Sallie pullover, knit and finished

Now that my excessively-modified version of Louisa Harding's Sallie pullover is complete, it's time for a review:

While the pattern from Harding's Summer Classics book is cute, with its jazzy stripes and wide sleeves, I felt I had to add some length to both the body and sleeves to make it more classic and more *cough* age-appropriate *cough*. I planned to increase the body from about 20" to 22" and the sleeves from about 13" to 18". I also wanted waist shaping, hoping it would make the sweater more flattering and enhance my *cough* waistline. To begin the shaping, I embarked on a complicated combination of the two versions of this pullover.

One version has a straight shape, one flares into a peplum at the bottom. The peplum version echos the flare below the waist with bell sleeves. I began with a more modest flare, adding stitches to a few of the ribs, then decreasing them away before I began the stripe pattern. Along with the shaping calculations, I had to make sure the stripes lined up on the sleeves and the body.

While it seems the waistline shaping was successful, the stripe pattern played havoc with sleeve length. Since the body stripes and the sleeve stripes had to line up when I joined them for the yoke, my choice was between 7 stripes on a 19" sleeve or 6 stripes on a 16 1/2" sleeve.

Counting the stripes will explain why my elbows are bent in all these photos. I went for the longer sleeve. Ah, well. Loooong sleeves are in, aren't they?

The sleeve length is probably compounded by my decision to use the saddle yoke from Veronik Avery's Skater Undertop for the shoulders. I thought it would be fun to knit a saddle yoke and wanted to avoid seaming in a cotton yarn that knits up as firmly as this Jaeger Aqua does. These photos show me that I should have decreased the front and back a bit more before beginning the sleeve cap shaping. The shoulders are a bit wide and allow the sleeves to droop down even longer. Still, considering the multiple changes I made, it's a wonder this sweater fits as well as it does.

I had to rework the stitch counts a lot, since my yarn gauge for the brown yarn was closer to 22 stitches/4" rather than the 20 stitches for which the pattern is written. That was easy enough, since the pattern suggests over 4" of ease. That's right, it recommends a 40" sweater for a size 36" bust. For most of the stitch counts, I just knit what was recommended for a size 36. My version, with my smaller gauge, measures about 37". It's nice to have a little ease in a cotton sweater--it's so likely to shrink with washing.

While it would be easy enough to rip out the yoke and re-knit it with more decreases, I think it more prudent to wait and see if the sleeves will shrink lengthwise after a few washes. Until then, I'll enjoy the funkiness of long sleeves. They fold up nicely, proving that a quick fix of cutting off the excess and re-knitting the edging would probably work.

I've written up all the mods I made. They are so extensive, it's almost as though I wrote up the pattern. You can see them on the Ravely page for this project.

Independence Pass

One of the members of my knitting group told me that there was a statue of Mike, the headless chicken, in downtown Fruita, Co. Since I was there on our last business trip and couldn't find a yarn shop, I put some effort into finding Mike-

You can thank her for this photo. It took us a while to find the statue, partly because it didn't look quite how I expected. It was worth looking for, just as a novelty. I was amused to find it had, among the odd bits of scrap iron, a pair of scissors in it. The link above will take you to Mike's story. It's a little gruesome, so don't click if you're eating, especially if you are eating chicken right now.

On leaving Fruita, we drove home in a roundabout way, crossing the continental divide at Independence Pass. It was cloudy, but that just added to the beauty of the mountains, the bits of remaining snow, and the wildflowers.

It is a lovely, easy drive over the pass this time of year, with lots of places to stop along the way. Creeks, campgrounds, overlooks and the like dot the road all the way between Aspen and Granite.

This drive never dulls, since the same mountains on the same road offer different views from every angle.

Once home, I got back to work on my knitting. It looks like it has wound down to cotton, a good thing to knit this time of year. While it doesn't offer the tactile pleasures of wool, it is much more pleasant to have on your lap.

A big lump of knitting like this long-sleeved sweater doesn't bother me at all in the heat, unlike the little 3/4-sleeved cardigan I just finished. If that little lump of wool lay on my lap as I was knitting it in the the last week or two, I had to move it around to seek some relief. I started with the Sallie pattern from the Louisa Harding book you see beside the sweater, but am now hybridizing it with the saddle shoulder from the Skater Undertop from Avery's Knitting Classic Style.

Alongside the sweater you can see another dish towel that I've reluctantly started. After last year's numerous dish towels, I'm not in the mood for knitting dish towels. Only the desire to write up the pattern for this one has me knitting it again. The nice Pakucho cotton and the fun of trying out a new stitch pattern for the edging do offer some small compensations in the task of knitting over a foot of boring stockinette.

It's not all cotton knitting here, though. I've cheated and impulsively cast on for a kerchief in some fine silk merino. It's going fast, since it starts out small. I could have it done soon, but will likely hit a wall as the stitch count increases. You see, I might have enough yarn to make it a full-blown shawl. That, plus the beads I'd like to knit into it, might take a while, maybe 'til summer's end. I'm using the Springtime Bandit pattern and the blue yarn I blogged last summer. It's lovely.

Ripple Cardigan

There is a new divide among knitting designs, a division between the simple and the complex.

I favor the complex. I've no hamu, havi, zen design here, although I honestly hoped for that effect. With its wide sleeves and loose lines, I thought this sweater might have Asian tendencies. Scratch that. The simple lines are outplayed by the dynamic ripples and with their curly borders. For something cobbled together from a small stash of dk and sock-weight yarns, it is surprisingly cohesive.

It started with this year's Summer issue of Vogue Knitting and the Ripple Pattern Cardi pattern, which requires four different colorways of variegated fingering-weight yarn. Since it is knit from the top down, substituting dk-weight yarn wasn't a big challenge. I began with the purple Koigu Kersti I had bought a couple of years ago when I was innocent enough to believe that 5 hanks would make a sweater. I continued with the coordinating variegated Kersti and two hanks of hand-dyed fingering-weight KPPPM from my sock-yarn stash. Thowing in some leftover Brooks Farm Duet (dk weight again) wasn't enough. I had to buy two hanks of Reynolds Soft Sea Wool in brown to complete the design. As a bonus, one real advantage to using multiple colorways is that it goes several of my shirts.

This brightly-lit photo comes the closest to capturing the perfect deep purple of the semi-solid portion of this sweater. It's not a trick of the lighting, there are different buttons in this outdoor shot. This cardi has been through a lot since most of the knitting was finished a couple of weeks ago. Sewing, blocking, two different applications of buttons and buttonholes, reblocking and two photo sessions, plus being pressed into immediate service when our local fireworks show coincided with a cold front.

The initial blocking seemed to work wonders for the ripple portion, bringing a overly small 30" midriff to nearly 40". As an experienced knitter might expect, it snapped back after a couple of hours of wear. The ripple portion is now 36", large enough that I didn't try to stretch it back out during the second blocking. The bodice, knit completely in dk weight, is more generous. It was chancy, but looking at the back shows all is well, fit-wise.

The ripple pattern and the fingering weight yarn in it pull the midriff portion in too much for the two coconut-husk buttons I originally chose. The second button kept popping out of its buttonhole. Luckily, indecision had led me to purchase another set of buttons. A little resewing easily converted this to a one-button cardi.

I was glad to revert to my first choice of button. I had two of these, but initially thought them too large. Now I've settled on just one clear plastic button with a brown center on a metal shank. Sturdy, with a bit of gleam, it's a little attention-getting, but not too much.

I can't imagine mixing complex buttons or cables with those rippled colors. My zen is blown away already. If I hadn't run out of yarn, I might have added the collar. Leaving it off was my only real pattern modification. Sure, I changed yarn, gauge (a little), and added a 5th stripe, but those are simple changes to make. Since I couldn't knit the collar, I used the brown to knit the first portion of the collar as a collar band, including the short rows at the back of the neck. Once the band was 1.5 inches deep, I knit the rolled edging to finish it.

I also ran out of purple Kersti, forcing me to use the brown for the rolled edging on the sleeves and the body. For the same reason (no purple yarn) the final border on the body is blue rather than purple. Running out of yarn wasn't a problem, since the project ended with a sweater success and a few less odd hanks of yarn in my stash. For more yarn details, see my Ravelry project page.

Going (and knitting) my Own Way

I want to share this photo I took at the finish line of the FibArk raft race. There is a bit of a rough spot at the finish line, offering good photo ops. I knew the instant I'd snapped it that I'd gotten it. Most times, if it's a halfway decent photo, that's the way it goes. Once glance at the tiny screen tells me, even without my glasses, that it is that lucky shot. I wanted to show it any of our visitors who are considering trying a raft ride, perhaps as as a "full disclosure", maybe to discourage, but K says that wouldn't be nice. Darn. Instead, I'll show it here.

To really understand this photo, you have to know that it was taken at the end of a 26-mile river race. The river was pretty high that day, not as high as it has been this last week, but pretty high (well over 2,000 cfs for the statisticians, but it has been as high as 3,500 cfs since then). Raft racing is not easy. These guys have been paddling this bulky raft for about 3 hours. They are at the finish line, and they choose (I suppose) to blast through the biggest rapid there. If you click on it, you should be able to make out their expressions. They are pumped!

It's interesting, the parallels this brings to mind. Looking at the photo, you might not think of the same comparison as I do, but that's only because you didn't see them paddling over miles and miles of smooth water for hours, as I did. Sure, there were some very rough spots, but those were quickly over. The long slog is the main part of the race.

A long steady paddle in the hot sun, burning muscles and backs, through crazy rough spots and boring smooth ones, brings them to the end and they are so elated! Like knitting up miles of yarn, no matter how long it takes and how boring it is, to get a sweater, or blanket, or even a pair of fine-gauge socks. Phew! It's so great to have done it.

Of course, just as knitters have different ideas of fun, so do these rafters. There's the big rubber rafts, the skinny little fast kayaks,

and the snub-nosed tricky ones. They each offer a different way to travel the river. Then there's this guy:

I have to admit, I don't get it. (It is a Paddle Board, like a surfboard.) It's got to be back-breaking, standing and paddling for hours. I have no idea how they manuever through the rapids with these. That's something I'll have to check out next year. I assume there will be some paddle board entries next year. There weren't any last year. There were three this year. While it doesn't appeal to me, it apparently really rings bells for some. I'll look for them in the rapids next year.

This, too, has a parallel. There's so many approaches to knitting. From simple garter stitch to complicated knitted lace, it offers something for everyone. I've been trying it all, but have felt less enthusiasm this summer. I've pushed through projects while my old burning passion for the task went missing. I think the problem was that I was knitting according to pattern, maybe modifying the length or shaping, or substituting the yarn, but with no real innovation.

While some don't understand how or why I change the patterns I knit, for me the changes are the best part. I spent a couple of hours the other day devising this chart for my next project.

I'm using a fairly simple pattern for a wool sweater. Instead of the embroidery along the yoke, I'm going to knit a fair isle panel, following the chart above. Instead of wool, I'll use cotton. Along with the recommended dk weight yarn, I'll use fingering and worsted weight. I'll add stripes to the shoulders and knit the body in stockinette and in the round, instead of flat in garter stitch. I'll add a band to the bottom, using a stitch pattern from a cardigan I like. I haven't decided what to do with the sleeves, but I know I will figure it out as I go.

I'm enjoying my knitting again. This hodge-podge of a sweater is just what I need. It is my treat--the paddle boarding of knitting. It has been fun to celebrate the independence of our country with the independence of this project.

Wet, wild and knitted

Rather than letting my trip to Niagara pass without a bit of a travelogue, I thought I'd cover some of the less famous aspects of this iconic natural wonder. Of course, for famous, there's the Maid of the Mist, the boat that cruises the waters below the falls. I did ride one of these (there's about a half-dozen Maids), and I wouldn't discourage any falls visitor from including the boat ride in their tour.

Then there's the other traditional venue, the Cave of the Winds. Of that, I didn't partake, though the more adventurous members of our party did.

You see, really, there's no cave about it. It is a stairway to a platform that allows you to walk right into the edge of one of the falls. At least that's what it is on the American side. There's a cave of some sort on the Canadian side, but we didn't get over to it. It is a good way to get wet on a hot day, but the idea of that much water falling from that far down onto my leetle body didn't appeal to me. Ah well, there were other attractions--

the view from the Canadian side, courtesy of a tower with an observation deck,

fireworks, courtesy of one of the hotels,

and the Clock Tower, the only remaining landmark from the movie, Niagara. That's a pretty good movie, with Marilyn Monroe playing an over-sexed would-be murderess to the hilt.

This is as seen from Rainbow Bridge. I walked over to the Canadian side one evening. Now I can say I've walked to Canada. I've also bicycled to Mexico, but that's a different story.

Among my other accomplishments, I've completed the finishing on my latest sweater, which continues to amaze me. Mixing different weights, blends and colors of yarn into one project seemed doomed to failure. That it fits at all amazes me. All it lacks now is a couple of buttons.

You might see modeled photos soon. But we must take my button-shopping history into consideration and not expect them too quickly.

Hoover, West Branch, and trains

There is fiber in this story, but most of it isn't mine. On the way to Niagara Falls (slowly I turn....no, stop), we stopped at one of the Presidential Libraries/birthplace. Can't say why, but we find these irresistible. It was a totally gorgeous day, so walking around the small town of West Branch, Iowa, seeing the tiny cottage Herbert Hoover lived in for the first few years of his life, was a pleasant break from our long drive.

The peony bushes were stunning. The blacksmith in the neighboring blacksmith shop was entertaining. Walking through the Quaker Meeting House and looking at the woven blanket

and the quilts, not to mention the wall-to-wall rag rugs, in the cottage

was a treat. A treat for me, at least. K was more impressed with the huge Bailey train yard in North Platte, Ne.

Here, trains are taken apart and put back together like a kid playing with tinkertoys, for the sake of sorting out the cars with a common destination and creating new trains to get them there. All this fun is viewed from a new observation tower. Don't miss it if you love watching trains.

If you, however, love knitting socks instead, do knit the Nutkin pattern.

After the slowness of Blackrose, which my brain could not memorize, knitting Nutkin was a joy. I had the pattern after the first repeat. It produces a pretty design that looks great with variegated yarn without the stress of a complex pattern. No cables, just a yarn over and a ssk, a few purls and bam! Impact galore.

I can't wait to knit it again, maybe in Smooshy, Koigu, or some such yarn with lots of elasticity. Wait, I have to knit another one in this yarn first. It does bias a little (all those ssk's with no k2togs), but that may go away when I block it. If not, I might try a modification, reversing the pattern every other repeat.

Details: Trekking Pro Natura yarn (once again), size 2 needles on a turned hem cuff to start, then size 1s for the short-row boomerang heel. The pattern provides great short-row heel instructions, I just boomeranged it by knitting around between the two halves of the heel. I was tempted by the pattern's short-row toe with the cute three-needle bind-off at the top of it, but I remembered other short-row toes that were less than smooth at the join of the rows. I fear that cute bind-off--it looks like a seam and might feel like one! Probably not, but I chickened out and knit a standard decreased toe, grafting the end closed.

The result is a soft, comfy sock (great yarn) that fits well (short-row heel over 60 percent of the stitches.)

Long drive, lots of knitting

Previously, I never would have thought that eleven days on the road would have provided me with less knitting time than the same period at home. Either being driven to exhaustion killed my desire to knit, or there were distractions, such as:

As much as I've seen them in film and photo, it didn't take the excitement away from seeing them in person. Massive torrents of cool, clear, beautiful water--quite a change from my usual mountainous scenery. I'd name these famous falls, but then I'd be compelled to go into the "Slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch..." routine that I found so hilarious in my childhood.

I can't say that I loved the long drive there and back, but K prefers to drive. It was an education. I'd no idea how lovely is Iowa, how densly populated is the stretch from Chicago to Buffalo, NY, or just how many grapevines grow along the coast of Lake Erie. (On that last, I'd guess somewhere between thousands and millions, but the people at that Welch's grapejuice plant probably know exactly.)

As far as small pleasures, there was the cottontail rabbit that grazed outside our hotel room window during a rain,

the fun of using our new GPS to find local restaurants, like the Jolly Roger Seafood House in Port Clinton, OH (yum--fried perch and walleye sandwiches on the shores of Lake Erie), and the suprise of seeing just how far the owners of a hotel in Elyria, OH have gone to protect and nurture a flock of ducklings.

They not only have built a fence around the little pond where the mallard hen decided to raise them, they provide a steady supply of food and clean the area daily. In between the wildlife viewing and fried fish, I managed to finish a pair of socks:

Using the Blackrose pattern from Knitty, Trekking Pro Natura sock yarn, and size 1 needles produced a lightweight pair of socks. My only modification was to change two knit stitches to purl on either side of the lace pattern. If I hadn't, the sock would have been too large, even with only 60 stitches. The lace pattern is pretty, but impossible to memorize since it only repeats once around. The rest is plain stockinette. It should have knit up quickly, but took weeks because I had to consult the chart every other row.

Great socks, though! I've been wearing them all day. I know, it is too hot for socks most places, but not too hot for these socks today in the mountains of Colorado. Meaning, obviously, that the trip is over. Now that I have some down time, there'll be more knitting, and more photos of my trip.