Tomten a Rather HUGE Under Taking

I have a niece who I just love and I also am rather taken by the fact that she doesn't want to raise her family in the traditional middle of the road way.  I am very proud of her efforts in today's world to try to break the mold and step out in a different direction.  I give her and her family a lot of credit. I know it isn't easy and I know it is very challenging for them.  This winter they had all intentions to be on their land and living there off the grid as they get ready to build.  Things didn't work out as they had hoped.  They were able to move into a yurt and make some adjustments to their goal.

My goal is to make sure they have enough 100% WOOL to stay warm up in the mountains on the Olympic peninsula.  They have hats, fingerless mittens, and some of my older knitted socks that felted and were a bit of an experiment which make for great kid slippers in my mind and lucky in theirs as well!

Back to the Tomten Project:  This knitted jacket/sweater is one I have wanted to knit forever!  I have loved the simple design and the high functionality of this sweater.  I have always thought of it as the going out to the barn to work type of garment.  Now if only, I had a barn, and flock of sheep to go with my half Akbash, Sadie, the guardian dog . . . awh would life be for ever perfect!

The photo is from Schoolhouse Press Pattern #19

Since my niece and her girls are in a rather cold, damp place I figured they each needed a Tomten!  Thus the rather HUGE UNDERTAKING on my part but one I am loving.  FOUR, yes that is right FOUR Tomtens!  THREE of which will be kids and one adult.  I have so much yarn in the stash that is left over from projects that I am almost finished with the first one.  I Tomtens in garter sts just eat up yarn which is just perfect for stash busting.

I am trying to figure out the decreases for sleeves. What does 13.5 inches of sleeve length really look like when one is knitting a Tomten as the body is a bit of the sleeve length? 

Some photos to show the progress of Tomten #1.

I am using yarn from Schoolhouse Press Rangeley Wool.  I like adding a slip sts into the color work to give a nice transition between color rounds.

Lower body color work.

The fronts and back are done and this is the sleeve opening.

The collar is completed and the sleeve sts have been picked up and knitted a bit.

A nice little detail is added to the lower sleeve area for a bit of eye pleasing texture.

Chunky Shetland Yarn a Gift!

My wonderful Aunt Kathy is a knitter and has been for years.  Once she told me if I ever became a teacher (she was a English teacher and HS counselor) to have hobbies or something in your life you can finish.  As a counselor she said, "You never know if a student goes off and finishes their dream."  She had a garden and knitted for years as those were her finished projects.

We have been back in touch again because of the inter-net and chatting about knitting and what not.  She had this chunky Shetland weight yarn and offered it to me as she wasn't going to ever use it.  I of course jumped at the chance to take this yarn off her hands.  100% Shetland anything sounds great to me!

I love the colors that will go with a wide variety and the chunky rustic feel.

There are two vests I have wanted to knit for years and this yarn will be perfect for these projects.  I envision the vests with an icord trim in blue.  One vest is called Lollie's Jerkin and I would change some of the design in this but generally it would look like this vest. The other is the classic rib warmer but this will have some modifications.  Both designes come from SchoolHouse Press my all time favorite designer families EZ, Meg and Cully.

Knitting, FOs (Finished Objects: for you non-knitters--if there is such a thing)

I have actually been knitting a lot this fall as my wrist is better and I can KNIT pain free!

I love this Baby Bootie pattern! I can not even guess how many of these have been given to little feet out there.  I knitted this pair this summer and then promptly lost them!  They did make it to Alaska and I just finished their trim.  They are for one cute little girl--stay warm little one!

Loch Lomond fingerless mitts: I knitted 5 pairs of these this year!  This pair was for my niece's friend as an exchange for some of her excellent homemade goat milk soap.

No Bad Weather Knit Along {A.K.A: NBW KAL}

From mid-October a much needed update  (Dec 14, 2014)!

NBW sweater has had a few minor construction issues like:

*a few inches to large 
(I should add this had nothing to do with the pattern and everything to do with me picking the wrong size as I have gotten a bit smaller and not larger!)

One of the best things I have ever learned about knitting was/is use a tape measure all the times to check your work!  The next thing I have learned is to once and awhile place your work on yarn or a couple circular knitting needles, gently steam block and measure you work.  Never under estimate the importance of a tape measure EVER!

 and 

*I didn't like the knitted hem I was planning on using:

As far as the construction and design of the hem went that was spot on.  The issue was I wasn't done with the design and the hem would have been to deep.  Thus one more reason to frog and just use the intended ribbing.

SO I started over once again!  Many people freak out about starting over and I really have given up on the knitting freak out sessions.  The reason being is one I do get to knit more, but the main reason is knitting mistakes are really pretty easy to fix.

I really enjoy color work as you always feel like you are making great progress!

This sweater is now done and has been worn a lot already.  I knitted this sweater with the idea that it would be worn as one of my many layers when I go out skiing here in the far north.  I have found as crazy as this sounds that wool is really the best insulator for the cold weather I ski in on a regular basis here.

Done!  I did change the collar a bit and knitted a folded over hem for the inside of the collar.  This was casted-off and sewn down which gives a nice stretch to the collar neck area. (Pre-blocking)

Excuse the rather big hair as the wind was coming in from the east behind me.  The neck is still on needles a rather nice needle necklace effect all pre-blocking.

Here is the finished, blocked sweater in action!  The No Bad Weather Pattern is available at: Knit 'N Needle and the 100% Merino PDS superwash worsted weight yarn is available from my Favorite Yarn Shoppe as well!

I am very happy with the end product, I love the colors and the easy wash-ability of this yarn.