African Violet Designs

Here are photos of two designs that were used in the online 2014 African Violet Brat Pack 2 Design Contest.

Title:  Alice

 

Violet - The White Rabbit

 

 

 

Title:  Cherished Souvenirs

 

Materials: Scarf, placemat, onyx box, pearls, AVSA Convention souvenirs

African violet blossoms: Aca's Curious George and Mighty Fine



Heather Weather Cardigan

I completed this self-designed hand knitted cardigan at the end of April 2014.

It is knitted of Autumn Heather Caron Simply Soft, with accents in novelty yarns from my stash.  

 

 

Front of Sweater

 

 

Detail of Yoke

 

 

Back of Sweater

 

(click on pictures to see larger view)

 



Drop Dead Red Cardigan Sweater

I designed and knitted this sweater.  It was completed on November 22, 2013

 

 

I love red and I never have too many red sweaters.  I knitted this one from the bottom up.  I knitted the sleeves in the round, then knitted them onto the body.  A short distance up from the armholes, I started the yoke. 

 

I knitted most of the sweater in Caron Simply Soft - Red with some CSS Autumn Red.  I knitted some of the yoke with two strands of CSS with some Yarn Bee Decadence - Ruby Dream and Bernat Eyelash - Lipstick.  These yarns were some I had purchased on various sales and were available in my stash.  They added texture and style to the yoke, or at least I like to think so.

 

 

 

 

The buttons start at the bottom and end at the yoke.

 

 

 

 

I plan to get a lot of wear out of this sweater during the holidays!

 

 

Sylvia



Garden Trellis Cardigan Sweater

This self-designed cardigan sweater was also finished in May of 2013.  The body is knitted in one piece on Size 7 Addi Turbo circular needles.  The yarns are Caron Simply Soft.  The sleeves were knitted on my Bond knitting machine in an  unknown synthetic yarn from the Bemidji Woolen Mill's mill end bins.  The ribbing and the button bands and neck band were knitted with Deborah Norville Serenity Chunky Weight yarn and size 6 needles.

Brilliant Bemidji Cardigan

I knitted this self-designed cardigan mainly with yarns from the Bemidji Woolen Mill mill end bins.  The colors mimic the brilliant blues of Lake Bemidji in northern Minnesota.

It was completed in May, 2013.

It was knitted all in one piece using size 7 Addi Turbo circular size 7 needles. 

The sweater is one that I will wear myself.  The yarns are all acrylic, except the upper sleeve yarn, which is a washable wool blend yarn.

Front of the sweater:

Back of the sweater:

Sweater detail:

Machine/Hand Knit V Neck Sweater

Bruce's V Neck Sweater

 

This is the first project that I have completed using my Bond knitting machine.  Knitting with a Bond machine can be a little challenging, but once you practice, it goes quite well.  It is fast and the knitted pieces are very even. 

 

This sweater was knit from mill end yarn from The Bemidji Knitting Mill.  It is acrylic yarn, similar to Caron Simply Soft.  I knit the back of the sweater, and the sleeves using the machine.  I also knitted the front up to the start of the V neck from the bottom.  I removed all of the pieces from the machine leaving live stitches.

 

I picked up the live stitches with a size 8 circular Addi Turbo needle and shaped the V neck and finished the front.  Then, I joined the front to the back, using the 3 needle bind off.  I sewed the sides and the sleeves together, then picked up the live stitches and added the ribbing to the bottom, the sleeves and the neck by hand. 

 

My husband was pleased with the fit and feel of the sweater.

 

Photo of the Bond knitting machine knitting a trial swatch:

 





(click for a larger view)

Here are photos of Bruce wearing his new sweater.

 

 







The Wild Isle Cardigan

 

 

I knitted this sweater using yarns from my stash.  They originally came from the yarn ends at the Bemidji Woolen Mill.  There are 10 colors of yarn used with charts from: "Traditional Fair Isle Knitting" by Sheila McGregor.

 

 

 

 

 

I called my original design "The Wild Isle", because the self striping yarn used for the body background and the sleeves, bottom, cuffs, and collar, give the sweater a slightly wacky look that contrasts with the traditional Fair Isle body design.