April 2006 Archives

Sometimes classic styling just. Works. Out.

Pattern: My own, based on Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top chapters on Vests and Inset Sleeves.
Yarn: Gedifra Modern Cotton (50% cotton, 35% rayon and 15% polyester; 50g; 130 yards) in 3219 Rose
Needles: US7 for body, US6 for neckline ribbing, US8 for cuff and body ribbing

(Please excuse knobby climber fingers.) I have to say, for reals now, that I love this sweater! Love, love, love it!

It must be said that every part of this sweater with the exception of the shoulder shaping, has been reknit at least once. A time-consuming experience, but one that has left me all the wiser regarding knitting for my body. I had knit the neckline with a US7 before and it was a little too loose (and deep) for my taste, so I tried with a US6. Much better. You know, there aren't any specific rules regarding needle size, so I thought of what instinctively would work for me here. The sleeves were knit straight after decreases; no bell sleeves on this baby. The body was reknit from the boobal line because there weren't enough decreases and increases to fit my torso. Let's see, what else? Oh yeah, combined knitting for the ribbing, a very cool idea!

I *highly* recommend Miss Walker's book to anyone who wants to make the perfect sweater for themselves. I'll be using it for more down the line; maybe add texture and more color. Lauren and I have been exchanging emails on the possibilities of doing so much more with the top-down technique, such as texture and color. I would definitely want to try the simultaneously-knit sleeve concept as well. I've been inspired!

Thanks, everyone, for the comments! I loved taking the lace pictures; the opportunity presented itself early Monday and I went with it. I really liked the play of light and dark on the second one, like Mia, who's been taking some fabulous pictures herself (check her previous entry for some hunky firemen!). From the spinning comments, I'm guessing that my rolags are fine? I enjoyed making them, actually. I had doubts about the felted state of the fiber, but a few runs on the ancient cards revived them. Oh, and they've spun up beautifully!

Here are some links for your perusal:

◊ Jared's awesome cardigan version of a ribbed/cabled sweater from P*ton's. I want to make one for BF!
◊ Filipino food blogs! Market Manila, Eat Matters, and Pinoy Cook. Filipino food is a great mishmash of Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Spanish, and Filipino. Restaurants are hit-and-miss; they're either heavy on the grease or not flavorful enough. But you should definitely give it a try.
◊ I want to make a wee wonderfuls bunny for the niece.
◊ Have you seen Lauren's top-down crew-neck sweater? Amazing! And it took her what? A week? I feel like such a frickin' slacker.
◊ Photos of my road trip to New Mexico and Arizona. The digital point-and-shoot was great: light and compact, it's tumbled over a few hills in its time and has always come out unscathed.
◊ Okay, this is *rilly* funny (thanks to friend Dave for the link). I don't know if you've ever seen the little monster man clip, but you'll be laughing hard.

I've opened comments. Tell me you peed in your pants watching it. Or tell me anything!

5.00a.

8.00a.

An early Monday morning offers a great opportunity for interesting pictures.

I have no real reference, other than pictures on the web, of hand-carded rolags. These are fluffy, long, and absolutely beautiful in late afternoon light. I just want to keep them as they are!

I'm *finally* spinning the yummy Clun/Cormo mix from Mia. My samples above, hastily spun, as I was excited to be working with such amazingly soft downy fiber. On the P*st-It pad we have a loosely-plied 4-ply laceweight. The other two are 3-ply, with the left spun worsted and the right spun woollen. I'll need to sample again, as the fiber was matted in places. I do like the little nubs and unevenness, but I'd like a more consistent sample to work against.

It's big. I used all 6 balls of yarn; I've got about 4 yards left! He he, I lucked out. Little miss Flower Basket is big enough as it is to cover me, no blocking required. I had to lay it on the queen-sized bed. Pardon the brightly colored bedding; this was BF's pre-MJ, bachelor sheets that he has been loathe to part with. (And therefore insists on using *all* the time.)

Pretty little flower baskets! I would keep the unblocked rumpledness if it weren't for the scalloped edges curling up. Out with the pins! It will be flat, stretched, and dried by Monday! Or earlier. I have ends to weave in (11, to be sure), not as much as Cara's Short Rows sweater (scroll down to March 17 entry)! Now the sweater... *that* was a lot of ends!

It's raining, ugh.

Prim's asked about the sweater and I've delivered. Here's the neckline, your standard V with ribbing. Remarkable only in that it was knit top-down. Stand on your head, it's the only way this picture--and my technique! those increases!--will impress you. Hee hee!

The only real seam is where I had to pick up sleeve stitches around the closed sleeve hole. I had to tighten up a bunch of stitches after the sleeves were knit on; this yarn is very sproingy.

I should've taken more pictures yesterday. My poor felted k**l-aid roving, the 3-color one. I've opened it up and yes, it needs a run through my vintage hand carders. I'll be able to spin the rest of the fiber today.

I'm back! And thankful for:

◊ Four solid walls (Not a tent that smells like smoke and shudders violently in the wind.)
◊ Showers (Five days on wet wipes and hair matted like badly prepared top.)
◊ Toilets (They flush here! In civilization! No covering in dirt and topping off with a rock!)
◊ Hot food (High altitudes turn steaming hot chocolate into cold lumps in brown water, ick.)
◊ BF at home, with dinner on the stove.

Home sweet home. I'll tell you all about it later.

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Warning: long post. I'll post further updates to any finishers--Andrea and Kerry, great finish, girls!--for the next week or so. See you next Thursday!

All entries | KAL Gallery | CAPS = finished project

Sweaters & Vests
◊ Jen
◊ Rebekkah
◊ JILL
◊ SYDNEY
◊ JULIA
◊ LIZ
◊ CATHERINE
◊ Beth

Socks & Stockings
◊ Rachel
◊ Jessica
◊ JESS
◊ Jenny
◊ Meow Girl has finished her stockings! Research be damned, at least she has socks to keep her warm! Great job, MG!
◊ LIZ
◊ KATE
◊ Kerry finished her stockings too! They look great with the heels, Kerry!
◊ KELLY
◊ Prim has her second stocking but alas, no photo. But hey, it looks remarkably similar to this.

Mittens & Gloves
◊ WENDY
◊ Terri
◊ Paula
◊ VIRTUELLA
◊ Carie
◊ Mary Beth
◊ Katie
◊ VERONIQUE
◊ NANETTE
◊ Blogless TERI R
◊ Liz

Hats & Headbands
◊ JILLIAN
◊ Blogless Ellen
◊ ADRIAN
◊ Angela
◊ ANDREA
◊ Tiffany
◊ SARAH
◊ Susan
◊ MICHELLE
◊ NANCY
◊ JESSICA
◊ KIM
◊ CAITLYN
◊ SARAH W
◊ PHOEBE
◊ EVA
◊ Pixie
◊ MONICA
◊ STACEY
◊ Your host just received this picture from Germany of BF's "niece" trying out her Let It Snow! hat. Sooo cute, she is!

Miscellaneous
◊ Andrea has finished her bag! And it is a lovely melange of colors! It's really, really beautifully done!
◊ Jennifer has her Zombie Wristwarmers published in the April 2006 edition of Magknits! Congratulations, Jennifer! People with yarn scraps; here's a good pattern for you.

Honorary Knitalongers
◊ Strikkelise
◊ Elin
◊ Silja

There *will* be another Norwegian Knits-Along at the end of this year, for those who didn't get to finish their projects (another chance!) or those who want to knit another. If you're still jonesing for Norwegian knitting, why not join the Norge Knit group?

This being my first time hosting a KAL, I was faced with some unforeseen issues. If you're thinking of hosting a KAL, here is my advice:

◊ Set a time limit. It also helps if you indicate the week in your post title.
◊ Decide how the KAL should be managed. Should it be one you monitor and either a: ask participants to email you with updates, or b: check everyone's sites weekly? I prefer this over because I get to look at everyone's site (and thankfully there were less than 50 participants) and read about their progress. OR should it be an absentee host KAL, where participants post their own notes on an independent blog? I don't think this is as engaging as the first option. Besides, as a host, you're supposed to be watching over the KAL.
◊ Expect life to intrude once in a while. There were instances where holidays, work, and more work took priority over knitting and the KAL. This will happen. Just make sure you cover those missed weeks in the following update, or, better yet, have a participant blogger post on your behalf. (I should've thought of that. Earlier.)
◊ Check your emails frequently. Blogless participants send pictures; post those on their behalf. Also, check for people who want to join along the way.
◊ Categorize your participants. If it's a general knitalong such as this was, it's good to know who's knitting what so everyone can compare notes.
◊ Post a gallery of finished work. *Clearly* the most satisfying part of the KAL. I love having a page full of beautiful knitted items. Obtain permission from the owners (or make it part of your rules), give credit, and link to their posts. It's good to have a story.

Fiber: Peach Pink Merino, 8 oz
Purchased from: Copper Moose
Yield: 283 yards. I think. I may need to count again, it's been a while.
Weight: Alternately worsted to bulky; mostly bulky. So much for consistency!

There has just been a little too much rain for my taste. Sometimes it's great to run, head uncovered, and feel the mist. Other times when it's a deluge and you're halfway into a 5-miler it isn't very pleasant. Thankfully, my yarn (yarn!) has dried and the sun has decided to come out for an hour or so.

How about a closeup? I think a nice scarf is in order. Or a hat with flaps. It's about time I used my handspun.

I'm off to New Mexico early Saturday morning, but worry not: the last Norwegian KAL post will appear Friday! Anyway, a girlfriend and I are doing a 5-day climbing road trip; no boyfriends allowed. It's a pity we won't be passing through Albuquerque, home of Fiesta Yarns, or Socorro, where the Very Large Array is located. Well, it's all about climbing this time around. Did I mention I climbed my 5.12a project?

Lastly. I will not buy yarn but I know you will, when I tell you that Loop Yarn has Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool on sale here, a great bargain. Because I like to share. (But save some Moss for me, please, in case I change my mind!)

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A second Flower Basket Shawl, this time in Elann's Peruvian Collection Baby Cashmere. Good stuff. There are flyaway strands but I ignore them and they manage to insinuate themselves back into the knitted fabric. I believe this is the fifth pattern repeat.

The bumps on the back are wonderful, aren't they? They remind me of snowy moguls, which I tried once when I used to snowboard. And yes, that *is* a yarn join in the middle of the shawl. It will hide itself well, as it did in my last two shawls.

Light-colored shawls usually don't do it for me; something about the perceived formality influences my opinion when selecting shawl yarn. This, however, will be for a friend who's expecting. I intend for it to be a christening shawl and baby blanket (hence, the color), or for the friend/mom when attending an organized-religion gathering (ha ha).

I have washed my skeins! And they've been drying oh so prettily in the one day of sun we had this weekend.

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