FO: Mom's Dollar and a Half Cardigan

Just in time for Mother's Day.

This wasn't a particularly secret knit, since I took extensive measurements of my mom, my gauge, my mom again, and the finished object, necessitating some frogging, and an extra block for the most perfect fit I could manage. This took some major modifications. So:

Pattern: Dollar and a Half Cardigan by Veronik Avery from IK Spring 2007
Yarn: Cascade 220 in Italian Plum
Needles: US 6 and 8
Buttons: 4 - 1" from big box store
Mods: Um, here's where the disseration starts, so get yourself a cuppa or skip over this if you're not interested in actually knitting this sweater.

There are some pretty well documented problems with this pattern. Namely, the "finished size" and the blocking measurements don't match up (the blocking measurements are bigger), the reverse stockinette sections tend to be ripply and bubbly, and the overall length versus width of the pattern is pretty ridiculous (You will want to shorten everything. You will. Trust me.) Moral of the story for future knitters: I've seen some pretty hideous finished sweaters in this pattern, but if you're smart, you can churn out a beautiful and functional sweater. The version I knit for myself is my favorite sweater ever. Hands down.

I took all kinds of measurements from my mom. She did not have a sweater she liked for me to measure so I had to do a bit of guessing. Finished measurments: Bust - 36 or 37, Length - 22, Arms 17 3/4, Armholes 7 1/2. I don't have the pattern schematic measurements on hand, but I can tell you that those aren't them. I significantly shortened the body and sleeves, significantly lengthened the armholes, and blocked the sucker within an inch of its life. The lengthing of the armholes meant that I had to lengthen the sleeve caps too. I tried using the formula in one of the more recents IK to redo the shaping, but it didn't work out... possibly because of the stockinette/lace problem? Anyway, I ended up doing the bind off and initial decreasing as in the pattern, then I decreased on each end of every other row until the final shaping and bind off which I followed. This meant that I there was a plain row between each decrease row, whether the pattern said to or not. This way I achieved the desired extra 1 1/2 inches. They fit in the armholes very well, and everything worked out. Yay! I was quite concerned.

Because my mom couldn't give me an accurate gauge of how much ease she wanted, I tried for zero ease, which is how mine fits, and I love it. I knit the smallest size, thinking I could block it out a bit to get the size I wanted. It turns out that she likes more ease, so I went back and reblocked it out a few inches. The sweater held up very well to this abuse. Don't be afraid to manhandle it a bit. This actually worked out for the best, since then the lace pattern opened up beautifully.

Oh, and to combat the ripply, bubbly stockinette portions, I knit the reverse stockinette in a needle two sizes smaller. When knit, they still look ripply and bubbly, but the block nice and flat. Also, on this one, I knit all the edgings in the smaller needle, since my mom prefers a closer fit on the ribbed sections.

Wanna see the buttons?

Oh, how gloriously, adorably beautiful. I'm just IN LOVE with these buttons. They're maybe not entirely my mom's taste but they set off from the sweater beautifully with the silver and the bit of green while the purple thistle and the purple sweater create just the right amount of coordination. I couldn't pass them up.

All in all, I'm glad to have this one done. I'm heading back to Ithaca today where among many, many other things, I'll be visiting my favorite LYS. Full disclosure upon my return!

Bad Blogger

Boy am I a bad blogger. I wanted to blog these scones about 2 weeks ago, but I'm not entirely happy about the recipe I created, so I didn't.

Then last week, I meant to blog about the lovely hike I took. I blew off a couple of "shoulds" (I should practice/study/clean the apartment) to take a long hike in the early spring woods. It was trying so hard to be spring. The whole walk was a juxtaposition of old, faded brown and bright, bright spring green. The trees are finally starting to leaf out now, which you can't see in this pic yet. Unfortunately, this means that my allergies are acting up. This picture was taken right before I took a wrong turn and ended up going two miles out of my way....
Oh, and let's not forget about my mom's $1.50 cardigan. I finished knitting the pieces just this week, and they're blocking on my floor. This color isn't entirely accurate. It's not so bright. It's a very nice deep purple.
I'm going to start the sewing up tonight, and then I need to address the issue of buttons.... My mom really loves buttons, so something a little unusual would be ok, but I'm not sure what direction to go in. Suggestions for a sluggish blogger?

Dollar and a Half

Dudes, oh dudes, I apologize for the crappiness of these photos. I need to get a tripod, and thankfully my birthday is coming up so I should have a bit of free cash floating around. I had a beautiful photo shoot all planned out in my head. There's this great little natural area across the road from my apartment and the ground is golden with fallen leaves, and the light would have been so good, but without a tripod, or a person to man the camera, I spent too much time this morning when I should have been practicing trying to get a good shot. This is the best I could do:

The outtakes were pretty amusing in that completely not amusing is-that-really-what-I-look-like sense. And black is so hard to photograph.... So let's forget about that and enumerate the wonderful things about this sweater. No Michelin man arms! The length! The way it buttons without gapping! Its cozy softness! Here are the details:

Dollar and a Half Cardigan by Veronik Avery from IK Spring 2007
Yarn: Sheperd Colour 4 Me 8-ply (11 balls?) 100% wool
Color: 1904
Needles: US 6 and US 8
Size: 41"

Modifications: Lots.

First of all, shortened the whole shebang, from hem to sleeves. Pattern calls for 26 1/2" body length and 23" sleeves. Final measurements for me: Chest: 42" Body: 24" Sleeves: 19 1/4" (The chest is actually what the schmatic measurements are in the pattern. All of the schmatic bust measurements are not what is given in the finished size on the pattern. Be forwarned.) Used a needle two sizes smaller for the reverse stockinette sections, as per suggestions from the knit along. I knit the ribbing at the hem and sleeves in US 8, but decided to use US 6 for the button band, because I wanted a stiffer fabric to prevent gapping when buttoned. I did not pick up the number of stitches recommended because I had shortened the body so significantly, but I would pick up what is recommended next time because I had to block the button bands separately to keep them from bunching. This worked fine though. I also did 5 buttons instead of 4 and put them on the striped side instead of the cabled side because I wanted to add visual interest to that side (plus, it's a more natural buttoning position.)

All in all, I LOVE THIS SWEATER. It fits so much better than I thought it would. I was worried that it would be too big because I would generally knit a 40" size, and without waist shaping, I was worried. Plus the Michelin man thing. It is still apparent that there is a clear distinction between the lace and the reverse stockinette but it's not puffy. I might recommend in the future to knit this slightly small and then block it out. The finished pieces were exactly the right size so the lace didn't really open much, but it is still a nice textural contrast. The 100% wool yarn probably didn't help with the lace definition either. Also, for those that might knit this, try to do as much of the increasing and decreasing in the reverse stockinette sections as possible, because it's really really confusing in the lace panels.

And, oh, the yarn, the yarn! It's so soft and squishy, which makes this a super comfortable sweater, for those days you're feeling a little vulnerable. I'm so glad I bought enough for another sweater in light blue, which was supposed to be for the Deep V, but may be allocated to another project. Plus it's warm, which is helpful when you're trying to save on your heating bill.

As my teacher would say, "Me likey."

Teaser

Dollar and a Half is done, done, done. She's even been worn once, the day after an ill-conceived late night finishing session. She is everything I hoped for and more.... but the more is going to have to come later. It's a remarkably grey, dreary day here, so FO shots are not going to happen until later this week.

Also, I'm on Ravelry now. Screen name: doubleG. I'm not really set up at all - got to get a Flickr account and other stuff, but that should be happening next weekend....

I've now got a real live knit buddy. She's just starting out, but is eager for a sweater. I'm looking for some fairly simple patterns for her that are still flattering. Any suggestions?

Quiet

It's been pretty quiet around the blog lately. I've been working incredibly hard and doing a lot of thinking. Dangerous thing, thinking. Last week was horrible, and I didn't feel like touching anything that I might possibly break, which includes the blog. It was just one of those weeks where even though you're keeping a good attitude, things just keep blowing up in your face, and there's nothing you can do about it. This week has been better.

I've been knitting though. Here's the sleeves for $1.50, 2/3 of the way done. It's kind of a slog to knit these both together. Now that I've finished the increases, the stitch total is more than for the back, but I thought doing them both together was a good idea for two reasons. One, no second sleeve syndrome. Two, increases and decreases in the lace pattern are hard to keep track of, so if I do them together and have to make stuff up, at least both sleeves are the same.

That other little curl at the top is the beginnings of a swatch for my Aran Accent vest, which is up next after $1.50, if some socks don't sneak in there first. I'm trying to do some swatch magic to make the vest fit better. I want something between the Medium and Large sizes (39 and 44 1/2). Preferrably something around 40" or 41". Also, the total length of the vest is supposed to be 24 or 24 1/2 inches. I'd prefer something a little bit shorter, but in order to preserve the cable pattern, I'm hoping to do this with the swatch.

I've been coveting Kara's Gretel. I've got a couple of skeins left over from Arwen which might be perfect. But then I've been doing a lot of thinking about designing my own sweaters lately. Maybe something along the lines of brainylady's BOB cardigan or maybe just a Elizabeth Zimmermann special. Also, I saw a pair of gloves on the bus the other day that are just bouncing around in my head, dying to become mittens or fingerless mitts, but first I've got to get my hands on a stitch dictionary...

Like I said. Lots of thinking.

FO: Rib and Cable Socks

Remember how I said last week was pretty rough, and I was going to get to a more regular posting schedule this week? Um, I kind of forgot that when you have one really hellish week (followed by another only slightly less hellish one) there are generally a whole lot of things that you let slip which are suddenly about to fall into the looming abyss. There are others who are also feeling the pressure of being back in school. I'm still knitting, just not blogging. It's hard to get pictures of your knits when you leave before the sun comes up and don't get back until after the sun goes down! I may have to invest in a set up like Lolly's.

And actually, I haven't been knitting as much as usual, because I've been having some hand problems. A clarinetist always has problems with the right hand - we support the entire weight of the instrument (about 3 pounds) on the end of our thumb, not to mention the physical act of moving our fingers. Things like playing the contra bass (the action of which is stiffer than a regular clarinet), lots of extra rehearsals (three concerts in the last two weeks, plus all the dress rehearsals), and all the little daily things you don't think about until it hurts, like opening doors, and lifting groceries, and even gripping the steering wheel. I'm taking a bit of time off this weekend, so hopefully I'll heal.

Anyway, I finished mom's socks!

Rib and Cable Socks
By Nancy Bush: IK Fall 2005
Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Rosehip
Needles: US1

You can't really see the cables until you put the socks on, and then they're subtle and gorgeous. That's my hand in that sock. I'd have put them on for you, but my mom wears a size 6 1/2 and I wear a size 9, so that really wasn't an option. The yarn is incredible. I've got a bunch left over, too, from this and from Sarah's Jaywalkers. Anybody know what to do with one sock's worth of red and one sock's worth of blue-green? I'm thinking I might just go with Dobby socks. Or, wait until I've made socks out of the Bearfoot I'm saving for myself and then I'll have red, blue-green, and purple. Which still leaves me nowhere...

Rusted Root is chugging along. I'll be past the armholes tonight, and then probably racing to the finish. At this point it seems like every row takes forever because there are so many stitches! Dollar and a Half and I are taking a little break, just until I finish Rusted Root.

I'm going camping with the family this weekend, so hopefully there will be some great pictures to see next week!

Unblocked

I blocked the fronts and back of $1.50. Actually, it didn't take all that long after I last posted for me to get out my water bottle and pins. Apparently I just needed to whine about it.

It's an interesting thing, this $1.50.... I followed the advice on the KAL and knit the reverse stockinette stripes in a needle 2 sizes smaller than the lace, and it blocked flat, but the lace didn't open up the way it should have according to the pictures. It was pretty much exactly the right size already, which brings into question my gauge. But also, in the pattern writing and copy-editing. Because if you look at the schematic, you'll see that for the 40" finished size (which is supposed to be the finished measurment), the blocking measurements add up to 42". None of the sizes match the blocking measurements, in fact. I think it will all be ok. It's not going to be as fitted as I wanted, but maybe the extra will come in handy, because I often have trouble with buttons across the chestular area...

Also, I started Rusted Root. This is Knit Picks Shine Worsted in Watermelon. I'm doing mine like the brown sheep, that's without the lace panel and instead a swiss dot pattern. I'm super excited because I think this is going to be a fantastically wearable knit. I could have worn it to an audition today, in fact. I think the swiss dot pattern is going to make it much more versatile, and less young-looking.

Also, I bought the Patton's book I was lusting over from Lolly's blog and enough yarn in a dark olive color to make this vest, Aran Accent. It's going to have to get in line behind Rusted Root, Dollar and a Half, and mom's Christmas socks, but I'm seriously looking forward to it. I haven't done any serious cabelling on a sweater yet!

It's been a crazy week around here, and it's not quite over yet, but I hope to get back into the posting groove next week when things start to settle down. Have a great weekend!

Blocking Block

Somehow I just can't bring myself to do it yet. I've got both fronts and the back done on Dollar and a Half, and I keep finding excuses not to block it. I have to vacuum the carpet first, I say to myself, even though I'll block it on a sheet. I don't have a clean sheet. This, actually, is true. I don't have enough room. This also is true. Well, sort of true. My apartment, while not small, is not large either, and I don't have a really good out-of-the-way place to block.

So what's the hold up? The fact is, it's only going to get harder to block. I mean, when I get the sleeves done, the blocking the whole sweater at once is going to take up all of my free space for a couple of days instead of most of my free space.

Maybe I'm just losing interest in the $1.50. I mean, I want it. I like it. I like the yarn. I will wear it (provided it looks as good as I hope it does). But suddenly, I'm super anxious for my Knit Picks shipment to come in with yarn for Rusted Root. I'm contemplating starting the Deep V sweater. I'm cruising along on mom's Rib and Cable socks. I'm avoiding blocking.

And, I'm baking bread.


This is the first bread I've baked in my new apartment, due to an unfortunate incident involving a buckeye, a lawn maintenance guy, and some missing skin from the palm of my hand. (I was running and not paying attention, and stepped on a buckeye with the hull still on, twisting my ankle and launching myself face first at the ground and ripping some significant skin off the palm of my left hand while a lawn maintenance guy looked on. It was hot.) My apartment smells fantastic, and the bread is awesome. I've made this recipe before, but this is by far the best it's ever come out. Probably because I did a little tweaking of the recipe. Sweet and chewy and yeasty....
No high fructose corn syrup in this bread. It's going to make some incredible toast and PB&Js. Next up on the bread front - making my own sourdough starter!

It's fall alright

It's cold. Well, relatively. I realize we have a long ways to go yet before I can really call it cold outside. But when I went for a run this morning, it was definitely nippy. The wind was skittering leaves across the pavement, and crab apples littered the sidewalk. I wore jeans to school yesterday, and my school is not air-conditioned (speaking of which, what is up with that?) I love it. I love the bite in the air and the skittering leaves. I love the fallen crab apples and the way the squirrels are completely freaking out.

I love Fall.

Yummy vegetable stew

Things I don't love about fall are head colds. Yep, I think we can pretty much agree that while sweaters rock, head colds suck. I suppose that's the inevitable conclusion when you're sharing a contrabass clarinet with lord only knows how many people and you take public transportation on a daily basis. (The contrabass clarinet? Really big, really low. It's taller than me (I'm 5'5") and the reed is like a hunk of tree branch. Also, they may be the spawn of satan.) So while I'd love to be outside, inhaling the cool breeze and going out of my way to step on a cruchy looking leaf, instead all I want to do is lie on my couch, watch TV, and sleep. That's so not going to happen. There's this little thing called school...

I started my mom's Christmas socks, which means I'm almost finished with my Christmas knitting. Yes, I'm bragging a little. While all the rest of you are frantically trying to find enough hours in the day to finish everything you planned on making for Christmas, I'll be ever so cooly knitting along on some no-pressure, non-Christmas related project. Let this be your official kick in the pants to get going already!

Rib and Cable Socks by Nancy Bush from IK Fall 2005. Mountain Colors Barefoot in Rosehip

Dollar and a Half Cardigan is still in progress. Back and right front done. Half done on left front. No blocking yet. Snot filling head, must lie down.

Forward

I finished the back of the Dollar and a Half Cardigan. I'm please with the way it's looking. I've been having doubts all week about the size. A sampling of thoughts running through my head: Did I choose I size too big? But the next smallest size would definitely be too small. It's the size on the model, and I REALLY don't look like the model. But what about all that stuff on Knitting Daily about sizing? So if that's the size the model is wearing, I guess there should be some ease to make it look best, so maybe this is ok with the smaller needles... but I could frog it and go down one MORE needle size....

Off the needles it looks much more the right size (pre-blocking) so that's the good news. I'll block it at the beginning of next week. I'd block it now, but Sarah is coming to visit me! I'm super excited. She should be here in a hour or so, and that means I'm going to need all of my floor space.

I hope you all have a great holiday weekend! I'm going to be hiking, and laughing, and movie watching, and wine drinking, and laughing, and interior decorating, and laughing, and shopping. Sounds like a fantastic weekend to me!

Ode to a new life

I love my new apartment. I love that I know exactly where everything is. I love my kitchen, which looks out into the living room, and in which has already been made many lovely meals. I love the windows and the light - the doorwall and the balcony of course, but especially the window in my bedroom, under which is my desk where I can sit and watch the cardinals eat the crabapples. I love that everything here is mine, that I have total and complete say over what happens here. I love living by myself.

Sure, I get lonely. But right now, I'm loving my freedom, and well, if I'm going to have a houseguest this weekend, so much the better.

I've moved so much lately, that I've lost track of some fairly crucial things, like power strips. So last night I went to Target, and as usual, I got sucked in.
Aren't these shoes the cutest? They remind me of my mom in a weird way - the plaid and the black and red - but I think they might be just the thing for striding confidently across campus to rehearsal, or for wearing with a certain black $1.50 cardigan.
I had a bit of a rough start. I got to about here earlier this week and had to frog because the lace pattern just wasn't clicking. I couldn't see where the holes were supposed to be, and I couldn't read the rows. I did some intensive lace work, figured it all out, and cast on again. It's probably a good thing that I frogged too because I decided to go down a needle size because, well, can you see the lace above? No?

How about now? Ok. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. This is going to take some intense blocking in order to look good, so I think the smaller needle size will still allow me to get a sweater in the end, and not a tent. I have some reservations about this pattern. I'm really enjoying it, and I love the way it looks in the pics from IK, but I'm concerned about my slightly skewed body perceptions and whether or not this thing is actually going to look good on me, or whether I just want it to. We'll see!

FO: Thermal

Well, I'm all moved... mostly. Let's just say that I'm here, I'm registered for classes, I'm studying my butt off for my entrance exam on Thursday, and I'm practicing hard for my auditions on Thursday and Friday. The rest is just frosting.

Speaking of frosting... or not... here's Thermal!

Love, love, love the fit. The sleeves really are the same length, in spite of what you might assume based on this pic and my whining. I promise.

The one thing I would have changed would be to make the armholes shallower. There's a kind of bat-wing thing happening.

See? But it's also not blocked yet.

Thermal by Laura Chau
Yarn: Knit Picks Gloss in Woodland Sage
Needles: US 3
Modifications: Added 2 inches to the length. Haha, can you imagine what it would look like if I'd made it 2 inches shorter? It's barely long enough now. Would maybe add another inch next time. Decided against making buttonholes for the buttons since they aren't buttons anyone would actually use anyway, plus I wanted to minimize any pulling at the placket. I just sewed them through both layers.

And, hey, I've got 2 3/4 skeins left. Socks, I'm thinking. I've also got about 3/4 of a skein of the burgundy left from my mom's Christmas socks last year (before I had the blog.) So, I don't know, stripes or colorwork or something. Mittens might work, but I'm not sure a silk blend is really the ideal thing for mittens...

Moving right ahead, here's Dashing for my brother, just missing a thumb off the left mit. You know, I just typed "mit" and it makes perfect sense when I say it, but no sense when I type it. I mean mit, like as in one mitten. "Hey guys, do you know what happened to my other mit? I just have the one." I'm really not sure that's a word. Maybe it's "mitt?"

And I got my shipment from Webs.
I thought the black was dark heathered grey when I bought it, but oh well. Black will work just as well for my $1.50 Cardigan. I'm dying to swatch but my patterns are in a box that's still out in my car, and besides, I really should finish Dashing. And yet....

RIP

Let us take a moment of silence for those knits which are no longer with us....

Butterfly, you seemed like such a good idea at the time. Silky, green, with what seemed to be a forgiving fit, and in a gauge that wasn't going to take half of forever. As I knit you, it became obvious that you were a bit of a tease, eating up more yarn in a shorter period of time than it seemed like you should, creating pieces that didn't look proportional, and generally talking a good game and not delivering. Sadly, though I finished you, I am not pleased, and after you have sat for an appropriate amount of time in the back of my closet, I will reclaim your (horribly expensive) yarn for another purpose.

Ms. Marigold, I tried. I really did. I knit you twice, and still the sizing didn't work out. I think, ultimately, the fault is mine. I always want the cute, fun clothes - the kind that are meant for teenagers without boobs - and in the end my obvious cleavage, long torso, and squishy belly were not the match for your fun and sassy design. Fantastic yarn, though.

Ballet Camisole, last night I sent you to a good home. As I pulled you out of my drawer, your soft silkiness caressed my hands, seeming to say, "No, don't let me go!" But then I remembered how I hated the way you fit - how you bagged and gapped (although the shaping made is a surprisingly attractive baggy, gappy pink top) - and I handed you over to Caitlin. I hope she appreciates you more than I did.
From these failures I have learned that I must lengthen all tops by at least 2 inches, and that if it doesn't look right, it probably isn't.

Onward. Webs is having their summer sale. I caved. Yarn for the Dollar and a Half Cardigan and for the Deep V Sweater is on its way to my new apartment!