'ello

Hi everyone, I think I joined the club last week but I can't remember (final exams are coming up, I can't hold my brain accountable for anything). I won't be doing this KAL (no time!) but this looks like a great group. And that corset top was amazing...I might have to knit that as a treat for getting through exams alive. Cheers everyone!

Hello.I'm ready to begin

Hi SKC. This is my first post on the blog. I'm Ling and I'm ready to start my knitalong tomorrow. I'm hoping to knit both Somewhat Cowl and Orangina during the knitalong. Both knits have been on my list to do for some time now and what better time to start. I'm knitting Somewhat Cowl in Debbie Bliss Cathay in Black and Orangina in Rowan Linen Drape in Watery (shade 844).
Looking forward to seeing everyone's progress.

Ready, Steady...

I am so ready to get started on the Somewhat Cowl!

I am going to use the Bernat Baby Coordinate yarn, color "Daisy Yellow" (Project Spectrum color for April) and needles #5US.



My swatch is right (photo) and the yarn is just perfectly stretshy for that project... What else could I ask, huh?

Well, actually... the big "GO" tomorrow!!! LOL

OranginaOrangina swatch experimenting...

So, I've been swatching the Orangina (I'm using the Rowan 4 ply cotton), and I really like the lace. A couple of things I noticed, though... First, the cast-on (I used a long-tail cast-on) needs to be really loose so that you don't lose the scalloped edge at the top. I think I'm going to cast on a needle a few sizes larger just to make sure, and then purl that first row onto the smaller needle and go from there. Second, I realize that the edge at the armholes is going to curl under and not be visible, but my stockinette edges are horribly weird, and so I'm going to slip the first stitch on each row to give me a nicer edge.
Tomorrow!

Calling the DomesticOverlord...

How lucky are we? This Andean Treasure is ... well ... a treasure. I'm 5 inches in, halfway to the joining round.

Howdy Y'all!!!

I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Jan, I am 43 until next thursday (friday next week is my bday), married for just over 2 yrs now, have 3 sons, 1 dil, and 1 dgd who is the apple of my eye! I like knitting socks, but since the Knitting Olympics I have been addicted to lace! I live in a near constant state of confussion, ok so I live in Oklahoma ...same thing isn't it? (LOL)

I didn't think that I was all that sexy. But when my dh seen the link on another blog I was visiting, he insisted I join! So guess that's all the endorsement I need, eh!

I won't be doing either of tops in the currant KAL because I don't either one would look good on me. But if I might be so bold, I'd like to submit a substitute for those of who aren't doing the KAL. How about the "Tissue Tunic" ? I am planning on make this instead, not as a stand alone top but to go over tank tops. I thought maybe those who don't want to do the KAL, or a bit too afraid to do lace could this. You can find the pattern here http://www.ramwools.com/index.cfm?pageID=39&myPage=USramcatsprg06-15.html

Anyway, thanks for letting join.

It's a wrap...

I designed and knit this wrap yesterday and really love the way it turned out. It used to be a bag and was supposed to be a scraf but I cast on too many stitches and it became a wrap instead. It is so lovely and warm and snuggly, wearing it is like having a really good cuddle you just can't help but feel sexy wearing it.





Stay sexy,
Nikki
xx

Commencement so close you can taste it...

I suppose you could call me a "newb" or "n00b", but I'm quite thrilled about this, my first, KAL. I've decided to knit Orangina for my mom for Mother's day. (Yes, one's mother can be sexy in her own matriarchal way!) I've yet to knit her something really worth-while, so I hope she likes it! I ordered the Rowan 4-ply cotton in a light blue color this afternoon (because blue hues are her favorite to wear, of course) and I have the pattern downloaded. I simply can't wait til the yarn arrives! Although... I've never really worked lace before, so I'm a bit nervous, but I know there's great help to be found here!

Waiting for Mr Postman...

I'm so excited to join you guys, and even moreso to start my somewhat cowl. I've ordered my yarn and am now waiting impatiently for it to arrive! I've decided to go with Debbie Bliss cotton angora in purple - it's a bigger gauge so I'll probably have to go with smaller needles *gasp*, but I'm a tight knitter anyway, so we'll see. There's just no way I could do alpaca silk in TX without needing some serious anitperspirant!

Bug Juice Cowl

After I swatched, I just couldn't wait, so....



I started my Somewhat Cowl! The yarn I'm using is Nature's Palette fingering weight, which I bought at Stitches West. The yarn is really cool, and it's dyed with natural dyes. This color is called Hydrangea, and is dyed with Indigo and Cochineal. I found out when I purchased the yarn that Cochineal is a dye made from insects. My friend Kiki told me that it's used in most red and pink dyes. Fascinating!

I have a long way to go with all the increasing. So far this seems like a really fun pattern, and it's easy to follow. I might shorten the sleeves when I get up to it, because it's already getting up to 80 degrees here in Phoenix.

Here's another little photo of my very little progress:



P.S. Have you all seen Heather's Cowl? It made me want to make one!

Illanna

Can't wait to get started on my Somewhat Cowl

I just finished swatching for my Somewhat Cowl--I'm using Alpaca Silk in #28, plum, on my size 5 Addi Naturas. I have a feeling I won't be able to put it down, so I'm definitely waiting until Saturday to start it. Hopefully, this will be the second KAL that I will be able to finish, and I can't wait to see what everyone else is doing.

How Convenient!

I just decided yesterday that I was going to use some cotton that I had bought to make and Orangina instead of the Corinne dress on knittingfog, and then I stumbled along here! Just in time, too! I'm using a turquoise cotton from the Endless Summer Collection that I bought off of elann not too long ago.

Look at this Somewhat cowl

If you are still on the fence about the somewhat cowl, take a look at this one: http://cleverlynamedblog.blogspot.com/2006/03/happy-blogday.html I think it looks great, and I love the decreases she did. Makes me even more excited to start!

Orangina

I'm all ready to cast on! I'm using a cotton/synthetic blend by Pengouin, in white. I was expecting to have to do some fancy math maneuvering to adjust for guage, but was surprised to get guage my very first try! I love the way the lace is coming out, and can't wait to get started!

Somewhat Cowl!

My fingers are itching. I just can not wait to start knitting the Somewhat Cowl. Unfortunately kpixie only had 5 skeins of the color I want to use. However, they are ordering my the additional two from the same dye lot. I should have all my yarn next week. Kpixie has been great. I just can't wait to start, this will be my first KAL.

Picovoli fini - and just in time...

I am a little late on this, but just in time for you gal's to be starting the next round. I can't say I'm too drawn to either of the ones selected for this time around, so I'm going to sit this one out. I look forward to seeing y'all's finished projects, though!

I finished Picovoli last night. I was bored with the green and thought something a little contrasting would look nice. I dug through my scrap bin (a couple of boxes I keep full of scrap for when my neices or son get a wild hair and want to fool around with yarn, or I want to crochet squares/motifs) and found a really bright yellow that worked with the green/blue/lavendar/white in the Tahki yarn. I think it played out nicely. The only issue I had is that I had to make the shoulder section a "large", the bust section a "medium" and then decrease to a "small" for the waist and then come back out to a "large". Made for a lot of fussing. But, with the notes I took, the next one I make should be a lot easier. I'm planning on trying the next one in seed stitch. Should be interesting, especially around the decreases.

		Tahki Tweedy Cotton Classic. Colourway 466, 100% cotton. 50g = 108yds. The yellow was just some similar weight scrap I had and thought would look nice. Also 100% cotton.
		Size 5 US. Addi Turbo, 29". Handcrafted Surina dpns size 5 US.
		Picovoli by Grumperina in MagKnits.

Start Date?

It looks like a lot of people are getting started already.
Are we supposed to wait for the April 1st start date or is everyone just starting as soon as they get their yarn?

Final yarn choice, and 10% of SC

Here's my first 10% of Somewhat Cowl and a picture of my chosen stash yarn. I enjoy how it knits up--nubby and drapey and textured. Read more about my ambivalence in this yarn's history on my blog.

Yarn and Swatch for Orangina

I'm using Knit Picks Shine in Cream for Orangina. Here is a picture of the yarn
and a picture of my swatch:

I cannot reach a decision

I like the Orangina top, but I am in love with the silk corset, so I cannot reach a decision.

The silk corset seems harder, and not a mindless knit, but on the other hand seems easy to fit my body (small breasted, narrow waist, wide hips). On the other hand, Orangina seems more of a mindless knit (not completely mindless, but easier), but I'm afraid it will not fit me well because of my small breasts and big hips. What do you think about this? Please give me your opinions on fit.

Thanks a lot! I believe I will knit the corset some day, I just don't know if I will knit it now. Still, I can always forget it all and knit the blue Tivoli I intended to knit last month...

Somewhat Cowl question

(I love the fact that we're a community, and as soon as I had a question, I could come to y'all.)

Here's my question: for the Somewhat Cowl, the instructions read "24 stitches and 32 rows to 4 inches." The pattern is worked with two different sized needles, though. Should I be achieving that gauge on the US4s or the US5s.

Anxiously waiting so I can swatch...

Yarn, Swatch, and a Start!

So I finally decided what yarn AND what color. The color was the hard part. I'm knitting the somewhat cowl, it's the first sweater that I've ever knit from the top down (which is quite fun so far). It so far is seeming to be a fairly easy knit and so I will hopefully get it done in time. I'm working on many other projects so it will be good to have one that easy enough and portable enough to take in my bag where ever I go (at least to start with). I really like that it is knit on circulars too. I've never knit a sweater in the round either. Oh yes, yarn choices! So I was debating between a tan paton decore yarn or a sky blue cotton fleece. Well seeing how this is a summer sweater I decided on the cotton fleece. It's knitting up quite well so far. I was worrying about it being too droopy, but after a talk with the owner of the local yarn shop I was reaffirmed that it would work out okay because it is a cotton/wool blend. I can't wait for my sweater to be finished... oh the love of instant gradification, it's suprising that I knit anything bigger than a hat! Anyway, it guage up nicely with size 5 needles, I knit kind of tight though, so the cotton fleece, which is a little bulkier than the suggested weight, works great for me. So here's a picture of my "sweater" so far, a swatch, and the label from the yarn I'm using. Good luck to everyone and I hope you find yarn that you fall in love with and make sweaters that will actually fit (I'm always so parinoid about that).

I'm on board for this one!

I opted out on the Picovoli KAL (love the pattern, but the weather around here wasn't motivating me to do something sleeveless at the time), but I'm on board for this one. I've chosen the Somewhat Cowl and have been contemplating yarns. They have Alpaca & Silk at my LYS, but they don't have very many colors. Plus, a lot of people are worried about getting too hot in it, and living in Nashville, I should be worried about the same thing. I checked out the Peruvian Baby Silk at elann.com and may go with that. I have some Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere in my stash as well as some Classic Elite Premiere. Have no idea offhand about the Premiere's gauge, but I think it might have a good drape. Maybe I'll swatch this weekend.

I really like the Orangina too, and have some yarn that I was going to use in place of some Rowan 4ply Cotton for a different project years ago, but I only have 4 balls and my size calls for 5. I wonder if I could get away with it. I'd do the smallest size, so I wonder how much of the 5th ball is used. Anyone have any advice?

Anyway, just wanted to say hi!

No comments here either!

I was trying to respond about yarn for Somewhat Cowl, but I can't successfully post a comment either. I got Luna from Elann.com in Cypress, although now it seems they are sold out of Cypress! I didn't take it all, I promise ;-) Hope I got enough!

i can't comment on that!

i also have way too much trouble commenting, usually i sign into my e blog then can leave a comment but not today so i'll post. last summer this silk skirt made from recycled sari's caught my eye in mustang sally's in duck, north carolina. it looks best worn with brown but have not yet found the perfect top for it. i think the somewhat cowl may be that top! i also have this lovely silk cami ready to be worn under the somewhat cowl! so i chose karabella's vintage cotton yarn in brown.

The "L" Word

I voted for Orangina and I'm glad it won! I really wanted to make this and participate in the KAL. But, then I saw the "L" word (lace) and now I'm a little worried. I'm a new knitter and pretty proficient with scarves (if I do say so myself), but I'm not sure if I'm "lace-ready." I'm also a "sweater virgin" (shhhhh). Are either of these "beginner knits?" Or, should I maybe work on a shell and wait for the next KAL. Thanks for the advice!

Somewhat Cowl Yarn Roll Call?

So, for those of you doing the Somewhat Cowl, what yarns are you all using? I've become obsessed with finding yarn, just like LadyLungDoc, and my indecision is paralyzing! I'm hoping that if you'll share what you are working with, it will help me to actually decide! To make matters even more challenging, my LYS doesn't really have much at all in DK or Sport Weight - some Rowan 4ply and some Frog Tree Alpaca...so I'm shopping online. Any responses will sure help me out!

I have a NEW blog (my first foray into blogland)!

Since I won't be knitting the KAL winners, I will post progress on my Hopeful sweater on my new blog. When I finish the sweater, though, I'll put the finished project here so ya'll can see it. My blog is here.

I only have a few posts up as it is brand new and I am still learning. I'd love to put a Sexy Knitters Club button on there but haven't yet figured out how to do it! I know. It's pitiful. Let me know what you think so far and if anyone can tell me how to put a button on, I would appreciate the learning opportunity. You might just post it as a comment on my blog so as to not take away from the Sexy Knitting going on here. Thanks!

Lisa

Orangina Modification

I love the pattern but I'm a little concerned about the neckline doing a droopy/curly kinda thing. I was considering adding a couple of rows of seed or garter stitch. What do you all think? I'm going to swatch this in a couple of days and see what I think...

Also, what cast on would be best for this?

I'm a loser knitter

I just can't let go of that lace corset and the alpaca cardigan which lost the vote and the two winners just aren't my cup of tea - I'll be sitting this one out and working on knitting the losers but I'll be cheering the rest of you on and look forward to joining the next KAL.

When will I get my pattern?

I ordered my Somewhat Cowl pattern Friday evening. Nothing in my Inbox yet. Is Wendy still on holiday?

Response for Auntie Amanda on fit

I would find a sweater that fits her well in a yarn with a similar weight to the one you choose to you and measure it flat and unstretched to give you a guide for the end results you want to achieve with the pattern. Pay attention to whether the sweater you measure has ribbing or a less stretchy stitch and take that into account as well.

By the way, I tried about 25 times to post this under comments but couldn't get through the word verification. That happens to me a lot. Am I the only one? I usually decide my two cents isn't worth the effort and quit.

Lisa

My URL has changed!

Hi all, just dropping in to say my URL has changed. I can't change it from here, not sure what to do. It is now http://lickmysticks.com

New blog for a new KAL! I'm going with Orangina, by the way!

I'm Here!

Hi y'all. I've ordered by Rowan 4 Ply Cotton in Aegean and my Addis and I'll start Orangina when they arrive. Haven't knit in over a month due to work schedule, but looking forward to my first lace work! The swatches you've posted are gorgeous. Hope mine turn out as well.

Somewhat Cowl in cotton/modal?

I have been wanting to knit something for my Mom, and have decided the Somewhat Cowl is perfect for her. However, we live in NC, and given that she has frequent "power surges" (as she not-so-affectionately refers to her hot flashes) I think the alpaca/silk may just cause her to have a heat stroke! So I was wondering if a cotton/modal blend would work with this pattern (I am concerned about the drape of the cowl in particular). I also have another little quandary...I really would like this to be a Mother's Day surprise, so what kind of super-sleuthing do I need to do to ensure I knit her the correct size? Should I snoop in the lingerie drawer for bra size, or just go by her shirt size? Thanks for all your help ladies!

Ooh, You Sexy Thangs!

Hello, ladies - I'm so happy to have found you all! I'll be working on the Somewhat Cowl, and this kal gives me a terrific reason to pop into my LYS and see what's new. It will be a joy to see what everyone comes up with - and I LOVE looking at the Orangina swatching! Such beautiful colors - if I could only get over my lace aversion!

Knit on -
-b.

Orangina too

I am doing Orangina as well. I got the same yarn that the pattern calls for but in Flirty. I just need to get the needles. I am really looking forward to knitting with all of you and seeing the works in progress. I want to try and knit the Somewhat Cowl also but that might be cutting it close but i am sure once i see the other SC's i will be inspired and motivated to work faster.
Good Luck and Have Fun!!

Orangina For Me Too

Hi Ladies,

I'm so glad we're doing Orangina, as this was actually on my needles a few weeks ago. A really bad tooth ache was what it took for me to frog it. Attached is my swatch, using Patons Grace and a size 4 needle. I already did the resizing and will be making the size small, however, I may swatch on a size 3 and recalculate if necessary. Can't wait to get started.

Necia

Intro to me, and somewhat cowl to do :)

Hi all,
I just thought I would introduce myself here...
My name is Natasha, and I am from, well live near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
I am originally from British Columbia (boy, do I miss it out there!).
I just started knitting in December. I have stuck to the basics so far.
I have done two hats, 1 pair of slippers, and 2 odd slippers. I have also created
one very easy poncho.
This will be my first "sweater" and my first time using circulars....
I will probably do a little bit of practicing before I officially start my KAL!
I am still trying to decided on my yarn and color, but I am not going to spend
a lot on my first sweater, as I am sure I will make some "pattern adjustments"
to it as a I go along *wink*
TTFN,
Tasha

Orangina for Me!

I broke down last night and ordered my yarn for Orangina. I've been yarn obsessed, analyzing my choices, and finally decided to go with the easy solution of the original yarn. I ordered 5 skeins of bloom, a deep rose color, from Jannette's Rare Yarns on eBay. Total, including flat rate shipping, came to $28. Not too shabby, and I can't wait for the yarn to arrive!

Damn!

I went back to my LYS to order the yarn I found - it was Fauve yarn by Louise Harding. Checked the price, which I hadn't before - $11.95 - oops!(and this is without sales tax). Did the math, and I would probably need 10 skeins. I would be looking at over $120 Canadian for this sweater. It could be worse - I could be making this sweater, which uses 18-21 skeins!!!
I did find an online site where I could get 10 skeins for about $71 US, but I came across one site which described Fauve as a "chunky" yarn. So my search continues. Yarnsale.ca has this yarn for a reasonable price, but the colour I would want is the sample skein, and I don't think that the Turquoise listed is the same shade. It must be a discontinued yarn because I can't find a colour chart online. Ram wools has Cezanne at a half decent price, and also sells the Debbie Bliss Cathay in a shade of Teal that I would like, although at a less nice price. I might just order the yarn from Yarnsale and return it if I don't like the colour.

Sigh.

Sitting out...

I think I will sit out the KAL. Both patterns are absolutely lovely but there are things I think I'd rather work on and my time is sooo limited. I am about 1/3 through my Hopeful sweater and have fallen in love with the Katia Fanny Cardigan that is a free pattern on the Elann Website. I will thoroughly enjoy watching the posts as the KAL progresses. I do have a question. Will the posts be limited to those focused on the KAL for the next few months or does anyone want to see progress on unrelated items? Good luck to everyone in the KAL and Happy Knitting!
Lisa

I'm thrilled! The Picovoli did not speak to me. I had started the Somewhat Cowl a little bit ago to compensate for my dislike of my Picovoli knitting. (It is a fabulous pattern! Just not for me.) Love the Somewhat Cowl pattern and I'm about one third of the way through the body. (Slow knitter with many projects) I'm using Knitpicks Merino and due to the difference in gauge I'm knitting a size smaller than I normally would. I'll post a picture once I join it in the round and see if it fits!

Has anyone tried the Rowan Cotton Glace yarn? I'm thinking of using it as a sub for Orangina.

I'll have to do some math first, but needle size seems close.

Thanks!
Kelly

Addiction has won out....

I decided to make Orangina as well... I want to make as much summer stuff ahead of time as possible. I don't know which yarn I am using for this yet, probably something black- I am looking around....

I like the neckline Erica B. was able to achieve with the Somewhat Cowl... I hope I can make it look that sexy!!!

Hopefully I can do this all in time!

Emms

I may have found my yarn

I was wandering around my LYS today, dismayed by the preponderance of pastel colored yarns (I am sooo not about pastels). I was looking for something in Teal. I didn't want to use a vareigated yarn, and was thinking that I might end up having to order something online. I then wandered over to the ribbon yarn section, and found a ribbon yarn that is actually appropriate for the gauge, and ina nice medium teal color. It's mostly a matte texture, but there is a think shiny thread that runs down the centre. The woman at the shop said that it looks almost like suede when it is knitted up. They only have 4 skeins, so I didn't buy it, and of course do not remember the name of the yarn or the company. I just bought my pattern today, so I am going back to the LYS to order the yarn tomorrow. I will update this post with the name and a link if I can find one. The one thing that gives me pause is that it is 100% nylon - I know that silk doesn't have alot of give, but I'm not sure about alpaca. I will have to see how the tension swatch turns out.

So much for Lent - maybe I should give up chocolate for the remainder. Not.

Stash Diving and Swatching

so today I went stash diving for Orangina (click on link for more detail on swatches)

and Swatched:

• Bouton D'or Mango in deep violet - a 50/50 blend modal and cotton on 3's
• Jaeger Aqua in violet on 3's
• Zitron Samoa in sapphire blue on 3's
• Jaeger Siena in meadow and a blue - have leftovers from other projects, thinking a Missoni-like stripe here, on 3's
• and an old shiny Marguerite, on 2's

cast on 22 stitches and did 4 repeats on each. Took pics before blocking. Didn't get close to 4" on any of them, witness the various sizes here. The Sienna, which is the only true 4ply cotton measures 3 1/4" across 22 st after steam blocking. the other cottons are all closer to a sport weight, and where it shows up isnt' so much in the dimension across but in the heft of the swatch. It's not objectionable necessarily, but it will make for a bulkier Orangina than a true 4 ply. And the Lanas Margarita Yucatan - wow I love it! PITA knitting those K2tog's but such a pretty fabric. The camera lighting really makes it shiny in the pic, but it is a truly pretty lace fabric. Just barely measures 3", but I think I'm going to make an Orangina out of it anyway - I'll just re-figure the # of stitches.

So, my final choices for the cotton Orangina are the two Jaeger yarns. Maybe both! I love the Zitron yarn, but this isnt' the stitch for it. It is 10 very fine yarns plied together, and it just doesnt' look pretty in this stitch. and the Bouton D'or is just heavy and flat. If I hadn't knit up 4 other samples I might think it was fine, but ...

BTW, I tried the ssk instead of the skp on one of the swatches (someone on the crafters KAL suggested it) and didn't like it nearly as well as the way the pattern is written. For my money, I'll stick with the skp.

One other note though regarding the way the pattern is written. (If you've never knit lace or followed a chart, ignore this, you'll be FINE) but, If you are an experienced lace knitter or are used to following charts, you may want to renumber the rows for the lace chart. I had the hardest time wrapping my mind around what row I was on because she has the knit (RS rows) on even #'s and the purl (WS rows) as odd numbers. I didn't know I was so entrenched in my thinking that RS rows are always odd # rows until I couldn't mentally keep what row I was on. As soon as I rewrote it, so that the first purl row was a foundation row, then started my lace repeats as rows 1 and 3 - I was fine. It is a really really easy lace to knit, and I think it'll go fast and be a lot of fun.

orangina and yummy smores for me!

Hi everyone!

this is my first post to the club, but I just wanted to let you know I'm doing the Orangina sweater! I'm kinda sketchy on how it's gonna look, but I think it could be very cute! I'm gonna use Knit Picks Shine in Turquoise, because well...orange is not exactly the color for me. lol.



I also picked up a free sock pattern while I was there and my knitting needles. I will be using the needles on the socks as well!! and, just to share...the sock yarn I got was Knit Picks Memories in Smores. I am in love with Geranium, but it's not in until May! bah.

My choice

I am going to make the Somewhat Cowl Top with... Baby Sport Acrylic yarn!!!

Yes, it works too and it will be perfect for summer chilly evenings in Maine, not mentioning the easy care and the low cost of the yarn!!! :D

I feel so ready to take that SC's neckline challenge! LOL

Read about it here!

Obligatory Intro

I'm not much of a poster, but I've been reading along since the middle of the Picovoli KAL. I decided not to say anything then, and wait for this KAL to start.

So here I am! Like many, of you, I'm on a budget, so I'm using KP Shine for the Somewhat Cowl. We'll see how that goes. I'm pretty good at getting an average gauge, though, so I should be okay.

I don't have a lot of time to knit during the day, since I work full-time and go to school full-time. I won't be able to "race" y'all - but slow and steady - I might just finish it at the same time as I get the weight off to actually be able to fit into it.

I look forward to drooling over pics from those of you who are faster than I am. (The best thing about being a slow knitter is that you get all the tips from those that have come before!)

found the yarn!

karabella vintage cotton in brown, bought it on ebay thanks for the tip!

huh? i lost my post...still looking for a yarn substitute

i'm making wendy's somewhat cowl and was thinking of using allhemp 3 in chocolate but on her assessment of the yarn it will not be as body hugging so i'm still searching for a cotton i like in brown. any suggestions? i wish i had thought of this sooner but knitpixie (who sells the allhemp) features a pattern for it, "lacey little top", that seems like the reverse of orangina...stockinette on the top and lacey stuff at the bottom and NOT body hugging. no see through tops and no poofs. check out the pattern. looks like a perfect substitute for those of use who want to be able to cover up a multitude of stuffs and still have a sexy spring top. it would be easy enough to make this one longer too. i'm going to try it in the beautiful allhemp 3 augergine and do the somewhat cowl in??? so many patterns so little time.

For Newer Knitters

Don't forget these articles over at Knitty.com on fit (one and another), pattern reading, and substituting yarns.

They're tremendously helpful in actually understanding what you're doing, and I find it always worth my time to do a little math after I read the pattern and before I start knitting. Check out the articles and see what I mean.

stash usage

i really have no business spending money on yarn right now :( so i'm really trying to figure out whether i can use one of my two big stashes--king tut mercerized cotton (4.5 stitches per inch on size seven needles) or tahki cotton classic mercerized cotton (six stitches per inch? i don't have the labels in front of me, but the web site says 6/5 sts). anyway, any yarn substitution experts out there want to advise me on whether i can use either of these yarns to make either of these (preferably somewhat cowl)? if not, can you suggest something i *can* make with them?
thanks!

Faithful friends at Craftster!

Hi everyone! I will be workingon my orange orangina for SKC AND Project Spectrum!

Here are 2 links you may want to read through from Craftster before you begin - just to get the lay of the land, so to speak!

Orangina-along

Knit and Tonic's Somewhat Cowl

Picking a pattern...

Ok, ladies. I missed out on the Picovoli KAL (which I will still be knitting some time here soon) because I didn't want to knit a top I couldn't try on with my gigantic pregnant belly. The baby is here now and am ready to join in on this one, but don't know which one to do! Somewhat cowl is a little low cut for me, so I'd probably have to wear a cami underneath, and I'm a little concerned about Orangina.

For those of you who have knit Orangina before: Is it see through? Will I need a cami under that one too so my bra won't show? I'm also concerned about the blousing effect with the tighter ribbing at the bottom. Does it end up "poofy"?

Dawn

Orangina - needle question

So... I bought a lovely Addi turbo 24" - Size 4 - for Picovoli. Do you think I can get away with using it for Orangina (which calls for a Size 3)?

Yea for Orangina

I bought the yarn for it a week ago so I was hoping it would win. I got rowan 4 ply in cantelope which is a pretty yellow color. Jeanette's Rare Yarn Ebay store has fab prices if you're looking for Rowan. Her shipping is fast (less than a week all the way from merry old England!). The total including shipping is less than if I had gone to my lys to buy it. Gotta love the British!

KALs are FUN

I'm going to be knitting Orangina - much more appropriate for the climate this time of year! Knitpicks makes Shine in a sport weight now, exactly the same gauge as the Rowan 4-ply cotton called for the pattern (and cheaper) Can't wait to try my hand at lace!

EDIT: Okay, Shine Sport is not all that much cheaper because there is less yardage ber ball - in my size, it's about $10 more to get the Rowan. I so rarely buy the yarn actually called for the the pattern... should I splurge?

Orangina, Orangina!

I'll be doing the Orangina. I've already done the SWC. If I finish with the Orangina, I may do the SWC again, it was such a great pattern.

Spring Fever

I may have gone a little nuts over cute little spring/summer tops, but I've decided to make both. I can't wait for the yarn to get here.

Somewhat Cowl - Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in Moss
Orangina - Rowan 4 Ply Cotton in Bloom

I'm hoping to finish Tempting II (in Rowan Calmer in Peacock) before the KAL begins. And...I think I might cast on for Picovoli in Knitpicks Shine in Sky soon. I joined SKC too late to participate in the first KAL.

I guess I won't have to do much summer shopping this year!

My choice

I will be knitting the somewhat cowl. I was kind of rooting for the silk corset top, but so it goes, i will just have to knit that on my own. It will be a little bit before I can pick out my yarn... well buy it anyway, i'm going to pick it out tomorrow. Oh how I love new yarn and needles!

Alternate yarn

I asked Wendy for suggestions for other yarns for the Cowl (Alpaca/silk doesn't work for long in Florida). One of her suggestions was Debbie Bliss' Cathay yarn. I found it on Ebay in mint green for $2 less per skein than any of the online stores. I can't wait to get started!

My Choice

So I have decieded to knit the Somewhat Cowl. I bought the yarn for the last KAL and didn't do it and it is the same guage as for this so it was the obvious choice!! I am excited to get started. I will probably start early....well I'll tell myself I will start early so that maybe I'll actually start on time. :) Tiffany

Darn it all to Heck!!

Well girls, it looks like I'll be sitting this one out. I'm a little *too* sexy for either of these patterns, if you know what I mean. I need a 48 bust. Garrrrrrr.

Unless someone wanted to do the arithmatickin to resize them for me...... *lol*

Lent?

Hmmm - I had given up buying yarn for Lent - seriously. This might make a May completion date tricky.

Maybe if my husband bought yarn for me...

Yeay Orangina

I'll be doing Orangina in black Rowan 4ply hopefully I'll be swatching any day now ;)

New Sexy Knitter

Hi everyone,
I'm glad to be joining in time for the new KAL. I chose the Somewhat Cowl, and bought the pattern tonight. I chose Reynolds Saucy in Purple from my stash which was originally going to be a Medallion Cardigan from Loop d Loop. The mercerized cotton is a totally different fiber (obviously) from the Alpaca and Silk, and is also a worsted weight. I want spring/summer weight garment, and to use the stash... I ran the numbers and settled on the 36" size to fit my 42" bust and to just follow the pattern as written on numbers 6 and 7 needles. Are there any more experienced knitters who think this is an awful idea?

Excellent choices, ladies!

I am really happy with both of the winners for this KAL. You guys have great taste! I'm just not sure how I'll pick which one to knit!


On an unrelated note, if you are participating in Project Spectrum, I wanted to let you know that I am putting together a Project Spectrum Dye-Your-Own Sock Yarn Swap for April. If you're interested in participating, stop by my blog and sign up!

Yikes!

I am having trouble finding alpaca/silk yarn for the Somewhat Cowl that will cost me less than $50 USD...

Yikes.

So now, I am thinking of doing it in cotton blend... so I can wear it thru the summer, and it will cost less! :)

Anyone else doing the Somewhat cowl in a summery type yarn too?

Emms :)

Edit: I found something!

Elann has Endless Summer Collection Luna and it works out pricewise, season wise, and gaugewise!!!

Yahoo!!!

Somewhat Cowl, here I come!

And The Winner Is???

WELL.... how exciting was this run off??? It was definitely a nail biter, that's for sure! Technically, the winner was the Somewhat Cowl with 30% of the votes, but Orangina came in a close second with 28% of the votes.

BUT. Since the vote was so close, the Sexy Knitters Club Board of Directors (Sarah and myself) has decided that this will be a double knit along of either the Somewhat Cowl or the Orangina patterns! Yes ladies, you can do EITHER pattern!!! Or better yet, do both!

The knit along will start on April 1st so get your supplies together now. Post ideas of what yarns you plan to use and progress pics when available. We'll have a drawing at the end of the knit along, which will probably be mid May. This gives us 6 weeks for this knit along, but we can extend it a bit if we need to, especially if most of you choose to knit both patterns. In fact, we'll have another drawing for those of you who DO choose to knit both! How's that? I just decided that right this second!!!

Remember, proceeds from the SKC merchandise goes towards our knit along drawing prizes so if you haven't already shopped in the SKC store, please be sure to check it out!

Pics of Silk Corset Top?

Sexy Knitters,

I have surfed knitting blogland and can't find anyone pictures out there of a Silk Corset Top F.O. shown on a person/model. Does anyone have any pics or know of any weblinks? Thanks!!

Robyn
www.knittinginthecity.blogspot.com

Breaking News!

Oh my gosh ladies! I am so excited and just had to share this with you! Dave from Chub Creek talked about the Sexy Knitters Club and you have GOT to hear what he had to say!!! I blushed while he spoke and you know what? I think he blushed while he spoke too!

Check it out!

Tubey

Knitpicks.com sells Shine in worsted weight now, so that might solve our problems with Tubey without having to rewrite the pattern.

Run Off Vote

Hello Sexy Knitters! Here is the run-off poll for our top 5 patterns. Voting will run until 3:00 pm (central time) on Wednesday March 15th and we'll officially start the next knit along on April 1st. This will give us two weeks to get our supplies together. I did hear back from Cassie Rovitti about helping us with the re-calculations for a spring version of Tubey in a lighter weight yarn and she said she thought it would be easy enough to do but to keep in mind that a lighter weight yarn might not stretch the same way a worsted weight yarn stretches.

Also, I'd like to give y'all a little info about the Silk Corset Top before you vote. Please know that I already have a Silk Corset Top on the needles and would love nothing more than to finish it with y'all in a knit along, but I felt I should pass on a little information that y'all may not know. I'm not trying to discourage anybody from voting for this pattern, as it truly is an awesome pattern and a beautiful knit, but I think it's important to know that this pattern is approximately 12 pages long and includes 5 charts (although the written directions are also included -- personally I used both the chart and the written directions together). The pattern is well written (although several charts have been revised and errata published) and the pattern support that Annie provides is very good. There's nothing that I would consider "difficult" with this pattern, although it took complete concentration on my part to be able to knit it without "screwing up". This is just me though, and I've only been knitting a couple of years, so for those who are a bit more advanced, this may not be the case. It's what I would consider a challenging knit, which is fine with me but I just felt compelled to share this info with those who weren't aware. For those of you who have additional info or feel differently about this pattern, please feel free to post that information as well!

Choose Your Favorite
	Silk Corset Top
	Orangina
	Tubey
	Cardigan in Alpaca with Glitter
	Somewhat Cowl
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Like a Kid on Her Bday

I just can't wait!!! I'm so excited about doing my first knit along that I could just about burst! I must check the status of the poll 3 or 4 times a day to see what might be our winner (it's a bit obsessive, ehh?) I think 2 more days might just be the death of me :) But I'm a tough, sexy woman, I can execute power and control (I hope!)

Voting Will End At Noon On Monday

Hi Ladies! Just a short post to let y'all know that the voting will end at noon on Monday, March 13th. At that time, we'll have a run off between the top 5 nominations for a short two day run-off poll.

Thanks for your participation!

oooh the anticipation...

i, of course, voted for aphrodite since i already bought the book and the yarn and i nominated it, but would love to make some of the other nominated knits and can't wait to see what the winner is!!! in the meantime i joined "count your socks" and look here!!! today is a beautiful spring like day here in pittsburgh and i celebrated by knitting on the deck. make sure you have a rake handy when knitting on the deck because you'll need it when the double pointed needle falls between the deck boards while photographing yourself trying on your sock!!! this is my first pair of socks and look forward to many more. these were made for the guy and they fit him a bit better than me! enjoy the day sexy knitters i'm off to enjoy the rest of mine!

Last minute newcomer

Hi!
I'm sorry to come in at the last minute, but I couldn't pass up joining this group. This will be my first knit along and I'm excited. What a great idea for a group. I love the idea that knitting can be hip and cool and SEXY! Thanks for letting me join.

Lisa W.

In addition to the winning nominee...

...I would like to suggest that we all make matching french ticklers. That was such a great suggestion because there is nothing sexier than protecting oneself from STDs and/or unwanted pregnancies.

Voting Day!

Okay Sexy Knitters! It's voting day(s) here at the SKC -- time to vote for the pattern you like best for our next knit along. You may vote for one pattern only and may only vote once, so make sure you vote wisely ;-)

Remember, we weren't able to put every single nomination on the voting poll (the program only allows 20 entries, so some nominations (although very sexy) didn't make the poll this time, but can be renominated for future knit alongs. I've updated the sidebar to reflect only the "official" nominations. Voting will continue for 3 days, and we may have a run-off (like we did last time) between the top 5 patterns unless we have a landslide vote the first time.

Choose Your Favorite
	Silk Corset Top
	Bella Paquita
	Aphrodite
	Hopeful
	Orangina
	Honeymoon Cami
	Cleo
	Tubey
	Butterfly
	Candy
	Prairie Tunic
	Solange
	Something Red
	Diamonique
	Cold Shoulder
	Cardigan in Alpaca with glitter
	Somewhat Cowl
	Red Hot
	W
	Lelah
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Help!

Does anyone know of a pattern for a knit hat that's tight around the head? My husband is shaved bald and every hat I knit for him gets stretched out (simple ribbed hat, london beanie)...any tips? Thanks for any help...oh, and GREAT nominations out there! I can't wait to get started!!!

Another Nomination

Well, since many of you like cardi's, I figured I would nominate the Angelina Vintage Jacket from White Lies Designs. It is very feminine and pretty and would look great over a cami during the spring and summer. You can order the entire kit from the website or just the pattern alone.

Not nomination related

Just to tell you: I feel sexy in my new red lace socks! Red lace just next to my skin... sexy! :)

Feeling good to be here...

Hi Ladies (and any gentlemen that may be present), my name is Nikki and I have just joined this club and would like to say it gives me great pleasure to be in the company of so many fellow sexy knitters. I've been knitting for a while and cringe everytime I see a boxy, shapeless piece of knitting or pattern so horray for this club.

This is my latest sexy knitted item. I finished it on Friday and I am so proud of the way it turned out as I designed it myself.


Look forward to lots more blogging and knitting.

Stay sexy,
Nikki.
xx

Okay, here is the dumbest question ever. No, its true.

How do you vote for a pattern? I have a nomination up there and I can't even figure out how to vote!

s#&@%$F!#*

I think I lost my brain cells knitting Clapotis...

Emms

My Two Cents

I posted this as a comment on another post, but decided to post it here as well.

My two cents worth:

First, for those who think Orangina is a "lengthy knit", Orangina is a fairly quick knit. I've knit two of them (and could always go for a third one) and once you get the hang of the lace pattern (which isn't too hard to do), it goes pretty quickly.

Second, I too find it interesting that so many of you are interested in doing a cardi. If this is the case, I would suggest you take a long hard look at Wendy's Something Red. I like it because it's a spring cardi that will look adorable over a cami and will work with either jeans or slacks. I also like it that you can do it in cotton (I'm pretty sure that's what Wendy made hers from), which is good for spring and summer.

For those of you who prefer a pull-over, I would take a look at Tubey and think about doing it in a shorter elbow-length version. In fact if this pattern is selected, I will more than likely substitute a lighter weight cotton blend yarn (such as Shine or even Luna {are we in a rut already???}) and adjust the numbers accordingly to achieve the correct gauge. If you're not good at doing the math, we have several who are and will (more than likely) be glad to post the new numbers for some of the most popular yarn gauges. I may even be able to get Cassie to help us do this... I'll try to email her and let y'all know if I hear back from her prior to voting day.

Honestly, I am loving all of the pattern nominations and will be thrilled to knit any of them... but I just wanted to respond to some of the previous posts and comments regarding these nominations.

New Nomination

I'd like to nominate Red Hot from Rowan available as a single pattern download here.

I haven't had much time or inspiration for knitting lately so I think a new KAL is just what I need. I'm also rooting for Tempting II, Orangina, and Butterfly. All rowan yarns...I love me some Rowan!

Introduction

Hi Ya'll,

My name is Necia and I had just to join ya'll sexy knitters. I love the concept ya'll got going on here. Knitting is for the grown and sexy, not for the old and well, not so sexy, lol. I look forward to blogging with ya'll and making sexy items, to showcase my sexiness.

Necia

New Nomination - Bella Paquita

Didn't see it on the list, but just downloaded this pattern from http://marniemaclean.com/patterns/BellaPaquita/index.html, described as "both sexy and endlessly wearable".

What a great group to belong to - I feel sexier already, in spite of the dog drool on my pants and mud on my shoes...

Deirdre

Nomination: Tubey

I would like to nominate the Tubey....it's sexy and yet complicated enough that I would want to knit it with friends :-)

Hello!

Hello fellow SKs!
I'm the newest member and I look forward to making sexy knits with you all!

Erica

Nomination Update

Great nominations so far! We will take nominations until the end of tomorrow (March 9th). The side bar has been updated with the new nominations for your viewing pleasure ;-)

My votes

Hi all. I'm new to the club (and blogging) and looking forward to knitting along with y'all. My votes in order of preference are:

Hopeful
Orangina
Something Red
Candy

I'm bummed I joined after Picovoli, because all of fo's looked great on everybody. I think I'll have to knit it in the spirit of the club to catch up!

Preferences for KAL

Hey there everyone,

Just wanted to throw in my picks from the nominees for our next KAL. The patterns I prefer are:
Silk Corset
Lelah
Butterfly
Asana
Prairie Tunic

Afterall, in only 4 short months it may even be warm enough to wear one of these beauties in the Yukon!

comments about nominations

Hi everyone! I can't wait to start the KAL. Instead of leaving individual comments for each pattern that I like, I'm just going to list them here. Thus far, I really like:
Hopeful
Baroque Ladies Jacket
Cleo
Tubey
Butterfly
Lela

I like sexy, but no belly shirts here either (the last 2 kids did my "svelte" body in ;P) I don't have a preference for pullover or cardi, sleeve or sleeveless
complex knit or quick knit. (Although quick is good for the instantaneous gratification seeker in me)


Hope that helps the committee in narrowing down the nomination choices! Cindy

New Nomination

Did I miss something or has no one nominated "Hopeful" yet? If not, I would love to take this opportunity to nominate this great pattern for our next KAL. Not only is this a sexy little knit but the money from the pattern purchase goes for a FABULOUS cause! What do you all think?

Preferences?

I've just been looking over what's been nominated so far, and find it interesting that almost half are cardi's.
So I'm just wondering what you would choose: (in the prelim breakdown, in a general sense)
pullover or cardi?
sleeve or sleeveless?
complex knit or quick knit?

personally I tend to favor the really complex knits out there, but practicality tells me I really need to knit some fast summer tops. If time were not a factor at all I would be knitting both of the Garnstudio cardi's, Annie Modesitt's Silk Corset top, and Orangina.

just curious what you all would choose?

Better Late than Never?

Well, I finally buckled down and did it. I think next time I'll READ the pattern a little better, but at least knitting is a forgiving art =)

Even if I did it all kinds of crazy, I still like how it turned out.

New here

I'm soo happy to join all of you sexy knitters! I can't wait to join in the next KAL! I think it's cool that there's a "group" like this, I'm young and a long way from being a frumpy and granny knitter. So thats that!

Happy Knitting!

What a wonderful collection of patterns

I cannot nominate anything, you have nominated the best patterns, but I am very glad to have all those pattern references together here! Great knitting ideas for the future...

Another Picovoli

I finished my Picovoli yesterday and I just love the way it fits me!

I am very happy with the little changes I made... Read more in my blog.

new nomination

i love this pattern from rowans new book midas touch...aphrodite, how sexy is that! the problem is the book costs some $ but i think it's worth it. i plan to knit this swapping the yarn with katia's "idea" in the color south beach, which is cotton, rayon, & linen and is available from elann. they have a wealth of other chunky cotton blends that could be used. this may not be realistic for our KAL but i'm not too realistic either so i had to throw it out there!

Not An Official Nomination But...

Check out the Knitty surprise pattern! Very sexy even though it doesn't show a lot of skin (isn't that the best kind really?) and something I seriously thought about nominating once I saw it, but I don't know about y'all but I'm ready for some spring knits! I do think I'll nominate it though for one of our fall knit alongs... what do y'all think? Do you like it? Is it sexy enough for the SKC?

New Nomination - Cardigan in "art knitting"

Hi,

I would like to nominate this Garnstudio's Cardigan.

The pattern is available for free at Garnstudio's website. The tricky part would have to be the yarn substitution as the cardigan is knitted up using 2 different type of yarns held together.

New Nomination

I would like to nominate Simone and Solange from this Berroco booklet.

The Simone tank is every bit as sexy as some of the other strappy ones nominated, but because of the openwork in the front, it feels a bit more substantial than spagetti straps. I'm not as affraid that it's going to fall off. The beads are fun and sexy too!

I also love the very feminine lace sleeves on Solange and the soft eyelet neckline. The short sleeves would be nice for those of us that want to be covered up just a little bit more. Either would make me feel VERY sexy.

New nomination - T-Strap Top

Here is a Top that has been on my To-Do list for a long long time. So long that I almost had forgotten about it! I guess any knid of yarn can be substituted...
What do you think?

Click on the photo to see the pattern.

New Nomination - Honey(Citrus)Moon Cami

I want to nominate a design that was mentioned the first time around: the Honeymoon Cami by Julia Trice found at Knitty.com, together with its clingy colorful variation, the Citrus Moon cami, found at her website. Multiple levels of challenge, room for variation and experimentation, perfect for the upcoming season, plus..... sexy. I've been waiting to get around to knitting this one, and the FO pics I've seen from others on their blogs make it look very promising. Take a look!

We Have A Winner

We have a winner for the first SKC Picovoli knit along drawing! Saff from Saffinity is the winner of a Sexy Knitters Club T-shirt! Congratulations Saff! Thank you to all of you who participated in the Picovoli knit along -- I had a great time making this top and an even better time seeing all of the beautiful Pico's made by you sexy knitters!

Also, I've added the nominations (to date) to the side bar and will try to update the list every couple of days until the official voting takes place. If I've left any nominations out, please let me know and I'll add it. So far, the nominations are awesome and I can't wait to start the next knit along!

Nomination for KAL

With warm weather coming soon I HOPE!!! i thought this would be a fun knit.
It's from Glampyre Knits by© Stefanie Japel 2005 and it's called Orangina.
Here is the link for a better pic(it has really nice lace design) pricing and info on yarn she used.
http://glampyreknits.tripod.com/glampyrephotos/id92.html

New Nomination

I'm nominating "Essential Stripe" by Wendy Bernard. It's at The Garter Belt. It can be knit in sport weight or worsted. It can have long sleeves, 3/4 sleeves, or short sleeves. You can knit it solid or striped. The pattern can be purchased online and downloaded (no buying a book or trying to find the back issue of a magazine!) With so many options, it would be fun to see the different versions that appear from everyone's needles!