Category: knitting

  • mmmm, jam

    I went to the One of a Kind Show this evening with Elizabeth, who happily had two free tickets! (I would’ve gone anyway, but that made it awesomer.)

    I had a really nice time and there was lots of stuff I liked. I ended up buying a really cute top and skirt from one seller, and I just looooved their other skirts – but they were a bit too pricey for me (about $150!). The skirt was a large and the top an extra small, go figure.

    I also bought a whole bunch of eatables! Blueberry balsamic (the same kind you got last year erin), maple mustard (had to avenge the Rhinebeck mustard), very nice red wine vinegar, maple jelly (very cool), marmalade, chocolate covered blueberries, cherries, and raspberries, and a garlic bread dipper (I think it would be quite nice on pasta). Mmmmmm, sampling. I realized afterwards that I’d wanted to get this onion marmalade but forgot. Probably better that way.

    There was a lot of very nice glass jewelery that I liked, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to go back this weekend (and we didn’t get a reentry thingy either, so I’d have to pay). The whole thing was definitely inspiring, and made it feel like spring to me for some reason, maybe all the shiny new things. I think some Etsy jewelery shopping is definitely in order! Any suggestions?

    In the meanwhile, while the weather is warming up I’ve been working with alpaca:

    lara by dinner

    It’s Lara by Debbie Bliss, in Alpaca Silk from elann when they had it awhile ago – very nice colour, extremely luxurious yarn, and very fast knit! That’s still about the place I am now, having taken some time away from it for new obsessions (more on that later), but I’m more than halfway done. I am concerned about wear, though – I know it’s not going to wear well and it’s already fuzzing a bit. D’oh. Good thing I have a good sweater shaver thing.

    P.S. No new yarn until the Frolic diet isn’t going so well – there’s so much stuff at the store that I want! More organic wool/cotton (I LOVE this yarn) and a beautiful new handdyed merino with fabulous yardage from Dreams in Color. Argh!

  • FO: bubble sweater

    Sorry for the shitty picture. Y’all know I usually do better – maybe it’s time to give up the old camera since it seems to be crapping out on my lately…

    bubble pullover, completed

    Bubble Sweater
    Pattern: from “Knitting Nature” by Norah Gaughan
    Yarn: 8 skeins Manos del Uruguay in colour 64
    Needles: Denise US 6 for the pentagons, US 7 for the sleeves and ribbing

    Modifications:
    Hmmm…I don’t think I really made many. I didn’t pick up as many stitches as it said for the bottom ribbing, and did that in the round (so no buttons). The collar’s shorter but that’s because I ran out of yarn! I only sewed on two buttons for the collar.

    Other than that, I think I actually pretty much just followed the instructions. It was a very satisfying knit, and a great sweater to wear! I think knitting the Manos really tightly will help with the pilling issue. I was worried I wouldn’t get to wear it, but I’ve already gotten a couple wears out of it! Very cozy.

    bubble flat

    It doesn’t really flatten because of the 3D nature of the bubble – but you get the idea. Actual colour is somewhere inbetween these two photos.

    I seem to be in a blue phase, because I’ve got three four more blue projects on the needles!

  • 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.