Knitting

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Knitting from your Stash

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Continuing on from the post of a few days ago, I came across this blog entry. It’s a challenge from [tag]Wendy Johnson[/tag]. Wendy is a lifelong knitter and creator of one of the most popular [tag]knitting blogs [/tag]online. She has been quoted or featured in many major knitting magazines, and has created designs and taught classes for [tag]Knit Happens[/tag], the celebrated yarn shop in Alexandria, Virginia.

Wendy has been challenged to knit solely from her stash in 2007. The guidelines are simple and Wendy will update us as she knits. The list of completed projects is on the right side bar.

Would you be able to do this? – knit just from your stash for nine months. Not buying any additional yarn unless it was to finish a work in progress? I’m not sure I could. First I’m sure I don’t have the stash that Wendy has, and secondly to deprive myself from not hitting a yarn store weekly? Not to smell the wool, touch the soft baby yarns, dream of socks knit in the latest hand-dyed yarns?

No way I say!

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

A Short and Sweet Top to Knit for Summer

I think one of the things that keeps me from wearing some of the summer tops that I have knit is that when they use worsted weight yarn, they’re actually heavier and warmer than a normal T-shirt would be. Which sometimes is fine, since I tend to be cold, but it’s not always what you want from your warm-weather gear.

That’s why shirts and tops knit with fingering (aka sock) yarn are so great. They’re super light weight and honestly they don’t take as long to knit as you probably think they will.

I’m sure that’s true with the Maya Top from Gavriella Treminio, especially if you choose the cropped length option. This top down sweater has a textured circular yoke with bobbles and eyelets, while the rest of the body is worked in stockinette stitch. Other than the integrated ribbed neckband, other edges are left in stockinette so they will roll slightly to finish the casual look. 

The design comes with seven different size options, ranging from 36 to 62 inches in the chest. The pattern page doesn’t say how much ease is meant to be included in the pattern, but starting at size 36 would leave it pretty roomy for folks in the smaller sizes.

I don’t think the suggested yarn is made anymore, but it looks like a top that would be lovely in a mercerized cotton or a linen and silk blend, something with a little bit of shine to it. This is one of those times when the yarn suggestions on Ravelry can be super helpful because you can see what yarn other people used and how their finished projects came out.

You can get this pattern on Ravelry.

Looking for more summer top patterns? I’ve collected some lacy top knitting patterns here, and a few great tank top knitting patterns here.

[Photo: Gavriella Treminio.]

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