Another Project Completed

 The vintage graphic sweater made with vintage yarn is finished and blocked. In general I am pleased with the result.

I do need to watch out for gauge differences when I use a slip stitch though. I make increases on the sleeve cuffs as a matter of procedure, but not normally on the hem. Here, you see a bit of flare, but when it is being worn it is not noticeable.

Then again, there are so many details I should be more careful about in my knitting. I received my TKGA Level 2 box back, and well, I will be doing a lot of the work again. It is a well timed and deserved bash on the head. On the bright side, I'm learning about issues I either did not know I had or had decided to overlook. Like seed stitch. Even better, I am learning how to fix those issues.

Level 2 is mostly about seaming and finishing skills. I'm a whole lot better than I was, and I actually understand the differences in seaming stockinette and reverse stockinette. Honestly, I did not realize there was a difference. Now, I am much wiser, but still sloppy.

Here is a peek at the next sweater. Please tell me if it looks like an odd-ball sweater to you. It will be going on semi-hold as I work through TKGA Level 2 again.

I suppose that would mean that I think people are reading this and they actually consider hitting the comment button. 

Sigh.

Evolution of Stash Management

All the knitting is done except for the collar. I have several hours of working ends first.

While I was defiantly confident about having enough grey yarn, I became anxious just before the armhole decreases. As it turned out, I was right the first time. I finished with about 25 grams left. It was a good idea to not use the main color for the cuffs and welts as I would have surely run short.

Two of the color bands represent one-skein (four ounce)  members of the stash. I had eight ounces of the light yellow and used six. Would you consider this to be an odd-ball project?

I'm getting close to the bottom of the worsted stash. It is causing me to ruminate on what an odd ball actually is, and how to identify that I am finished with this self-imposed quest.

One could say that the last eight or so projects were odd ball projects. I did not have enough yarn for any single project and I did not collect the yarn with projects in mind. Instead, I trolled eBay accumulating the discards of others. I figured then that at about 50 cents/ounce it was a good deal. I suppose it was until I realized that I had a lot of wonderful lots but no real plan and no real projects.

After trying to organize what I had again and again I finally came to a strategy that I have been following the past few years. I found that I resisted using yarns where I had twelve or more ounces. I felt that that was enough for part of a sweater. Once I figured that out, I focused only on one weight and grouped the yarns into sweater sized projects. For some I bought a color to blend them together. The challenge was to use only stash.

I learned that sixteen ounces of vintage worsted was enough for half a 40" adult sweater. This is important as many multi-color sweaters depend upon a background color to provide continuity and a harmonious look. The sweater above used 13 ounces. I figure about 1.5 ounces for the welts (cuff, collar, waist), so an easy modification is to substitute something for the edges if I find myself a few ounces short of half.

The next two projects are true odd-ball projects, and represent the easiest approach to oddballs: Enough of one color for background and bands of coordinating color. The goal is to make them look intentional, like the one above.

Circles and Squares

Two sleeves - just like that. The slightly larger gauge sure speeds the progress. Woe to me when I beat through all the worsted and tackle the lighter gauges.

As far as quantities, I was a bit worried about the background color. I began the body with 9 ounces, or 4 1/2 two ounce balls. Paper and head trip calculations drove me to knit like a mad person through the first ball. After measuring and recalculating, I am now confidant that I WILL HAVE ENOUGH!

Whew.

That also means that I am past the first pattern repeat on the body. Photo of that next week.

Seems like I have had quantity issues the last few projects, and it is nice to not have to go there this time.

I'm finding this pattern more difficult than many. The shapes are mostly different, and different by just a little bit. I must pay attention on each row all the way to the middle. Sometimes I get distracted, and have to pull a row or two out. I filled in a circle that should be open or made a solid shape instead of a hollow space, or that one is a stitch off.

I also learned from the sleeves that the pattern is not symmetrical, so I decided to mirror the back and the front. That way the patterns will match at the shoulders. This means I read the pattern front to back, then back to front. Another source of confusion and mistakes.

I do like how it is turning out. It is a lovely mix of organized and slightly off, modern and dated.

RetroVogue

Next up on the worsted weight work list is this number from Vogue, 1997. It was designed for DK weight and a 24 stitches/4 inches gauge, but it's looking fine in worsted at 22 stitches/4 inches. I loved the graphics since the magazine came out and I'm happy to finally be working it. Of the written pattern, again, I am simply using the graphic. I have 30 ounces of the light grey, which should be OK even though the background color is a bit more than half of the stitches. I am using  linen stitch with three odd balls of grey for the cuffs, collar and waist welt to save the background color for the graphic sections.

I like the way it is turning out.

I'm also trying this thing from Arenda Holliday's blog. She marks every increase and decrease while she is knitting. I think she does it so that she can write the pattern later off of the markers. My situation is that I am somewhat haphazard when it comes to sleeve increases. I go for every forth row, but if I forget, I just put them in when I remember. Eventually I get the the right stitch count, but the sleeves are not exactly the same. Most people do not notice, but I'm trying to up my technique and skills to the next level. That means the sleeves should match. I'm about 40 rows into the second sleeve and so far, so good.

I finished up the KidLin scarf over the weekend. It was exactly the fill in project I was hoping. Not too hard, but busy enough to keep my attention. I would have liked it a little longer, but not a whole skein longer. It is light and floaty and will make a nice accessory in the winter or a gift for someone.