Have You Any Wool

holly

I feel like I keep falling off the face of the blogosphere, usually for a week or so at a time. No time or energy to blog, or even read other blogs. I wish someone would have told me that when a child starts school, your life gets infinitely more busy. I thought that I'd get a little more time to myself while the Princess was at school and Zippy napped. On some days, I do get those blessed hours, but most of the time, there is something to be taken care of. Volunteering at school, dance lessons, toddler tumbling classes, and now, of all things, I've found myself in the role of a Daisy Girl Scout leader. How the hell did this happen? I can tell you that this is not where I pictured my life heading at this age, but it's too late to look back now. I love my kids to pieces, and I'm finding myself doing things that I never thought I would ever do, just for them. Funny how life does that to you, turning your expectations upside down, again and again.

Naturally, the whirlwind of activity is severely cutting into my knitting and spinning time, and I'm guessing that it will only get worse as the kids get older and involved in even more activities. I'm slowly plugging away on a couple of different spinning projects, but with five minutes here, and ten minutes there, I'm not making much headway. Same goes for knitting. A few weeks ago, I was tired of the slow progress, and decided to start a sweater that I knew wouldn't take very long, even with limited time. Let us overlook the fact that if, perhaps, I had fewer projects, I might be able to make more progress. Minor details.

Pattern: Holly from Naturally Noro by Jane Ellison
Yarn: Noro Transitions color #6, 7 skeins for smallest size
Needles: 7.0mm Denise circulars
Modifications: I added waist shaping since this sweater is knit with several inches of ease, and I didn't want to look like I was wearing a knitted sack. In hindsight, I should have just left it alone. The waist shaping really doesn't seem to make much difference. I also changed up the neck a bit. First of all, I wasn't going to knit it flat and have a big 'ol seam on my neck, so I removed the two edge stitches and simply knit it in the round. Unfortunately, when I followed the pattern as written, it was ridiculously huge. Either that, or my neck is freakishly small. It reminded me of an Elizabethan-era ruff collar, which may have been fashionable in the 16th century, but not so much in the 21st. So, I ripped. I didn't like the way the pattern was written, anyhow, having the first half of the collar knit in stockinette stitch, and then switch to ribbing for the turned-over portion. I took out about 18 stitches (seriously!) and knit the entire turtleneck in 2x2 rib.  Much better. One last simple mod was to skip the turned-up cuffs. For one thing, the sleeves weren't quite long enough for that, and besides, the cuff was far too bulky.

All in all, it's just an OK sweater. It's comfortable, that much is certain, but not entirely flattering. I sort of expected that, considering it's knit in a bulky yarn, which of course tends to make the wearer look bulky. I've wanted to knit this sweater since the book came out a few years ago, and though I'm not completely enamored with it, I do think it'll make a good weekend sweater. You know, for those cold winter afternoons where I lounge around with a cup of tea and my knitting? Ha!

A girl can dream, can't she?

sahara

Pattern: Sahara by Wendy Bernard for Stitch Diva Studios
Yarn: Tilli Tomas Pure and Simple (2 skeins) and Disco Lights (1 skein) in Ruby Wine
Size: small (33")
Needles: 4.0mm Addis for the body, and 3.75mm Pony rosewood circulars for the trim
Click here to see other views

I absolutely love this top. I knit the pattern exactly as written (not a single mod!), and it fits perfectly. The Pure and Simple was a delight to work with, but the sequined Disco Lights was a pain in the ass. The results are worth the effort, even if the process did involve frogging the sequined stuff several times. First, I cast off way too tightly on the bottom hem, and had to rip back and redo it on a bigger needle (the pattern wasn't kidding when it says to bind off loosely). Then I screwed up when I picked up stitches for the neckline, and had to rip all of that out and start over. My only complaint, other than knitting with sequins, is that the colors pooled quite a bit around my waistline, after I started the increases. I know I could have avoided this by alternating balls of yarn, but I'm too lazy, so I'll live with the pooling. I suppose it's better to have the pooling around my waist, rather than around the bustline.

I like that this top can be dressed up or down. It looked good with jeans, but it would look equally pretty with a nice pair of black pants or a skirt. I think it'll be the perfect thing to wear when my husband finally returns from his deployment and we can actually go out on a date together :) It would probably also work for holiday parties, too.

I think this will be it for my summer knitting, because I'm itching to start knitting some substantial wool sweaters again. I finally got my copy of  Interweave Knits yesterday (my mail is slow, and I always get my magazines about two weeks later than everyone else), and I would love to start a Cobblestone Pullover for my husband. I have a bag of Rowanspun Aran in a rust/orange color that has been waiting it's turn for a few years now, so I'll knit a swatch and see how that works out. I know he can't wear it for a while, but I'm really in the mood for some simple stockinette, and this fits the bill. I also plan on knitting the Tangled Yoke cardigan for myself in some pretty deep red Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool. My mother was browsing through my Flickr photos recently, and put in a request for CeCe, only long-sleeved and in black. I ordered some Rowan Calmer for that, and I hope to have it knit up in time for Christmas. I have plenty of time, right? Well, as long as I don't get distracted by the plethora of patterns and yarns out there...

am I that transparent?

Thanks to all of you who entered the contest. I didn't realize it was going to be that easy! I knew most of you would guess that Rose was finished, because last time I posted about it, I only had a sleeve to go. But I didn't think you would all guess that I finished Seraphim, because I hadn't blogged about that project at all. The overwhelming majority of you who left a guess were right, so I went to the random number generator to choose a winner for me. The winner is Beth! So now we need to discuss color choices, and I'll get to the dyeing and spinning. But for now, we'll get on with the finished knits.

Pattern: Rose by the Princess Virgiel (her site appears to be down, so no link)
Yarn: Fiesta La Luz in Vintage Rose
Needles: 4.5mm Addi circulars
Notes: I have already knit this pattern once before (perhaps this is why it took me so long to finish this version), so I knew going in that there were a few simple modifications that I wanted to make. First off, I made the body about an inch longer than the pattern suggests because I wanted a bit of extra coverage in the midriff area. I also started the v-neck shaping after I divided for the armholes, rather than before as the pattern instructs. Dividing for the v-neck before the armholes would have shown far more than I'm willing to display. As it is, the neck still plunges quite deeply, so I plan on wearing a camisole underneath. Finally, I shortened the sleeves by an inch and a half, and I still think they are too long. The silk is beautiful, but I'm not sure how well it will wear. I'm afraid that after a few hours of wear, it will start to droop. We shall see. Another issue that I had with this top is that the sleeves are a different color than the body of the sweater. I didn't realize until I was setting in the sleeves that one of the skeins of yarn was from a completely different dye lot. I didn't notice it while it was still in the skein form, but once I compared the two knitted fabrics, there was an obvious difference. I soaked the sweater before blocking, and was shocked at the amount of dye that ran out of the fabric. The water was completely pink. After three more soaks, there was still dye running, but it was fading. I think the soaking evened out the color a bit more, so the different colored sleeves aren't quite as noticeable.

Pattern: Seraphim Shawl by Miriam Felton
Yarn: my handspun
Needle: 3.75mm Pony Rosewood circular
Notes: I made no modifications to this pattern whatsoever. I started this shawl during the lull back in February while I was waiting for an extra ball of yarn so I could finish the Moth shawl. I really enjoyed knitting this pattern. I find stockinette stitch very relaxing, so I worked on this at night while reading before bed. Even when I got to the lace portion, it was still simple enough to memorize the repeat and not have to pay really close attention. I didn't blog about this shawl because I wasn't sure how much I liked it. It took me a long time to convince myself that it wasn't going to be completely hideous because of the striping. I didn't realize how apparent the stripes would be when I first started, but after a long while, they finally started to grow on me. I figured, it's my handspun, so I should be proud of it, right? Now that it's done, I love it, stripes and all.

Here's a finished project that you probably didn't know I was even knitting:

Pattern: Mavis from Naturally Noro by Jane Ellison

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden #243, 9 skeins Needles: 4.5mm Addi circulars Notes: I love Noro yarns, and I really enjoyed knitting this sweater. It was so simple, in fact, that the back, front and first sleeve were knit within a week. The second sleeve lingered for a bit, but once I decided to work on it again, I finished in no time. I knit the second size, which is a small, sized to fit a 34-36" bust. It's a little big, and the sleeves are about 2" too long, but it's very comfortable. Overall, I'm happy with how it turned out. As I said before, I enjoy working with Noro yarns, and I have the yarn stashed for two other designs in this book. Maybe I'll get around to them next winter.

Lucy in the Sky

Pattern: Lucy in the Sky cardigan from cosmicpluto knits!
Yarn: Colorado Yarns Vail in red, 8 balls (137 yds/ball)
Needles: 4.0mm Addi turbo circulars
Notes:  I knit this sweater to fit with 3" of negative ease, as the pattern suggested, since there is no waist shaping. As I got closer to finishing, I started to get concerned that the sweater was going to turn out too small. I did swatch, and I knew from the start that my row gauge was off (I compensated for this by adjusting the rate of the raglan decreases), but I thought my stitch gauge was OK. Of course, it wasn't, but a good blocking solved the gauge issue. Lucky for me. This is one of those patterns that can really benefit from blocking, anyway, because the seed stitch hems turned up and the patterning made my stitches a bit uneven.  A good soak, and a bit of pinning, and we have a perfect fit. The pictures are all kind of blurry, due to the lovely gray weather we've had for what feels like forever, but you can get an idea of how it looks.

Since this is the third sweater I've finished for myself in the last month, I think it's time to knit for someone else. I started the Thinking Dress for the Princess, from Miss Bea's Rainy Day, but I already screwed that up, and I'm waiting for the motivation to start again. Until then, I'll get reacquainted with my wheel and get a bit of spinning done.

Hourglass

I didn't make my self-imposed deadline of finishing at least one of the sweaters I had on the needles before the end of 2006, but I did come close. I stayed up until after midnight on New Year's, but only got about halfway through the yoke before I crashed. That might have been the champagne's fault. I worked on it throughout the day yesterday, as I found bits and pieces of time, and finished up last night.

Pattern: Hourglass sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Malabrigo merino worsted in Pink Frost
Needles: 5.5mm Denise circulars and Addi Turbos
Modifications: None. I followed the pattern and knit it exactly as written. I'm glad, because it turned out  just right.
This pattern is fabulous, and the evidence can be found by looking at the number of bloggers who have knit one of these sweaters. It's an easy pattern to follow, simple stockinette knit in the round. Much of this sweater was knit while reading a book, it's that easy. The fit is very flattering, with the bell sleeves, and the lovely waist shaping. Being fairly small, and having a, shall we say, *ample* bustline for someone of my size, waist shaping is a godsend. I knit the smallest size (34"), and it took me a mere 4 skeins of the Malabrigo. So it's gorgeous, and economical, too! Now I just need to find something else to make with the two skeins I have left over. Shouldn't be a problem. I know many knitters have sung the praise of this yarn, but I'll add my vote, too. It's amazingly soft (I'm talking next-to-the-skin-with-no-itching-whatsoever soft), and has excellent yardage. It's a kettle-dyed yarn, so there are color variations, but knitting from alternating skeins will help alleviate the pooling issue. I say this, but you may have noticed the striping on the sleeves. I knit the sleeves at the same time on two circulars, and was already struggling with two balls of yarn, so adding an additional two balls of yarn was out of the question. I don't love the striping, but I'll live with it. The next time I use this yarn, I will be sure to follow the alternating skeins advice.

I don't usually make New Years resolutions, but in honor of the beginning of a new year, I cast on for a new project last night, after finishing Hourglass. This project will hopefully help me conquer my own personal albatross, knitting an entire shawl in laceweight yarn. I've tried many, many times to knit a shawl with laceweight yarn, and have always failed. I drop stitches, I screw up the pattern, and I get frustrated and rip the whole thing out and move on to something I know I can do, like socks. This time, though, I will succeed, dammit.

This is the meager beginning of my Wing 'o the Moth shawl, in Kidsilk Haze. I realize that laceweight mohair may not have been the best choice for an inexperienced shawl knitter, but this yarn is so lovely to work with, that I think I'm up to the challenge. Ask me again how I feel about this yarn when I drop a stitch, and have to rip back. I'm sure I'll have changed my tune. For now, I'm happily knitting along. The beginning of the shawl is a nice, easy-to-memorize, eight row repeat, and it's highly addictive. Keep your fingers crossed for me, OK?

Now that's more like it

Remember this sweater from last winter, and the tangled mass of yarn it became a few months ago? Those skeins of Noro Kochoran have been transformed into a wonderful sweater that I know I'll wear many, many times.

The overexposed, poorly edited shot
Pattern: my own
Yarn: Noro Kochoran #16
Needles: 10.5 US Denise circulars

This is a fairly fast knit, since it's a 34" size bust knit at 3.5 stitches per inch. I finished the front and back quickly, but I put off knitting the sleeves for quite a few weeks because I was just too lazy to do the calculations for the sleeve increases and sleeve caps. Once I figured out the numbers, the knitting only took a few days. I washed and blocked the pieces sometime during the middle of the week, and seamed her up and knit the turtleneck yesterday. The initial try-on was a problem, because I bound off the turtleneck with the same size needles that I knit with, and my noggin wouldn't fit through the hole. So I ripped, and did a sewn bind-off instead. Much better. I think it actually looks much better in person (especially when the colors don't look so funky, like they do in that picture up there), but there is only so much I can do with a little tripod and a self-timer. If you really want, you can click here to see what it looks like with the fill flash. Anyhow, the fit is just the way I wanted it, though the waist shaping is a bit wonky. I'm learning more with each sweater I knit to my measurements.
The spinning is taking a backseat to knitting right now. See those stairs behind me in that picture? Yesterday morning we had a good frost, and those stairs were slick. I brought the dog out to the bathroom early in the morning, and on my way down I lost my footing and landed squarely on my backside. When I fell, I tried to brace myself and hurt my shoulder at the same time (it sounds funny now, but it wasn't so amusing when it happened). Now I'm left with some angry-looking bruises on my tailbone, and a mild case of whiplash (OK, you can stop laughing now ;). Therefore, the neck and back pain is keeping me from sitting at the wheel and spinning. So you actually get knitting content, instead! I even went through and updated my "In Progress" album in the sidebar.  The Hourglass sweater is on hold until my second 5.5mm circular arrives, so in the meantime, I'm clicking away on a Lucy in the Sky cardigan that I started a couple of months ago, and then abandoned. More on that later. Until then, enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Transitions

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Noro Transitions #5
Needles: Size 11  US Denise circulars, 6.5mm crochet hook
Notes: I don't really know if I can call this pattern "my own" since it's really just a basic stockinette stitch cardigan. I took my measurements and decided what size I wanted to knit. It's 38" because I intend to use it as outerwear for transitional weather (ha ha, get it? A cardigan for transitional weather knit with Transitions yarn? Sorry, it's a really bad pun), so I wanted extra room for layering. It has set-in sleeves, with slight bell shaping at the cuffs, and waist shaping so I don't look like a stripey blob while wearing it. I used a crocheted picot edging, which actually doubled as nice buttonholes on the front band. The only problem with it right now is that the buttons I ordered are a bit too small, and don't contrast as much as I would like. So I'll be ordering some new buttons sometime in the future, but it's wearable for now. I think it can be labeled as a success, especially since I didn't follow a pattern. I don't think you'll be calling me a knitwear designer anytime soon, but I am becoming more and more intrigued by the process of creating my own patterns, or at least knitting garments specifically to my body measurements.

Lotus Blossom

Pattern: Lotus Blossom Tank by Sharon Shoji, Interweave Knits Summer 2006 (smallest size)
Yarn: Southwest Trading Co. Bamboo in Plum (from Crown Mountain Farms)
Needles: 4.0mm and 4.5 mm (US 6 and 7) Addi circulars
Modifications: I added two inches of stockinette stitch before binding off the armhole stitches, because the length the pattern specified would have showed a bit too much of my midsection. It's enough that there is peek-a-boo lace, the last thing I needed was more skin showing. I also added some short-row shaping at the bust, which gave me a better fit. I knit the smallest size (which means I had about 1 1/2 inches of negative ease) because I thought the sweater on the model was too baggy, and I wanted something with a closer fit, but not too tight. I'm happy with the result, and if the weather were a bit warmer here, I would probably wear it often. Oh well, there's always next summer.

This is sort of a slap-dash post with crummy pictures, because I'm short on time (who isn't?) but I have a bunch of knitting to show you all. First off, I finished up CeCe after working on it sporadically through the summer. I believe I started this in June, and lost interest because it took so long to finish each row. Over the last couple of weeks, I picked it up and renewed my interest in finishing, because it is such a darned cute sweater for the summer. Perfect to wear over tanks or a sundress when it's a bit too cool for bare shoulders.

Pattern: CeCe by Bonne Marie Burns

Yarn: Rowan Calmer in Drift, 4.5 balls

Needles: 4.5mm Addis for bottom ribbing, 5.0mm Addis for body of sweater

Modifications: I added an inch of length to the body of the sweater, because it was a bit shorter than I wanted. Even with the added inch, it's still a bit short. The Calmer yarn is fabulous, but I had a difficult time keeping even tension while knitting with it, for some reason. I swatched, and went up a needle size to get gauge, but my gauge swatch still lied. I knit the 36" size, but it ended up being about 34". Luckily with blocking, I got the fit I wanted, though I wish it was a bit longer. All in all, it's a great pattern, and a seriously cute little sweater for the summer. I'm so glad I knit it. I can see it getting a lot of wear.

I'm also halfway through the socks for my Toasty Toes pal. The pattern is Wyvern by Marnie McLean, using Lisa Souza Sock! in South Pacific. Again, this is a terrible picture. Don't worry, it looks much better in person. Here's a closeup of the pattern:

I love this sock yarn. The colors are so vibrant, and even though they are pooling, the short repeats of color make it less noticeable. I just love handpainted sock yarn, but sometimes it's so hard to use them in sock patterns because the colors want to pool, and take away from the patterning of the sock. I think this one is working, though it's a bit tough to see. Honestly, I want to keep these socks for myself! I hope my Toasty Toes pal likes them.

I'm also near completion of the Lotus Blossom Tank from the summer issue of Interweave (see the In Progress photo album for a picture). I'm just waiting for the painfully slow military postal system to get the extra ball of yarn I need to finish the straps. Last night I cast on for a little sweater for Zippy while watching V for Vendetta (which is an excellent movie, by the way, if you haven't seen it yet), but didn't get very far. The only 4.0mm circular I have that isn't in use is a 40 cm needle (16") and it hurts my hands to knit with it after just a few rows. So once my longer 4.0mm needles are freed up, I hope to whip out a quick sweater for the little guy for the chilly mornings we've been having.

That's all for now, time to get the Princess to her ballet class. Have a great week!