Category: sweaters

  • a picture-heavy problem

    I finished the main knitting on the Fiery Bolero – only the ribbing is left.

    Not bad, eh? Well see that line of stitch markers on the right?

    That’s how much I need to take off the sleeves. The sleeves are too long – my mom wanted short sleeves, and these are elbow-length without the ribbing! And since the whole piece is knit up the back, cast on for the sleeves, and down the fronts, there’s almost no way to rip back (I sure ain’t ripping all the way to the back).

    You know what that means…STEEK TIME!

    I’m going to use crochet steeks. I practiced on a swatch last night – forgive the photo quality, it was late.

    I have realized, of course, that since this one is for my mom – it isn’t due until Christmas Day. Other presents will have to be exchanged before then, therefore this one’s getting backburnered for awhile! Too many other things to knit!

    I did start another present – a fantastically gorgeous sock out of Ultramerino 6.

    It’s on 3.25 mm needles and I loooove it – that sock is already done! DK weight socks rock!

  • more or faster?

    It’s December, and you know what that means – high gear gift knitting. Well, I don’t even know if it’s possible for me to knit more than I do – so I’m just going to have to knit faster!

    I’m still waiting on a box from Knitpicks (it’s been 10 business days since it shipped) and those projects are somewhat smaller anyway (toys, slippers). Here’s a photo of part of a pair cabled gauntlets I’m knitting for my cuz:

    I’m roughly using the pattern from here, but I’m doing them shorter (to the elbow) and a different thumb gusset. I’m just hoping they’ll fit – I’m already using needles 2 sizes smaller than suggested and it’s definitely not very tight on my arm. I think she might have smaller forearms than me, too. Hmmm. Anyway, they’re fast, and I’m working on the thumb gusset having started the first 2 inches of the project last night.

    Next up, some progress on the (not-so) fiery bolero. Not very exciting, and difficult to see progress – I need to buckle down and finish those looong rows (body + sleeves) so that the fronts will go fast.

    Of course, I’m not completely abandoning projects for myself. I must have something new and fancy to wear at Christmas of course! I’m working on the waistband of the Koigu skirt – I’m going to do the waistband, weave in the ends, block, and then do the waist elastic so I can adjust for post-blocking. I’m a little concerned it’s going to be too short, but I’m a firm believer in the power of blocking. And even if it’s a little short for my taste, it’s definitely not indecently short.

    The Urban Aran. Lovely chunky wool, I want to wear it now! I’ve got one sleeve done and part of the back. I’m thinking the rest of the back will go quickly since the edges will just be 2×2 rib and not the cable pattern.

    Whew! I could barely tear myself away from the needles to write this up! Back to it!

  • what have I gotten myself into??

    I’ll get to the title stuff in a minute. First up, some finished yarns – these are the last of some corriedale that I dyed up a while back, and finished spinning a little while ago.

    I loooove this red/purple/brown combo. It actually came out quite soft, so I’m sort of contemplating some socks out of it.

    Yellow/blue/green. Also very cool.

    Here’s both, plus a skein from a couple months ago. I think I want to do something with all of them – but what?? Suggestions welcome!

    And here’s a shot of bpt. See the front cables? They sure don’t match the directions of the ones in the photo. I don’t know what gives, but something is wrong with the order of the cable crosses. Oh well, it’s fine.

    Mmmmmkay. So. It’s 2/3 of the way through November and I’m just NOW getting requests for knitted Christmas gifts. I’d planned a few already, but now my family’s asking for stuff! Stuff that I need to buy yarn for! Stuff such as a garment! Stuff in cotton, because they won’t wear wool!

    The List:
    mom: a black cotton shrug (the fiery bolero from the summer Interweave in either Elann Connemara or TLC Cotton Plus
    dad: dunno
    sister #1: Gryffindor scarf – will be inaccurate, which is fine with her. I was thinking TLC Cotton Plus in red and gold. HP-ers, what do you think?
    sister #2: socks (already in progress, and that was already planned) and a black earflap hat
    auntie E: felted wool clogs
    auntie J: dunno yet, must be cotton
    girl cousin #1: Pasha!
    girl cousin #2: cabled armwarmers in leftover Cotton Fleece
    boy cousins 1 and 2: some kind of toy from Jess Hutchison’s booklet – I’m thinking robots, from stash yarn

    ETA: I dug around in the stash and came up with a ball of that red TLC stuff, and yeah, it’s too bright red. I did find a suitable one though, in Butterfly cotton, so all I need is some gold and I’m gold!

    How many of these are done? NONE.

    I need me some 1-877-SOS-KNIT.