Favourite Patterns Friday, May 24, 2019, Issue 102: It is the Memorial Day long weekend for our neighbours!!

• Posted on 24 May 2019
• By Susan Wong-Tsang
• Posted in Favourite Patterns, May 2019, summer knitting
• 0

With the weather shifting from gray and chilling one day to hot and muggy the next, Jane's mother has still been able to wear this beautiful jacket that Jane knit her for her birthday!

Elizabeth Zimmerman's Adult Surprise Jacket was first introduced in 1968 and has proven to be timeless and has become nearly legendary. Jane has knit two in the last few months!

Jane wore her first one (below) where she had added a hood and a tassel to our Berroco Yarn tasting event back in March!

The updated pattern from Schoolhouse Press (run by Elizabeth's family) includes Elizabeth’s original Baby Surprise Jacket instructions, original Adult Surprise instructions (with added sizing help), and instructions for a Child’s Surprise jacket. We have knit this twice as a knit-along but I do admit that although it is mostly garter stitch, it is a tricky jacket to knit!

I have knit three adult ones and four baby ones...

Note: The top right and the bottom right BSJ's (yellow, green, pink and brown, green and beige) are two of seven of my knitted garments that were on consignment at a Kingsville shop that closed down and did not get returned to me by someone who shall remain nameless here. If anyone knows the whereabouts of my missing knitted garments, please let me know or please return! If you purchased them without me getting paid, please do enjoy them:)

Pictured is KayGardiner’s Shakerag Top by Amy Christoffers. The Shakerag Top is worked from the bottom up, in the round, until dividing to work the top part back and forth. There is plenty of ease in this pullover, and drape. The top doesn't have sleeves but if you look at projects that have already been knit, several have added sleeves. The pattern is found in Mason-Dixon Knitting Field Guide No. 6 by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayn. "It is a striped fabric made from exactly one yarn. The subtlety and cleverness of this is something we really love."

Kay says, "The big clever thing in this design, of course, is the way the beautiful tone-on-tone stripes are created by alternating double and single strands of the yarn." It is knit using a fingering weight yarn and 3.5 mm (US 4) and 4.0 mm (US 6) needles for a gauge of 20 stitches and 26 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch with yarn doubled and the larger needles.

Gama by the Manos del Uruguay Design Team is a free pattern for a lightweight and flowy top with a loose shape and breathable fabric that is perfect for warmer weather. "Small textural stitches play across the fabric, showing off the delicate halo of Milo’s linen-merino fiber blend." Milo is the yarn that they designed the pattern for.

The front and back hems are worked flat separately and then joined to leave open slits on each side of the vest. The body is worked in the round to the armholes, and then the front, back, and straps are all worked flat. The only seaming is at the shoulders. Knit it using 4.0 mm (US 6) needles for a gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch.

WIP's and FO's

Ed and I finished putting together our gazebo! We should get plenty of use out of it...at least when it is nice out. It keeps out the sun great but it is not great for when it rains and we have had lots of rain! It doesn't leak but it definitely drips along the edges and since it is windy on our deck, rain blows in.

I have not had the best of luck either with the Tulip by Ririko that is on my needles. My first go round of Ririko’s Tulip did not go as planned! The row gauge is way off so the yoke will be too short! I am knitting it using Shibui Reed in Brick. I was knitting it using my addi Turbo needles but with my usual concentration sadly lacking, my gauge ended up being off. I also kept messing up with my increases...What was up with that? I mean, really? I continued on though until I only had 8 mores rows until the body and sleeves were to be split and...I finally stopped, caked another skein of yarn and started again.

This time I am using ChiaoGoo 3.0 mm needles for the ribbing and 3.5 mm needles. Aha! No wonder ChiaoGoo's are among my favourite needles. I do love my addis but not for slippery yarn and I do love my interchangeable needles but no matter how good the joins and holes are, they were not smooth enough for my liking with this project. Progress has still been a bit slow...I had to tink back what I knit last night during Knit Night because I wasn't concentrating! Ed thinks I should change to a different pattern but I am stubbornly resisting because I like the pattern with all of its intracasies! Will the second time be the charm?

KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY

The current Knit-Alongs are the Knit Your Any Sweater KAL and the Knit Any Shawl KAL and the Knit Your Project: the everlasting knit-along to encourage and support you to knit your own project (any project, and join in anytime!) from May to August 31, 2019! Well, looks like I forgot to add the thread again! I promise to add it soon!

Jessica finished the newborn sized Gramps by Tin Can Knits cardigan that she knit for the First Cardigan Class. Isn't it darling?

Lise (Mattedcat) knit these Vanilla Latte Socks by Virginia Rose-Jeanes during drive to and from Ottawa during the Victoria Day long weekend! Reading her Ravelry notes, I am amazed that finished the pair since she ran out of yarn near the toe of her first 64 stitch sock and started again using 56 stitches and a smaller needle!

Liz (Lizwake)'s Suburban Wrap by Joji is stunning!

Here is Liz's Suburban Wrap laying flat so that you can get the full effect!

Two pics of Angela (nobackpain)'s Lelly by Martina Behm

Natalie's Perseids by Susanna IC is stunning knit using Manos Fino in their Rosewater colourway!

This one is so pretty!

UPCOMING EVENT

Sue2Knits Knit in Public Day 2019: Go Public, Go Social...Go Knitting in Public Yeah! Bring your chair, sunscreen, sunglasses. Bring your knitting, crochet or yarnie project and yourself and join in some fibre fun! Water, coffee, tea and goodies will be provided.

Saturday, June 8, 2019 from 10 am until 4 pm

12045 Ducharme Lane, McGregor, ON

Happy Friday, Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting!