Chugging away on a minimum of three different projects right now, but somehow I’m managing to make good progress on all of them. Doesn’t hurt that my “At computer” project is one of the speediest things I’ve ever made.
Here’s the first in a set of Filigree gloves from Knitting New Mittens & Gloves. I’m the first on Ravelry to have a picture of the elbow length version up, and I have to say I was a little worried about how they’d turn out. First of all, the directions for that lovely openwork stitch pattern at a bit confusing when you first get a look at them. I remember starting the first glove, finishing the purl row-knit row-purl row cuff, looking at the stitch pattern and literally blinking at it in confusion like a cartoon character. I set the glove down, made a cup of tea, and sat back for a few minutes looking from the glove, to the directions, back to the glove. First few tries were pure failure, but now that I’ve got it right, I feel kinda stupid for not getting it right away. Something about the wording must have set off the “lol wut?” part of my brain.
As to the yarn I’m using (Rowan Handknit cotton) it’s, as usual, a substitution, but the yarn called for is also 100% cotton, so I figured it’d be a justifiable substitute. I was nervous about how well the mitt would hold its shape in the cotton, like if it would stretch out so bad it’d end up around my wrist, but it seems to be gripping nicely. One thing I could do without is that they *really* seem to have overestimated the yarn amount. It took my less than 1 skien to make one elbow length mitt. Whit any luck the nice yarn store will let me return the third skein I know I’m not even going to touch.
Speaking of yarn without a prupose, it’s become a serious issue for me. In terms of wool based yarn, it’s not much of a problem. I’ve got at least a general idea for, I’d say, 90% of it. If there’s no pattern in mind, it’s going to the Babette blanket…but what about all this crappy acrylic? Please note that I said “crappy” acrylic. There is some fine acrylic out there…this isn’t it. It’s old Red Heart Super Saver from at least 8 years ago before they “reformulated.” It’s rough and squeaky. I’m hesitant to even make toys out of some of this stuff. Making a blanket is right out. I’d LOVE to find somewhere to donate it, and there’s a nursing home right in my town that might find use for it in a craft class or just as something for the residents to pass the time with. It’s not useless, I just don’t want it based on the colors and the feel. I can only use so much waste yarn for invisible cast ons and stitch holders. The last thing I want to do is throw it away, but I don’t think anyone would even want to trade for it.
On a final note, I finally found the pattern for the Toujours Pur socks! My mother decided to “clean up” my desk over a month ago meaning I lost about 25 pieces of paper that I needed ranging from several printed out knitting patterns to important flight information about getting to my friend’s wedding in North Carolina. I will never see those things again, but I guess the thickness of the paper on the sock pattern made her hold off on just tossing it out. So now that second sock (which has been languishing since March at least) is getting a little attention again. At this rate I may finish it before August. Weee!
This is the Flutter Sleeve Cardigan for the Spring Interweave. I’ve actually been working on it since the beginning of the month, but as busy as I’ve been, bloging’s gotten shoved down the priority list. I’m knitting it in Rowan Handknit Cotton, a yarn that doesn’t seem to get much use in full sized sweaters if my skimming of Ravelry is any indication. But so far I’ve got nothing but love for this stuff. It’s got a good hand and shows texture very well. Plus it comes in like a billion colors. I’m also really enjoying the pattern itself. The “kimono construction” is really neat and I’ve never done anything like it before. I am, however, concerned about how well my short-rows are concealing themselves in this yarn. A good blocking should cover up the little gaps (I’m hesitant to call them holes). Then there’s the ever popular “I sure hope I’m reading this pattern right..” paranoia, but that’s nothing new.
The other really active project is the Victorian Lace Today Melon Shawl. I really need to get trucking on this one since I want to be able to wear it to a wedding in early June. Sure the wedding is in North Carolina and the last thing I’m going to want is some fuzzy whatever stuck to my shoulders, but it’s always good to have something like a shawl on hand just in case. This is a gorgeous pattern and deserves all the raves it’s gotten. Super easy to memorize and execute, it’s surprisingly good TV knitting.
I was so proud of myself for finishing the Wishbone sweater. It’s big, it’s warm, I can tuck my legs in to it if need be…it’s exactly what I wanted out of this sweater! Since I finished it a few days ago, it’s been serving as nice alternative to freezing my butt off in the basement. No “in action” shots yet because I was such a mess this morning when I took the pictures. No one needs to see medusa hair and red eyes on a knitting blog.
pattern for Gretel is, as usual for an Ysolda pattern, phenominally well written. It’s amazing just how much quicker a project goes when you have a detailed set of instructions to work with. I’m already lapping the “regular sized” version and headed in to the slouchy. Moreover, this project lead me to learn an all new tublar cast on that I’ll probably be subbing in on any future hats. It makes a great edge that looks very clean. The yarn is also new to me: Rowan Kid Classic in a stormy blue that I love. It’s also much softer than I expected.
Sadly, I ended up with a pretty big problem when it came time to do the toe on the Toujours Pur sock. The pattern includes a standard toe, but *once again* my standard toe came out silly looking and ill fitting. The sock itself is gorgeous so there was no way I could let it lanuish with a terrible toe. I went through all my reference books (I’m obsessed with reference books like dictionaries and encyclopedias and how-to manuals) and discovered the “round toe.” After some creativity with stitch count, I got the sock down to 64 total stitches and followed the instructions in More Sensational Knitted Socks from there. One can never have too complete a reference library, if you ask me.
sweater. I’m using some old Wool-Ease Chunky in Charcol to make a quick pullover for around the house. The gague of 2.5 sts to the inch is *killing* me. I ended up on 17s to make this beast. But the fabric is coming out just how I’d hoped and I’m up to the part where I need to make the sleeves….And here’s where the problems come in. First of all, I don’t have another set of 17s I can work a 20 stitch cast on from. There’s the addis I’m using on the obdy and that basically has surgical tubing for a cord…not so much gonna happen with the magic loop, and I’m not even sure size 17 dpns exist. That’d be quite a sight…But I’m gonna give it my best seeing how the 17 tips and 40″ cords I just ordered for my Options do. If that fails…I can use my hated bargin bin 17s with the gnarly plastic cord of doom and do a two circular trick. Yuck.
Lastly, I’m making a lace…thing. It’s the ultimate in simplicity but it’s really teaching me the structure of lace. The pattern itself consists of a mind boggling 132 repeats of faggoting (I feel like I need to apologize to a couple of friends just for typing that), after which you attach a simple border. I don’t know how to do any of that stuff, so even though it’s not exactly the more eye catching of lace pieces, it’s a valuable learning lesson…one that, clearly, I haven’t gotten very far with. Picked the red while I was in a Project Spectrum-y mood and I still like it. I don’t own enough of the deeper, hotter end of the color chart. The icky pink acrylic (it actually squeeks!) making an appearance in this pic and the house sweater above, is not meant to be included. It’s just my least splitty, most easily visible waste yarn. I made some regretable choices as a beginning knitter.
length made a huge difference in how well they fit under shoes. I got probably a third of the sock done just during the Super Bowl (Go Giants!), and finishing them off on Monday was a cinch. One thing I’m less than pleased with is the toe. I wish I could figure out how to get my top-down toes less square and more rounded. It’s not that they’re uncomfortable to wear, but I feel like they look a bit strange. Still, good socks and I cast on for Book 5’s socks right after the last end was sewn (mmmmm…silky blue awesomeness….)
Oh and the Hartshorn vest! It’s still being worked on. In fact, I fudged my way through some bust increases recently, so the split should be coming up in about an inch or so. My biggest worry is that it’s going to be weirdly big. Not only did I factor in about two inches of positive ease with my calculations, but I’ve also been losing weight. Pilates classes are fun, but they can muck with your knitting calculations.
but I *can* tag..
yarn and kind of rediscovered it and other neglected bits. Note to self: The Baruffa stuff is beautiful. Somehow the color shows up more clearly now that it’s in a cake instead of a big droopy hank. Makes me *really* want to cast on something daring, but no. First it’s what I have on the needles, with the occasional one-skein project to chip away at the small bits.
The attempts to knit from stash are going very well, I think. The Hartshorn vest is trucking along at a rate I’m really happy with. It looks like I’ll have leftover, but spare DK weight yarn isn’t a bad thing. I have a bunch of hat patterns that call for it. I’ve kinda mapped out that my focus is going to be on the big deposits of sweater yarn. Once I’m done with this vest, I have the Pastaza for the Cozy V-Neck all ready to go. Sock yarn is also getting a cleanout….mostly so I can buy new sock yarn. I’m also looking in to a way I can donate a lot of my old acrylic to Project Linus. I know I’m not a fast enough crocheter to make blankets on a deadline, but I do have the yarn for it, so it can’t hurt to try and donate the raw materials.
each! $1!! And the shears were on sale! And the thing is I’m honestly getting better with sewing. My seams are straighter, I’m not as terrified of the machine, and the little brick of tailor’s chalk I got has been the biggest help of all. For example, no matter how use less this little varient on the box bag may look, it contains some of the straightest stiching I’ve done to date. The patterns I got are mainly for SUPER pretty day-dresses and I’d love to start working on them, but with so many other pieces of fabric already cut out and waiting for some attention, They’ll just have to stay on the back burner for now.
