Category: Uncategorized

Just got back from a birthday party, and am realizing how very tired I am – will probably spend the next 10 hours or so sleeping, which I haven’t been able to do in weeks. Anyway, on to the knitting!

I’ve got a good half a sleeve done of the Retro-Prep, and this is going to be one comfy sweater! Yay for raglans!

The Lorna’s sock didn’t see much action today, but here’s a progress shot anyway.

Yum. I can’t wait to wear these socks!

And now for replies to some comments…
Susan – yeah, that’s what I figured about the neckline. Even thought of the short-rows! I’ll just have to see how wide I actually want the neckline when I get there, I suppose.
Marie – I was thinking of doubling to get worsted gauge. But I just looked at the page again and realized that you only get 100 m per 25 g skein, so you’d need at least 20 for any sort of top. I think a nice wrap would be gorgeous.

Okay, I’m freezing and exhausted so off to bed I go! Night!

Whew. That school thing really takes up a lot of time and energy, hm? Luckily I’ve got a (very wee) bit of a break…before I need to start working on some assignments due next week and the week after. But no more tests until finals – I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Anyway, I’ve made a bit of progress on the knitting front – mainly on the maybe-knitty project, but I also got the first Lorna’s laces sock done! I’ve started into the second one and am almost done the leg, and I’ve yet to start the second ball.

I also received a bunch of stuff from Denise – my US 6 needle tip broke a while ago, and I took the opportunity to also order some extra cords and things from them. So now I’m slowly putting the Retro-Prep back on the needle. I’m not sure what I want to do about the sleeves – I like a looser cuff, so I was going to start with more stitches and increases fewer times. I might still do that, but I’m almost feeling like I want to cast on ALL the stitches and not have to deal with increases at all. We’ll see, I suppose.

What else, what else… I’ve got lots of designs on the brain, lots of fun spring/summer things. I hope I’ll have some time soonish to try them out!

Since I don’t have any knitting progress (that I can show you), it seems like a good time to share my top-down cardi pattern. I’ll probably make a nice page with this, too, but for now here it is.

Top-Down Raglan Cardigan

Abbreviations: K: knit, P: purl, Kf&b: knit into the front and back of stitch
pm: place marker
sl m: slip marker
RS: right side
WS: wrong side

Gauge: 5 stitches per inch

Materials:
2 skeins Manos del Uruguay (A) – 138 yds/100 g
2 skeins Patons Classic Wool (B) – 223 yds/100 g

Needles:
5 mm 16″ circular
5 mm 24″ circular or straight needles
or needle size to obtain gauge.

Yoke:
With A, cast on 87 stitches. Work K1, P1 ribbing for 1″, beginning and ending each right side row with a knit stitch.

Next row (RS): K 15, pm, K 13, pm, K 31, pm, K 13, pm, K15.

Next row (WS): K 5, purl to last 5 sts, K5.

Row 1 (RS): *K to 1 st before marker, Kf&b, sl m, Kf&b* repeat from * to * 3 more times. K to end of row.

Row 2 (WS): K 5, purl to last 5 stitches, K 5.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until raglan length (along increases) measures about 9.5″ or desired length. You can slip the stitches to scrap yarn and try it on; finish with a wrong side row when the increase lines meet under your arm.

Next row (RS): K to first marker, slip stitches between next two markers onto scrap yarn (these are the sleeve stitches), cast on 5 stitches to the right-hand needle, K to next marker, slip stitches between marker to scrap yarn, cast on 5 stitches to right-hand needle, K to end of row.

Body:
Work back and forth in stockinette stitch (K RS rows, P WS rows), changing to B when desired. Work until the body is 10″ or two inches short of total desired length. Work K1, P1 ribbing for two inches, then bind off in pattern.

Sleeve:
Slip sleeve stitches back onto a 16″ circular needle. With B, pick up and knit 3 stitches under the arm, place marker, pick up and knit 2 stitches, and join. Knit in the round, decreasing on either side of the marker every 5 rows to desired narrowness (I decreased 10 times). Knit straight until sleeve is 2″ short of desired length, work K1, P1 ribbing for two inches and then bind off in pattern. Repeat for other sleeve.

A good blocking is always encouraged!