More FO or Catch Up Part II

So after I posted the finished socks last week, I thought I should update my side bar with the information that I was currently working on. I realized that those three items listed as my WIP were finished and I didn't even mention they were done, they had been done for so long.
First up,
Tomten Jacket by EZ.

This jacket is part of what made EZ such a great designer. I finished this jacket back in April, it fit NB then and here it is the October and it still fits him - although differently.
This was the first time I had used Shelridge Farms yarn (the blue) and I loved it, it was soft on the hands and holds up great to the washing machine. The black is Merino et Soie and is also a great DK weight yarn. This sweater has gotten lots of wear and will continue to get more wear during the fall.

Next up was the decision to finish the Bianca jacket. I went with the dark brown buttons with flex of gold. I have worn this jacket a few times and I think I will wear it some more know that fall is here.







The Celtic Vest barely got started in the last blog session and now it is done and has been worn. I couldn't figure out the cast on - which turned out to be the long tail cast on but using two balls of yarn instead of a long tail. Easy to figure out once I got past that. This was a quick knit but I wish that I had knit it longer - hard to judge with a sideways knit when the instructions state it will grow with blocking.

Always be closing

I have two items that can almost be crossed off the WIP list - except that they need some sort of closure.
The Bianca jacket has not had anything done to it in the last month except some flirtations with buttons.

While I was knitting this project I was thinking some nice wood buttons. When the time came to pick out the buttons though - wood looked out of place. Pewter and mother of pearl buttons were out as well. I didn't want anything that was too flashy, to take away from the lace. I narrowed it down to two choices.



The button on the left is made from a shell and this is the wrong side of the button. I am worried that this button may be too fragile - more as a decoration than a button. The button on the left is more substantial, but I think will be too dark overall. I guess it can sit for a few more days.

The second item in the almost FO pile is the Tomten jacket

(Those last few ends have been woven in). I thought this jacket was going to be huge on NB. The sleeves are long, but that is about it. I think the stretchiness in the garter stitch will allow this sweater to be worn for awhile. (At least I hope). I switched the hood to a fold over collar, and picked up one row of stitches along the fronts to give it a more finished look.






A black zipper and this jacket is done.

Silk, Silk and more silk

I was thinking about my knitting projects yesterday and it turns out that I am in a silk mood. I never thought that when I started knitting that I would have four projects utilizing silk being worked on at once (well almost at once) .

1. Bianca jacket - Just to give a quick update on this project. I thought I didn't have enough yarn (again!), but with some calculations I found out the swatch (14 g) had just enough yarn to finish the project. It is now waiting for buttons to be completed.
   
2. Slip stitch ribbed socks - these were recently complete. Nothing more to say.
3. Tomten jacket- This is a classic design by EZ, and I am using the same Merino et Soie that the slip stitch ribbed socks used as well as Shelridge Farms DK weight. I am loving both these yarns, and combining it with garter stitch is giving a very smooshy fabric. I don't think Ninja baby will fit until fall though
   


4. Celtic vest - This is a kit from Fleece Artist. The yarn is their Scotian Silk (35% silk, 65% wool. I just started this project and now that I am past the cast on it should go quickly.
   

All 3 silk yarns are very different, but all feel nice on the hands. There is still a ball of Lang Jawoll Silk sock yarn in the stash...

Another pair of socks

When Shall We Knit had their annual sale a couple of weeks ago, I picked up several balls of Naturally Merino et Soie, a New Zealand DK yarn. I had a couple of projects in mind for this purchase. The first being a pair of socks for Ali.

From A house made of wool

This is the slip stich ribbed pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. I knitted these socks using the 2 socks 2 circs method. I enjoyed this method, since I didn't need to remember what I did on the second sock - it is right there, the lengths are the same etc. However, I found I spent a lot of time untangling the yarn and needles. Also one of the circs that I was using had a crappy join (early knitting day purchase). I am thinking of trying my next pair of socks using the two socks 1 circ magic loop style and see if that helps this issue

From A house made of wool

Pattern: Slip Stitch Rib
Yarn: Naturally Merino et Soie (70 % merino, 30% silk) - 2 skeins + a little bit
Needles: 3 mm


Bianca update:

From A house made of wool

I am still working on the yoke of the Bianca jacket, at about the spot that I was at before I ripped it back. The above yarn (31 g) is the extra that I saved. I am hoping that it is enough - I sure hope so.
Will it be done for this weekend - the knitting might be. The blocking, seaming is debateable, the adding of buttons most likely not since I haven't picked them out yet.

Bianca update

Jenni wanted clarification of my plan. So here it goes:

1. Knit the lace section at a smaller gauge
2. Cut out one repeat around a cuff
3. Remove the extra repeat I added at neckline

I haven't finished knitting the sleeves yet. When you are working on the 3 and 4th sleeves they go much slower than the second sleeve. I think this picture shows the results of items 1 and 2 above

From A house made of wool

I was thinking it wasn't going to be done for March but I just might get it done for then. It will be good to have a deadline.

From A house made of wool

No jacket today

Jenni had wanted to know about seeing the finished Bianca Jacket. Last week I would have said it should be done for March. I was hoping that I would be able to complete the jacket this week.

From A house made of wool

However, the jacket did not want to go that smoothly. In the above photo I had 14 rows of the second chart left to do on the yoke as well as a garter band down the fronts and along the bottom. See that small pile of yarn next to the sleeve. That is the yarn that I had to complete that task. It was not going to be done.

Since the yarn was discontinued, I considered finding a yarn on ravelry to do the band. As I searched at people's stashes, I began wondering if the finished jacket would look like I ran out of yarn and I just used something else. If I had worked in the second colour earlier so the different colour band was tied in it would work. I needed a different plan.

One of the reasons that I might have run out of yarn was that I added a pattern repeat (11 sts), distributed mostly through the chest before the yoke starts. The reason being I needed something between a 38" and 46.5" size that this pattern calls for. Taking the stitches off the needle and trying the jacket on, the pattern has a lot of ease and I can get rid of that pattern repeat. Another area that more yarn could be found would be the sleeves.

From A house made of wool

The cuff of the sleeves is knitted with a 5 mm needle, the stockinette of the body and sleeves with a 4.5 mm needle and the yoke with a 4 mm needle. To me the lace of the sleeves looks too loose with the 5 mm also the cuff is huge. There is no tapering or angles in the sleeve shape - stockinette on 55 sts to the underarm shaping. If I knit the cuff with the 4.5 mm needle using only 4 (instead of 5) pattern repeats then increase the stitch count after it will give me more than enough yarn. This method does require me to reknit the sleeves though. However, I think in the long run it will give me a better jacket. So instead of knitting the cuff with 55 stitches I am knitting it with 46 stitches - 4 pattern repeats plus 2 selvedge stitches to make the seaming easier. Once the cuff is done I will gradually add in the extra 9 stitches.

That is my current plan - the downside is that my mind was already on the next project and this Scotian silk is calling ( a gauge swatch has already been knitted and is drying).

From A house made of wool

Evolution of a project

Over Christmas I started thinking about knitting the February Ladies Sweater with the Estelle Silk that I purchased at the Knitters Fair. When I purchased this yarn, I thought that I was buying 9 balls but as I can't count or read when overcome with yarn fumes there was only 8 in the bag. (This is totally my fault the bag was clearly marked when I looked at my purchases at home).

I had already printed the pattern, and thought that I might be a little short, but due to the top down raglan construction, I thought I could use some complimentary yarn as an accent and that it would work. I decided to measure my bust and check the pattern.

I was not a little short, I was 200 meters short or about 20%. I didn't even have enough of the complimentary yarn to make up the difference.

A new plan was needed. Enter Ravelry.

Using the pattern searcher, I came across the Bianca Jacket. The same yarn (different brand but basically the same), enough yarn and I liked it. I would prefer the length to be longer but with just over 800 yards that was not going to happen no matter what the pattern.
I adjusted the pattern to knit the body in one piece, I didn't see the reason to keep the side seams. After knitting the bodice, I knit the sleeves in tandem. I kept the seam on the sleeves instead of converting to be in the round for the simple reason I didn't want to re chart the lace pattern (I had messed up the lace big time in the swatch).

Here is a photo of the sleeves part done.
I have progressed now to the point that I have joined the sleeves to the body so it looks like a jumbled mass so no more photos. I have been happy with this project so far and I hope by writing that it is not going to kick me.

Note to Julia in KW:
My sock blockers were acquired at a garage sale by my step mother. I believe they were used to dry socks on them as opposed to decorative use. I only have the pair and due to the size are for men's socks. I keep thinking though that I should get some for my socks.

More blogging

In an attempt to keep you blog readers on your toes I thought I would discuss the sideways cardigan.
This cardigan started after last years Knitters Fair, to provide me a with a cardigan that was versatile. The idea when I went to the fair was a basic grey cardigan, that however changed when I saw this Silk Garden yarn. I purchased the yarn and figured the pattern would be decided later.

After briefly contemplating mitred squares, I decided on knitting the cardigan sideways. This way I would not have horizontal stripes (the only adults that can get away with these are pregnant woman and wafer thin models).

I started on a front, the back and then the second front. Here the project stalled for a number of reasons. This fall though I knew I needed to finish it. I finally decided how to do the sleeves - much simpler than I thought it was going to be (Thanks Maggie Righetti!). However, after I knit one sleeve, and went to seam the second front, I noticed a problem. The necklines were different. I had knit the shaping for the second front using the decreases as for the back. This needed to be ripped out before I started the collar. This was fine since it gave me time to think about how to knit the collar.


I am now working on the second version of the collar, and I as I write this post think that maybe it needs to be ripped out again. When I have tried the cardigan on it seems that the neck opening is to big, and the collar is not going to fix this. I was just going to live with it, but I think if I put short rows along the sides it may make the opening smaller and fix the problem? Anyone have any ideas? Maybe I can wear this for Christmas this year.

Some baby sweaters

Before the weeks get away from me I thought I would show you two completed baby sweaters.
First up is the soft cardi which I mentioned in this post that I couldn't find the buttons. The buttons were found in a random drawer and have been attached. I don't like where I put the button holes, and decided to improvise them.
There does seem to be a problem with how the front lines up though. I have had counted the rows on both fronts and it should be fine. I am just putting it down as some random wonkiness. I realized when I was half done seaming that I should take the plies apart from the yarn and just seam with 1 of the three plies to get smaller seams. We will see what this sweater looks like on the baby.
Details:
Pattern: Soft Cardi in a Knitters Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes
Needles: Size 4.5 mm
Yarn: Rowan Cotton Rope

Next up is the top down raglan that I introduced here. This yarn started off as a kimono that turned out too weird so it got reknitted in this raglan. This is my first raglan sweater and I can see why people love to knit them.
It needs some blocking but overall I am happy with how this sweater turned out.
Details:
Pattern: Top Down Raglan by Carole Barenys
Needles: 3.5mm US 4
Yarn: Sirdar Snuggly DK - 2 skeins

Something scary

Do you want to know something scary?






Sure you do.



It is not this massacre, that I actually came home to twice this past week. That is Bear, a big stuffed animal that Keeper liked to play with. On Monday I came home and there was small pieces of styrafoam that met me at the door. A quick search of the house led me to believe that Bear was attacked in the rec room and was carried around the house. Bear had a small hole in its arm that I thought could easily be fixed. I went about cleaning up the carnage. Cleaning this up I realized that it was not carried through the house just that those light as nothing pieces stick to everything and are blown everywhere. Friday I came home, and someone had gotten bear from the spare room upstairs (the door does not close firmly) and proceeded to rip the other arm off. More vaccumming. Even today, after yet another vacuuming there is still styrafoam bits everywhere.

The scary thing is that I actually have knitting content to report on. I have finished another front and the back to my cardigan.

The good news is they are the same size. Here they are spread out on the floor prior to blocking. Demonstrating their sameness. I added more seed stitch to the button flap since I really like how this yarn (Noro Silk Garden) looks in seed stitch.

As if that is not enough knitting for you, I have finished one of the Hedera socks. I think that should count as a FO since it is a Cookie A pattern and she only ever knits one. Alas but I can't bring myself to wear mismatched socks even if they are handknit so I guess I shouldn't count it just yet.

I think reporting on two knitting project is enough for one blog post.

(See I told you this was scary.)

A snow day

On the weekend we had some visitors – Toddler Jeneric dragged her parents over the border so she could play with Keeper and see massive amounts of snow.


The company allowed us plenty of time for knitting and game playing. (Jeneric has more pics on their site)

I finished these


(I almost didn’t get to photograph these as I had wrapped them up for Christmas before I thought of it)

Project specs:
Yarn: Opal purchased from Knitters Fair in colour 1253 - no name to the colour but I call it denim jacquard.
Needles: 2.75 mm
Pattern: ribbed sock pattern with an hourglass heel in garter stitch


I pulled out my cardigan to work on. I haven’t worked on this since I got back from my trip in November. Since I have decided to make it a bit wider across the back I wanted to compare the fronts and the back.


I was glad that I did



Remember when I had said that the front was coming out longer than I had planned. It turns out that happens when you don’t count properly. As Jenni said “that can’t be fixed by blocking” - the front will be ripped.



And old finished project that I finally got photos of

This is L in a Baby Kimono


Project Specs

Yarn: South West Trading Co bamboo in colour Tequila
Needles: 3.5mm
Pattern: Baby kimono from IK Summer '05
It fit him at one point- this was sent to him in the spring but due to a number of reasons I didn't get photos until now.

September , where did you go?

Wow, it seems like just yesterday that I was at the knitters fair purchasing my fall's supply of yarn and know despite the weather October is almost here. For people who didn't hear we hit 40C with the humidex factored in (31.5 without) on Tuesday. It still is a beautiful day to be outside today.
I didn't start this blog post to talk about the weather - I had something else to share. Oh yeah some WIP photos.
First my yet to be named Cardigan. I am happy at how far I got with the first ball, and I am enjoying this project.
I may be tempted at some point to reknit this front. Still deciding - why you might ask? The order of the stripes. I have the warm rust at my side (under the armscye) and cooler blues at the front. It would be great if they were reversed (and I will pay more attention now).
Why should they be reversed? Cooler colours recede, warm colours come forward. So putting the cooler colours to the side you get a slimmer look, the opposite you add width to yourself. I am not someone who obsesses with my weight by I also don't want to look huge.
Although Keeper doesn't seem to have that problem.

Next work in project is the Chocolate Mountain Socks. The yarn is Mountain Bearfoot a wool, mohair, nylon blend - perfect for socks for Ali (who should get off of facebook and post to his blog). Seeing as he missed the last pair for him and Jenni tried to start an argument



I am knitting these socks toe up and using the heel in the diamond waffle socks. This heel puts the increases (or decreases) at the bottom of the gusset. I am loving this yarn.
Just another day left in September.

ETA: I just realized that I never posted my finished Krazy Stripes socks. They have been done for a couple of weeks. I am a bad bad blogger. I guess that will be in the next post.

Noro Cardigan

-I'll need a better name for this cardi

I have cast on for the cardigan,- I decided against the mitered corner and decided to knit from side to side. The right front was cast on last night and by the end of knit and chat I had a portion done, but I am concerned. My gauge on my swatch was 17 sts/10cm before washing after washing 16.25 sts/10 cm. (Noro Silk Garden blooms a lot). Why I am concerned - the front is currently 5 cm longer then I have designed. Now this in itself is not a fatal flaw but I am concerned for three reasons:

1. Will I have enough yarn - an extra 5 cm along the entire bottom is a lot of extra fabric and this is a discontinued colour
2. How far out is the rest of my design shaping - my calculations are not out - just that I thin the gauge swatch has lied
3. Is this going to stretch more and be even longer

To combat these insecurities I have decided to take the practical approach and continue to knit. I want to at least finish this ball of yarn -

1. since that will give me a good idea if I will have enough (I should have 2/3 of the right front done - if not I will have to rip)
2. I will be able to see if the shaping is somewhat correct when I hold it up to myself.
3. I can hang it from the shoulders for a few days and then measure it with the entire weight of the front. This is one place where gauge swatches lie, there is not enough mass to fully give the information on how the weight is going to affect the garment.

On a further design note, I am doing a seed stitch border as I knit along the bottom of the cardigan. I am thinking of doing all the edgings in seed stitch and was wondering about the front "button" bands (I will probably not be adding any fasteners - I like the open look). How does the stitch gauge change with seed stitch compared to stockinette? I know they both have the same row gauge (why I am knitting the bottom as I go along). But the stitch gauge is different - can I get away with switching to 1 needle size smaller - or will it be more complicated. I am not sure if I just want to knit and see do to the blooming issue.

Just a side note - I love The Twisted Sisters Knit Sweaters - A Knit to Fit Workshop

Knitters Fair

Spent a good chunk of time and money at the Knitters Fair on Saturday. I met up with Sarah and Vick saw them go into fibre overload as newbies at these types of events do. I haven't taken pictures of my purchases today (it actually rained !!!!), however I will let you in on one of the major purchases.



I got enough of Noro Silk Garden (col 239) for a cardigan. Different then the tweedy grey that I was thinking for the cardigan, however I had decided to find the yarn then choose the pattern from my narrowed down list.
Since this is very different then what I was envisioning I need to switch gears with the pattern, since I don't want horizontal stripes. I have decided on using mitered corners in the cardigan to get vertical stripes. Similar to the Blueberry/Marmalade cardigan by Maureen Mason Jamieson (without the slip stitches).

My gauge swatch is drying and then I have a bunch of measurements to do before starting a ton of calculations.