Very Clever Indeed

Thanks to all of you for the warm welcome for the Sock Summit teachers. Tina and I knew that y’all were going to flip the frak out, and you did. (Actually, we had a tiny crisis of faith the night before the list went up, and called each other and our right hand women and said “It is a good list right? I mean, we’re not smoking our own dope here are we? It’s a good list?” and then we read it again and realized it wasn’t a good list. It’s a great list, and we couldn’t be prouder.) Glad you’re thrilled. Class descriptions, costs, hotels and such are next, a few weeks out, and registration will follow a while after that so you have time to peruse. In the meantime, I finished the February Lady sweater, and I love it. Love.

It’s not just that it’s good looking either (although I really do think it’s beautiful) it’s that it’s a handspun and handknit thing, and it just makes me feel so clever.

You know how when you’re knitting – just knitting with regular store yarn – there’s a certain pride and sense of your own intelligence? You keep spreading it out on your knees, patting and admiring it, and it’s all because you’re clever enough to be turning string into clothes all by yourself? Well I’m here to tell you that when the chain of events is so much yours from beginning to end, that feeling is incredible.

Endlessrovingpolwarth51108-1

I turned Roving’s polwarth in Brick

Into this:

Singlesforflb290109-1

My own singles, ready for plying

To this:

Pwyarn120209-1

3 ply Aran weight yarn, made on my own little Ashford Traditional

To this:

Buttonsforfls230209

Handmade buttons from Philosophers wool

To this:

Detfls230209

February Lady. 450g of sweater-ey goodness. (In the end, I had more than enough yarn. By a lot.)

Flsst230209

Fit’s pretty good. No modifications to the pattern, except to make the “yo” increases “m1” increases because I didn’t like the holes – as well as moving the last few increases to the shoulder sides instead of the armpits to try and avoid some of the extra fabric that seems to bunch up there. (I don’t know if that was entirely successful, but I’d have to knit it again to be sure – so screw it. I’ll find a way to live with wondering.)

Flssit230209

It is warm and cozy and light and the fabric is really stable and it goes with everything I own. (This is mostly because almost everything I own is orange or brown. I dress like a UPS guy or an appliance repair man.) The thrill of taking string and turning it into clothes is magnified by about a million percent if you made the string too, and all I can think when I admire this (and I am admiring it, an almost shameful amount) is this:

Flsfin230209

Do you know how many things I had to do right to get this?

Milliefls230209

Magic.

Question of the day: I have empty needles (well, except for a secret project I can’t show you, and all those projects I’m ignoring) but I do have three skeins (750yards) of the Toots Le Blanc fingering weight 40/60 Angora/merino.

Tlbyarn230209

I’m thinking lace. Suggestions welcome.

332 thoughts on “Very Clever Indeed

  1. Love the FLS – I’m just finishing my sleeves. Now you’ve inspired me to get it done, instead of letting it languish.

  2. Not a lace suggestion, just a question. Did you ever finish Joe’s gansey? Would processing the wool yourself add even more to the pleasure of a finished sweater?

  3. Beautiful sweater! How wonderful to be in the modern world and still making something using a skill from the 14th century!
    Congratulations on your accomplishment–I know when I finish a project I feel so smart!

  4. That’s beautiful! And I’m excited to see you knit some lace. I haven’t seen you knit lace for a while on here.
    Why don’t you make up your own pattern again? The process just intrigues me.

  5. I’m going into the living room right now and practising with my spindle. I desperately want to knit something with my very own yarn! Your FLS turned out beautifully. Well done, Harlot!

  6. Hmmmm. How’s that dye pot — still giving you shocks? ‘Cause the only thing better than merino/angora lace would be merino/angora lace in a color that made your tiny heart boogaloo…

  7. A handspun polwarth sweater might be the most fabulous of all sweaters. Nice work. Sock Summit can’t be topped. You pulled off a real coup d’état!

  8. Fantastic FLS, congratulations, it’s enough to make me want to take up spinning. Lace suggestion – I don’t think it has a name yet, but the Faroese shawl version of Anne Hanson’s Autumn Arbor – looks like it would be a lot of fun to knit.

  9. What I think is WAY cleverer is how always know to post just as I am stepping onto the ferry so I have something to read on the ride home.
    But I could be biased…
    Lovely sweater, congrats.

  10. Love the sweater. I think it fits perfectly. Will you have to remove the buttons when you wash it?
    I’d think something lace too, but I’m not a lace person so I can’t even come close to making a suggestion for anything other than a shawl. Could you make nice cabled socks with it?

  11. What I think is WAY cleverer is how you always know to post just as I am stepping onto the ferry so I have something to read on the ride home.
    But I could be biased…
    Lovely sweater, congrats.

  12. You’ve almost tempted me to make the FLS but i’m still holding out 🙂
    I made this
    http://lauriedolan.blogspot.com/2008/08/ruby-lace-scarf-or-stole.html
    with about 400 metres of zephyr.. it’s a simple lace pattern but very effective. When i make it again i’m going to add 2 repeats and some edging. Going to bead the edging. I’m thinking of starting and ending with about 10 rows of garter stitch that’s beaded as well. Patterns at Ravelry as well under Ruby Lace.
    I hope this isn’t too self promotery, its a free pattern. It’s the first thing i thought when i saw the picture ..

  13. way ta go Stephanie!!!!!
    You have now inspired me to march right downstairs and pick up one of “those” projects (you know the ones who have been languishing for a while….) and finish it.
    Your sweater is gorgeous and well worth the effort….. congrats!
    lazy innisfil knitter

  14. Lace wrap. But not super open work lace. I just recently saw a great pattern for a yoga wrap / shrug. It can be wrap but you put buttons on the ends and you can button to make a shrug. Functional yet pretty for after workout.
    OK – so that may not make sense but I will send you the information to where the pattern is.

  15. Beautiful sweater. I think you also need to include your beautiful, smiling face in the photos! Remember your admonishments to be proud of knitting and owning your accomplishments? Is omitting your whole self from the photos akin to putting yourself down by responding to admirers with a breezy “oh this handspun, handknit piece of art? it was nothing.”
    And yes, what of the gansey….

  16. Your FLS is perfect, and perfectly beautiful! I changed the yo increases, too; why take away from the garter and lace? Congratulations on a perfect fit, too!
    The sock summit teacher list left me standing at my computer (it lives on the buffet) saying, “OMG! OMG! OMG!” and that’s how DH found me when he got home. He’s definitely bemused.

  17. Holy crap! I’ve known for a long time that you are pretty well brilliant but this is truly studdingly fabulous! Congrats on a beautiful sweater.

  18. Very lovely sweater! I think the buttons really finish it off perfectly.
    As for lace, I’m deeply intrigued by the fountain pen shawl in the spring IK, except that I really believe it ought to be intensely colored – but there’s Rams’ suggestion of dying… 🙂

  19. Have you considered Bohus? The Swedish Institute in Minneapolis has the touring exhibit on display and it uses very similar yarn. Dye some of the yarn in increasingly darker shades of the same color or mix and match the dyes. The patterns are pretty easy to duplicate on your own, since you’re so darn clever. You could make a sweet little yoke of a capelet.

  20. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. The sweater, the handspun, the angora blend. Lace sounds wonderful to me; will you be knitting it Toots sweet?

  21. In my crazy head I think that I’m eventually going to knit every pattern in Victorian Lace Today…So far I’ve just made the mellon scarf…
    But that means that every time I have the desire to knit lace I’ll start with VLT for inspiration. I also got a copy of Nancy Bush’s Estonian lace book, which is incredibly awesome and makes me feel the same as VLT. That’s where I would start if I were you.
    Lovely sweater. The photographs are lovely and I’m betting that it is even prettier in person

  22. Your FLS is absolutely beautiful! I know what you mean about starting from roving and spinning the yarn yourself. I get so impressed with myself when I spin useable yarn. Do you have the book “Knitted Lace of Estonia”? There are some beautiful scarves and stoles in there that I’m lusting after.

  23. Oooh! Pretty! I squealed and jumped up and down and I am normally a squealy-jumpy-up-and-down kind of girl, if you know what I mean.
    When I read this and scrolled down to the photo of your cat admiring your sweater, I thought the next thing you were going to write was how you were going to take to harvesting your own fibre to go from that to spinning to knitting, etc. There are people who do this already, but still… quite a chain.

  24. FLS is GORGEOUS! (Now I want to make one…)
    Two non-lace suggestions for that gorgeous angora-merino:
    1. A scarf-sized version of Lily Chin’s Reversible Rib Shawl (see full-size version here: http://nimrodel70.blogspot.com/2005/03/shawl-is-finished.html)
    or
    2. The Veronique shrug from Kristeen Griffin-Grimes French Girl Knits book…
    Those would be what I would be tempted to make, but I am a little intimidated by lace… they would probably bore you. Maybe they will inspire someone else!

  25. Absolutely beautiful. It’s a fantastic pattern to begin with, and you really outdid yourself by making it with that lovely handspun! Wow. I’m green with envy.

  26. GORGEOUS! That cat is just so striking! 😉
    Seriously though, that sweater is stunningly rich.

  27. Hi Stephanie,
    Thank you so much for showing your February Lady sweater.
    I too have a large bag (1 kg) of Brick Polwarth from Rovings.
    I bought it last June at the Handspinning Seminar because:
    1. Rovings Polwarth is beautiful wool to spin.
    2. I like Francine.
    3. I fell in love with the colour.
    My plan was to make a cardigan but I haven’t started spinning it yet.
    Your project has inspired me.

  28. Love love love the FLS. Perfect color too. Did you do a little victory dance when it was done? You sure deserve to. As for the lace…how about the Kousa Dogwood Shawl from Knitting in America? By a staggering coincidence, this is the one I’m currently slitting my wrists over–ahem, I mean knitting with joy and delight. (see violetknitter on ravelry for pics of WIP.) It’s heartbreakingly beautiful and, as an aside, I’d like to know how a knitter of your skill and experience rates its difficulty.

  29. GASP! It’s so amazingly beautiful! And it fits you in size, style, and color, so wonderfully. I am doubly amazed that you made the string and then turned it into a beautiful, functional, garment. Go Harlot GO!

  30. Your new sweater is great, and you are quite right to be so proud of yourself. For your lace project, I HIGHLY recommend “Ene’s Shawl” — there was something nearly magical about casting on what felt like a million stitches, and watching the number of stitches on the needles shrink as the shawl got bigger. (I wish I could find others that work up that way.) Oh, and the shawl’s beautiful and the pattern is easy to follow, too.

  31. I still don’t really knit or weave, but having gone from roving to dyed roving (with natural dyestuffs) to combed roving to spun string, I definitely agree with the Magic that is “More String, Better!”

  32. If I had a pile of white lace yarn, you’d see me diving for a Lily of the Valley stole or triangle shawl.
    (This is why I’m staying away from white laceweight – too many other projects in the works!)

  33. I love the sweater, and am most impressed with how it goes with your room decor too! A perfect match!

  34. It’s a beautiful sweater, you’re absolutely right about those buttons!
    I’m not much for plain white, all the things I can think of to recommend start with “dye it this color and then knit…”
    I suppose you could do Broderie from the Twist Collective. It’s got lace in it and looks nice in white.

  35. Darn You,Harlot!I’ve been very good about looking the other way when I’ve seen the February Lady,but yours is just to beautiful for me to ignore the pull of it any longer!Temptation,thy name is Harlot!!
    P.S.Lace would be wonderful in that lovely angora/merino.

  36. I had that same amazement on a much smaller scale. My first knittable yarn spun on my first drop spindle (70/30 merino/tencel blend plied with a silk single spun from mawata) and knit into matching fingerless mitts for my best friend and myself. It really is magic.

  37. As the wife of a UPS man I can say with all certainty, you will never be mistaken for a man in brown wearing that sweater. It is beautiful and well worth the admiration.

  38. Your Lady sweater is a beautiful blending of colors (aren’t you glad that you tested out the various ways of plying?). I have those same little skeins of angora/merino and I was considering having another go at the Swallowtail. I think that I might like it better is somethng a bit heavier than the Alpaca lace that I tried the first time.

  39. I just had to laugh at the image of you and Tina worrying over whether that list was really good or not! Trust all of us, good doesn’t even begin to describe it.
    The sweater is beautiful! I really like the subtle changes of color in the yarn you spun.

  40. Make sure also to run around outside yelling ‘I RULE ALL NYAH NYAH MINE YOU CAN’T HAVE IT AHAHAHAHHAA’ 😉
    Or, um, something possibly more appropriate to the -10C weather. Like wearing it for a week straight!

  41. Beautiful! As a newer spinner who recently knit my first item with my own handspun (a hat), I definitely aspire to this at some point. Well done!

  42. I am loving your handspun creation, especially the great color as a 3-ply!! Onward with the angora/merino! How about Sweater Babe’s “#70 lush and lacy cardigan”? Since you are a size small, I think you could just make the yarndage requirement at 738yds. That is a close call, but it would be so cute on you. I have this in my cue.
    Please tell us more about what your class(es?) would be like at Sock Summit. I would really like to take class with you!

  43. Congratulations, it looks gorgeous on you! Very inspiring 🙂 And great to see the whole process through, very rewarding 🙂

  44. your fls is very pretty indeed, and it is a great color on you. i think i’ll pull mine out and work on it tomorrow (tonight is reserved for estes vest). lace ideas: I just finished a version of the lace ribbon scarf – beautiful and easy to memorize. For something a bit more challenging, gnarled oakwoods in a scaled-down version. Finally, I love everything by ilga leja. have fun!

  45. I’m just finishing a couple of the scarf/shawl projects from Nancy Bush’s Knitted Lace of Estonia — with adaptations. I don’t like making nupps with my handspun, so I substituted beads onto the stitch and adjusted the needle size/gauge. Good charts and handsome patterns.

  46. Re: sweater… bee-yoo-tee-ful.
    Re: lace? Yeah. Maybe brooklyntweed’s recent circular masterpiece. No matter what you pick it will be bee-yoo-tee-ful.

  47. Yeah! lovely!
    No clue- I’d say something with Nupps, just so we can all see how they are really done, and if one needs chocolate and champagne to make them possible or easy.
    although, maybe not, since you’ve had Baltic country tears before.
    really lovely sweater.
    Oh- I finished a Leyburn sock for my son! It counts as a learning experience, since I didn’t adjust the pattern at all. So it’s one inch too long, and one inch too wide. It will be perfect for him in a year or so.Now, the second sock pressure is very, very off. Thank you for doing socks in that pattern. I would never, ever have thought to make it.
    Sincerely,
    ari

  48. Your FLS is absolutely lovely. I, too, think you should include your smiling face in the pictures. You should be right proud!

  49. Congratulations, super huge congratulations. Wow, it is magic to feel that you can do it on your own. I´d be admiring it and patting it and exhibiting it as much as I could.
    (actually, I finished a sweater last saturday and I was this close to wearing it inspite of the 30º+ C weather we were having)
    Congratulations, again, and it won´t be enough!

  50. take a look at the Whisper Cardigan in the new Interweave knits. It’s knit with lace weight yarn. You’re a “little” girl so I’ll bet your 750 yards will do it.

  51. Lovely, just lovely. You must be so proud of yourself, not only for that sweater (which I wouldn’t leave unattended in my vicinity, btw), but for the Sock Summit and the books and the daughters and just everything. Except, I suppose, that pile of laundry by Sir Washie-in-Training.

  52. Lovely sweater, but gee I started knitting mine before you started spinning yours and I’m still not done. (Pout) Probably has to do with the fact I work outside the home numerous hours a week and can’t knit while I work. And you knit faster than me. Your sweater is beautiful.

  53. Very nice sweater on every level, Stephanie! Well done!
    I didn’t comment on the teacher list because I was too busy freaking out in a happy way (including damp eyes!) and calling my knitting neighbor to enthuse and then figuring out how to get the money to take a couple of classes! Thank goodness it’s taking place here in my home town so I don’t have to save for transportation and lodging too.
    All y’all are doing a fantastic job with the event planning. TIA for a great weekend!

  54. WOW! Your FLS is lovely!! I don’t spin, but it must be an incredible feeling of accomplishment and pride from making the yarn to knitting it and wearing it. Good for you!
    I wish I had a suggestion for a lace project, but I’m coming up empty. Sorry about that.

  55. Gorgeous! And I love the handspun. I’m sure what ever you start next will spark off a flurry of people knitting the same thing. I say this as I am still sorting through my stash to see what I can use for my own February Lady Sweater…. 😉

  56. Oh, Stephanie, that sweater is so stunning. Stunning! I think you’ve just convinced me to get up my courage and go to the spinners’ group.
    Also, the cat is really, really cute. Your kitty, I assume?

  57. seriously impressed. Now all you need is to buy a couple of sheep. Think of the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment you’d get THEN. 🙂

  58. That FLS is a gorgeous colour and the buttons are just perfect. It also sets off your cat’s black fur beautifully.
    As for a project — how about Jared Flood’s Lace Hemlock Ring?

  59. So lovely, made me smile .. a lot(!), despite difficulties of day. Well done you. Brilliant
    x

  60. Beautiful, beautiful sweater. And you are so right…when you knit something yourself there is a sense of magic…I can only inagine how much more magical yet to have spun the yarn. I hope to learn to do that someday too.

  61. I love the sweater and think you might consider a lovely tam to match it……with the rest of the yarn. And, how about a smoke ring with the lace weight…
    Happy knitting…………..

  62. I spent all day yesterday trying to figure out my next project and am totally stuck (Handmaiden Fine Sea Silk). Upstairs look at books, downstairs look at internet, sideways and outside to be inspired – love lace but just finished lace – ARGH! So I feel your pain. The sweater is beautiful. I love the play of the colors.

  63. Beuatiful sweater!
    Now, if you want to do lace, and you have enough yarn – do another shawl. And if you need someone to take it off your hands, I will make the sacrifice.

  64. Beautiful sweater!
    And about the yarn looking for a project? Since you are thinking “lace”, how about a shawl? And if you have too many shawls already, and need someone to take this one off your hands, I will make that sacrifice. Just because that is the kind of person I am.

  65. Totally gorgeous!!! I have a big bag of Francine’s roving as well(I live in Winnipeg so I can get some whenever I want. I know!)and you’ve inspired me to use it, although I’ve already started my FLS in Malabrigo. My first sweater from roving to FO will be an Hourglass. I’m about halfway done the process and there is a whole lot of petting and pride going on.

  66. what a beautiful garment. i’ll bet that is a wonderful feeling to spin the yarn you turn into a sweater. you certainly deserve to feel wonderful!

  67. Oh how I love the sweater and the buttons look as if they were made especially for it. You are making me want to knit a sweater and I haven’t knit one for 30 years. Could you knit Caroline Laudig’s magical moebius cowl with SOME of your gorgeous yarn? If you have the pattern or know where I can get it, I’d love the information. I tried your 2005 e-mail address for her, but it didn’t generate a response.

  68. The sweater is beauuuutiful! And who is le chat in the next to last photo? Looks like my Shadow, but she’s been deceased for years. Carol

  69. Wow, your sweater is absolutely beautiful. I have to say I have been contemplating lace as well. My brother is getting married in May and I would love a new shawl to wear but don’t have any motivations yet. I can’t wait to see all the suggestions and your lovely knitting. It’s always so inspiring reading your blog.

  70. Gorgeous! Love it, you clever clever little possum! Now I shall have to make one for myself, dammit, and it’s not like I haven’t got enough to do…… Grrrrr for the lack of knitting time in a day….

  71. Love your FLS! It really is quite a wonderful sweater (I made one, too) and it really does just go with everything. My only regret is metal v. wood buttons.
    As for the white lace – I’d go for anything from Nancy Bush’s new book (nupps look lovely in white). Other suggestion is the Alpine Lace scarf from Victorian Lace Today. *lust*

  72. Oh, that’s so nice! I’ve been loving this pattern ever since it first appeared and you’re just making it worse!
    Congratulations on a job well done.

  73. Have you thought of doing a video on your
    knitting technique? I see a lot of YouTube clips
    but they are so fast and I don’t see how you
    Wrap your fingers. Nice sweater!!

  74. Sweater looks beautiful! I’m almost done with the one I’m making for my friend. Sleeve 1 is nearly there, then on to sleeve 2. Nicely done, as always.

  75. I think… maybe lace knee-high socks. I think it’s because I saw really fun socks the other day, and I really want cool socks, but I can’t commit to them. XD

  76. STUNNING!!!!!!!! (mine is still slowly chugging along – just started the lace part….and I like the idea of M1 instead of the YO…. not a fan of the holes but I’ll be darned if I’m going to rip it back now… and, again, that is why you are you and think of these things and I just follow a pattern and am stunned when it turns out ok!

  77. Stephanie, I love your sweater. I have Canada question for you! President Obama (Love that….lemme say it again…PRESIDENT OBAMA!) was just in Ottowa, and I say a video clip with him and a bunch of people in black suits, very formal ones, wearing what look for all the world like 18th Century clerical neck cloths! Who were they, and why do they wear those? They weren’t wearing 18th C clothing, although their suits were cut strangely, the clip wasn’t clear enough or long enough for me to see (they kept showing pens and hands, not clothing!)
    Thanks!

  78. 1) Sweater gorgeous!!
    2) Mmmm, making it from roving to finished makes it so much more enjoyable, but where does that end? Now that you know the trick for the drum carder… Patio sheep?
    3) Waiting very impatiently for the class list, but also wanting to know the best pubs – necessary information in order to pick the right hotel.
    4) Toots le blanc, where were the blow gun darts?

  79. Gorgeous! Simply gorgeous. Asking the knitting world at large what you should cast on next sounds dangerous imo. Just about everyone will suggest something different. Most of us (may be this is assuming too much)have multiple projects on our own needles, and the invitation to cast on vicariously through another will be irresistable… but since you asked… what about Anne Hanson’s Irtfaa or Honeybee? Both are gorgeous.

  80. Oh, it’s beautiful! That feeling of yours is well deserved and I hope you keep admiring! My brick is still under construction. Won’t look anything like yours, which is good. Yours is a truly spectaculr sweater!

  81. It’s fantastic! What size did you knit? I am having trouble with it. I added stitches to be sure it was big enough. Now when I look ahead, I see it’s not going to come out right.

  82. Really beautiful Stephanie! Your new sweater looks GREAT on you. As for your new yarn, I’m a big Knitspot fan–what about Anne’s new Caricia pattern? The largest version takes about 780 yards, and you could make it a little smaller. Or something from the new Nancy Bush book, if you love nupps (I do!).

  83. Your beautiful white yarn? Just screams something “baby” – is there enough for a christening shawl? Or a beautiful little sweater with matching bonnet? Maybe with ribbon threaded through the eyelets (in an appropriate color – can be added at the last minute).
    I love your February Lady – it’s next on my queue – I’m picking up the yarn this week at Stitches West, hopefully some hand-dyed handspun by one of the numerous exceptionally qualified vendors there. I’m not spinning yet. I must resist…

  84. FLS is very, very lovely! I can’t even imagine the feeling of having made the string too! I vote for Forest Path Stole. Although, green laceweight may be a better choice for that one. But, I want to see that pattern come off a talented knitters needles. Enjoy the sweater while deciding on lace patterns!

  85. As my three year old son would say “That’s the stuff”. It looks great I am amazed how awesome it looks. Gorgeous.

  86. The string and the sweater you made are both just gorgeous!!! I’m not ready for the handspun yet, but I am starting my first adult sweater shortly. Hope it comes out like yours. 😉

  87. That os the most fabulous FLS I’ve seen ! Really ! I don’t just say those things.
    You should feel justifiably proud for making something so beautiful, and so flattering on you.
    Show off !
    ;0)

  88. Wow Stephanie, your sweater is truly beautiful! You have inspired me to make one too, but as a beginning spinner (I just got my Ashford Joy for Christmas), I may make it out of store bought yarn. Who knows though, I may be spinning up enough yarn for a sweater soon. Congratulations on your spinning and knitting cleverness!

  89. Yep, that’s pretty amazing. The yarn looks beautiful, the sweater looks beautiful, and I’m glad to learn that I’m not the only person in this world who has a thing for brown.

  90. That yarn is crying out “Nancy Bush’s Knitting Estonian Lace” to me. There are some lovely patterns. swoon.
    And the sweater? Perfection. I’m proud of you.

  91. Wow that’s gorgeous!
    You dress like the UPS guy huh? Don’t you love a really rich brown? I do.
    What about Susan Pandorf’s Taize pattern for your Toots?

  92. Make a triangle shawl – swallowtail or some other Evelyn Clark shawl or something from Knitting Lace Triangles. I’ve been making a lot of them lately to use up odd bits of handspun where there isn’t enough for a sweater and I’m tired of baby things.

  93. Wow, even homemade BUTTONS! I am impressed! (I’ve done 3 sweaters from my handspun yarn, but how have I not considered doing handmade buttons to go with them? Now I feel incomplete…)

  94. I am constantly fascinated by the amazing things I can make out of string. This, I tell people, is why I love knitting.

  95. ummm…………wow, I could never imagine making a sweater in less than a month(never mind, I couln’t imagine making a sweater really) but there’s a cat’s paw lace pattern on freepatterns.com that would probably look great with a few modifications. It’s a triangle shawl knit from the top down.

  96. The sweater is gorgeous! Someday I’ll do that; I just need to figure out where to get fiber in large enough amounts (all those four-ounce put-ups I see aren’t going to make a sweater, I don’t think). As for lace, I just cast on for Anne’s newest (over at Knitspot); want to join me? 😉

  97. what about the invisibility cloak from Charm Knits that the Subway Knitter blogged on today. I liked it. That should be enough for you.

  98. Lovely, just lovely.
    But – empty needles? What? Surely you mean just the one pair you just emptied?
    Idle thought – do you call an empty circular a ‘pair’?

  99. The sweater is really beautiful — why haven’t I started one! Also laughing out loud at your comment that you dress like a UPS man. When my daughters were younger, I used to wear khaki pants constantly. They went with everything and it was so much easier, but I do recall wondering if they might grow up to think I was a park ranger or something similar!

  100. Jared started it, but the Swallowtail with fingering weight yarn truly is a sure fire winner…
    Love the sweater. Makes me want to knit one. And maybe spin. Eventually.

  101. OOOOOH! Anne Hansen’s tudor grace would be beautiful in that yarn, I think = make it a bit wider, and it should suit very well

  102. As many of you know it’s amazing how all but the most self-effacing of us can get fairly comfortable with saying, “Oh, thanks! I knit it myself.” Now you add a short pause and say, “…and I spun the yarn, too. Thank-you for admiring it!” Then you hand them a spindle and some wool….
    PS The owner (Francine?) of the polwarth roving shop should consider using your photo of the brick roving as it really shows off the variety of colors beautifully.

  103. Rather magnificent sweater! How can you create such beautiful clothes and say you don’t care about fashion? Also, good use of y’all.

  104. GORGEOUS sweater, I’d be pretty danged proud also. I’ve yet to make the FLS but your FO is edging it to the top of my queue. 🙂

  105. Your sweater (and it is *your* sweater, all YOURS, from fluffy beginning to elegant multitonal end) is a perfect marriage of handspun, pattern and (let’s not forget) buttons. I love it. I won’t be in Madison, but perhaps it should visit Sock Camp?
    I think I know where you got the lovely white yarn! Since it’s a Madrona souvenir, how about a Madrona teacher’s pattern? The lovely Triinu scarf from Nancy Bush’s “Knitted Lace of Estonia” (also in the July/August 2008 Piecework) came to mind when I saw the yarn. The pattern calls for 500 yds of a light fingering weight yarn; you could make it longer, or make four repeats across instead of three for a shawl width. I think the Lily of the Valley motif is such a beautiful one.

  106. Beautiful! I got so excited to see your finished yarn and sweater!
    I taught my office-mate to knit this past fall and she is a natural. I’ve now begun introducing her to knitting blogs to know and today’s post was a good one to show her yours, since I was also putting a bug in her ear about spinning! Yarn Missionary at large.

  107. You should be a million percent happy with it and proud of yourself. It is to die for gorgeous!!!

  108. I am so knitting that sweater! just wish I could spin so I could feel the full effect. Yours looks so great. Wish they’d hurry up and invent tactile photos, so I could feel it, too. 😉

  109. on a wickedly evil February night of cold, your thing of beauty warms me through and through.

  110. You’re an inspiration. I liked the February Lady Sweater before you made yours and now I love it and you’re SO right to be proud!
    BTW, the teacher list is FANTASTIC!!!!! Thanks!

  111. Oh my! Magnificent!! This is absolutely gorgeous Stephanie.
    You should be proud, very proud!!

  112. Sigh. See, now we’re at the point where your done knitting with the handspun, and I just can’t let go. And there’s even awesome buttons. I just love it so much. I love handknits from handspun.
    Okay, pulling myself together, I saw the creamy fingering/lace and I just kind of thought of Nancy Bush’s Estonian Lace book, with that big gorgeous shawl on the cover. Of course, I don’t believe this is enough for that, but some of the smaller projects like the Lilac Leaf Shawl, the Peacock Tail and Leaf Scarf, or the Triinu Scarf would be lovely.

  113. I have two suggestions for your next project. Both are from Nancy Bush’s book: Knitted Lace of Estonia. My suggestions are either Triangular Summer Shawl or Lilac Leaf Shawl.

  114. Angora/merino?? That looks so incredibly yummy, and I just want to eat it right up!! I. MUST. GET. SOME. NOW!!
    Oh, I’m sorry, you were saying something about finishing a cardigan?

  115. Lovely sweater! Maybe my monitor is screwy, but I’m seeing pinks and rose tones, rather than plain old brown.
    As for the lace, can I vote for something rectangular, and maybe beaded? I’ve decided to do a wrap for some upcoming weddings but am utterly without inspiration. So, will you inspire me?

  116. Forgive my impatience, I realize you have a couple things going on lately 😉 but can I ask about a pattern for that darling lacy cashmere cowl? I have a ball of cashmere burning a hole in my yarn stash! Thanks for all the inspiration.

  117. Lovely! I just wound my Toots Leblanc (from Black Sheep) to do some lace too! I have the BFL/Pygora in lace weight. I am making up a lace triangle a la Evelyn Clark.

  118. You have three skeins of yarn? Hysterical-how about telling us the real amount! Love the sweater!

  119. I love your sweater. Congratulations on a well done job! As for the lace suggestions, I say pick anything from Anne Hanson. Maybe Oh!Canada?

  120. Beautiful sweater! But, whatever happened to the cashmere cowl pattern? I’m waiting for it!

  121. Your February Lady is beautiful. I started mine in November. It’s February….and it’s STILL not done. I hope I do half as well as you did choosing buttons. Yours are fantasmagorical! My February Lady has been whispering to me lately. Maybe me and the Lady have to get reaquainted……..

  122. You truly are the yarn harlot. there is no one who rocks like you do. the FLS is to die for… and the buttons are wonderful.
    I like the idea of dying the lace weight.. to a color that pleases you. a total of 750? I like Julia’s idea of the reversible lace scarf. if each skein is 750.. I think you should make a pi Shawl.. you do seem to be on an EZ trip.

  123. I looked on Toots Le Blanc’s website and I like the lace shawl that is in the pattern section. There’s little hearts and beads at the points. Very pretty.
    Your sweater looks fabulous!

  124. Hehe I was thinking “Joe’s Gansey” too…but I will not cast the first stone, as I am just as guilty, or more, of letting old projects languish.
    Nice little sweater you spun and knit.

  125. First, the sweater is stunning. I’m just waiting for the post where you suddenly proclaim you are even more clever than you thought humanly possibly because you knit your own sweater from your own spun yarn that you sheared and cleaned and processed and dyed yourself, using your own pattern which uses your own stitch pattern which utilizes a technique you invented. But please know, my dear Harlot, that if you DO post such a proclaimation, I will quit knitting. lol. Okay, I’ll just curl up in a ball and bemoan my own lack of cleverness. Then, of course, I’ll continue knitting anyway. 🙂
    And the instructor list? You have managed to assemble the flippin’ dream team of sock knitters! If only I didn’t live so far away and have young children at home that still require my semi-regular presence. I can only hope that this will become an annual event!

  126. It looks great! I think I might knit February lady next! thanks for the inspiration.
    I have the same problem, so far as what to knit. I was going to start mittens, but my cousin took the yarn for socks instead. And I have hardly any good yarn. Maybe I’ll just make hats.

  127. *Love* your February Lady! It turned out so nicely – you have every right to be admiring it at every opportunity!
    As to lace…hmmm. I do like Anna Dalvi’s designs (Mystic Light comes to mind, that was fingering weight)http://www.knitandknag.blogspot.com/
    I also like the designs from Birgit Freyer http://www.knitting-delight.com/shop/ although you may not have enough yardage.
    Susan Pandorf also has some very pretty designs:
    http://afewstitchesshort.blogspot.com/
    I hope you find something wonderful!

  128. Lovely Sweater!! Your spinning is beautiful.
    For the angora yarn….have you seen it knit up? I’m wondering if it will halo.
    What about a design by Susan Pandorf? Maybe “Avalon” or “Snowdrift” (You’d need a couple of extra repeats in width for the latter, though.)

  129. The sweater is beautiful !!
    And I totally agree… the Philosopher’s buttons are great. I’ve done three of their kits (not brave enuf to figure out my own colours…) and their buttons simply have what it takes to finish a beautiful hand knit creation. :o)
    Stephanie do ya think you’ll ever come …say maybe to Halifax…??

  130. You did well. Gloriously well. You turned fuzz into string into garment. Personally, I would roll around naked in it.

  131. Love the beautiful colours in February lady; my Mom would think about ‘accidently wearing and never returning’ that in a sec (if she wasn’t a lady, and a few provinces away, you’d be in danger). As for projects, I’ve been gagging for the Apres Surf Hoodie (Interweave Knits, Summer 2008), and I’m also lovin’ the Loop Shawl (Sensual Knits by Yahaira Ferreira). Isn’t it about time you knitted another shawl? Time to feed the craving…

  132. You did have to do a lot of things right, and I’m glad that you’re happy with the result. It is just beautiful! I’m going to have to jump on the bandwagon and knit this sweater pretty soon…

  133. That does look exceedingly clever and gorgeous. We expect things like that here in Harlotville. Now, this might be a tad self-serving, but what about something with those pesky nupps from Estonian Lace? I am crazy for most everything in there and I have yet to produce a nupp that hasn’t nearly killed me. Aren’t you in the mood to maybe do a bit of a tutorial? Not that you’re busy with the Sock Summit or anything.

  134. I know what you mean about knitting with yarn you’ve spun. I haven’t been able to do much with my spinning, but I managed to get something thin enough that a two-ply ended up being sock weight. So, I’m knitting socks with my own yarn, and it’s taking me forever, b/c I’m so overwhelmed that I can only work on it in small increments. I’m so happy/excited/proud/mystified that I feel that I’m about to lose consciousness at any minute and must put it away.

  135. Lovely, really fine use of fiber. The sheep would be proud.
    You are the one who got this Southern Californian spinning wool against all common sense. I first was so intrigued by a mostly orange fiber, which looked, yes, gaudy, in the fiber and even as singles. It was when you plied it and it came out tamed and lovely that I started eyeing spindles and roving.
    It seems that you pick fiber variably dyed, but all in the same color family. Is that to avoid yarn that spins up as mostly brown, which I understand is the result with many of those multi-colored eye-catching braids available on the net (unless you get fancy with cabling, etc.). Gotta admit, though, that brown yarn may actually be a blessing with some of the more exotic products,though, since who would actually wear all the colors together. Reminds me of a dress I once wore on an early date with my husband (who loves any color as long as it’s beige). He took a look and said, “That’s got about every color you’d ever want in it, doesn’t it?” Why yes, thank you.

  136. You’re right, ‘good’ does not describe the list. It’s a wonderful list, it’s an awesome list, it’s a gobsmacker list. ‘Good’ does not come close. What an unbelievable time you all will have. I hope to hear about this legendary meeting in blogs and books everywhere.
    I’ll just take my place over in the corner and admire all you people who can spin your own yarn and then knit it into something useful. I like to look, I enjoy petting, but spinning? not so much.

  137. Muir by Rosemary Hill has been in my queue forever. I’m one of those really weird knitters that only knits one or two things at a time so I’ve not gotten to it yet.

  138. two things:
    a) that is a DAMN fine sweater
    b) your description at the end “…Do you know how many things I had to do right to get this?” made my husband laugh out loud.
    Rock on girlfriend. 😉

  139. Love the sweater. And the teacher list for sock summit….amazing. I’m all the way across the country, but as soon as I finished reading the list I googled the air fair. (Not too bad, btw)

  140. Good on ya Steph – that looks fabulous! Being a beginner spinner(way beginner), I can only imagine the rightness one must feel after spinning and knitting such a fine garment!

  141. Woo Hoo! Not only do you use “y’all,” you spell it correctly, a skill that’s sadly rare south of the Mason Dixon line, extraordinarily rare north of the Mason Dixon line, and something I just wouldn’t expect of someone living outside the USA (bless your heart!)
    For bonus points: what’s the difference between “y’all” and “all y’all”?

  142. Beautiful sweater. I don’t think I’ve seen a UPS guy ever wear anything that color.
    Hmm…well, when I see white yarn, all I can think to do with it is dye it. So many possibilities! But regardless of the color, it would make very warm socks. (empty needles! snort!)

  143. Lovely sweater! My cream coloured raglan is stuffed into my knitting basket, which I put behind my chair so I won’t see its accusing stare. I’ll finish it sometime. Or maybe frog it. I was thinking that you’ve gone almost as far as you can go with knitting. All that’s left is for you to tackle a furious sheep to the ground and shear it. Then you’ve really done it all from start to finish. Of course, I guess owning your own flock of wool sheep would be the ultimate.

  144. A work of art. You even made the paint.
    Do tell us if the circular gals returned your circs yet. I’m sure they have, since your FLS is now done.

  145. Talk to your buddy Sivia Harding. Her lace stuff is to die/dye for. Anyway I am way excited about the Sock Summit. The instructors are over the top!! I am even going to go all alone cause my knitting friends think I am crazy to get so excited about socks, but I think they are the crazy ones. Thanks to you and Tina and Cat for the HARD work!!

  146. Beautifully done! It must make you want to roar in that ‘I am woman hear me…’ kind of way. I get that same sense when making sauce from my home grown tomatoes. Self-sufficiency is quite a trip. Imagine if you had sheared the sheep yourself. You’d be positively incandescent. Good for you, Stephanie.

  147. Toots Le Blanc fingering weight 40/60 Angora/merino. Would make a very nice lacey hood with attached scarf for that Katherin Hepburn look. I havent the foggiest idea what pattern to use, but I know that you’re rather clever and creative and you’ll wow us all with something fanastic.

  148. I’ve only made mittens from handspun, but can totally relate. To knit an entire lovely sweater out of it, that would be nirvana.
    Speaking of which, when I die, I want to be burried in Angora and Merino. I don’t have any suggestions for it, other than to pet it and fondle it… a lot.

  149. Wow! I love the colour in the FLS. It looks like a sunrise to me…or sunset maybe.
    I think it looks like a bazillion dollars on you.
    I haven’t tried spinning…is it hard? I saw someone using a little hand bobbin thing once can you actually spin a decent yarn with one of those? Is spinning…you know, addictive?

  150. totally awesome sweater – knitting with your own handspun is a thrill, for sure. My longstanding addiction, handspun socks, have spoiled me entirely!

  151. Wow. When you posted pictures of the yoke earlier, I wasn’t quite sure how the whole thing was going to work out, but I’m blown away. It is fabulous. Great color. Great yarn. Great pattern.

  152. About that Toots LeBlanc 40/60 angora/merino: I bought two hanks, same weight etc. Wound up a ball of it yesterday and wondered if it is handspun or commercial, because there are places in it where the twist is uneven, one strand thick and fluffy and one strand thin and tighter. I e-mailed them and await their reply.
    Meanwhile, I definitely agree lace. I was thinking about something from Nancy Bush’s Estonian lace book, perhaps the Peacock… I fondled the Toots LeBlanc samples at the show, and swooned for the cabled scarf: so soft and furry and fluffy! But lace would spread out the softness over more surface area. (Thinking like a cat.)
    My compliments on your Lady sweater.
    margie

  153. OMG! It turned out beautifully! I have yet to make a sweater. But, I know that when I do get up the nerve to make one… I WILL be making a Feb. Lady.
    Bravo to You!!!
    Best Wishes, Jo

  154. Gorgeous. I have yet to produce anything nearly that fabulous all the way from scratch. Isn’t it nice to always have something to look forward to in life? 🙂
    The sock summit sounds absolutely AMAZING. I hope I can swing showing up for it.

  155. Wow, what a great sweater! Congratulations on your very warm accomplishment. I love the color and the buttons. Oooh those buttons are gorgeous and look like they were handmade just for your sweater. I just love spinning and while I have knit smaller projects with my handspun, I haven’t tried a large project like your sweater. Now all I have to do is figure out what to make with the rovings I bought from Roving and I’ll be ready to go. My problem is that the fiber is so pretty and out of my usual price range that I want to pick just the perfect project and I want the colors to flow into one another like yours do. Did you use any particular method to make your colors come out like that? It’s just lovely! Thanks for sharing.

  156. Wow, it’s just beautiful! I love the variagation in the yarn. It was super fun to share in the process, seeing it from start to finish. And what a finish! Congrats!

  157. Atla, by JoVe. Little Faroe style shoulder shawl, perfect over anything to make it dressy, stays put forever, and you can wear it over your winter coat and look dressy too. And on your teeny body, it wouldn’t be eensy at all. And the yarn is perfect for it.
    The winner of the green laceweight??? Her mail keeps bouncing!

  158. Well done, mate! Very impressed! btw, I LOVE your colors. If you added turquoise and drk plum, we’d have the same wardrobe. fall colors are it, dahling! Take a deep breath in your own sunshine, you deserve it!

  159. mmmm, gorgeous! I aquired a fleece at a local fair and convinced my hubby that I needed carders with the intention that I’d like to go as far back in the process as possible (since I don’t have sheep and our one jersey wooly will take decades to produce enough wool to amount to anything on her own, I’m stuck with a fleece) just to say I did it…once…I haven’t done it yet, but am inspired moreso now!

  160. My mouth is watering at the lovely, lovely cream yarn!
    I haven’t looked at what anyone else has said, but I came back from the Bohus Stickning exhibition in Minneapolis last month. With the angora/wool fingering combo you’ve got going on there, I say DYE it, and do some magical tams and stranded work from Poems of Color.
    But I bet lace will win.

  161. The sweater looks fab. I havn’t gotten into the spinning aspect yet, and would love to try doing it. Any knowledge how without breaking the budget?
    And as for that creamy yarn, I would say to dye it, but I don’t know. Something that creamy calls to mind lace with lots of airiness and lightness. Maybe a shawl?

  162. Your FLS was so lovely, even in progress, that it inspired me to make one of my own! I’ve got one and a half sleeves left and I’m hoping to finish it before the end of February. It’ll be close!
    Oh, and those buttons are gorgeous! I may have to hassle my father to make me some more rosewood buttons…

  163. Whenever you do something dear Harlot, you do it right or not at all and it seems . The sock summit will be a smashing sucess along with your knitting of FL sweater and your books and your humour, spinning , this blog and a few other things that I’m sure I missed out congratulating you on. Thank you for this blog and giving us a chuckle each day.

  164. Magnify that feeling another 10-fold when you buy the fleece and process it by hand, then knit the sweater. My FIRST sweater… I don’t think I could use store-bought yarn ever. I’m a yarn snob.

  165. I’m currently knitting ‘Estonian Lullaby’ by Evelyn Clark out of fingering weight angora/merino. The pattern is simple to the point of anesthesia which just allows me to enjoy petting the yarn. It does shed on my lap so I don’t do it for long at once.

  166. *CRY!!!*
    It’s beautiful! The colors, the pattern, the yarn… I’m speechless!
    I just have to learn how to spin!
    Congratulations Stephanie!

  167. I think you could get rid of the underarm banananas by making the shoulder *narrower* and the sleeve cap *longer* – honestly. We, um, nicely endowed ladies knit to fit the chest area and that almost always ends up with too much fabric above the tata’s. The sleeve cap is too short because we haven’t adjusted to the fact that our shoulder points are closer to our vertical center line than the outsides of the breast tissue. Wow, all that at 0649?! And I haven’t even had my tea…

  168. What a GREAT feeling!
    Congratulations! !
    I was thrilled when I spun enough yarn to make a hat. Multiply that by a million for a sweater.
    It really is lovely, your yarn is spectacular!
    ~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

  169. Breathtaking… and I have to say, that from here, the color is soooo much more interesting than what the UPS driver wears. (Every day is a good day for lace:-)

  170. Stunning, truly stunning
    Impressive to see a work take shape from the beginning to the end. The only part you missed was raising and shearing the sheep 😉

  171. That’s just amazingly cool. I’m in the beginning stages of learning to spin, and I really liked seeing your photos of “it looked like this, then I did this”. It gives me hope for the future…!

  172. Love the sweater, love the buttons.
    Zimmerman’s Pi Shawl, that is what I seen when I see that yarn.

  173. That is just lovely! I’m not a spinner, but you’re right – there is something magical about making the yarn that you made the sweater out of. Brava!

  174. Crack me up – no modifications to the pattern and then a bunch of alterations. Just like me – a pattern is really just a guideline.

  175. You are one amazing woman/knitter!! With all you do, all your travel time, writing etc. you can still turn out such a magnificent sweater. And, yes, you MADE it from start to finish! You are truly amazing! There have been many, many photos of that project all over the place, but yours took my breath away! And, looking at the yarn, your next project should be one knockyoursocksoff shawl! Or, whatever moves you! Thanks for sharing!

  176. First thing I thought was An Aran(!) sweater. Then I thought fingering weight. Then I thought, a Hey Teach sweater in that color. Whatever you make will be gorgeous though.

  177. Very nice work on the FL sweater. I can’t wait to see it in the flesh because as you know monitors lie.
    I must say you and Tina achieved what seasoned eventmakers failed to do: create a stellar list of teachers. Judy Becker’s still hyperventilating that she’s part of this group even though we PDX Knitbloggers try to tell her she’s indeed a star herself.
    BTW the group is open to volunteering for Sock Summit. We promise not to be as frightening as we were to you last time you visited Portland on book tour.

  178. The sweater of glorious. I’m bursting with admiration.
    Question about the Sock Summit: it looks amazing, and I really want to go, but it’s in Portland, and I’m in Toronto, and it’s far….
    Is there a possibility that it might become a regular event, and that the next one would be here? Just a suggestion, because it’s sure to be overwhelmingly successful, and you just may want to do it again.

  179. Lovely cardigan!
    Thank you for the response. So I checked The Intentional Spinner again, scrutinizing the photos and descriptions….so I guess it’s true – even fleece put tip end first into a drumcarder is still woolen. Maybe “semi” woolen? I spin with a short to medium back draw (being a solitary self-taught spinner) so I maybe I prep semi-woolen and spin sort-of worsted and get….semi-worsted looking yarn? Fun any which way. Love seeing your roving to product photos. Oh, I also checked Casey’s Start Spinning, which I am using for an experimental college course on spinning and knitting that I am teaching, and her photo is a little indeterminate on the placement of the fiber in the intake tray or the carder. Which probably means it sideways too. Sigh.

  180. Congratulations on a beautiful sweater that you made *all by yourself!* It’s really a great sense of accomplishment, never seems to fade no matter how many times you do it.
    As for your lace query? I’m working on the “Gail aka Nightsongs” shawl and I think it’s a fantastic result for the amount of yardage you’ve got… (I don’t know how to post a link, but look it up on Ravelry)

  181. Good grief. For someone who has a terminal case of startitis (not to mention regular credit card accidents), flashing that gorgeous angora around is akin to torture. Thank goodness I threw a little skein of cashmere in my bag for today’s cross-country flight (we won’t mention the two projects on needles that I had already packed). It WAS waiting for the COWL pattern, but I couldn’t stand not knitting it any longer. Guess I’ll just have to buy more cashmere…..

  182. Right now I’m in the midst of a torrid and steamy love affair with Estonian Lace, so of course I would suggest you get yourself a copy of Nancy Bush’s Book, if you don’t already have it, and pick something lucious from there. and Fear Not the Nupps… if I can do them, anyone can. and Nancy’s Bush’s book? Beyond fabulous.

  183. Congrats on how the sweater turned out! Tis lovely indeed. Handspun-handwoven stuff is pretty satisfying too. Just sayin…. ;>
    You must make lace with the angora. Anything else would be like wearing a down comforter.
    There is nothing as mind-blowing as wearing angora lace. It’s like having a personal space heater on your shoulders. The Toots lady once loaned me her shoulder shawl and it blew my mind: instant warmth.

  184. Lovely sweater. Just lovely.
    And that new lace? That so much wants to be a Simpleknits “Cascading Leaves” shawl.

  185. You are ineffably good, and clever, and modest, if not necessarily misunderstood.
    I asked Ravelry about lace, and it gave me Scarf with edging 21 and insertion 25 from The Knitted Lace Pattern Book, Thompson Bros., Kilmarnock, Scotland 1850, by Jane Sowerby. This isn’t very clever of me as I just searched for lace and took about the fourth one down, but I love the title for its geekishness.

  186. Okay, no fair posting such a great list for all of us who can’t be there to cry about. The sweater is beautiful. An adult sweater in less than a month!? I couldn’t get a baby surprise jacket done before the baby grew out of it. I love the idea of making an invisibility cloak.

  187. DAMN!! 269 posts!! Gosh I don’t even know if I should bother making a suggestion, christ i mean really, congratulations if you actually do get to mine but WOW!..
    I dare you to do this: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/heere-be-dragone-shawl
    Mwahahahaaaaa!
    but seriously, how about Lotus Bloom Shawl:
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lotus-blossom-shawl
    …it might be a little “wedding” like in white though…
    February is gorgeous and looks beautiful on you.

  188. I’m thinking long, narrowish lace scarf that will dress up FLS for fancy times.
    I know the feeling of pride. My first handspun sweater from my sheep is the thing I am most proud of creating, apart from my daughter that is.

  189. It’s lovely! And as a relatively new spinner, I completely agree with you on the sense of satisfaction of making something with yarn that you also made – it’s an amazing feeling.
    No suggestions for the lace, as I really only make very portable and simple projects. I can’t wait to see what you choose to make, though!

  190. This is gorgeous! I am so close on mine (1.5 sleeves and finishing left) that I have no excuses for not being done. Maybe I’ll set down another one of my projects tonight and get cracking!

  191. I’m going to jump on the fanclub bandwagon, because your sweater is just that beautiful. and you *should* be just that proud of making it with your own magic. Way to go on doing a whole lot of stuff right.

  192. Gorgeous jumper you clever thing. Lace suggestion, any floaty shawl, as long as you add lots of pretty beads

  193. wonderful job on the FLS! spectacular, really. what will you think of next?
    for the lace: how about laminaria from knitty? quite stunning, different stitch patterns to do, thick at the top for warmth and sufficiently lacy. would be nice for spring, no? it’s been my favorite work so far…

  194. mija, that sweater is sooo YOU! i know that feeling of spinning and knitting what you spin, and then wearing it, the best part is when your asked and you say, “i spun up the yarn and knit the product my self, i know…im impressed with my self too”;) hehe…

  195. Absolutely beautimous! You may yet inspire me to spin. p.s. everything I own is green or gray, so I can totally relate. Not sure what that makes me though…

  196. my lace suggestions would be anne hanson’s japenese feather or gale stole- checked the yardage requirements and you should be able to do either!
    hope you let us know what you choose!

  197. Lovely cardigan, just lovely! If you are serious about taking your knitterly passions to the VERY beginning of the process, maybe you’d consider raising a lamb or an alpaca? Imagine the satisfaction of knowing exactly how your wool was grown (and wouldn’t the scooping of manure take on a whole new meaning?) It’s something I’d pursue some day, given the opportunity.

  198. Well, my daughter(13) and I are not great knitters, but we are GREATLY impressed. I wish you could have seen the look on her face when I explained the process from your pictures! Love the whole thing.

  199. I just finished a scarf size version of Knitty’s cozy in Angora/Alpaca. A mindless pattern for when your in a group setting. My other suggestion is the the north star scarf from Arctic Lace.
    And, OMG that is not just a great list of sock knitting gurus, that is the ultimate list!!!

  200. Your new sweater Stephanie, is “LORD OF THE RINGS” good… Breathtaking and Magical as your bloggers said. I know I am the 300th person to tell you.
    Thank you for sharing it with us.
    Maybe there is a fingering wt. sweater in the future? What are you going to do with all your beautiful handspun leftovers?

  201. OMG… you have me amazed as usual. Great taste in colours, spinning, and pattern choice. I always like to see what you’ve been up to, and to see that finished sweater, makes me want to try and make one too. I haven’t done a roving-to-wearable project yet, and you have really inspired me on this one!
    the sock summit list sounds fantastic. When I was reading the list to the Hubby, he kept laughing at me… “am I supposed to know these people?” he giggled at me? And of course I was quick to retort back –
    These are Yarn ROCKSTARS… Yarn Harlot INCLUDED!
    Keep on Rockin – You Rock Star You!

  202. beautiful beautiful…i am sooooo envious (cuz i have yet to make anything for myself out of my handspun…i gotta get busy!) you did a great job (but obviously you don’t need me to tell you that!)
    lace…most definitely lace. lace is (almost) always the answer 😉

  203. The sweater looks fabulous! Congratulations; I envy your spinning skills. Learning to spin is right up there next to learning to play the cello on my list of “things to do as soon as I have the money and time, aka when I am no longer a graduate student.”
    I’ve been bitten by the lace bug myself. Have you knit Laminaria from Knitty? I think it’s going to be my next lace project; it’s so gorgeous!

  204. Lovely sweater! I just finished a store-bought wool one and you have described the feeling exactly. Very nice work all the way through on your part.
    Must be good as the cat is trying to sit on it. They know.

  205. The sweater is lovely. I have just learned to spin on a wheel recently. My goal in life will be to someday spin yarn so that I can make my own sweater as beautiful as yours.

  206. The sweater is lovely. Next you must grow your own sheep for the full sheep to sweater experience! Ca you buy sheep seeds? Perhaps they will grow in your garden. 🙂

  207. Now you need sheep or alpaca’s to take it one step futher 😉
    Good Job! Steph, you really are an inspiration!

  208. Gorgeous sweater. Must be satisfying to spin AND knit wool up into such a great piece of clothing.
    For that other lovely yarn there, I suggest a delicate cowl and hat. ‘Cause I’m not really into lace. 🙂 And I think you need to mix up the orange and brown wardrobe hehe.

  209. Well done on making such a lovely thing right from the beginning. I refuse to comment on the sock summit lest I spontaneously combust from envy, living in Australia.

  210. Left/right overlap?, who cares, gorgeous sweater! Your white yarn: I think lace with quite a few portions of stockinette, to show of the lace and the white better.

  211. Beautiful February Lady! I agree with poster above – now all you need is your own sheep…
    Lace knitting – have you seen Heirloom Lace by Sharon Miller? Beautiful Shetland hap shawls and other lace gorgeousnesses. How to construct them too (useful for me because I have a constitutional inability to follow patterns and far prefer to make them up) and lots of ideas.

  212. very clever! Indeed…
    I have toadmit I don’t really like the FLS itself (Too much garter maybe?), but the yarn make this sweater just gorgeous!

  213. I’m sure by now you have received some very nice suggestions for your lace, but I would recommend the “Float Stole” in the new Interweave Knits. I am intrigued by the pleats!

  214. since I’m not on Twitter – about the equation…
    I’d strongly consider the possibility of a typo on that one.

  215. If you are thinking lace, did you look at the new shawl pattern in Interweave Knits? It’s called the Fountain Pen and the photos are great.

  216. Great job! I often think there is not enough time to knit, but add spinning and designing! Who needs to sleep. I am impressed with the quantity of fiber you can spin up so quickly. How can I campare? I spin finer getting fingering or dk weight and depending on the fiber lace weight.
    Your sweater looks lovely! I have only started mine and have just gotten to the first round of lace. I am stash busting. However, in the interim I have been working os some patterns for publication and but the sweater on hold. Then there is my ‘home’ work a shawl for the shop to start today. Oh, did I also mention that I am also making 2 pairs of socks?
    Knit on! or Spin on!

  217. I noticed your troubles with slope and Sam’s homework; let me try to explain it.
    y=1/4+-2 means that the line should start at -2 on the y axis (two marks below the center on the up-down line), and should go up one square every four squares it goes over. so, try drawing dots at that first point, and up-one-over-four from there, and then connecting the dots to make the line you’re looking for.
    I hope this helps!

  218. Though I have approximately a bazillion projects going (or in the lineup), you now have me wanting to check out the pattern for this cardigan as well. It really is splendid!

  219. The peacock scarf from N. Bush Estonian Lace. I’m just finishing it up and it’s gggggggorgeous!

  220. Seeing your FLS makes me want to knit another one myself. I did it once using some pool table green yarn from my neighbour’s attic. While it’s a great sweater, and I wear it a lot, I really wish now that I had knit it in a gorgeous yarn like yours. Sigh.
    Must. Figure out. How to get money. For good yarn!

  221. yup, I do know how many things you had to get right because I just finished knitting a sweater of a 2 ply silk/wool handspun and 1 sleeve is noticeably different because on 1 ball the white wool handspun was just enough thinner that the colored silk used for plying shows up lots more sooooooo I need to rip out the sleeves and redo them simulataniously switching the yarns back and forth to get a uniform look. grrrrrrrrrrrrr
    yours on the other hand is stunning.

  222. I love your FLS…even more so since you also made it’s yarn. What a great project! (I skipped the holes too, but just knit into the back of the y/o’s and they disappeared nicely.)

  223. As I was looking at the pix of the sweater my underlying thought kept developing phrases such as, egads that fits perfectly, colors are perfect, length of sleeves is perfect, neck lays wonderfully…whew, looks as if was MADE for her. Haha. Yikes, what a mind I have. The sweater is a little work of love and art.

  224. Lest other Harlot Followers hate me for getting the first comment in on your post–I was actually approving of the Sock Summit faculty list, and must have posted about the same time you were putting up the FLS entry! But the comment applies to the FLS as well–pardon me while I drool enviously…And yes, I pet my wool frequently while knitting, so I can only imagine the lovefest had I actually spun it as well (and spun it well).

  225. Beautiful job on the sweater. I made this for my daughter last fall and have been plotting to make myself one since. But I have been mulling over a modification to it. Having some very womanly assets, I’m wondering if it would look better on my physique if the garter stitch top continued down and the lace started at a sort of Empire waist point. What do you think?

  226. Oh, that is SO. BEAUTIFUL. Congratulations! You are indeed extremely clever. And you are an inspiration to hopeful, wanna-be spinners everywhere! Great job!

  227. That is truly the most beautiful February Lady sweater I have ever seen. Ever.
    You are an inspiration, Stephanie.
    Also, re: Sock Summit: SQUEE!
    I am probably flying to Portland from a medieval event in Pennsylvania (as far as I know, the largest event of that kind IN THE WORLD) just so that I can be at the Sock Summit. That is how cool it is. Thank you.

  228. Cowl? Cowl? Cowl? Cowling for a cowl…your lace is lovely but, it is a freaking -4 at night…I must walk the dogs, or romp with them in Maine. I am happy to be a “knit tester”…
    Lace… maybe in July.

Comments are closed.