Monday, July 31, 2006

Trudging along

After having to stop work on the Fearless Fair Isle because I discovered I'd neglected to order 1 color, I made some progress on it this weekend. It's actually very entertaining...I really thought working a sweater on small needles would be terribly tedious but it's really not and the fair isle patterning is nice and symmetrical so easy to memorize for that row so you just plow along.

Also decided I needed a good foil for small needles so started a Noni Baguette bag...wheeee size 11 needles...

is going to this when it grows up...

Using Elann's Highland Wool...nice and soft...

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Fearless

Well, a big box of yarny sorts of things arrived from Knitpicks on Friday so I had to pause the other projects and cast on my practice Fair Isle sweater...decided that Wendy's Fearless Fair Isle (but with blues instead of purples). Now, I know that fingering weight Peruvian wool (Knitpicks Palette) isn't Shetland wool, but it'll do for practice while I wait to get the real stuff for a fancier sweater...it's still fairly sticky wool so I'm not too worried (eek) about the steeks.

Despite checking twice, I made a classic mistake that I didn't discover until about 13 rows into the corrugated ribbing...I'd managed to twist the stitches on the circular so was knitting a moebius. I can't bear the idea of undoing that much of this ribbing (which I really don't mind knitting as I'm practicing the 1 color in each hand so one hand's throwing and the other hand's picking thing) so I added some steeks and it'll end up a cardigan. Probably better as a cardigan anyhow...


I'm gonna order Jamieson Shetland wool for a couple of sweaters from Ann Feitelson's Art of Fair Isle Knitting...it's amazing how inexpensive the stuff really is, especially compared to some of the pre-fab fair isle kits available...for the price of one Alice Starmore kit, I can get enough yarn for 3 sweaters...yeesh. But it's fun...and I'm working on (brace yourself) wooden needles...ebony to be specific...my nickel plates are just too slick for enough control for colorwork...wheeeee

Friday, July 21, 2006

Tutti Frutti

Just a quick update since I've been lacking in the posting department...been back in a total knitting thing...working on a project with one of my handspuns...but doesn't look like anything yet so not worth photographing...

I've been bitten by the colorwork bug...been picking up some Alice Starmore books, prepping for my first serious foray into Fair Isle...but in the meantime, decided to practice stranded work with a quick, thicker-yarn project, so did up a quick hat pattern from Knitpicks using their Merino Style, which is a really nice 100% merino for the price...soft and squoogy...needs a hem, ends dealt with and some steaming but not a bad first attempt, I think...

Also started into my Christmas gift knitting...so can't say who it's for LOL won't even hint at the size (so don't ask!)...but it's fun to knit...well, was at least during this fun little fan lace bottom border...the rest is stockinette til I do the sleeves...pattern is Haiti by Dale of Norway, and I'm working it up in Valley Yarns Longmeadow which is a cushy cotton/microfibre blend...just a bit cooshier than the Svale the pattern calls for, so it's nicer on the hands as it has just a weeeee bit of give to it...

Friday, July 07, 2006

Back to the needles

I decided to take a break from spinning this week as I was not getting much done on any of my knitting projects, well, except for the Haiku sweater (from Knitty.com) out of the blue homespun...

I was determined to finish at least one UFO, so dug out the Bombshell sweater...I think I stopped where I did because all that was left was the bottom border, sleeve borders and neck border...all seed stitch...my favorite...NOT. Seed Stitch Time is like Stairmaster Time...each minute is exponentially longer, each row, three times as many stitches as in reality...bleh.

So, Bombshell is done. Had to redo one of the sleeve borders because I did the blonde thing (even though my hair is, for the moment, brown-ish) and did it with the same size needles as the rest of the sweater instead dropping a few sizes. Bleh...even more Seed Stitch Time limbo. But it's done. I'm not entirely sure I like it on...it's comfy though...guess I'll wear it around the house to see how I feel about it after a while. I am pleased with how the fit turned out...although I could probably drop it down a size next time...and yea, I think there will be a next time, in a nice cotton blend (something springy like a touch of wool, or Rowan Calmer...yum).


Speaking of Rowan Calmer (yum), I'd started the i-cord for the cast-on for the Curvalicious Cardigan, also from Big Girl Knits a while back, so decided to get that fully on the needles. Never done i-cord before, much less an i-cord cast on but it was easy enough and does make for a very charming edge...

I'm doing mine in black and aqua...found the stuff on a wee bit of a sale with a UK seller and free shipping, so off it goes...