How The West Was Spun

FO: Loppem Cardigan

At last, at last - the final 12th sweater of the NaSweKniMoDo09 challenge is off the needles!  Woot and a half!

 
Project Specs:

Pattern:  Loppem by Norah Gaughan from her Volume 3 booklet.  This is a cap-sleeved open cardigan with big cable panels up the front bands.  I knit the size 34" after seeing how oversized some of the ones on Ravelry were.  Unless you have really huge shoulders, I would say most folks can probably go down a size from what they normally wear.  The drape of the sweater really suffers and looks too oversized if you don't decrease enough for the neck yoke.  (Or conversely, add in a few extra decrease rows as you work the neck yoke, but cast on for your normal size for the body.)
Yarn:  Knitpicks Gloss HW (merino and silk) in the colorway "Blackberry".
Needles:  Size 8 US circs. 
Buttons: Two hand-painted ceramic buttons from Moonsie's Etsy Store. 

Mods:  I chose not to pick up and knit 4 more rounds around the armsceye openings.  I didn't like the bulky look of that from the other Ravelry photos, so I left that off. 
Notes:  This pattern has a ton of sizes (from 34" to 54", I think), but the body length for all of them is only 9".  Worked out fine for short-waisted me, but not, I suspect if you are taller than about 5'5" or long-waisted.  The cables aren't particularly hard.  All of the shaping is done with simple concentric decreases for the yoke.  Not a hard knit by any means.  Interesting construction - typically Norah-esque.  I think I'd probably like this better worn over a summery dress or skirt, rather than jeans.  The construction and button placement have this hang open (which it was designed to do), but with that sort of artsy look to it, I think I'd like it better over something not jeans.  I could see getting a lot of spring usage out of this, as a little extra layer, but it's actually too cold here to wear right now, as it's pretty lightweight and open.

So that's a wrap!  No more sweaters for me for a while.  I hardly know what to do with myself!

All for now.
 

WIP Wednesday: December 2, 2009

Project #1:  Loppem Cardigan

I'm zipping along on this.  I have finished the cabled portion of the body and added the sleeves.  I'm up to the first 2 rows of the neck yoke, and my next step is to add the bottom buttonhole.  I finally ordered buttons, and since they are hand-made, thought I'd better wait to be sure I've worked the buttonholes the correct size, to prevent any more frogging than I have to.

Goal:  If my buttons arrive in time, I'm going to try to finish this up.  I just have the yoke left to knit. 

Project #2: (New!) Pink Crush Socks

I'm going to tackle another UFO once my sweater is done, but I decided I needed a pair of socks on the needles.  These are from The Joy of Sox book. The original pattern is "Blue Crush", but since I'm knitting these in pink... well... Pink Crush it is!

The yarn is FiberOptics merino sock yarn, in the colorway "Honeysuckle Rose".

Goal:  Knit down to the heel flap.

All for now.

WIP Wednesday: November 25, 2009

Project #1:  Loppem Cardigan

I finished the second repeat of the cable panels and I have one more set of the shaping decreases left to do on the body.  Looks pretty similar to last week, only bigger, eh?

Goal:  Another cable repeat.  That should put me at the the armscye decreases.

Project #2: Flutter Scarf

Closer... but didn't quite hit my goal this week.  Of course, if I told you how this week has been so far, you'd understand why.  I'll recap that sometime not pre-holiday, as you'll need a drink and wee lie-down after all of it.  I know I did.  I did get to #36 of the 55 repeats I'm doing for the body.

Goal:  I've got a 3-day weekend coming up.... you know... after I work the holiday... so I am going to try to get done the body repeats on this, and then I'll just have the shaped fluttery parts to finish up!

All for now.....

WIP Wednesday: November 18, 2009

Project #1:  Flutter Scarf

I forgot I was going to have some in-hospital knit time this week, so I took this along for my Remicade therapy on Monday and got quite a bit accomplished.

I finished up the pretty ruffled edge on the first half, picked up the temporary cast-on stitches and started the second half.  I've knit up 25 of the 55 pattern repeats for the second half.

Goal:  Knit another 20 repeats of the main pattern.

Project #2:  Loppem Cardigan

And then there was one.  Here's the last of my NaSweKniMoDo09 projects:  Norah Gaughan's Loppem. I am knitting this up in heavyweight KP Gloss in the "blackberry" colorway.  I have gotten the first cable repeat finished.

Goal:  Knit another repeat of the cable pattern, which will be about halfway up the body to the armsceyes.

All for now.....
 
 

FO: Refined Raglan Pullover

Number eleven is fini!

Project Specs:

Pattern:  Refined Raglan Pullover by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark, from Interweave Knits, Winter 2006.  Super simple and straight-forward with some nice details. 
Yarn:  Hand-dyed merino/bamboo worsted-weight.  Lori of Oceanwind Knits traded me the dye tasks on this one for some undyed yarn.  Unnamed colorway, but very similar to her Mocha color; I think this has more gray in it. 
Needles:  Size 6 and 8 US circs.
Modifications:  None - my gauge was off a little bit, so I followed the 34" instructions to get about a 35-1/2" finished size, which I wanted.  There was some wonkiness with the math for the raglan decreases at the shoulders, but I just fudged those a bit and it worked out just fine.
Notes:  Lots and lots of stockinette.  Even the little cabled/lace insets at the raglan shaping aren't very hard.  If you get the panels set up correctly, the pattern just consists of offset decreases and 1 y/o every other row.   I have a LOT of this yarn left.   I really can't fathom it, but I think this sweater took around 800 yards?  Or less?  And I didn't even shorten the torso like I usually do. 

 
Eleven down - one to go.  All for now.....

WIP Wednesday: November 11, 2009

Project #1: Refined Raglan

Stand back.  I have the bit between my teeth on this one, and headed into the home stretch.  D has been gone since this time last week, so I've been on the "no cooking" option wherein I eat cereal for dinner every night, which cuts down on that pesky cooking and clean-up stuff.  Time much better devoted to knitting.

My circs came in the mail, and I powered through both sleeves.  These are now attached to the body and I'm working the pretty patterned raglan decreases.  I'm about two thirds of the way done the decreases.

Goal:  Come hell or high water, I am finishing this project this week.  

Project #2:  Flutter Scarf

I knit what I thought were the rest of the regular repeats for the first half of the scarf.  My brain remembered the pattern said "55", when it actually said "50".  Oh well - no harm done.   I like a little extra scarf length anyhoo.  So, that said, I'm ready to start the patterning at the bottom of half #1.  It doesn't really look all that much different than last week, but I will comment that I am enamored of how nicely the colors are coming out in this. 

 
 
Goal:  I would like to get the 14 rows of chart B done, but this is going to take a back seat to finishing up the raglan (above), so we'll call this project optional this week and see where things are in 7 more days.

All for now......
 

WIP Wednesday: November 4, 2009

Project #1:  Refined Raglan

Not a bit o' knitting on this.  I decided to wait for my circs, so my gauge will stay the same as that for the body.  Hopefully those will be here this week and I'll get the first sleeve cast on.

Project #2:  Flutter Scarf

During my stay-cation, I decided to cast on one new project (that was the Bousta Beret from yesterday), and tackle a UFO that's been on the needles for a while, my handspun Flutter Scarf.   Seriously, there is no reason why I shouldn't be enjoying knitting this!  I love the yarn and the pattern is easy, but a bit of interest, so I need to just finish it up.

I'm knitting this from handspun merino/tencel singles from Funky Carolina's "Waterlilies" colorway.  I have a couple other colorways in this fiber blend, which seems to lend itself nicely to singles, and I may just go ahead and spin up more of it for more scarves (which aren't my favorites to knit, but I whacked all my hair off this week too, and now I need something on the back of my neck when outside).  Mim's pattern is, as usual, easy to follow, and I love the finished look of it.

Goal:  I'm on row 36 of the first half repeats before the flutter edging.  Finish up thru 55 repeats before starting the edging.

All for now......
 

WIP Wednesday - October 28, 2009

Project #1: Refined Raglan Pullover:

This week, I started the Refined Raglan pullover for my sweater #11 of the NaSweKniMo09 challenge.  This is an easy knit-in-the-round stockinette body pullover with a bit of lace detailing along the raglan shoulder shaping. 

Stockinette, in the round?  I am SO there for mindless knitting this week!

Again, I think this is reading oddly in the photograph, but then again, Lori's colorways are notoriously hard to capture on film for whatever reason.  This is just a couple of rounds shy of the 12" I need to have completed before I divide for the sleeves.  The waist decreases and increases are already done!

Goal:  I needed to order some shorter circular needles for the sleeves and I did that on Sunday, but I think they are on the slow boat.  If they come soon enough, I'll get started on the sleeves this week.  Or I may try to Magic Loop the beginning.  Not one of my favorite techniques, but I'm also not sure I want to wait 2 weeks potentially for the needles to arrive.  I think DPNs aren't going to be a good choice with this merino/bamboo blend, as it will want to ladder.

Project #2: Potpourri Socks

Lots of progress on these, as they've been my foozball-watching knitting.  I cast on, finished the leg, turned the heel and started the foot on sock #2.

Goal:  I have just 6 pattern repeats left plus the toe shaping.  I feel pretty sure I can finish these up over the next few days!

I think I'm going to pull out a UFO (my handspun Flutter scarf) and maybe add that in as my next WIP for the Wednesday updates.  Or maybe cast on another pair of socks.... or there is the Ulmus shawl I've been thinking about starting....... Choices, choices!

All for now.....
 
 

WIP Wednesday - October 21, 2009

Having cleaned out my previous listed WIPs, we are on to all new things for a change. 

Project #1:  Refined Raglan Pullover

I have only just cast this one on, but it'll be sweater #11 for the NaSweKniMoDo09 challenge.  I originally had a different pattern picked, but I could not get gauge without having the fabric feel overly stiff, so since I was more wedded to the yarn than the pattern, I opted to go with a different pattern.  I picked something relatively easy for this, as I'm um.... getting burned out on sweaters.

The yarn for this project was hand-dyed for me by Lori at Oceanwind Knits.  It's sort of a riff on her Mocha colorway.  The yarn was mine originally, 50% merino and 50% bamboo, and I had enough for 2 sweaters plus worth.  I sent her all of it, and she dyed some for me, and returned enough for a sweater and kept the rest for herself.  A fair trade, I think. (The morning light has blued this out a bit.  There are more chocolate browns in it.)

The pattern I decided on is from IK in Winter 2006, the Refined Raglan Pullover.  I am hopeful I can move through this one pretty quickly, but I've already frogged it once, having put a twist into the original cast-on edge.  It's back on the needles and I'm thru the hem facing, ready to knit the turning purl row.

Goal:  Knit up thru the first set of waist shaping rounds.

Project #2: Potpourri Socks 

Since I have had these on the needles since July, I think, it's about time to put some concerted effort into finishing them.  I had finished up the first sock.

Goal:  Cast on for sock #2 and knit the picot edging.

All for now......
 

FO: Printed Silk Cardigan

Apparently Typepad ate my original post, but be that as it may, I have finished the tenth NaSwekniMoDo09 sweater!

Project Specs:

Pattern:  Printed Silk Cardi by Connie Chang Chinchio.
Yarn:  Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool in a grayed denim-blue color. 
Needles:  US size 4 circs.
Mods:  I shortened the length a little bit, but I deepened the armsceyes and adjusted the sleeve caps as well, since I think it would have been a bit tight on me otherwise.  I also lifted the scoop neck by 1-1/2 inches and I also added another 1/2-inch of ribbing there.
Notes:  This was not exactly a fast knit (took me almost 2 months!) and you do need to pay good attention to the diamond pattern or else you get confuzzled with the decreases and shaping easily.  The 1x1 ribbing is.... well... slow.  I was happy the sleeves were only three-quarter length ones.

So: Sweater #10 for NaSweKniMoDo, PLUS a Project Spectrum 4 offering (since we are focusing on blue things this time).

All for now...