Category: yarn

  • a gem

    Sapphire, she is done!

    A shot of the cable on the side.

    Sapphire Tank
    Pattern: my own
    Yarn: Pingouin “Sillages”, 6 balls
    Needles: Addi Turbo 3.5 mm circular
    Started: July 17, 2005
    Finished: July 27, 2005

    Notes: This tank went pretty quickly for 3.5 mm needles! I love the yarn, which was cotton, viscose and silk. I definitely could’ve made this tank smaller, but the fit’s not bad as is. I used a double slipped stitch edge on the armholes and straps, outlined in Annie Modesitt’s Spencer jacket pattern. All in all, not bad. Not the greatest, but not bad.

    In other news…I went crazynuts with Knitpicks.

    That’s Shine in Cloud (grey/silver) and Orchid (fushia), Sock Landscape in Yukon (the one in hanks), and Sock Garden in Zinnia and Star Gazer Lily. They feel sooo nice! Plans? A 3/4 sleeve pullover out of the Cloud, a shrug out of the Orchid (since now I’m all tanked out), and of course, socks.

    I’m alllllmost done the knitting on the silk corset! Now I just have to pray for a blocking miracle for it to fit me. Seriously.

    P.S. Thanks for all the input to my last post! I think I’m still going with the diamond spiral for banana cream, but I’ve got an idea brewing for the branching leaves pattern…

  • diligence

    Look, I made a swatch of an idea!

    It’s a swatch in leftover Cotton Fleece, contemplating neckline options for Sapphire. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it work well easily, and I don’t want to expend much brain power on this project. Maybe for a future project I’ll come back to this.

    Maybe someone can figure this out – I’ve always noticed that my slipped stitches are always crappier on one side – look:

    On the right side, I slipped the first stitch of the wrong side purlwise, and knit the last stitch of the right side. It lies smoothly against the edge of the knitting. On the left, I tried a few things – slipping the first stitch on the right side, slipping the last stitch on the wrong side (and knitting that stitch on the reverse). The slipped stitches are folded to the right side! I’m sure it has something to do with having uneven knit and purl tensions or something, but ewwww. I think I have a solution for the actual tank, though.

    I’ve been just working away on my projects – I actually don’t feel the urge to start something new (yet). Here’s the sapphire tank compared with the bamboo chickami, which has stretched after a few wearings:

    Looks like it’ll be fine!

    I have been thinking about the Calmer I bought the other day….but no new projects till I finish something!

  • more new projects

    I started the “Waving Lace Socks” from Interweave Spring 2004 – it’s beauuuuutiful.

    It’s working up super quick too! And now that I have the main chart in my head, the knitting should be smooth, beautiful sailing.

    I also started a cardigan, which I’m calling the Banana cream cardi – out of Lion Brand Cotton-ease in Banana Cream. I’m wicked creative with the titles, eh?

    It’s just going to be a bottom-up raglan cardi, to the measurements of one of my favourite store-bought sweaters. I think I’ll do some sleeve detail too. This is my lecture knitting – large amounts of stockinette stitch.

    Hm, progress proceeds on the Sapphire tank, which is almost to the armholes. I haven’t quite decided what I’m going to do, but I’ve got a bit of an idea. I want to work on the corset tonight too – although I’m fading fast. Busy day at work.

    There’s been little spinning progress these last couple of days, but I taught two people to spin today at the store! Here are some of the yarns I spun up last week.

    The “Crushed Grape”, 394 yards.

    “Tulip”, 446 yards. I can’t decide whether I like it or think it’s ugly. I really liked how the roving looked, but not so sure about the yarn…at least it’s soft!