Finished Pioneer and fun new patterns!

Here it is! Our finished Pioneer sweater from Knitty, made from our newest yarn, Swizzle. Modeled by our AYC's Top Model, Tasha, you can see what a great match this yarn was for this pattern.









I love the crocheted scalloped edging around the neckline. This little touch only took a few minutes but adds miles of smiles to the finished product.




The single stitch cable is subtle and yet adds just enough spice to the back to keep it interesting (both in the wearing and in the knitting). The directions asked us to "Bind off loosely". I discovered that my version of "loosely" and the designer's interpretation of it were probably a bit different, as mine was waaaaay loose, but that all seemed to work its way out in the blocking of the finished sweater.

As you can see by the last shot, Tasha is having fun wearing the Pioneer and I had a ball knitting it. It's practically instant gratification knitting, even though it is on relatively small needles. I did get queried, did we measure the bust across the chest or under the bust. We based our sizing on an across the chest measurement. The size small knitted up to 28" inches across after blocking on size 5 needles, but there is quite a 'give' when worn, due to the low neckline.

The best part of all, we only used two and a half skeins of swizzle, approximately 550 yards to do the entire sweater! This is significantly less then the pattern suggests, which is a nice budget saver. We used the Academy Blue colorway, but I think it would also be stunning in Camo, Goldenrod or any of the colors offered. Be sure to let us know if you decide to cast on your Pioneer in Swizzle; we would love to follow your progress!

We have several fun new patterns being added to the collection this week.

Our newest design, the Surf Sock is worked in Paca Peds HT and incorporates instruction to use the separate HT skein. The repetitive design across the leg and upper foot looks like a cable stitch but is really a simple combination of increases and decreases. This sock can be knit with either the Paca Peds HT or the regular Paca Peds.

And get ready to get your cute on with the Little Jailbird Kimono!

All little girls will steal your heart if they are wearing this adorable kimono sweater. Knit in Classic Alpaca, the simple stripe design is eye catching and the lacy sleeves add interest without being too fussy. Sized for 9-12 months through 6 years, the sweater takes 3- 9 balls of Classic Alpaca. Shown here in the 18-24 month size in colors 2081 & 1430.







Be sure to check in later this week when we share our newest FREE pattern, from our dear friend Judy Head of http://www.judykits.com/. Till then, happy crafting!