FO Report: Trekking 52 socks

Pattern: my own basic toe up sock pattern that I use over and over and over again

Yarn: Trekking XXL, color 52

Needles: US size 1 1/2, 2.5mm

Started: February 9, 2009

Finished: March 14, 2009

Modifications: How do I modify my own pattern? Seriously? Ok, the only thing I did semi-differently this time was use and Eye of Partridge heel (which I love on these socks!!), and I tried a Kitchener bind off for the cuff. Once it's on and stretched out, it doesn't really look and different or feel any stretchier than any other bind off I've tried. I might like the looks of it better in a solid yarn, or near solid, so I'm not going to rule it out completely. I did use it on the neckline of my Cosima (FO post to follow in a couple of days), and I LOVE it on the Cosima!!!

FO Report: Something Blue

Pattern: Something Red, by Wendy Bernard

Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers, Cobalt Heather

Needles: KnitPicks Options, size 7

Started: June 7, 2007

Finished: July 14, 2007

Modifications: Substantial - Cascade 220 produces a different row and stitch gauge than the Blue Sky Cotton Wendy used. I had to recalculate the number of cast on stitches and the raglan shaping to get the same effect. Barbara Walker's Knitting From the Top was a huge help. While I was at it, I threw in a purl stitch here and there to add a slight bit of texture to the stockinette section. The ratio was every 8th stitch on every 6th row, but they were offset to create something of a diamond shape. The long sleeves are an option in Wendy's pattern.

Overall, I'm happy with the cardigan - for now. Two things about it which bug me a bit: the collar seems a little loose down the front, like maybe I bound off too loosely. It looks as though it has been stretched downward, and doesn't have the elasticity you would expect. The other thing is the position of the button and buttonhole. I think I would prefer them a bit higher up, but I put them at the start of the ribbing, so consequently I would prefer the ribbing to start a bit higher also. That involves quite a bit more work than tightening up the cast off edge on the collar. But if I ripped back and started the ribbing higher, I would be forced to fix the collar! Anyway, more work than I want to do to it now, and I can live with it the way it is for a while. Problem is, it's in the 90s here now, not good wool sweater weather. BTW, Wendy's patterns are very stylish and fabulously written :)

The Rock, Part II

Ok, that post was getting way too long, so here is the knitting related portion of our road trip adventure :D

As you can see first off, I finished my first Jaywalker sock. Actually, all I had to do was Kitchner the toe, so this was completed before we ever hit the turnpike, still in Oklahoma.

Next up: See all this yarn? This is what I packed to take with us, because I just *might* run out! Of course I packed the second ball of sock yarn for my second Jaywalker sock, which I cast on for promptly. This is Knit Picks Dancing (long discontinued).

I also packed 4 balls of Cascade 220 Heathers in Cobalt for another top down cardigan I cast on for on the trip. This is loosely based on Wendy's Something Red, but it is a different row and stitch gauge, and I'm throwing in a bit of a pattern to make the stockinette interesting. I think I cast on and ripped this out three times before I was finally happy with it the fourth.

Finally, I brought 2 balls of fingering weight, 250 yards plus, yarn for a non-car friendly Debbie Bliss toddler cardigan. Just in case I blew through the sock, the 880 yards of Cascade 220, plus the umpteen books and magazines I also packed for the four hour car trip.

And this picture? This shows how much knitting I actually did on the trip. Cast on for second Jitterbug and worked ribbing; Cast on, ripped, cast on again for blue cardi, worked about three inches (the rest worked since we got home); and added 4 rows to the existing 16 on the DB cardigan. I've added a few more since returning home as well.

All in all, it was a really fun trip, other than coming back with a killer sinus infection. We are packing up again tomorrow for a much shorter, one day trip, so I don't think I'll take quite as much yarn.

Happy Fathers' Day!

FO Report: Peace Fleece Raglan Cardi

Pattern: My own design, a la Barbara Walker.

Yarn: Peace Fleece Worsted Weight, Sheplova Mushroom

Needles: KnitPicks Options, size 9

Started: April 20, 2007

Finished: May 27, 2007

I think this sweater is going to get a lot of wear come late Fall and Winter. It is very warm, so it didn't stay on for much longer than it took to set the timer and take this picture. It is 85 degrees here today! I loved the process of this sweater - I mainly knit this as an exercise in top-down knitting. I loved being able to fit it as I knitted. The sleeves are the perfect length, the waist shaping is in the right spot, the hem is the length I like... What's not to love about top down knitting? Oh, I have probably just a couple of yards of yarn left over. Just enough to save should I need to do any repairs. The yarn is very sturdy - probably one of the wooliest yarns I've ever knit with, if that makes sense. There was enough lanolin left it it to really soften my hands while knitting it up. The knitted fabric softened up quite a bit after it's Eucalan bath. I did a folded hem on the sleeves and body hem, and a garter stitch collar. The button band was knitted as I went, so I didn't have to go back and add that later. I should have finished this a lot faster than I did, but it's hard to knit with heavy worsted weight yarn when its 80+ degrees outside!

Slowly but Surely

This is one project that should have been super fast, but I guess I'm not too motivated to knit heavy worsted weight in 80 degree weather.... I have finished both sleeves, finished the collar, and am back on the body. At this point I have worked about an inch below the arms, and need to calculate the decreases for the waist shaping. I think I am going to love wearing this sweater next fall & winter, and I am going to love when it's finished! I am itching to cast on for something more seasonal, but I have to wait until this is finished. If I cast on for something else now, I won't pick this up again until its cold out. I know me.

BHE and I are getting ready for a big party this weekend. We are renewing our vows in celebration of our tenth wedding anniversary, and it is getting here pretty fast! BHE is building an outdoor kitchen of sorts in our backyard, and the party will be luau themed. Have I ever mentioned we have a tiki bar in our house? Not one of those freestanding raffia and bamboo jobs you see here and there, but a sunroom converted into a full fledged Hawaiian-esque tiki bar. Yes, I do live in a land locked state. Does that really make a difference? I'll post pictures next week of the Coconut Monkey in full party mode :)

Aloha!

Backwards Knitting

This is a new experience for me, this knitting from the top down. I've now completed both sleeves, and have picked up stitches for the collar. Once I finished the collar, I'll go back to the body, and finish the cardigan from just under the sleeves down to the hem. Casting off where I normally cast on. I have to say, I really like being able to try it on as I go, and I will definitely be knitting more sweaters in this fashion. I also like that I can use up every bit of my yarn, if I want, and not worry that I'll have enough to finish the collar or button bands. This is yarn has been in the stash for well over a year now, and I'm certain I couldn't find a matching hank. I have a bit of a hank left for the collar, probably enough for the collar, and then two full hanks for the body. I used almost three so far for the yoke and both sleeves. More updates as it progresses!

I'm having trouble locating the camera, so no pictures today :(

Houston, We Have a Problem

I having problems getting started on a new project! I cast on last weekend for some Jaywalkers (my first pair), and have knit a couple of inches. Right now it seems like they will be too loose. I cast on for the larger size, since I've read there's not a lot of elasticity, but the yarn I cast on with does have a bit of elastic in it. Hmm, after typing that, it seems a bit obvious what I should have done.

Anyway, I was wavering on what sweater to cast on for next. I have a top down raglan cardigan pattern in my head I've been kicking around, but the chosen yarn is Peace Fleece worsted, and do I really want to work on a worsted wool sweater in 80 degree weather? Granted, I got good gauge with size 9s, so I don't think it would take more than a couple of weeks to knit up, but still. Springtime doesn't seem like the time to be knitting heavy wool sweaters.

I have all the yarn for Marihone, a Dale of Norway toddler pullover pattern. It's also wool, but soft fingering weight, and looks like Springtime, what with the colors and ladybugs and such. Unfortunately, I don't have the size 0 circulars called for to cast on with. They are currently on order :)

I've also been trying to swatch for an out of print Debbie Bliss pattern for a toddler cardigan with a sailor collar, but can't get gauge with any of the yarns I try (I'm on my third now). The called for yarn is not available locally, and I want to touch and feel the yarn for this cardi before I buy. It needs to be soft and comfortable, plus machine washable. I've either gotten row gauge or stitch gauge on everything I've tried, but not both at the same time. I'm going to try washing the swatches tonight, but I really don't think anything will change since they are acrylic blend yarns.

So, all in all, I feel like I'm in a knitting slump. What do you all do when you're in a slump?

FO Report: Ariann

Pattern: Ariann by Bonne Marie Burns of ChicKnits
Yarn: Salishan by KnitPicks
Needles: KnitPicks Options, sizes 6 and 7
Started: March 22, 2007
Finished: April 9, 2007
Modifications: I made the sleeves about an inch longer to accommodate my long arms, and made the body about two inches longer. I also added a buttonhole at the bottom. This took some amount of calculations to figure out where to start the waist shaping in relation to the buttonholes, so I would end up with a buttonhole the proper distance from the top, instead of two or three inches to low.

I love this cardigan! I love the pattern, the yarn, everything, and will definitely make it again. I actually started it March 17th on a road trip, but knit out all eleven inches because I had made a mistake with a buttonhole, and another mistake with the way I was knitting (instead of purling) the last stitch on the right side rows. I knew I was making the mistake, and kept on knitting, thinking it was a "design modification," but finally decided it would always bother me if I didn't fix it. So I ripped the entire thing out and started over on March 22nd. I used the Magic Loop technique for the sleeves, for the first time. I think I'm definitely a convert, and plan to switch my current socks over to a long circular!

The yarn is Salishan in Walnut. It was available very briefly last fall on KnitPicks website at clearance prices, and I loved the color, so I bought 14 skeins, at 95 yards each. I ended up using 11 skeins, plus about half of another. The yarn is a pima cotton / wool blend.

I think this is my fourth sweater for the Sweater-A-Month KAL. I'm going to wait a week or so before starting my next sweater. I'm not quite sure what I want to do yet, plus I have just under a week left before Tax Day! I don't need to stay up (too) late, falling in love with a new project, and for a few days after T-Day, I will need to do a major cleaning on my house.

You'll have to excuse look - its called End of Long Day Exhaustion. And really it's not the end - I'm headed back to work as soon as I tuck Monkeyboy into bed. I'll start posting more regularly next week!

Ariann status

I'm moving along quickly on Ariann! I have finished the body up to the armholes, and cast on for one sleeve so far. I'm learning (self-taught) the Magic Loop technique on the sleeve, so it's been a bit finicky, but I'm getting into the swing of it. I'm not tired of this a bit, and think I'll be a bit sad when it is finished. Maybe I should check the stash for yarn for a second Ariann...

Ariann!

I don't know what it is about casting on for a new project, but I love it! It's like a fresh start, and it gives me a ton of energy every time. I've been wanting to cast on for Ariann for a long time, but made myself wait until the Fair Isle Cardigan was finished. I swatched for it last fall when I first got the pattern and then actually cast on St. Patrick's day on a road trip to Texas. I knit 11 inches, and then last Thursday night I ripped it all out, and started over. I had made a mistake with a buttonhole, and with the way I was slipping a stitch on one of the edges. I decided to buttonhole would just bug me every time I looked at it, so I ripped the whole thing out and started over. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures before ripping.

This is a really fun knit, and is going WAY faster than the fair isle did. I'm using Salishan, a wool/pima cotton blend KnitPicks had on their website only several months ago. I love the yarn and the pattern, and can't wait to be able to wear it! I don't know why KnitPicks never offered this yarn in their catalog, the swatch washed and blocked beautifully, and I love everything about it so far!

FO Report: Falling Leaves Cardigan

Pattern: Lion Brand Microspun Twin Set
Yarn: Lion Brand Microspun, Lilac
Needles: Denise size 6 (I think)
Started: ??? I think in 2005, during my last pregnancy
Finished: March 13, 2007
Modifications: None

In my mind all this time, I've thought of this as the Falling Leaves cardi. I tracked down the patten to write this post, and Lion Brand named it the Microspun Twin Set (there's a matching tank top in the pattern). Very original - I am still calling it the Falling Leaves Cardigan, because it's my sweater ;) This really didn't take me that long to knit. The finished pieces have been hiding out in my UFO basket for nearly two years. I think I put it off because the yarn is so fluid and drapey, I thought it would be a horrible mess to seam it together, but I pinned the edges side by side on a firm couch cushion, and the mattress seaming was a breeze. I'm pretty happy with the fit, but I've been thinking about redoing the neck. I've decided cardigans with a collar are more flattering to me. I do have a few skeins of the yarn left over that I had planned on the Shapely Tee with. I think I will knit it, possible making it sleeveless, and if I have enough left over, I'll come back to this and take off the neckband and add a garter stitch or 1 x 1 ribbed collar. But, since it may be quite a while before I get to the Shapely Tank, I'm going to consider this cardigan a finished object, once and for all!

FO Report: KnitPicks Palette Fair Isle Cardigan

Pattern: Palette Fair Isle Cardigan by Kathleen Taylor, exclusively for KnitPicks
Yarn: Palette by KnitPicks. Twenty-eight colors total; every color available except white and cream
Needles: KnitPicks circulars size 2 and 3, bamboo dpns, size 2 and 3.
Started: October 2, 2006
Finished: March 9, 2007

Modifications:

• Instead of K2P2 ribbing, I used Meg Swanson's "Purl When You Can" method.


• I also knit three rows instead of two of the solid color bands in between the pattern bands to add length to the body.


• On the sleeves for my size, you start out with an odd number of stitches, decrease 2 stitches per row on the decrease rows and are supposed to end up with an even number of stitches. On my first decrease row, I decreased one stitch only, so I would have an even number of stitches from that point forward. This was really important to me, as most of the patterns are based on a multiple of two stitches.


• I think the only other modification I made was to do an I-cord bind off on all the edges. It made the pattern a little less visible on the button bands, but that doesn't bother me. I really like the finished look it gives the edges. I even went back and picked up stitches around the bottom ribbing to add the I-cord there.

This was really a lot of fun to knit. It was a lot of stitches and rows, I think my size was around 330 stitches per row, but the color changes made the knitting go really fast. The steeking wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, and honestly, I wasn't nervous about cutting the knitting open. Before I did it I read Euny Jang's Steeking Chronicles very thoroughly, and decided to go with the crocheted reinforcement. I single-crocheted up and back down the center of the steek, and cut it open between the crochet. Then folded the cut edge to the inside and picked up stitches for first one sleeve, then the next and finally the button bands. I did cut one steek at a time, so there wouldn't be any undo stress on the cut edges before I was ready to work with them. Once it was finally finished and the remaining ends woven in, I loosely whip stitched the steeked edges down to the inside, and then gave it a Eucalan bath in my kitchen sink. After a good day and a half of blocking, it is ready for wear! One final note, I did the recommended buttonhole of YO, K2tog, and it looks like it's going to take a very small button to fit through that hole. This doesn't really concern me, as I rarely wear cardigans buttoned, given our mostly mild Oklahoma weather.

This counts as my second sweater for the Sweater a Month KAL. Yes, I'm a little behind, but have another nearly finished sweater waiting patiently, and then plan to really zoom along once tax season is over with - six more weeks!

Update

Still no modeled shot of my Fair Isle - I haven't been home before sunset in too many days to count. I am going to stitch group tonight, and am taking the cardi, but cannot find the memory card for the camera. BHE took weekend photos off the camera yesterday, and apparently didn't get the card back in the camera (sigh).

I also finished the Falling Leaves cardi, and it is blocking now. I don't think I've ever posted about it here, as it's been in the UFO pile since before I started blogging. I think I knit it while prego with Monkeyboy.

I started Ariann this weekend! We made a quick trip to Texas to see one of my sisters retire from the Naval Reserves after 27 years! She is/was a Chief Petty Officer, which I think is a pretty big deal. Anyway, I finished the second Leopard striped sock (need to frog and redo the first because it is too big), and cast on for Ariann in a deep dark chocolate brown cotton/wool blend from KnitPicks. The yarn is called Salishan and was sold very briefly on their website only. I assume it's something they tried out and decided not to carry. The colors were pretty limited, and it was priced to move. I'm almost through the waist decreases - I expect to get the rest of the way through them and start the increases tonight at Stitch.

I'll track down that camera card tonight, and I guess coerce a co-worker into a photo shot sometime this week!

Twelve Sweaters

I joined the Sweater A Month KAL. The premise is you knit one sweater each month, all year long. The guidelines are pretty flexible, however, and the sweater can be for an infant, a dog, or it can be a tank top, anything you want to call a sweater. And if you want to make it a Half-Sweater a Month KAL, so be it! They can be brand new items, or long-forgotten UFO's. You don't have to start and complete in the same month, and its up to you if you finish one each month, although that is my plan; otherwise I'll end up in November with 11 sweaters left to finish!

Here are my plans so far:

January - I'm going to count the Off-Center Argyle as my January item.

February - I hope to complete the Fair Isle Cardigan for my February item.

From there, it's a little up in the air. Depending on how late in February I finish the FIC will decide what I do for March. I have plenty of options - I'm still in the process of cataloging my stash (which I'll talk about in another post), but some of them are a Debbie Bliss cardigan for Sweetpea (from an out of print Sirdar book, I can't find anything to link to for it), a Dale of Norway pullover that I am thinking of cardiganizing for Sweetpea. There's also a somewhat fitted cardigan of my own design, knit in Peace Fleece. Or a Raglan cardi I'm imagining up for Monkeyboy. Just plan on seeing a lot of FOs this year!

Edited to add:

Actually, I just remembered something: See that On the Needles list over in the sidebar? There is a long forgotten Falling Leaves cardigan I finished well over a year ago. It just needs to be blocked and seamed. Maybe I'll make that my February sweater and push the FIC finishing to March.....

FO Report: Off-Center Argyle

Pattern: Off-Center Argyle by Teva Durham, from Wrap Style
Yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Wool in Starlight Blue, Dusty Teal, Eggplant, and Violet Heather, and Elann Peruvian Pure Alpaca in Walnut
Needles: KnitPicks Options, size 7
Started: December 31, 2006
Finished: January 15, 2006

I've had this pattern on my list and the yarn in the stash for it for at least three months. It finally was screaming at me so loud, I was forced to put down the fair isle to knit this one up. I didn't make any modifications to it except for the number of stitches I picked up for the collar. The alpaca yarn knit up looser than the wool on the size 7's, and was okay in the body of the poncho, but I wanted a tighter knit for the collar. I picked up about 10% stitches more, and started out using size 6 for the first 3 or 4 rows of the collar, but it was too firm, so I switched back to size 7. I love the colors, and the duplicate stitch lines really set it off!

Check back in a couple of days - I have another item blocking on the guest bed!