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!

Westward Ho! Pioneer Completion!

So I didn't get the Knitty's Pioneer finished in a week, like I thought I might (bragged I might?), but I did get it finished in practically no time at all. What struck me the most by this knit was how little yardage I used compared to what the pattern led me to believe I would. I had set aside four balls of Swizzle, but only used 2.5 balls. Just about 550 yards, not the 800 predicted for a size small. What a great bonus! I drug Tasha away from the dyepots long enough to get a quick photo of it being modeled, then it was off to be blocked. I'll get some real photos of the completed, blocked, amazing sweater up later this week, but I was just so thrilled by the finished product I just had to share!



We have an gorgeous new color of Glimmer to share as well. It's called "Mint Kiss" and it is the perfect color for your springtime knitting and crocheting projects. Glimmer is a super soft baby alpaca enhanced with a hint of golden iridescent holographic fiber. It is a fingering weight and perfectly suited for shawls and scarves with it's beautiful drape and sparkle.


I was so excited by this newest color, I couldn't wait to cast on something with it as soon as I got the Pioneer off the needles. I decided that the Flit + Float scarf from the Spring '09 Knitty would be the perfect project. Stay tuned for WIP photos soon! And remember, if you want to stay up to date with lots of photos and chat, follow us on Plurk or Twitter!

Pioneer Update

What a great weekend we had here in SouthCentral PA. Absolutely beautiful, spring weather, perfect wear a cute little sweater and take your knitting along with you type of days. In fact, I did just that over the past two days as I continued to work on the Pioneer sweater in Swizzle as I was out and about.

The pattern is easy to memorize. Terribly easy, which makes it perfect take-along knitting. I got lots of ooohs and aaahs from my family and friends as my Pioneer made the rounds. Since Swizzle is a relatively new yarn for us, this is the first time I've spent any serious quality time working with it on an actual garment. Let me tell you, it's a lovely yarn. Lots of good drape and a serious amount of squishy touch me factor. I'm knitting on size 5 needles and I'm one of those annoying knitters who doesn't knit tight or loose. Pioneer is primarily stockinette with some columns of a two stitch cable worked along the sides and down the back. Several others have made the modification of adding a column of cables down the front middle. I did not do this, but seriously considered adding one as well.



I am making the 'small' size and right now I am over halfway done and I'm only about half through my second ball of yarn. The pattern called for four balls of Swizzle, about 800 yards needed, but I'm not sure I'm believing that. I'll keep you updated!

New Knitty thoughts

We always get little-kid excited when a new issue of Knitty is published. Everyone has their favorites, of course. Beth is especially fond of Hanne, Tasha likes Pioneer and Angela is drooling over Decimal. And of course, we are all swooning over the two lace projects, Shipwreck and Aeolian.

We've decided that we want to take some of our favorites and show you how they will look worked up in our yarns. This should be a fun task each issue pairing up Knitty genius with alpaca yumminess. We are going to start with Pioneer, done in Academy Blue Swizzle. We think it will be a delightful pairing and we will be sure to keep you updated with regular progress photos.

Here's a sneak peek to get your creativity flowing. You can check out more photos on the Ravelry project page. Be sure to comment us if you have any suggestions which AYC yarns might work well with the newest Knitty. We always love to hear your thoughts!