Category: Accessories

  • bewitching shrug

    I’m home with crying-over-nothing disease (ie. general malaise). Yep, it’s a legitimate reason for skipping class. At least when you have people who will provide you with the notes!

    sexyback

    Very, very simple really. Here’s sort of the “pattern”, although all parts can be highly modified for size and shape!

    Aran weight yarn – I used Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk Aran, 75% merino, 20% silk and 5% cashmere (I wonder why they put the “cashmere” in the name first?). It’s super soft and squooshy, and tightly spun with lots of plies. It reminds me of DB’s cashmerino, but all natural fibres! And yes, I am that much of a yarn snob. I used four balls, 94 yards each.

    Anyway. Stitch pattern is “stockinette lace ladder” from Barbara Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns (Vol. 1, otherwise known as the blue one).

    Multiple of 4 sts.
    Row 1 (RS): * ssk, yo twice, k2tog *, repeat from * to * across
    Row 2: *p1, (p1, k1 into double yo), p1 *, repeat from * to * across.

    I wanted the sleeve to be quite fitted all the way up, so I began by casting on 32 stitches and doing 4 rows of garter stitch, on 6.5 mm needles. I then began the stitch pattern thusly:

    Row 1: k2, pattern across 28 sts, k2
    Row 2: p2, pattern across 28 sts, p2

    Work even for about 12″. Increase each end every 4 rows until you have enough stitches to add another ssk, double yo, k2tog at each end, with one knit selvage stitch.

    Work even for another 5″ or so, then do another bout of increases. This is the widest point. Work even until the piece goes across your back – I sewed up the first sleeve so I could make sure to have the correct starting point for the back, and just tried it on periodically to check the size, stretching slightly.

    body hole?

    My “back hole” is about 19″ – this isn’t a cross back measurement, as it needs to go around the top part of the shoulder as well. When it’s long enough, make another sleeve, mirroring the placement of the sleeve decreases and ending with four rows of garter stitch.

    Weave in the ends and go! I was originally going to do some kind of edging around the back, but didn’t get around to it. Doesn’t matter, really.

    That Sublime is nice stuff. I might have to get some more and make a sweater out of it! Mmmm, soft.

  • FO – “Cotton” raglan

    It’s done! Finished in time to actually get worn a few times before winter’s over.

    Organic Wool Raglan

    Organic Wool Raglan
    Pattern: Cotton Raglan from Melissa Leapman’s “Cables Untangled”
    Yarn: O-wool in Oatmeal, 8 skeins – one a different dye lot
    Needles: Denise US 8

    Notes:
    There’s an error in the chart for this pattern – the right and left twist stitches in each pattern row should be the same as for the first row in order to make the column of stitches look as in the photos.

    I really like the sweater, but it’s a bit chunky-making, so no modelled photos today. It’s perhaps greatly the fault of the sleeves; they are too baggy at the upper arm for me, and it just makes the whole thing look big. I actually did kind of realize while I was knitting it that the sleeve looked a little wide, but I didn’t do anything about it…oh, well. It’s okay.

    The raglan is also a bit long for me – could have been solved by binding off stitches at the beginning of the raglan shaping! Strangely, this pattern just has you start decreasing, so no underarm gusset. The neck was also really wide before I did the collar; could’ve been solved by doing more raglan decreases.

    Instead of the cabled collar in the pattern, I just picked up (2 of every 3 stitches because I wanted the neck to be narrower) and knit some stockinette for a rollneck. It actually doesn’t roll enough when I’m wearing it! The stockinette just sort of flattens out.

    cables closeup

    The cable pattern is fun to work and easy to memorize. I cabled without a cable needle – I’d say that’s pretty imperative in a pattern with lots of twists!

    It’s nice and toasty. And the organic wool is SUPER. I love it – lots of plies, feels sturdy but isn’t at all itchy. Great yardage and price, too! (If you want to order some for yourself, we’ve got lots at lettuce knit!)

    Now, the new project of the week (along with some socks I’m trying to get done):

    ladder lace shrug

    A ladder lace shrug to wear with my hot black halter dress to rachel m’s wedding next weekend! I’m using super soft and luxe Sublime Merino Silk Aran (it’s black). Done the first sleeve, now motorin’ along the back.

    P.S. I’ve added some more stuff to the destashing page, mostly sock yarn. Email me at cosmicpluto at cosmicpluto dot com to claim!

  • fun with makeshift lightboxes

    Attempt #1:

    Boy hat out of double-stranded Nature’s Palette (Spruce) on 3.5 mm needles. Now finished, with cashmere lining (bindoff v.2). Quite a few shadows – need more lamps. And bigger paper or something (it’s a big box I’m using).