Scarf knitting procrastination

I had originally titled this entry as "my Christmas present to me". It is a present to myself, in that I think anytime one finally leaps a hurdle she has been running around for a long time, it is a present to one's self. I may keep this scarf, I may not. The important thing is that I finished it. You see, I bought the yarn (4 balls of JoAnn's Stellina) in November, 2005. I cast on for the scarf in October, 2006. Since then, several other unfinished scarves have joined it in the knitting bag.

That's my ugly secret. Rather than an albatross, I have unfinished scarves hanging around my neck. At least now the count is reduced by one. How? you ask? I consulted the scarf knitting group at Ravelry for theraputic suggestions. I was shocked to find there are those who enjoy knitting scarves, who revel in their sameness. I was willing to follow their path, if only it would lighten the burden around my neck. They spoke, I listened. Here, blocking, is the result.

They had several suggestions, but the one that seemed the most sure to work at the time was to simply resolve to finish just one scarf. I gave it some thought and pulled out the unfinished lace Stellina scarf with its matching beret.

You see, I had knit a beret from the Stellina before I cast on for the scarf. It was hopelessly too big. I felted the beret. It became smaller, with ruffles in it, but was still too big. I added elastic in the brim. It resembled a shower cap. With new resolve, I reblocked the beret and loosened the elastic a bit. I cut out a photo of a model wearing a slouchy beret. Maybe, I thought.

I had half the scarf knitted. The pattern is from the Interweave scarf booklet that came tucked into one of their IK issues last year. You're supposed to knit the two halves separately and graft them together so the ends match. The second half was partially knitted but much shorter than the first. I guessed it would take hours and hours to finish the picky little lace pattern. Did I rise to the challenge? No, I put it aside. Christmas knitting was my excuse. This time.

But then, the Christmas knitting was done, and I had no excuse. Two days before Christmas, I tossed the unfinished scarf half in the car and knit on it while we drove around visiting. I was surprised when I found I had only a few yards of yarn left on Christmas eve--right about the time I saw the moon and Mars. I had forgotten that I planned for the second half to be smaller than the first, so that the grafted seam would be off-center and less obvious. Sorta.

Since the pattern is running in opposite directions, it won't match no matter what. Of course, I managed to misalign the stitches while grafting it. At that point, after two years of fiddling around, I let it go. I've got a mistake in the first half where I misplaced half a repeat.

**Sigh**








It looks good, regardless. The yarn is wool, plied with a tiny nylon thread that gives it shimmer.

Now for that half-finished green lace scarf.

Maybe on the next trip. After I finish those sweaters.

Mars for Christmas

I hope everyone had a nice holiday. I did. I enjoyed reading all the Christmas greetings in your blogs yesterday. We're going back to serious work tomorrow, so I don't expect a big New Year celebration. I've had enough celebration for a while, anyway.

I got several nice gifts. Here's one I didn't get:

Well, at least not yet, anyway. This was supposed to be a recliner, but I think it's much nicer than a clunky old recliner. We've ordered it, and it should come in (in a different color, a deep gold) in a few weeks. It will go in the living room, where there is a new burgundy chair with tiny gold flowers to coordinate with it.

You see, K and I went to go pick out a chair and a recliner as our presents to each other. Instead, we got the chair and ordered the chaise to coordinate. I think it will also look nice in the new knitting room, where it might get moved someday. No recliner, instead a chaise that matches my knitting room. I wonder how that happened? ;D

Here's what else happened--the moon and mars. I took these photos Dec. 23rd, as we drove back from a holiday visit and gifting. The moon was huge and full when it rose, and I dropped my knitting and took this photo:

Then, after it got dark, we could see a star near it. I've since checked and found out it was Mars, and that it was visible in some parts of the globe on the 23rd and 24th. Here's how it looked about an hour and a half after it rose Sunday, and we could see the first glimmering of Mars below it:

It got brighter--the photo below was taken a little less than an hour later. Do you see how Mars has moved a little to the right?

When I last checked a couple of hours later, it was almost directly to the right of the moon.

Mini Sweater Magnets

Before I wrap them, here is the set of refrigerator magnets I made for my friend and her daughter. I ended up with two sweaters, two hats, and two scarves.

When I first told you about this project, I had a blue hat that was less than satisfactory. Just now, when I was hot-gluing it to the magnet, I glued it on backwards with the seam exposed. I guess it was an impulse to trash it that made me mess it up. I salvaged the white pom pom and quickly knit the pink hat for it.

I've still got to make the faces to go with this set--I need good photos of the recipients for that. In the meantime, to give you an idea of the "dress me up" option, I used faces cut from a magazine:

Since I finished this project, I found these mini-sweater patterns. There's some here too. I wish I'd had these links earlier. I thought I could make a cardigan without a pattern, but it didn't work out. Wrong yarn, wrong gauge, you know how it goes. Then I started purling when I should knit. It just got worse, and I put the entire project aside as a result. I finally realized it was ridiculous to let one bad mini sweater hold things up, and worked on the scarves. Heartened by finishing them, I finished the other sweater. I could have had everything done weeks ago if I hadn't given it up.

As a lesson to myself, I've kept the bad mini sweater and made it into a magnet for my own fridge.

Loose threads, misplaced stitches, bad gauge and all, it's an abandoned UFO magnet. :D

Knitted Gifties

First off, for those who wondered what the Wanda sweater looks like from the front, I have found (through Ravelry) a photo of the Front of Wanda--I should point out that it is too small for the model, because it was knit for her "littler" sister. There's another version of Wanda on Ravelry that has a button band knitted on at the midriff--the knitter wanted it to button. I think I prefer the open one, myself.

Now, for those who say the more pictures the better, here they are, the photos I took of some of my knitted gifts before I wrapped them. First, the Clapotis, knitted on size 5 needles from Blue Heron Beaded Rayon:

I wonder, if you knit something from yarn that was a gift to you, and give the finished object to someone else, does it count as 'regifting'? :) I hope not, because I did have the pleasure of knitting the yarn, which I assume was the point of the gift. I just don't think I would wear a rayon scarf; I don't dress up that much since I quit working at an office.

Knitting with the rayon yarn was an education. I had no idea it was as heavy as it is. (Hence my concern that the Ultra Silk, with its silk and rayon content, will produce a heavy sweater.) This yarn is a bit difficult, in that it consists of very fine threads which catch on the needles. Also, it is a type of boucle, so there is no real stitch definition. I was a bit relieved about that, because I made a lot of mistakes knitting this. It was my "business trip" knit for the past several weeks, so it did not have my full attention. In spite of this, it made a nice scarf (I didn't knit the full width, so it is only 11" x 55"). Here's a better idea of the colors:

Then there's the ball band dishtowel. Great pattern, useful object. I knit this one on 8s instead of 7s, using the "& cream" yarns. The result drew up a lot when I washed and dried it, so that it is almost square, an odd shape for a towel. I just hope it looks 'masculine' enough for its recipient. :)

Here's several photos of the hat and scarf I knitted as a result of the Entrelac knitting class I took this summer. I just love these, but I can not abide the itchiness of the Silk Garden and Cascade 220 I used. They've got to go, and I hope my neighbor likes them. I had not posted any photos of them after I blocked the hat, so here's several:

The hat pattern is from the book, Hip Knit Hats. Great book, by the way. I had to double strand the yarn to get gauge, so I took advantage of that to mix the colors up a bit, trying to achieve an effect similar to the color changes in the scarf.
Admittly, I missed the mark a bit on that, but it is close, in a funky way. You can see below the way I striped the center of the scarf with some mill ends I got from The Fibre Co.'s booth at the Maryland Sheep and Wool show. I used a feather and fan stitch to match the ins and outs of the entrelac.

I find it surprising how many people visit this blog looking for entrelac knitting. I suppose they are looking for instructions? I can understand, because entrelac looks very complicated, and doesn't puzzle out easily. That's why I took the class. However, once I understood that it is simply modular knitting, and each little square is knitted separately and joined to the next one by decreases at the end of the rows, I realized it is simple--a bit tedious, but simple.

Lastly, I have a couple of photos of Christmas decorations from one of our business trips earlier this month. You see below a modern depiction of the three wise men:

What I see is the last little wise man. I'm sure it is meant that he is holding a vessel of frankincense, or myhr, or gold, but to me it looks like he is raising his glass in a toast.

Really, doesn't he look a bit tipsy, dawdling along behind the others?

It's almost as though his little camel is looking back at him with a smile.

Not the Caftan Pullover

Ever since I first saw it in the Spring 2006 issue of Interweave Knits, I've wanted the Caftan Pullover. Now that I've become a Norah Gaughan fan, I was pleased to look back at it last year and discover it was one of her designs. I was at a point where I felt my sweater-knitting skills had progressed enough to warrant trying one in a more expensive yarn. I thought, "Why not knit a sweater in the recommended yarn?" That would have been something I hadn't done before.

Right after I reached this decision, I found the yarn that is recommended for this pattern on sale. In green. Done! I was tired of fudging around with yarn subs. I was tired of cutting corners to make a sweater when I didn't have quite enough yarn. I ordered 20 balls (I only needed 16, but I wanted extra to swatch, and heck, it was on Sale!)

I was excited when I got the yarn, and started right away. First, I swatched and washed the swatch, measured, and I got 19 1/2 stitches per 4". I was supposed to get 18 1/2. So I changed from size 8 needles to 9s, swatched again. I got 18. At this point, I put it away and worked on other things.

I'm glad I did, because since then, I have joined Ravelry and researched this sweater. Yes, I still love the look:I just wish I could try it on. I'm stuck at that point where I know I like it, but I don't know how it will look on me. As one who does not have positive "dressing room experiences," I had doubts. Looking at the picture, I wonder, "Why are the upper sleeves so tight?" and "What's behind that bowl?"

Still, I wasn't overly worried about the look until I started researching it. Since then, I've not found anyone who knitted it and was totally happy with it. Worse, those who knit it in the recommended Berocco Ultra Silk are rather unhappy with it. Most of the knitters have had to sew up the front in some fashion. I suspect part of this may be due to improper fit, but I'm also worried about the design and the yarn. (Yes, the yarn, of which I have 20 balls.) The knitters who have used Ultra Silk say the resulting sweater is very heavy. One says it is very hard to maintain proper tension in this yarn. (That would explain why I can't get gauge.)

I considered knitting Wanda, but don't want to start such a complicated sweater when I don't know if the yarn does knit up heavy and unevenly. I've decided I need a larger swatch.

Like a tank top.

I think, if I take the elements of the Caftan that I like, the split hems and the motif, I can knit a tank top with the bottom motif moved up to the front neckline, with seed stitch around the armholes. hmmm?

If the tank works out, I'll still have enough yarn left for Wanda. So Wanda and the tank top will be like a twinset. Or, I could add the sleeves to the tank, and have a modified caftan. If I don't lke how the tank turns out, I'll still have 12 or so balls of yarn, enough for a wrap or something. So in this intensely cold weather, I'll be knitting a tank top. What the heck.

I think it will make a good companion knit for Gatsby Girl, since it will balance a complicated knit with a simple one.

On Gatsby, by the way, I have settled on the cables on the reverse stockinette background, but will add two twisted stitch ribs between each cable. (Thanks, Marjorie!) This alters the gauge, so I'm going up to size 5 needles. I'm rather happy about this, since it looks nice, is not too difficult to knit, and the larger needles are easier to handle.

Next up, pictures of my gift projects--they're mostly done!

Gatsby Girl and links

Christmas is coming, and I haven't bought a single gift yet. So far, I've managed to give something I've knitted or actual cash. I'm doubtful that I can keep this up, but I will try. My thinking is that if I give them something I've knitted and they don't like it, at least I enjoyed knitting it. If I give $, they are sure to like it. If I can't figure it either way, I can give $ and knitting. ;D I've got my current Christmas knit projects about 90 percent completed, so I should be ok, time-wise.
Which frees me up to think about other knitting--of course, it's sweaters; of course they're for me. I've got a sweater "timetable" in which I plan which sweaters I will knit each month. Finishing Christmas knitting means the rest of December is available, with no sweaters planned!

To fill up this fortunate gap, I dug around in my sweater stash and came up with two yarns -- a hank of Toasty Toes and two skeins of Wool-ease Sport. They kinda match. :/ They sorta knit to the same gauge. :/ Together they total 1400 yards.
When I put away the issue of Interweave Knits that has the pattern for the Sienna Cardigan I just knit, I noticed the pattern in it for Gatsby Girl. It uses a dark, wool, sportweight yarn. I began swatching. I'm thinking of knitting the yoke in the variegated Toasty Toes and the midriff in the heathery Wool-ease. The sleeves? Maybe a Wool-ease sleeve and a Toasty Toes cuff?

The swatch for the lace yoke came out to my satisfaction. I tried to use the Toasty Toes for another project, but in stockinette, it just looks like socks. The lace breaks up the variegation. I like it.

I played around with several stitch patterns for the midriff. I don't want to use the 1x1 rib the pattern calls for, because, to quote a Ravelry entry on this sweater, it manages to look "both puffy and clingy at the same time". I found stockinette to be a much smoother look, but it hides the cables too much. I put a little 1x1 ribbing on each side of the cable, but it didn't help. So I tried reverse stockinette. I like it; I got gauge; only,I'm a little worried that the cables will stand out too much.

Here's a final photo, a clearer picture of the lace in the variegated yarn. All of these photos can be viewed larger if you click on them. To recap, the first one is the two yarns together, so you can see the colors together. It's not quite color accurate. I took about 20 photos, but could NOT get the red/purple colors to show up right.

The second photo is where I played around with stockinette, 1x1 ribbing and 3x3 ribbing, with the cable on the right. The third is the cable on reverse stockinette.

Thoughts? If you don't have opinions, then, you can go look at these: Winnie's beautiful new fo.

Knitted item in the movie, The Golden Compass-- a Jacket.

Sienna Cardigan Critique

This post will serve as my 'critique' of the Sienna Cardigan I just finished. However, I can say at the outset that there's no criticism intended. Nothing wrong with this pattern at all. In fact, I considered using the word "praise" instead of critique. I didn't, I just assumed that a critique can include praise. Sienna is a well-designed, well-written pattern.

I followed the pattern, and it looks like the pattern picture. What more could a knitter ask? Clear directions? In there. Details. In there. Simplicity. There.

What was different was the yarn. I fell in love with the Alpaca with a Twist Highlander when I saw a knitted sample in my lys. It was the softest yarn I'd ever touched, but had enough body to look nice in cables. Where I went wrong was believing the gauge on the label. At a reported 18 st/4", I thought I'd need plenty. I bought all the hanks they had (7) in this color, but didn't think there would be enough. Then I swatched it, and washed the swatch. I think I started with 16 or 17 st/4", but ended with 15 st after washing. That's a pretty big difference from the 18 I expected.

Thank goodness I washed it, so I knew to pick a pattern for a bulky weight yarn. I'd been wanting to knit Sienna since I first saw it. However, now that it is done, I can see that a bulky weight sweater is definitely not slimming. Warm maybe, but not that flattering to the figure. I knitted the smallest size, expecting that a bulky sweater with no ease might look better? Probably a poor assumption, I realize now.

Although I knew I was knitting at a smaller gauge than I'd get after washing, I still was a bit surprised at the sweater when it was completed. Only the sleeves had been washed and blocked at this point:

Yeek! It was tight. I had faith, though, and washed it, pinned it out, and waited--and it's fine.

There's a back view. I don't think I've put one of those up yet. I apologize for putting up so many pictures of this sweater, but I figure that's what knitters come here to see. I know if I'm thinking of knitting a sweater, I'll look through the blogs for pictures of the finished product before I commit to the project. Aww, to be honest, this is the first sweater I've knitted that I don't have a problem with, and I like to look at these pictures myself.
The photo below is actually before I washed it. It looks ok, but just wouldn't button.

So. That's it. Pattern, yarn, hmmm. Oh, I used size 9 needles, and only 6 of the 7 hanks of yarn I had. It was a very quick knit, but since it was my Grey's Anatomy KAL project, I didn't work on it much each week. It probably took me maybe less than 30 hours, all told.

Now I'm working on a few Christmas presents. I have about 7/8ths of a Clapotis completed in Blue Heron beaded rayon. I hope to finish it next week. I find the rayon to be very heavy. I'm glad I knitted it up, because I see now why Berocco's Ultra Silk, which has a lot of rayon in it, knits up into a heavy sweater. I have 20 balls of it, and am changing my mind about what pattern to knit with it. I'm thinking Wanda, with a matching tank underneath.

I've got about 2/3 of a dishtowel done, and am changing my mind about the recipient. I was going to give it to someone I feel obligated to gift, but I may just forget that and give it to someone else who I think will really appreciate it.

I've finished a hat, and just cast on last night for the matching scarf. These are in a really lovely yarn, so are pretty enjoyable to knit. The other two projects are going slowly for me. I'd rather be knitting my next sweater. In fact, I'm cheating on my Christmas knitting and swatching for it. I'll probably post swatch pictures next week. I'm being adventurous and could use some advice.

Buttons and Sienna Cardigan

Monday was button shopping day, and it was a real treat. I also bought a book, Modern Classics, which has 20 sweater patterns for Louisa Harding yarns. The patterns are classic, and I'm sure I can sub the yarn (don't I always?). I picked up the Vogue Anniversary issue, too. I'm late doing that, but it is a nice issue to browe through when I'm taking a 'rest' for my poor back.

This first photo is of my first button purchase, for Mr. Greenjeans. I apologize for how dark it is. On the other monitor, it looks ok, so I'll hope that you can at least get a sense of it. The color match is good, the shape and size are right. I would have rather had a shank button, but the large holes are an interesting option, and allow me to use the yarn to sew it in without splitting the plies. The best part is that the button does blend in well and won't draw attention if I don't button the sweater.

Here's what I found for my Sienna Cardigan. I'm very pleased with these. I had the pattern image frozen in my brain; round shank buttons with a contrasting center were stuck in my mind. I also hoped to find a pale gray-blue, but that's such an unusual color, I was not optomistic about it. I had settled on silver buttons when I saw a separate rack for JBL buttons. JoAnn, why do you have to be so tricky?

Even though it took a little longer, it was worth it to get buttons I am really happy with. That was especially important for this sweater. I'm so happy with it, I wanted the perfect buttons.

This was my Grey's Anatomy Knit-a-Long project, so I have to post it there and on Ravelry. I really don't have any bad photos of it, but I'd like to take a few more this afternoon before I decide which one to expose to the public scrutiny of GA KAL and Ravelry.
This photo is not bad. Well, I said that didn't I?

I did not realize how wide the neckline is on this cardigan when I was knitting it. It won't be very warm without a sweater with a higher neck under it, but the neckline is pretty. (The yarn is Alpaca with a Twist's Highlander, one of my most favorite yarns. I'll be posting project details soon.)

The magazine picture shows it worn with a shirt underneath. I tried that option in the photo below.

Which brings me to the big news (and the reason I stupidly hurt my back), my finished knitting studio. We've redone the spare room. Actually, it was a total junk room. You know, the room where you pile all the stuff you ought to throw away? It was the last room to get cleaned and painted because it needed a door and a window installed. Extra trouble and extra money, which we put off until motivation appeared.
What has appeared is a bunch of knitting paraphenalia--ball winder, a standing yarn swift, baskets of yarn, drawers full of needles and notions, and a bunch of books. You know. So we were motivated, replaced the door and window, threw out the junk, painted, cleaned up, and moved in all the knitting things.

It is nice to have all these things in one room. However, I can't promise I won't scatter knitting all over the house anymore.
One thing that I really like having in the room is the laptop. Now it's not just a knitting studio, it's a blogging room. :)Also, I think the low desk I have the laptop on is better for my back.

So, this photo is me, wearing Sienna, in my knitting studio. It has lots of light, a closet, and 200 square feet of space.

You'd think that would be my Christmas present, wouldn't you? Nope. I'm cleaning out the living room next and buying new furniture for it. That's what I want for Christmas.

What's on your Christmas list? (or, excuse me, Hanukkah, Holiday, or ?? list)

Knitting so pretty, it's Hurting me

I have a lot to say, but no easy way to say it.



You see? I am working rather hard. Caulking, painting, cleaning, polishing, buying drapes, moving furniture, etc.



aaaand



I hurt my back.

This really upsets me because, what with the intense pain, I can't read your blogs.

I do peek now and then, and I see a lot of great stuff:

Damn cute gnomes

Damask Kauni (scroll down, it's worth it, 10 times over) more here I guess the Rainey Sisters started it, and I am left out. Or is this one the originator?

Dish Cloth to die for the pattern is here

Love Gun? I'd like to know if this one is just for looks, or if it actually works. It's here

Beautiful afghan pattern for a snowflake lover

That sweater by Margorie.

I can knit (some--I finished my Sienna sweater), and continue with the basic activities, even some of the housework, but when I get on the computer, it's a major OOOOwwweeee.

I am taking pills and doing a little recuperative exercise and hope to be back soon. (Back? from my bad back? heh heh.)