New Baby Sweater

Well, oops, I seem to have forgotten to write a post for the past two Tuesdays. I seem to have become quite skilled at distracting myself. Maybe I need to work on smaller plans as the big ones seem to intimidate me these days.

In any event, I made another baby sweater. This one is a bit larger - 22 inches. I really like tri-color slip stitch, but it is a really slow knit as each row works only half of the stitches. I use it a lot as cuffs as it is non-curling.

The row gauge is compressed compared to stockinette so I'm a bit unhappy with the sleeve shaping. I'll have to work out the rows better next time.

As I worked this one, I wanted a pop of red, so I went with some I-cord trim. I was thinking of two rows of I-cord with the button holes in between. When I put it on, I felt that would be too much so I put button holes on one side. Then the edges did not meet. So I thought about a zipper. Then I decided on a frog sort of solution, pulled back the I-cord and added button holes on the second side.

I bought buttons with shanks some chain and some jump rings and made these little connectors. I think it worked out pretty well. Sort of a baby smoking jacket look.

Happy New Year

Well, hello again.

We had a lovely holiday and did a lot of visiting. I'm very glad we made the trip even though I am not fond of traveling over the Christmas holiday.

I notice that my yarn usage was over 15,000 yards last year. I made a lot of sweaters. I'm also half way to 8,000 views. Still not too many people looking, but more than before I suppose.

There was much car knitting and I finished the knitting on the big multi-color project. Those ends took a few days to work in so the project was finished this year. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

I also got the TKGA rework finished and returned. I think I did better work, but we will see if it is good enough.

Once those were cleared, I made a little baby sweater. I'm still working oddballs and still like things to look planned rather than a bunch of ends stuck together. The idea was to go for a fade look, but I'm not sure it was really successful.

The balls seemed to all finish about a row or two apart so the stripes are more stripey than a fade should be.

I did like the stitch pattern. I will try again with another group of yarns. The button band is striped because I didn't have enough to make a single color button band. Way to use up those odd-balls!

I started a new project, but more on that next week.

End of Year

Well,

Apparently I'm feeling grumpy.

Here we are. Probably the last post of the year. I'm leaving Saturday to go visiting for the holidays. I have resented that in my entire family, I am the one that travels. I have been resisting recently, but this year there is a memorial service to attend, so off I go.

In preparing for the trip, I found myself between two tasks that I did not want to begin. Ugg. Then I remembered it was Tuesday and I knitblog on Tuesday. Yay. I can procrastinate a bit longer. Then, maybe I'll take a walk.

I've been tolerating a cold the last week. Wednesday was the worst - so stuffed up and not enough decongestants on the planet. It has been a bit better every day since, and I have become weirdly obsessed with sinus wash. So satisfying to feel that slippery yellow goo slide away down the sink. 

In the mean time, the multi-color seed stitch project is past the armholes. I know I did the math last week, but I continue to be anxious about making it to the end of the project.

Oh, and did I mention that I hate Freestyle by Dale of Norway?

Happy holidays and wishes for a successful new year.

Oddball Anxiety

This smooshy picture shows the current project about half way to the arm holes. It is going to be nice and large - 50". I have a friend in mind and he is about that size.

Working with oddballs is strangely exciting. Will I have enough? What to do if the green runs out? Or the pink?

I was worried about the smallest ball when I began the body ribbing. This is a larger size sweater and the colors seemed to be decreasing faster that I expected. So, I came up with a plan to deal wiht that anxiety. I weight the yarn before and after the first stripe. I did this a few times. Each stripe takes 3 grams of yarn. Each ball is at least 33 grams. Five repeats to the armhole, another three for the body.

No problem.

Sleeves

Yes, two of them complete now. I am casting on for the body while working through an Outlander binge.

I still need to get that TKGA package together. That would require concentration. Hmmmm.

In the mean time, I made a strange ball with some of the smaller oddballs. So it's an oddball ball.

First Look at Oddball Project.

I'm liking this new project.

The idea came from a Rowan pattern called ribbed check. Looking in the Barbara Walker books, the pattern is found in Volume 2 and called the color seeded pattern. In any event, it is effectively seed stitch but slip every fourth stitch when working the color bands.

Another great idea for an oddball project that does not look like an oddball at all.

Only downside is all the ends. I'm trying to work them in on the current sleeve as I go. This should reduce the weaving in process by about half.

So, this sleeve was done before I left on holiday. The other is about the half way mark.

Enjoy Thanksgiving. More progress next week. 

Felting Felted

I'm happy with the cat cave.

Now, I need a cat or cat person to send it to. I may donate it to the local shelter. If I were to make one of these again, I would adjust the pattern. It calls for increases/decreases every three rows. I think every other row may be better. I also would decrease the distance between the top/bottom and the entrance hole. The cylinder shape works OK, but some people find that it is a bit floppy.








Not so happy with the slippers.

They may take another few rides in the washing machine.




Oh, Swatchy is going on vacation for two weeks, so no updates until mid-month.

See ya.

Felting in the Future

The Snow Slipper V2 are completed. There is even a left and a right and they mostly match. I expect they will match better once felted. I prepared this time by preparing my oddballs in advance. This means I selected the yarns and used my kitchen scale and ball winder to divide them into approximately equal portions. Then, using the yarn doubled I worked the pattern until one ran out, spliced the next yarn in and continued on. I am quite pleased with this method of using up the oddballs.

I decided to put off felting until I finished this next felted project - the cat cave.

For the cat cave, I am using the Drops 0- 1381 pattern. I'm a bit anxious that it will work out as other knitters have had to add internal support. My previous experience with the snow slippers is that the extra hot cycle on the double strand worsted creates quite a firm, sturdy fabric.  

I just worked until the ball ran out. Earlier in the month, I did some cleaning and found an intarsia project that had been abandoned. Many colors on bobbins. I had wondered where all my bobbins had gone. They were hiding in a plastic bag with a project that I was no longer interested in completing. I cut them off and tossed them into the felted project box and used them on this cat cave for some random color pops.

While working through the yarns, I picked up one that seemed a bit off in texture. I did a burn test and found that it was acrylic.  I tossed it back in the general odd ball bin and tried to figure out where that was from. It later occurred to me that this was the last bit of yarn from my first adult knitting project way back in the 1980s. That vest is long gone, but it's oddball remains. 

I am on the last set of decreases and expect that both projects will go into the washer with some towels before the end of the week.

Then, I must pull out all the rework and notes for my TKGA submission and complete that and check the work again. 

Or, put it off and make some other oddball project. Maybe another toddler sweater. 

In-between Projects

My daughter does not knit, but apparently she was in a knitting shop of some sort. She sent me a photo of the Soldotna crop, so I figure that she admired it and wanted one. I have seen the pattern on Ravelry and liked it a lot.

I kicked through my worsted stash and found some skeins that seemed to work. I had set them aside for a second attempt at the snow slippers that were so disappointing.

It has been a while since I worked a yoke, and I don't think I have ever made one top down. I found it a bit disorienting, but the pattern was lovely and I found myself wanting to see it finished. So, the whole thing was made in less than a week.

I'll be taking it to her by way of South America in a few weeks.

So, about those snow slippers. I thought I had finished a second pair and found that I worked two booties for the same foot. I threw them in the oddball pile and thought about whether to pick one apart and re-work it, felt them like they were, or move on to a new project and reconsider later. This morning, I did the adult thing and picked apart one and I am currently reworking that second slipper. After that, I plan to make a cat cave out of oddball scraps.

I do have to consider what to bring on my vacation.
Oh, and finish the TKGA resubmissions.

On Schedule Again

Not that it matters, as hardly anyone follows this on and off again knitting blog. Since restarting, I'm trying to post regularly on Tuesdays. Tuesday is garbage day. Tuesday is recycling day. Tuesday is upload photos and write about knitting day. 

As you see, I finished another sweater. It is, as normal, sort of a Frankenstein assembly of parts from other patterns and ideas. Today, I present some notes on my method.

I've really been liking the Norwegian style graphics this year. While cruising on Ravelry, I discovered a load of Sandness patterns that are available for free. This one was shown as a two-color design, but another Raveler, ruthiris,  used three colors and I thought it was really great. So, I did that too.

I have a spreadsheet where I estimate how much yarn I need. I use stitch fiddle to find out the stitch count for a graphic pattern. I weigh completed sweaters so I know about how much a 36" sweater in worsted weighs versus a 40" sweater.

I had three 4 oz balls of this medium blue in stash. It was the largest quantity of my vintage worsted stash left. Naturally, I was searching for the right pattern. I had already decided on some companion colors. I had about 7 ounces of Bernat Sesame in white and some Wool of the Andes that I purchased from KnitPicks. I really liked the hyacinth color and it worked well as a helper yarn with some of my other stash. You can see it in the Inverness sweater from earlier this year.

So, I worked this pattern into my spreadsheet and figured that I did not have quite enough for a 40" sweater, but just enough for 38".  I ended up with less than an ounce so the calculation was really close.

I don't like drop sleeves, so the set in sleeves are courtesy of the Ann Budd grand plan pattern. I knit the sleeves and body in the round to the beginning of the arm holes, then back and forth after that. I do that a lot and it works well. The only seams are the shoulder and the sleeve-to-body.

I just googled the name and found a load of images. Ravelry only has three projects. I didn't think it was such a popular pattern, but I suppose that everyone is not posting on Ravelry after all.

Finishing

I started this a while ago. Then daughter asked for some baby sweaters for gifts for her friends. She has a little pile now, so I went back to this. The Sandness pattern is a single color but I saw a Raveler had used three colors and really lied the way it turned out.

I finished the knitting today and started working in some ends. It is looking pretty nice, I think.

It's neighbors night out in Texas, so I'm going to go make some jalapeno poppers now.

Back from Rhinovirusland

Been off schedule if anyone cares. Spent three weeks on a holiday to the norther US and a short trip to the canyons of Utah on the way back. Then  DH brought a cold home from a business trip. Lots of coughing  and low energy, but I think I'm mostly through it. Enough about me.

I finished this little vest last week. I thought I could do a whole sweater but the green did not that the yardage I expected. This should fit a toddler, perhaps 18 months or so. I have admired a slip stitch pattern called French Weave and used it here. Nice pattern, like a lot of slip stitches it looks more complicated than it really is.

Back to adult sweaters. More on that next week.

I am having too much fun with the slip stitch patterns out of the Barbara Walker books. Not feeling too wordy today but here are some photos.

Playing with Texture

So, I continue to be sidetracked with baby sweaters and using stash odd balls. I remembered that I first started making baby sweaters because I was aspiring to be a designer. I felt I could learn some mysterious intrinsic lessons with a smaller format. Of course, I did not really document what I learned well, so some of that was knowledge was lost years ago. 

I did learn that I preferred working in lighter weight yarns, thus launching me on my current run through all the worsted stash that I have acquired. 

But, designing is fun. I've been doing it with the worsted, modifying patterns, or pasting elements together for a Frankenstein like faux original. 

This one, I went totally rogue. I'm pretty pleased, and the all original design bug has struck. 

As mentioned last time, I went for a basket weave pattern from Barbara Walker V1 to begin. Since I ran out of the plain orange, I felt that I needed a break before working another pattern. I used a row of knots on a reverse garter background and a row of purl on either side. 

Then I went for the Ripple Stripe pattern from Barbara Walker V2, but read the pattern incorrectly. Well, actually, I didn't read the row 5 at all. So, instead of a vertical knit row which is part of the pattern I ended up with a softer ripple pattern. I considered pulling it out but decided that the ripple was just fine and continued on. 

The sleeves are the Swedish Block pattern from Barbara Walker, V1. This is a very simple knit purl that produces a lot of interest. 

I'm pleased with the finished project. 

Next design, I'm planning to document better, and possibly produce a pattern that can be published. I also plan on starting the neck decreases sooner.

Seed Stitch Baby Sweater

So, here is another contribution to the baby sweater box.

I'm kind of designing on the fly. Seems to work OK since the sweaters are so small, mistakes don't take too much time to pull back and re-do.

I designed this one, but sort of didn't . I started with a seed stitch border, and thought I would move to some sort of slip stitch pattern. I tried a few, and didn't like how the variegated yarn looked in the patterns. So, I just went with the seed stitch flow. When I got to the yoke I went with stripes with a garter stripe. I liked the way it looked on the last project.  I'm pretty happy with the final product.

Now, I'm not designing a gansey the same way.

I've been thinking a lot about how I like basket weave patterns. I had some cotton/acrylic from before 2000; enough for a baby sweater, but not enough for much else. So I started off with some basket weave.

Then I needed a new skein and remembered that the orange cotton/acrylic had come in two types, one plain and the other with chunks of otherness.

Since I didn't do the calculations, I reworked the neck twice and the button bands three times. Finally got it where I wanted.

I could have stayed with basket weave, but thought that the change in yarn type would look unintentional.  So, I made a little border and changed to a different knit purl pattern. I picked another for the sleeves.

When I started the second, I noticed the first had a mistake, so it has to be pulled back and worked again.

Oops.

Baby Time

A long time ago I did technical support for a group of sales people. My team had many young adults busy not only selling, but getting married and having babies. Since I could not tell that the men were expecting, I simply made a box of baby sweaters and when congratulation were in order the fellows had a choice of gift.

My daughter just asked if the box still existed. She is not expecting, but apparently she finds herself in a similar situation, and would like a box of baby sweaters to give to friends and co-workers herself. 

What fabulous timing, as I am towards the end of my worsted weight saga and left with some substantial odd balls. Just perfect for baby things. 

So, the slipper replacement project is on the back burner and the yarns that won't make an adult garment are out. 

This one is Beribboned Eyelets by Rowena Hill. I've made this one several times before and it is a great pattern. It is made from oddballs of a cotton/rayon yarn called Brilla. It is an OK yarn, but I have not liked how the multi-color balls have worked. Using it for the garter stripes and edging seems to be pretty good. 

I'm working on another with the same yarns using seed stitch. I'm planning a garter stripe yoke. Maybe it will be ready to see next week. 

Funky Bootie Slippers

As considered last week, August looks to be a month of small projects.

First, some slippers for me. We we moved back into our home I notices that the new porcelain floors were pretty hard and cold. I find now in the summer I'm wearing my sandals inside more that before for the cushion. So, I felt that some felted woolies for my feet would be a good idea.

I decided to try the Drops snow slippers pattern. The pattern looked easy. I could get the gauge with two strands of worsted. I gathered some oddballs and dug in. I used my kitchen scale to decide where the half way point of each skein so that I would have about the same amount for the second bootie. That worked well. The slippers worked up quickly with the double stranding. I was surprised how much yarn they consumed - about 260 grams.

Two cycles in the washer and they shrunk down to size. I really like the thickness and bulk of the finished fabric. What I don't like is the shape of the toe. The shape creates a bump on the top and bottom of the toe that won't felt out. Not good.

Still, not a bust. I think I'll sew on the button and then eventually donate this pair. I've selected some more yarn to work another set but when we get to the decrease 1 each side I'll work in the round and then finish the toe like a sock. I'll also cast on with a provisional method so that I can graft the back together instead of sewing and lose the bulk of that seam as well.

But that project is now on hold. My daughter asked for some baby sweaters. Not for her, but for her friends. She went to several weddings last year and now there are babies on the way. Funny how that works.

In between all of that, I'm about finished with the reknits for the TKGA project. Later this week I'll print out the pages I had to rewrite and check them all again. Then next week, maybe I'll do it again as I did such a poor job the first time.

Fast Finish

After a bit of a funk because of the mistake, I bounced back on this project. More Tour de France viewing and all of a sudden I was binding off for shoulders. Most of the ends were worked in on the ride to Paris. What a tour!

So, if anyone wishes to leave a comment, let me know if this looks like an oddball project. 

I also knit and not watch F1 racing with my husband. The race this weekend in the rain was also a lot of fun. There have been too many boring parades led by Mercedes this season.

This project puts me over 10K yards of stash yarn worked for the year. Perhaps a bit of a lame milestone, but meaningful to this blog and my closet.

So, what next? I have three more sweaters and the substantial bits of the worsted stash will be declared done. I will end with some oddballs that will probably be used for felting and swatching and what not.

I need to rework the wristlet for the TKGA re-submission, so I should get on that. I'm just about done with the rework and have probably learned more doing that than the first time through the project.

Oh oh oh....
I was looking at my blog statistics and I'm almost to 7000 views. That's another lame milestone for a 16 year old blog, but whatever.

Slow Going

Well, it's been a few weeks. Normally, I should be well past the armholes of my current project by now, but I made a mistake and had to pull back a lot of knitting. How much? About three Tour de France stages worth.

I'm almost up to where I was, but not quite. Just started the last color band before separating for the armhole. Still, I should be finished by the end of the month, not that I have a deadline or anything.

I also have been spending some time working on the re-submissions for my TKGA Level 2. In my haste to get that package out the door, I really dorked up a lot of parts.

Oddballs

So, what is an oddball project? Does this one qualify? Did the last three qualify?

This one is easy. I have enough of the light blue for about a half of an adult sweater. I collected the other colors and chose a graphic that while not stripey is essentially stripes.

The previous grey required a few more choices. I did not have enough of any of the colors to make a whole sweater. I did not quite have enough background grey for the sweater and the edgings. I've learned that just that bit is 70-80 grams. Thus, the cuff, neck and waist edges are yarns other than the body yarns selected so that there is enough of the main color to work the body sections.

The brown and read sweater was the victim of Hurricane Harvey. I was messing with the skeins and some of them were drowned in the flood. I probably could have made a full length sweater if I had chosen a more balanced graphic. My intention was to flip the background colors, but I did not like how that looked. Rather than frog and redesign, I forged ahead and then cropped the body.