What project would you talk about, if someone asked to see (or hear about) your best knitting project? We’ve talked about knitting for relaxation vs. knitting for a challenge before. I think all of us agreed that we have some projects that would fit into each category. There are times when we don’t want to have to think about what we’re knitting, and other times when we welcome the challenge. But what do you consider your best work ever?
I think my most intricate looking project was my Girasole that I did almost two years ago. However, if you have knit one up yourself, you know that it’s surprisingly easy to knit. My most difficult project is still in progress – my Summer Sliding socks by Jeannie Cartmel. Not because the pattern is all that difficult, but because it’s one big massive chart and I’m not a big massive chart reader. Sloooow going, but I do like the looks of the finished socks. I’d need to wear them with a skirt so that everyone could see the intricacies. (No. I really wouldn’t do that. I’d just pull up my pant leg and make sure everyone appreciated them as I went through my day.) But did I mention it’s a big massive chart? And I’m not a big massive chart reader?
Loopy Elf Sue shared a link with me this week that made me think about this topic. I hope I’m still making beautiful things when I’m 87. Read about this man who has knit up some really incredible lace creations.
So what project would you consider your best work ever? Tell us about it, or leave a link to a blog or Ravelry photo, if you’d like. I think I’m going to go back and pull out my Summer Sliding socks again. Mr. Gene Beugler is inspiring.
Sheri hopingyouallhaveagreatweekend
I would say the argyle vest that I recently made for my 15-year-old son is my best work. It was challenging but very satisfying, and it looks wonderful! Best of all, he loves it and is proud to wear it.
You can see it on my Ravelry page, here:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/JerseyShoreDeb/argyll-v-neck
Deb
(JerseyShoreDeb on Ravelry)
The Kimono shawl I knit for my wedding was pretty good, but I think the hardest are the color work socks I’ve had on the needles for over a year. I knit the first one small enough that I couldn’t pull it over my heel and I haven’t quite taken the plunge to ripping all the work and starting over!
It would be my first grown up sweater. My owl sweater. My lovely blue owl sweater. I love it.
I made a pink dress from a French children’s pattern book. It had been a direct translation from someone who didn’t knit!! It took me–my pregnancy to her first b-day to finish it. It was well worth the struggle!!
The one project I’m most proud of is the Seasons Summer Shaw I knit last year. It was my first lace project and it came out awesome (after frogging and restarting about 8 times!)
I’m knitmagik on Ravelry and here’s the link:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/knitmagik/seasons-shawl—spring-summer
I took a peak at those socks. Gorgeous! So far, my most best work is probably the Hamefarin pullover I knit for my husband. Not that it’s tough knitting or anything. It’s just that when he wears it, no one believes it was hand knit. Everyone “compliments” me by saying, “Wow, that looks like it came from a store.” The best thing though, is that the husband is so proud of it, he tells everyone I made it. 🙂
The stole i knit for my daughter’s wedding would be my best lace work.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/danamary/project-7—unst-lace-stole
the Lillihammer sweater in knit for my husband would be my best sweater work.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/danamary/184—lillehammer-1994
the best thing is that both items are loved and worn by the recipients.
Girasole is one of my best pieces and my February Lady Sweater in Classy spring Tickle is another one of my best.
Wow, what a wonderful article. I have a few lacy type things but nothing very challenging and nothing as beautiful as that table cloth. I do use size zero needles to knit my socks so I do understand how long it takes to do them but I have never used lace weight yarn. I have used cotton crochet thread and crocheted a few doilies but they did not look anything like that table cloth.
Until I had the aha moment in knitting when I could actually read my knitting most everything was a challenge. I think it took almost three years before my brain accepted knitting. I laugh at myself because I knit quite a few things but I did not really understand my knitting. I started a scarf for myself in 2006 and picked it up again in 2009 and I was just amazed at the difference in my understanding and reading of my knitting. I struggled so with the pattern and the stitches when I first started the scarf and that is why it sat for years. One day I decided to just pick it up and start working on it and that is my wow moment. So this scarf was a tremendous challenge to me for it also was the turning point in my love affair with knitting. Hope the link below works if not, then this is my new challenge.
I would have to say my Girasole, too. I am so proud of it. And it holds lots of pleasant memeories when I think of the places that I worked on it.
Your Girasole is beautiful!!
My most challenging project was a knitted lace wedding dress and was one of the most beautiful things I’ve made.
A few of the lace shawls I’ve knit recently have turned out really nicely, too; and a very cute hat & set of baby girl booties to match worked up absolutely adorably! 🙂
My most challenging project so far was Wendy Johnson’s Pi Shawl. It was the first time I knit with lace weight.
any of my colorwork projects: both finished and unfinished! like Pine Tree Shawl (finished) or my Kauni sweater (UFO)
I don’t know if it’s actually my best but the one I get the most compliments on is a free-form, designed on the needles, triangular lace shawl that I made for a friend. I used a lace-weight alpaca dyed in shades of grey and cream with a mere touch of gold. Winging it was rather fun and the friend loves it. One day I need to remember to take a photo of it.
Well, my best work ever is probably the cable vest I made my mom. Followed closely by any number of fair isle hats I’ve made as presents. I don’t have pics of these things to link to, but if you want to see I can put some up. Hardest would be the afghan I’m still working on for my friend Kendra because it’s yarn I’m not crazy about, and it’s a BORING BORING BORINGly simple pattern. As for the most compliments? Well… the dog ate that one. Guess he liked it, too. 😀
My most challenging project to date has to be the all-over fair isle socks I made to enter into my local craft show last year. You can see them here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Laurenlolly/wallflower
And yes they won, first prize 🙂
It would have to be a toss up between my first lace project which was my Girasole, Honey Baby which I finished right after Fling last year and the Haruni shawl I made with the Wollmeise from last years Fling. None of them are in my possession as they were all gifts.
Initially, I would have to say my first pair of socks.
However, after thinking about it I would go with my Tuscany shawl. This was the first time I used a chart to knit a pattern, it was lace knitting, going from bottom up seemed to take forever…yet when I look at it I’m so proud I finished it!
I think my most complex project that I’m most proud of is my Alice Starmore Oregon Vest (http://www.ravelry.com/projects/socksformum/oregon-vest) but, like your Girasole, it looks much more complex than it really was. My most chart challenged project was my Inishmaan sweater……there were LOTS of charts to follow! (http://www.ravelry.com/projects/socksformum/inishmaan)
I have two projects and they are both currently on my needles. (And that may why I am so proud since I generally love what I’m working on best.) One is a very large garter stitch blanket with an intarsia stockinette panel for the center. The other is a lace scarf frm silk thread on tiny needles. Both are my own design and are relatively simple but are turning out much better than I had expected.
So far, it’s been my Juneberry Shawl from Jared Flood. I do so love the way it turned out, and despite being rather challenging with the lace on both sides, it really wasn’t THAT hard. Sheri, there’s a new book called Charts Made Simple by JC Briar that make the chart reading easier. I have a copy, and it’s really quite good.
Oh I feel like such an underachiever! I think an entrelac bag was my most difficult and that was not all that difficult! I’ve worked on several lace projects but I have a ‘finishing’ problem. 🙂
That man knits with cotton thread….God bless him! I have yet to knit with lace weight yarn…but have often thought about it. Someday. The photo of his lace work is something else. Thanks for sharing that! When I first started knitting I found an old book of my grandmother’s – I wanted to knit a pair of booties that were pretty and lacy. I called all over trying to find out a compatible “yarn” to knit them in (as the one in the book was no longer made) One shop I called asked me “Do you know what sewing thread is like? The yarn you are looking for was thinner than that” I almost fell over. Never even tried them. I admire anyone past or present who has that much dedication and patience!
Is it terrible to say that I’m in love with almost every project I’ve ever had? Though I really think that my best work ever would have to be my Struan. Everyone compliments me on it, and it was actually incredibly easy to knit up.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14889256@N00/5103506268
I’m going to go with my variation on the Burridge Lake Aran Afghan. Which reminds me, I still need to re-chart and save all of my notes better so I can make myself one. I think this has been the only project I was sad to give away, and even though it took most of a year to finish, I really want to knit one for myself!
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Shlaci/burridge-lake-aran-afghan
My best knitting to date is the pair of Selbu Mittens I made this winter. They came out at the correct gauge, looked gorgeous, and represented a new level of Fair Isle knitting for me (ie, at fingering weight instead of DK or worsted.)
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/17thstitch/selbu-mittens
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/taigaknits/flower-hat
this was hard for me because it was my first stranded and took forever and i messed up alot anf had to keep restarting, but i stuck with it
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/taigaknits/icarus-shawl
and this because i am not really a shawl fan and not a lace fan and i stuck with this and it turne dout really nice.
My best work, I think, and the one I’m certainly proudest of, is the wedding shawl I designed and knit for my friend…after (over)dyeing the yarn myself as well. Also, shall I mention that it was only the second lace shawl I’d ever knit, and I hadn’t had time to finish the first one before designing and knitting this one? 😉 Despite those handicaps, it turned out exactly as I had hoped.
Main shawl pictures are here:
http://hitherandyarn.wordpress.com/2007/11/09/friday-eye-candy-2/
and the whole saga, from overdyeing the red-and-pink (!) alpaca to the wedding day (plus design notes) is here:
http://hitherandyarn.wordpress.com/tag/wedding-pi-shawl/
I never have gotten around to writing up the pattern….
I haven’t done my best yet. But I will let you know when I have finished!
I think Anne Hanson has been to Eugene Beugler’s house before and has had an interview or at least an evening with him! What a wonderful knitter.
The socks are beautiful, but most of the wonderful work would be hidden by shoes. I’ve stopped knitting patterned socks after the gusset and just done stockingknit because it’s normally been hidden.
My best and most complicated knitting to date was Ann Hanson’s Alhambra shawl, done in DiC Baby “Ruby River”, which I chose for the challenge of having to pay attention on both sides (there’s lace work on the purl side, too). I knit it up for a Loopy Ewe swap, and it was kind of tough to send it on its way but now I know how to knit up that pattern so I can make one for myself.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/vatergrrl/alhambra
I would either pick my Arisaig done in Gray Alpaca or the blanket that is soon to be finished for a wedding. I didn’t knit all of it, but I got a bunch of people to knit squares, put them together and am going to knit a border.
My most beautiful and most perfect piece is the bluebird shawl designed by Romi Hill that I made for my Mom last summer. And just to make it even more perfect, I also gave her one of Romi’s Blluebird shawl pins!!
WOW! thank you for sharing the link about Gene Beugler. I agree that it would be an honor to meet him.
I think my Clapotis is what I would show.
I think one of my best was the Baltic Sea Stole that I made from Kidsilk Haze and beaded. It was a great project and never boring. Using markers between each section and a different colored marker to mark the front side really helped. here’s the ravelry link:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/farflegirl/baltic-sea-stole-ac-50
The other would be Knitspot’s Palimpsest. I finished it recently, but don’t have good pics up yet. Lace on both sides-fantastic pattern.
I’d also have to go with an argyle v-neck:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/SleepySlug/deep-v-argyle-vest
Something about argyle just says accomplishment!
In all seriousness, that was probably my most interesting project, and one I had wanted to make for years– I had to steek, and then I had to do sort of weird things with my steeks, because I did it in a wool-cotton blend. The colorwork was the least intimidating part of the whole thing!
So far, I would say it’s a toss up between the Aran sweater I made for my nephew and the Rescue 1 bibs I designed and knit. The latter was hard despite being just a bib because I had to chart the Maltese Cross and knit intarsia. But soon, the project that will be my best project is the Lace Capelet that is nearly complete.
I knit for the challenge of deciphering the pattern and rendering a bunch of symbols into 3 dimensions with lovely textures and delicious colors.
The most challenging item I have worked on is Jared Flood’s Girasole. It is not finished yet! But it will be…..I hope!
My best work was probably the sweater I made for my husband for our first anniversary. 🙂
I made a green lopi sweater for my mother about 30 years ago. I still cannot believe that I made it.
So far it’s my honeybee shawl from handspun
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/fennel/honeybee-stole
But I have miles to go before I sleep.
This is my best knit project so far. It’s a sweater set made for my middle granddaughter who is seven months old. Her name is Lilly.
Number one, I’m especially proud of the really nice job I did knitting it and, number two, I’m proud to be still alive in order to knit for my granddaughters.
I was diagnosed with Stage III Colon Cancer in September 2007 at the age of 45. I was only given a few months but by the Grace of God and many prayers plus really good doctors I am still here! And still knitting! 🙂
My knitting project didn’t show up. I’ll try it another way and hopefully it’ll work.
My best work would be the two afghans I made as wedding gifts for my sisters-in-law. Both were cabled and made with organic cotton. I blogged about them at http://thisoldknit.blogspot.com.