Sassy--in Process

She is almost finished. But NOTE: I have already finished the neck and sleeves, well, not sleeves. I have even done the tie.

I telling you right now----You do NOT have to wait until the end to finish a piece. I even blocked this just before I started the bottom. Yes, wet blocked. I like this do it as you go. When I finish, I will be able to just weave in that last tail, put it on, and go. Do I sound like a kid at the shoe store? I always wore my new shoes home.
Here's a closeup of the tie and the bottom pattern. Notice that the whole sweater is on a string, not a needle. This is the only way to try it on and be certain what it will look like and how it will fit. This is not punishment, but opportunity.
Three rows of single crochet and then crab stitch.
One row of single crochet and then crab stitch.

Remi wants me to write this up. I am going to give it a try. I'll probably write it as a standard pattern, but fill it with optional fit suggestions. For instance, don't choose your sweater pattern size by your bust measurement!

I'll be using this a bunch in the Top Down Custom Fit Shell class in April. If you like it, and even if you would like it a bit more subdued, join us.

Nana Rocks and Super Cyclist

My grandson thinks his Nana is #1. I made him a new sweater with an Autobot on the front. (Transformer good guy) It was a surprise and when he saw it, he just lit up. Worth the incredible effort to knit that image in intarsia in the round. Never again!! It can be done, but isn't worth it. Bring on the seams.

The graph for the autobot is from Lori Magnus of yesImadethat.blogspot.com

It's a top down raglan, so he can grow with it some. I like the rolled neck for him because it is easy to get on and off. The yarn is Schulana Super Cotton. I bought it at Charlotte Yarn for a bit of nothing. I think it is older than Remi. The composition is 70% cotton with 30% polyester elastic.
Number 8 needle.

Steve rode the MS Ride last month as usual. But this time he rode for a particular person--Lynda Murray, the saint. She signed his bandana for him and he wanted to display it so no one would miss it.
The little ponytail in the back is just too cute. As is DH.

Defeated and Moving On

First it is about Hillary. Her speech last night was magnificent. But when she said, "Did you do this just for me?" I got it. It's over, no miracles and I have to think of the future. That means I vote for Obama. I'm not happy about it; I don't trust his hype, and his wife still scares me. There is nothing but ice in those eyes. Okay, over. Done. Sort of.

Another over and doneseems to be the Posy sweater I was knitting from a Rowan pattern. I did it all like I'm supposed to--gauge, math, schematic, etc., and it still will be a terrible fit. I didn't frog it. I am committing it to the knitting sanitorium for rest while I think about how I would have to cut and re-graft it to make it fit---and do I want to bother. How much did I knit? All but three inches on the front. When did I first suspect this was not going to work. Three quarters of the way through the back side. Yes, way long ago.

I tell students to listen to that first nagging doubt and I didn't.

I'm going to wallow in self-pity this afternoon and then cast on something fast to knit.

Diamond Patch Finished

I have made this sweater before and know how it stretches. This time, I chose a size to just fit my hips and then I altered for waist and bust and, especially, the shoulders.
I knit the horizontal row option in the pattern and liked it much better than the diagonal because I could try it on as I went. As usual, I used short row shaping to extend the cap into a real sleeve.
Thanks to Carol Hurt, I had a needle plan. I started with size 7 needles for the first row. I then switched to 6's for the next two rows and finished with a size 4. The smaller needles control both fit and the stretchiness of cotton yarn. I love it.
I took the pics myself and in every one of them I had a goofy look on my face from jumping in front of the camera. In this last pic, I just went with it.
Pattern: Diamond Patch Sweater by Jill Vosburg at Just One More Row.
Yarn: Classic Elite Provence--the best all cotton yarn in my book. 4 skeins.
Needles: 7--4

Diamond Patch UFO

I was knockin' around in the attic and look what I found. This is a partial Jill Vosburg Diamond Patch Sweater. Not the first one I have made, but this one is tweaked. I began with a size 8 needle for row one; switched to size 6 for rounds 2 and 3; ended with size 4. It fits. I know it will stretch because of the bias nature of the diamonds, so I have deliberately made it to fit tighter than I really want.
I used my favorite cotton--Classic Elite Provence, color #2690 (an earthy teal). I've finished all the diamonds. This time I knit in horizontal rows. I like this best because I could try it on as I went along.
Now to decide on the neckline and sleeves. I think I will knit the neck in a rib as per directions. Before I crocheted it. I haven't decided about sleeves. There will be some and they will be different than the pattern. I'm rather pleased with this effort.

I told friends that I just wanted to knit someone else's patterns for a while. Hope to wear this one soon.

What about this?

This is a tank designed by Ann Budd and free on the Interweave Knits site. I looked at all the projects on Ravelry. Lots of disatified folks; most found they knit it too large. They also used a soft spun cotton like Blue Sky Organic Cotton and it knits big and has no memory. I'm thinking something like Cascade Fixation with that bit of elastic to give it memory. Maybe a cabled cotton yarn.

Kate B. has a sewing pattern with this pointed front and it is very flattering. The trick is to keep the point shorter than the sweater above. Several people wound up with the point in a very risque position. The bias knitting also can round the belly and make you look pregnant. So why am I even considering this?

I think you could shape the waist area by knitting that section in a needle about two sizes smaller. I don't want an extreme shape, just to control the shape and skim the body. I also think a DK weight would look better on me. I do like the striped yarns with it. It would be possible to knit it to fit the sewing pattern and use a drapey stitch pattern instead of the bias knit.

Like I said, I'm just thinking about it. Any advice?

UFO report
Central Park Hoodie is at present a vest with no hood. I have bought a zipper and will decide about sleeves after I try it on with the zipper. I'm sure the hood is a non-starter.

Nova yarn lace socks are at a stand still.

I'm playing with Noro Sock Yarn and I think I'm making hand warmers. Only a few more rows before I have to commit to those over socks.

I have some seacell yarn from the shop and have designed a summer lacy capelet. It's about half finished and will go to Remi at Charlotte Yarn for a shop sample. The pattern is my property, and I will offer a class on it. It's a fun thing to wear and I've deliberately chosen some fun lace and stitch patterns which I will enjoy teaching.

A Finished Object!
I've finished the baby faux cable socks for DH. I'll post picks here and on Ravelry later. They aren't on this computer and the home network Davey and Dani created for me isn't working. We'll fix it later. They are working with an adventurous computer user who has large, significant holes in her knowledge.

It's Love----True Love!!

It's Malabrigo!
I don't wear wool. I don't wear worsted weight garments. Jet has lost her mind knitting a Clapotis out of that heavy wool. All words that I am now eating.
I finally succumbed to the lure of softness. I'd been looking at this yarn for years, but always had an excuse not to buy it. I thought of it as garment yarn and too hot for North Carolina. I never saw the sense in felting with it--what a waste of good yarn. Jet knocked me for a loop when I saw her finished Clapotis. It was gorgeous and you could feel the softness across the room. I just gave my second Clapotis to a friend for her birthday----well, it was just obvious that I was supposed to knit the third one (and the one I am going to keep for me) out of the Curacao colorway (I'm not a subtle person.)
I did the requisite Ravelry search and finally spoke to Jet about size. She knit hers exactly as written used 4 skeins. It was a go. It looks beautiful. I'll share a full pic when it is finished and blocked. Did I mention how much I love this yarn?

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. That's how I felt today when I was working on my Top Down Central Park Hoodie. I just discovered that I started the front cables at a different row. They are only a little off and I may just create a distracting front band to hide it. NO, I'm not showing you a picture. I'm hiding this goof as long as I can. I'll never fool turtlegirl76
but she cuts me slack for senility.

I cast on a new project--as if I needed it--using Louet Euroflax from my stash. I'm making the another KAL lace shawl (No, I still haven't blocked Swan Lake) designed by Monica Eckert. The shape is wonderful; not quite a circle, but close enough to stay on your shoulders. I can't post a picture yet because the pattern won't be released for about 6 weeks. I'm using worsted weight linen even though the pattern calls for lace weight. I'll probably just stop when it is the length I want and add a border. My main interest is in the shaping, but it looks very nice in the photos from people who are up to date on the clues.

Thanks to all of you who have rushed to sign up for my classes. Only one more opening in the Fair Isle class. I did take the sign up sheets to the shop Friday, so you should have no trouble with sign ups.

CPH update; New Classes

Not much further, but at least the back and front sort of match. I really like it but haven't had quiet time to get back to it. Top down, different gauge, move the cables---I have to have quiet to prevent brain sizzle.

Yes, there are many markers across this back row. They each say "Hey, Stupid, pay attention here." Much easier than fixing mistakes or even paying close attention.

New classes are up on my website . Take a look. Fair Isle spaces are going quickly. Several folks have requested an Intarsia class. If you would like to be included, let me know and I'll just add that in somewhere.

New Projects being considered:
a summer lace shawl in linen
socks, always socks (new pattern coming soon)
a top down design, probably sleeveless, to teach sweater fitting skills
handpainting yarn in my kitchen

Finished Top Down Raglan

I fell in love with the hand of this really inexpensive cotton linen blend from elann.com. So I knit my Not a Sweatshirt sweater which I plan to wear as if it really is a sweatshirt. Steve took the photos--had trouble taking pics of the sweater, not me--and now to share the process.

All based on the Barbara Walker book Knitting from the Top Down. I planned it as a cardigan with a zip front. So much for plans. I used the ribbing to shape it and prevent lots of extra fabric--it's just so easy to do it this way. When I finished, I really didn't like the way the fronts hung when it was worn open. I threw some single crochet around the front edges and neck and then just joined them with single crochet finished with crab stitch. The whole process was just as loose and casual as this sounds and I think the sweater will wear with that attitude.

The V neck isn't low enough--It was for a cardigan, but not for what we became. I'm unhappy with the rate of increase along the armscye seams. This wasn't even something I thought about. Now that I have knit two raglans, I will fiddle with this on the next one. It still hasn't been blocked and I suspect it will soften even more when it has. All in all, I'm pleased with it. It was a low stress learning piece.

Yarn: elann.com Adara (87.5% mercerized cotton / 12.5% linen)
Weight: 50g = 85 m (93 yds)
Gauge: 18 sts = 4 inches
Needles: US7

OTN
Socks for Lanny
Chrysopolis shawl
Charity baby blanket

Decisions! Yarn sale

As I write, a nice man is grouting the bathroom and the glass man has measured for the shower walls and door. Can it be that a second potty will be available by the weekend? Steve and I are not a one potty household. The time is here to decide on colors--I'm not sure I can.

Instead I spent some time with my bead trash and made new markers. The small ones are designed to use with socks to mark the gusset decrease site a la Cat Bordhi. Meghan gave me the life saver type beads (do they have a real name?) some time ago and I enjoyed conjuring up a way to use them. My wraps are getting better, and it is such fun to just play. Remember when you first learned to knit and were mixing lots of yarn to make scarves? This is the same kind of fun.

Also made the row counter described in this issue of Knitters. Very simple and works well. I think the guild would enjoy making these for a program.

OTN -- a top down raglan from the Adara yarn I bought from elann. I just love the feel of the linen and cotton and thought I'd enjoy it in a "sweatshirt" substitute this fall. The time has come to decide if it will be a pullover or a cardigan. My life is nothing but decisions; I might as well be working again. :)

Little_Knits is having a big sale on Opal sockyarn(among other great things), so I ordered these.



Opal 6-Ply - Magic (Color #1711)
Details

46% Off Sale!
Fiber Content: 75% Superwash Wool and 25% Poly

Yardage: 458 yards per each 150 gram skein (one BIG skein is more than sufficient for a pair of socks)

Gauge: 6-5.5 stitches to an inch on US size 3-5 needles

Opal Rainforest Peacock

45% Off Sale!
Fiber Content: 75% Superwash Wool and 25% Polyamid

Yardage: 462 yards per 100 gram skein (one skein for a pair of socks)

Gauge: 7 stitches/inch on US size 1-2 needles

Stitch Diva Strikes Again

I was down to the Mystery Stole and the Harry Potter Scarf; I’m sure sane people would think that enough, BUT . . . . Once I get a pattern/project conquered, I need to move to something new even while finishing the first thing. ADD? Probably, but I’ve always been this way and I cope.

I want to knit, I want to play with yarn, I want to learn, but I am in no mood to design. I have really been enjoying the Mystery Stole because all I need do is knit it. So I hit the computer—as well as books, years of magazines, the yarn shop—but couldn’t find anything I wanted to knit. This often happens.

Finally I found a pattern for a twisted stitch sock. Click here.
It’s called Brigit and was designed by Gigi Silvia; and it’s really lovely. Yes, I tweaked it. I took Austrian Twisted Stitches from Candace Eisner Strick and I’ve just received two books on the subject by Maria Erlbacher. Take a good look at those stitches in the background.The top design is knitted normally as the pattern directs, the next two designs are knitted with twisted knit sts (ktbl). Much neater, tighter effect. I didn’t really get it right until the third design which was knit after I charted the pattern. I learned the technique from charts and was getting bogged down in the verbage. I’m going to use them as samples in some sock techniques classes I’m teaching in August, so the errors will be teaching tools.

As usually happens, as soon as I found the sock, I began to plot a sweater. I thought I would redo the Stitch Diva Simple Bodice by Wendy Bernard. I liked the red one I did but I wanted to knit it with a different waist feature and a different bottom finish.

StitchDiva picked today to email me an opportunity to

1. buy patterns at a discount and

2. help some knitters.

Can’t pass that up. I bought Sahara, a sweater designed by Wendy again, and Shimmering Thread Necklaces.
Well, I need something to do with the beads leftover from the Mystery Stole.

Would have bought Trapeze but it is not yet available. I’ll get it soon.

I love these patterns because they follow the body and don’t leave inches hanging to add even more flesh to my ample body. The pics with them look too young, but they are so easy to adapt for me. Raise the neckline a little and lose the bell sleeves and it becomes quite a conservative, classically fitted sweater.

Class tonight with my very accomplished beginners and then to finish plans for all the August sock classes.

Lavold sweater/Making a Start/Furniture/

I have been knitting. Actually this is the second time I have knitted a sweater from this yarn. No, the actual same yarn. I frogged all but a bit of the other sweater. Then I did some cool things that I will explain as soon as I am finished. Just about three more inches around the body and some tubular bind offs. Maybe I can finish and wear it to guild tomorrow night. Learned a huge amount as always when I make big mistakes. This is Elsebeth Lavold Silky wool knitted on size 4s, and size 3s, and size 2s. More later.




I have made a start. I have sorted my needles and set aside some for my knitting attic sale. Next I will sort books. Finally I will tackle the yarn. Then I will advertise the sale and invite all the knitters I know to come knit and shop. Actually it should be fun. I might make a little money (to spend on new knitting stuff) and I will have the satisfaction of knowing the stuff went to a knitter, not just a bargain shelf somewhere.

I also plan to sell my loom. That was a hard decision, but I really don't weave anymore and I need the space. It is a Schacht Baby Wolf, with a high castle shelf and 8 harnesses. It's nice looking and weaves well. I'll throw in many accessories.




The chair arrived. I swapped the self fabric pillow for a red one and it looks great. Sits fine, too. It isn't as bright as the picture I bought it from and I was counting on that. The dogs haven't discovered it yet, so it is still clean. I think the red pillow intimidates them.


The Charlotte Knitting Guild meets tomorrow night. Check the side panel for the link. Join us.