Monthly Archives: February 2006

spinning, spinning

Aw, thanks for all the awesome comments! When I picked Limerick as my project, I really, really REALLY didn’t think I was going to finish within the time – just ask Jen or Megan! Now I feel like I can tackle just about anything, and isn’t the the whole point?

Anyway, onto some brand new content. I’ve got a lot to talk about today!

I finished spinning up my neapolitan roving, and I now have four skeins (one is a bit smaller than the others) of navajo-plied merino goodness. The far left skein is the first one I did; I think it has longer repeats of the colours so it should stripe at smaller stitch counts. I’m planning to swatch some of this as soon as I’ve set it.

In other spinning, I spun up my very first skein of ingeo. The first time I tried spinning it was on the drop spindle, and that didn’t work out too well – I was a rank beginner then, too. Now that I’m not-so-rank and have the wheel, it worked out pretty well! The first photo here is from my old reliable camera, following two are with a newer camera that I’m still figuring out.

The skein weighs in at an almost perfect 110 yards, and about, oh, 3.5 ounces? Silly me didn’t save any of the fibre for blending, but I’m sure I’ll pick up more at some point. It’s really quite shiny and pretty, the structure is really well defined as well. I’m still a bit iffy on the feel – it’s soft, but it is kind of that synthetic softness. Up next, some straight soy silk.

In knitting, here’s what a cone (225 grams, about a half pound) of Louet Gems Topaz will get you:

This sweater’s going remarkably fast, although now it’s a bit big to carry around and thus will probably see less time. Same thing goes for the next project, although I’m rather determined to finish this one by the weekend (I haven’t shown this already, have I?):

A Charlotte’s Web shawl, using Jaggerspun wool/silk worsted weight. It’s a lot bigger than in that photo now, and quick to knit too (big needles + holes = fast)!

Ooookay, I think that’s everything for today! Off to the wheel.

sick of it yet?

I feel like I’ve been posting so much about this one project (well, it *has* been the only project I worked on for the last two weeks) that it must be getting boring! Anyway, it has come to an end, and here’s the final modelled shot and notes.

Limerick
Pattern: by Lousia Harding, Rowan 28
Yarn: Louet Gems Pearl. 3 skeins each of pewter and cream, 2 skeins each of navy and charcoal. I’ve got enough leftovers to make matching socks…not that I would.
Needles: Garnstudio bamboo circs (swoon, best bamboo circs ever), 2.5 mm
Finished: February 25, 2006

Notes:
I changed the gauge to make the sweater smaller (and boy it’s smaller). Consequently I had to knit more pattern repeats to get the right length. I knit slightly more ribbing at the bottom of the body and cuffs. I adapted it to be knit in the round as a seamless raglan. I completely disgarded the increase instructions for the sleeve and just did it my own way. Same goes for the entire yoke, pretty much…I’ve made enough raglans to know how the whole thing kind of works! For the neck, I did short rows to raise the back neck. There are a few mistakes, but I love it anyway.

My first really intensive, allover patterned colourwork project, and I did it in only 15 days! And it’s not like I was a hermit those days, I still had school to go to and a test and paper last week. This week I was off school, but I still spent whole days not knitting until an hour or two before bed. So what could I accomplish if I could knit all day long?

I loooooove how the inside feels. It’s so smooth and flat now, after blocking.

I had a lot of fun at the Closing Ceremonies party at the Old York – fabulous magic mushroom sandwich/burger! No photos from me, but erin’s got lots of fun ones.

I had knit knit knit last night and today at the shindig on my black vneck, but then…on the subway home I discovered that the front and back sections had different numbers of stitches. D’oh. So I ripped back to where I could still fix it (the vneck join). Back on track now, and 4.5 mm needles feel like tree trunks!

not by name, alas

There was an article in today’s Globe and Mail about the Knitting Olympics, and megan told them about me:

“One Lettuce Knit regular has tackled a multipatterned, multicoloured Limerick sweater that would typically take an experienced knitter about a month to complete. Ms. Ingman said she is not sure the woman will cross the finish line by tomorrow. “It’s a complicated piece, a real challenge. She’s ambitious.””

Since this was only as of last Tuesday, it certainly was iffy as to whether I would finish. But I’ll do you one day better, megan!

Although it looked like a mess, there actually weren’t very many ends…

After a quick bath…

Plus, the sweater expanded in the wash as I hoped it would – it’s now 35″ (I’m 36″) which is much bigger than it was going in!

Ah, sweet, sweet VICTORY!

Modelled photos to come tomorrow, hopefully to be taken at the Closing Ceremonies party! See you all there!