitting, eye-catching loop perfect for the changing seasons.  Utilizing a rippling rhythm of easy stitches—knit, yarn-over, and knit-two-together—this is a perfect introduction for a newer knitter ready to explore lacy textures.

It’s likely you’ve worked up an appetite scoring those great yarn finds, so head to:

Mint Premium Foods

19 Main St

Tarrytown, NY 10591

914-703-6511

mintpremiumfoods.biz

Part gourmet food store, part restaurant, Mint is the perfect spot for a sunny afternoon’s lunch or scrumptious dinner.  The hot chocolate is legendary, but I opted for the dramatically-high-poured Moroccan Tea.  As I stopped in at lunchtime, I missed their highly-recommended rotisserie chicken (my loss, Elise tells me), but had a very good omelette.  This is one of those places that manages an elegant air while still welcoming diners of all ages—always the sign of a great establishment in my book.

Spend the afternoon wandering down Main Street, taking in the many shops—and in my case the wide array of costumed celebrants.  There is lots to choose from, but I was particularly drawn to: 

ShayLula Jewelry & Gifts

23 Main Street

Tarrytown, NY  10591

914-631-0030

shaylula.com

I liked the luxurious soaps here as well as the artful jewelry and some very posh accessories.

A NU Toy Store

New and Used Toys

16 Main Street

Tarrytown NY

914-372-7144

http://www.anutoystore.com/

Legos by the pound—bought and sold?  Great idea!  New toys as well as vintage items for a variety of ages, including a nice selection of books.  Super prices, too.  Check out the enormous ferris wheel in the window—it was built by a 12-year old!

Ready for a sweet snack? My sources sent me to:

Main Street Sweets

35 Main Street

Tarrytown, NY  10591

914-332-5757

Their “buy 9 get the 10th free” shows how they love repeat customers.  Of course, I opted for the delicious Main Street Special flavor, but also heard others raving about the coffee flavor.  At one point they offered a sampler cup (5 different flavors!)—if they still do, go for it.  Everything I saw—even the bright blue stuff—looked yummy.

When you're ready for dinner, head over to:

Sweetgrass Grill

24 Main St

Tarrytown, NY 10591

914-631-0000

sweetgrassgrill.com

Locally sourced, seasonal menus bring inventive dishes to the table at this cozy, crowded spot.  Good martinis are a plus, too.  Vegan options and grass-fed beef ensure even the pickiest eaters get fine dining.  Wait time can be tricky, so come early if you can.

There you have it--a lovely day in a spot famous for creepy ghosts.  Not a single reason to fear, DestiKNITters, but every reason to get knitting!

And that's just what we'll do.  Next episode, we cast on the Pine Tree Cowl.