Maybe I'll be finished in May

The arms are attached, and I'm working on the yoke. Have I lost my mojo again, or am I simply not enjoying this pattern?  I can't tell.

Five Skeins In

Compared to last year, this project is going soooooo slooooowly. I managed to finish the first repeat and I'm about to the end of the fifth skein of yarn. I still have issues with bad spots, so there will be a lot of ends to work in when I'm finished.  I hope to have the yoke put together by the end of March. We will see.

Not Worried Any More

So, where are we with the Henry VII?

I started on the body and finished one four oz skein with less than 4" complete. Since the yarn is vintage there are a lot of bad sections causing me to toss 10-20 yards with each skein so far.

This was trouble.

The body needs to join the sleeves at the same 18", 1.5 pattern repeat place. If one skein only made 4" then I would need all my remaining six skeins just to get to the yoke. Great.

I kept on, because I had no other ideas. I'm pleased to find that that border was just a yarn eater. I am now most of the way through the first page of pattern and have worked through less than a skein. Now, the calculation is that I get to the armhole/yoke using 2.5 skeins and have over 3 skeins to finish the project.















Yay!

Two Sleeves

I'm done with the second sleeve for Hank 7. Easier going now that I have a feel for the pattern. I plan to work the body on a circular so that should speed up the progress.

I used almost one skein on the first sleeve. I was eight rows from finishing the second sleeve and encountered a series of bad spots in the yarn. The joys of working with vintage. I kept splicing until I got to the next to last row and realized it turned into a big mess. So, I ripped and reknit and am much happier now.

I'm planning for a 42" body. Using the sleeves as a giant swatch that means 3.5 repeats per side.

Awkward.

But, I have read Meg Swanson, so I know that I can just center my pattern and make a fake seam. So, that is what will happen.

February was for sleeves

I'm wondering if I am losing my mojo again.

Last year I ripped out and ripped through baskets of UFOs and knitted entire sweaters in three to five weeks. I blogged weekly about it.

This February, I made 1.5 sleeves. Sure, they are complicated, Alice Starmore 32 stitch by two pages of row sleeves but that is not much progress compared to last year.

I have admired the Henry VII since I bought the book back in 1998 from the Yarn Garden on Sutter Street. I set aside some eBay red worsted just for this project a year ago when I started my run through worsted stash. I am enjoying the results, but I'm just not into it right now.

I'm hoping that in March I can put the body on a circular and enjoy it more.

That being said, let me list the modifications I am making:

• Raglan shaping rather than the dreadful drop shoulder.
• Body knit in the round, then add the sleeves using the Zimmerman/Swanson 'fake seam'.
• Slimmer arms. I cast on 33 stitches and increased 2 stitches every four rows.
• Probably a slimmer body, but I have not calculated that yet.

The finished sleeve is 17" wide at the top and 18" long and about 1.5 pattern repeats.

January was for Hats

January is all about goals, but this year I'm feeling overwhelmed and confused. We continue to work towards a contract to rebuild our home. I think about working through boxes in the upstairs to figure out what was salvaged. I've reorganized some kitchen boxes and found the baking dish I use for lasagna and king ranch casserole. I did do some cleaning but it will be stomped on by workers once the repairs start.

So, let's talk knitting. I considered taking a break on the worsted projects. I pulled some fingering/lace weight yarns to make that reversible hat for my husband. Then, I kept going. Here is what happened in January:

First, a top-down brioche beanie. If I had been perfect it would be reversible, but let's just enjoy the turned-up section of the contrast side.















Second, a fair-isle reversible beanie in squash-blossom yellow and grey.
































Third, a brioche rib in Woolease and some weird polyester novelty yarn that my daughter picked out about twelve years ago. This one is reversible. The choice is which color is on the knit side. Most of the time I like the black knit on top but the red is nice too.

The cast off is a I-cord cable if you are curious.





















Fourth, a black rib beanie just to finish the Woolease.

But, about the worsted. I've made great progress. I have some lovely projects in some nicer yarns waiting. I also have two worsted projects planned, and have some solid ideas about two or three more. I also joined a Ravelry stash down challenge that goes to October.

I'm down to two large bins of worsted weight. I can do this.

So, next project will be Henry VII with my eight skeins of  vintage Dawn Knitting Worsted in red.

Reversable Hat!!

What's next?

My husband asked for a hat. A hat with a lice pattern and a pop of color like the sweater I just finished. He really liked that sweater. I would have made it a lot larger for him if I had known. 

I have some lovely merino/cashmere that I bought on a cone from WEBS many years ago. I made several sweaters and shawls from the stuff and it is quite soft against the skin. Perfect choice I figured.

I started the hat and then he asked for it to be double thick. Sure. I can do that. 

Then he wanted a fold-up band so that his ears would be really warm. Sure, I can do that too. So here is what resulted:

The center row is purl, so one side can be stuffed into the other making a double thick hat.

These are the two choices for the grey side:

And here are the choices on the white side. 

My husband could barely wait for it to dry before wearing it.And here are the choices on the white side. 

My husband could barely wait for it to dry before wearing it.

Next, maybe more hats. My daughter told me their heater repair guy won't have the repair parts for several weeks. She's cold now too.