Last year's GAL patterns for me ranged from socks to childrenswear, toys to sweaters, mittens to Christmas decorations. I must confess to not having knitted them all yet but I did make a good start on working my way through my extended pattern library, and this post looks at two of the patterns I made from last year's Gift-A-Long.
The first is Elphaba, a ladies' fingering weight sweater by Mary Annarella (marymealittle on Ravelry).
The first is Elphaba, a ladies' fingering weight sweater by Mary Annarella (marymealittle on Ravelry).
This is the first time I had worked an adult-size sweater top-down. I've used that method for baby cardigans before but never on something this scale, but the pattern is very well-written and I was confident to follow it. What I especially liked was the section on fit at the end of the pattern - several pages of notes and suggestions on how best to adapt the pattern to suit your body shape. I used this section to add bust darts. I've never done that before, but the sweater is intended to be quite fitted and I'm relatively bigger in the bust than in the waist or hips so I wanted to add extra fabric there. I also adjusted the waist shaping, to make the waist smaller, and added extra rounds of stocking stitch before working the lace edging at the hem. I'm short in stature but long in the torso and need extra length in my sweaters for a comfortable fit.
I really like the neckline on this garment. Low enough to be flattering but still high enough to be decent! And the simple band at the neck is perfect for the style of the rest of the sweater. I plan to knit this one again in the future.
The second pattern from last year's GAL is Empyrean gloves by Sharon Fuller (sharonf on Ravelry). I had received this as part of a pattern exchange, and must admit I was a little wary when I found it had been allocated to me, because I'd made mittens and fingerless mitts before but never gloves with fingers.
I really like the neckline on this garment. Low enough to be flattering but still high enough to be decent! And the simple band at the neck is perfect for the style of the rest of the sweater. I plan to knit this one again in the future.
The second pattern from last year's GAL is Empyrean gloves by Sharon Fuller (sharonf on Ravelry). I had received this as part of a pattern exchange, and must admit I was a little wary when I found it had been allocated to me, because I'd made mittens and fingerless mitts before but never gloves with fingers.
Photo courtesy of and copyright Sharon Fuller
I had made my mother-in-law a scarf as her Christmas gift and had just enough yarn left over to make these gloves to go along with it. Luckily the scarf was neutral enough that, even though the patterns aren't connected in any way, the matching yarn made it look like they were intended as a set, and I had some pearl beads left from another project too, so I got stuck in.
There was a slight issue with the charts which has now been resolved, and I felt happy enough to dive in with making the individual fingers for the first time.
I especially love the beaded hem on these gloves. The beading on the backs of the hands is subtle and adds a touch of pizzaz to these classic gloves. They're simple enough for everyday wear but would not look out of place worn with a dress coat for a smarter occasion.
Not only was I pleased with my gloves, so was my mother-in-law, and she has said she has had plenty of compliments on them from her friends. (And they do fit her - the photo here shows me wearing them and I have crazy-short fingers!!)
I had made my mother-in-law a scarf as her Christmas gift and had just enough yarn left over to make these gloves to go along with it. Luckily the scarf was neutral enough that, even though the patterns aren't connected in any way, the matching yarn made it look like they were intended as a set, and I had some pearl beads left from another project too, so I got stuck in.
There was a slight issue with the charts which has now been resolved, and I felt happy enough to dive in with making the individual fingers for the first time.
I especially love the beaded hem on these gloves. The beading on the backs of the hands is subtle and adds a touch of pizzaz to these classic gloves. They're simple enough for everyday wear but would not look out of place worn with a dress coat for a smarter occasion.
Not only was I pleased with my gloves, so was my mother-in-law, and she has said she has had plenty of compliments on them from her friends. (And they do fit her - the photo here shows me wearing them and I have crazy-short fingers!!)
Both the designers of these patterns are participating in this year's gift-a-long too. If you like them, click on the pattern names in the text to be taken to the pattern's Ravelry page, or on the designer's name to go to her Ravelry page and see more examples of her work.
Come back on Thursday to read about more patterns I knitted from last year's GAL and maybe get some ideas for your list for this year's.
What patterns have you found in the list so far?!
Come back on Thursday to read about more patterns I knitted from last year's GAL and maybe get some ideas for your list for this year's.
What patterns have you found in the list so far?!
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