I fell in love with Vintage Modern Knits the first time I spied it on the bookstore shelf. It’s an incredible collection of designs by Kate Gagnorn Osborn and Courtney Kelley. On average, I like maybe one or two designs in a knitting book; I plan to knit no less than seven designs from this one. They’re classic styles with lovely details–and they seem so wearable!

The first project I tried was Yvette, the Roositud Hat. Roositud is an Estonian inlay technique where stitches are wrapped but not knit with contrasting yarn to create a patterned effect. Working the Roositud is a lot like intarsia in the round. What makes it less difficult is you don’t have to worry about gaps, since the embellishment lays over the actual stitches. All the messy ends in the interior are still annoying, but I have a low tolerance level for dealing with that due to a traumatic experience as a beginner knitter with cotton yarn + intarsia.

For the body of the hat, I used Rowan Designer DK wool, which had been in my stash for a long, long time. It’s OK yarn, but tends to split. For the inlay, I used bits and pieces of other DK/sport weight yarn I had in my stash, not all of which was labeled. I do know the green was Felted Tweed.

I like the hat a lot, but wish it was as slouchy as the one pictured in the book. While I did a gauge swatch, I think my knitting grew tighter as I worked.

I’m feeling stoked. I finished a sweater for myself–the first in all too long–and love how it turned out.

This is the Chicknits Mondo Cable Cardi, a fantastic pattern and very easy to knit. When I started knitting this, I was primarily attracted to the tall buttoned-up collar. When I finished knitting it, I had grown partial to the collar sans buttons. This may or may not have had something to do with how scratchy the yarn is.

I’ll sometimes wear the cardi open and, when I feel I need a little more “closure,” I’ll pin the fronts closed with one of my grandmother’s brooches.

The Chicknits sample was knit with a smooth, elegant yarn. Just for fun, I subbed in Plymouth tweed, which is just about as rustic as they come. I love the depth of color and how “crunchy” it is. The cables really pop. It was quite rough on the fingers when I was knitting it, but softened up considerably after a wash.

Now, I’m busy daydreaming about what I’ll knit next. I’m supposed to be working on a cardigan for Robert–which I am in fits and starts–but would really like to tackle something else for myself. Currently, several members of my knitting group are working on Aidez, which my lemming-like soul was also drawn to. I’ve bought some yarn and am swatching. Soon, I’ll either be knitting that or something completely different, depending on how my swatches turn out.

Losing a tooth can be painful…

…especially when Dad offers to help things along.

Acknowledging that a knitting project has gone awry can also be painful.

I was recently possessed by the notion that I needed to have another pair of handknit socks. I don’t knit many socks and the ones that I have sit in a treasured place in my dresser. They’re pretty and comfy and should be worn and enjoyed. I’m going to start doing that. In fact, I have the first pair I ever knit on my feet right now.

Unfortunately, the sock pictured above (Rib Fantastic from Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn) will probably not join the ranks of the worn and enjoyed. Just last night, I finished knitting up to the point where the toe begins and decided to try it on again. Bad news! It’s really, really saggy. I’d never happily wear a sock that I had to constantly readjust. Boo.

At least I faced the facts before knitting the second one. That would have been even more “painful.”

I’m going to put this aside and start a different sock, perhaps trying out the magic loop method. I’ve always wanted to learn how to do that!