I know that we will have a few more snow storms before the weather really starts getting warm, but the equinox is Saturday, and I don’t think I will have sleeves and button bands by then.
Oh, well–as my mother said when I complained that this sweater seemed like it was taking forever, “It seems like thin yarn.”
knitting
Wednesday Project Roundup: Travel Knitting
Even though I am still slowly knitting my way through the not-so-elaborate cabled sweater, it was too bulky to take with me on a carry-on to the beach. So I started a new project, also very popular in the knitting world–a short sleeve cardigan from a free pattern here.
I’m using the yarn I got in the fall to make a different sweater that I just got too bored with (it was a spring color anyway). So I unraveled what I had done and started again and got about six inches of the new pattern knit over the weekend.
Ultimately, it will look something like this:
Tuesday Project Roundup: Now With More Cables
Remember at the beginning of the month when I talked about making a traditional Aran sweater? And I was intimidated by the traditional pattern and construction methods? Well, this is the year of speaking up sooner if something is not how I want it to be, and the traditional pattern of the intended sweater was not only difficult–it wasn’t cable-y enough.
Here is the traditional pattern:
And for comparison, here’s something with LOTS o’cables:I don’t like knitting projects to be that challenging (or require that much concentration at night), so this is not the winning pattern. Instead, I compromised with this pattern (very popular among knitters) and a different cable.
and here’s the different cable–it’s called a staghorn cable.
And I think I used “cable” about 5 times in 100 words. Cables!
Tuedsay Project Roundup: No Loose Ends
Here’s a project from last year for the roundup: I wanted something mindless to knit over Christmas get-togethers, so I made a tube scarf (or infinity scarf) with some very nice berry-colored alpaca (Merry Christmas to me).
I was inspired by this scarf and I have to say that a tube scarf–i.e., a big loop of scarf, with the ends connected–is both fun to knit and wear. Because you don’t have to worry about the ends being long enough to go over your shoulder, you’re done knitting sooner than you would be with a traditional scarf, and it’s nice to not have the bullk of the wrapped ends under your coat.
I just wish my cameral could deal with the light levels in the apartment better. For some reason pictures taken in this same spot of me wearing the scarf came out way too dark, which is why it’s modeled on the hangar.
Tuesday Project Roundup: "A long and lovely project."
“It is a cold and snowy January. The holidays are behind us, and Twelfth Night will be any day now: what better time to embark on a long and lovely project? I have masses of thick unbleached natural cream wool, which with luck should work up into a really solid-looking Aran.“
That is a quote from the Knitter’s Almanac, a sort of pattern “guidebook” by famous knitter Elizabeth Zimmerman, and the source of my next project. This project terrifies me a little: I have guidelines on creating a sweater pattern just for me but no actual pattern, there are complicated stitches, and it involves knitting a tube and then cutting it to make it a cardigan.
Because there’s a lot of “knitter’s choice” in the pattern, it’s hard to find a picture of what it looks like. It’s the sweater at 2 o’clock on the cover of the book above, and here’s the original pullover knit by EZ. Here are a couple other cardigan options with different cable patterns than specified in the book.
I’m not usually one for crafty challenges, but I’ve been thinking about this sweater all year (it was on the 29 Things) and I really want to wear it once it’s done. We’ll see if that’s enough motivation, because it certainly will be a long project–hopefully a lovely one.
Tuesday Project Roundup: Covering Household Items In Knitting
Tuesday Project Roundup: Knit Faster
So in between Secret Gift Knitting/Sewing I’ve been working on another pair of those Twilight Mittens for myself–except this time they fit and I like them. (The saga of the last pair: I lost my place in the cables, they didn’t match, and they ended up too small even after I blocked them, so I gave them to a non-knitting Twilight-loving co-worker who thought they were awesome.)
But this pair fits–I went up to larger needles and nice chunky yarn. The left one is done; I’ll finish this right one tonight, because I need to wear them to the company Christmas party Thursday, which involves sledding.
Tuesday Project Roundup: Let’s Hear It For Four-Day Weekends
I got so much done over the weekend: Finished a knitted accessory that was supposed to be a gift but won’t fit the intended recipient (I’ll try again); started over on a new pair of Twilight mittens for myself (Twilight, I wish I could quit you); sewed something secret for a holiday gift; sewed my Liberty peacock-print dress; and finished the beige cardigan.
Funny thing about the cardigan–I re-did the front three times to get it perfect. Then I got to the knitted border and collar and I used a smaller needle so it wouldn’t droop. I over-compensated, though, so the border came out a little short and tight, which is why the bottom flips up in that little diamond fold. I told myself that I like the “adapted” shape–and I do–but it’s not how it’s supposed to be. I may end up re-doing the border…I’ll wear it first and see.
Tuesday Project Roundup: Finally, Some Progress
This week I stopped repeating the same part of the beige cardigan, finished the back, and got the sleeves sewed up, too.
Now I just have the front trim and collar to do–I don’t think I’ll have enough yarn left for a belt, but I’m OK with that.
And I’m planning an elaborate cabled sweater (Thing #22) to start before the year is out. I think I’ll use an Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern, who is famous for being an awesome knitter, yes, but for also coining the knitter’s equivalent of “Keep Calm and Carry On”: Knit on with confidence and hope, through all crises.
Knit on.
Tuesday Project Roundup: No Progress, But No Mistakes, Either
After I put up a picture of the in-progress cardigan/vest two weeks ago, I noticed I’d gotten off on the pattern on the left front about six inches from the top (it looks like a bumpy line on the right side in that photo). I debated just leaving it, but the point of hobbies–besides being relaxing, of course–is that I’m in control, dammit, so I ripped back and started that part of the front over.
Except the second time I tried to do it, I got it too long and had to rip back again; and the third time, I made the same mistake and had to rip back one more time. The fourth time was the charm, though. So two weeks later, I’m essentially at the same point. But it’s mistake free!
In other news, I’m making a dress out of this fabric. It’s a pattern I’ve made about 6 times, so I’m not too worried about messing this one up.