Heel Back Border

That title sounds a bit like dance steps, maybe for square dancing?  Each noun refers not to the next step in the waltz nor to the end-up-here spot on the dancing diagram.

Instead, these words are a way for me to quickly update you on the three major items in my knitting bag.  (Note I said "major" which means -- no surprise, huh! -- I have a few more in the beginning stages, thinking-about-them stage, the matching-pattern-and-yarn stage.)

The Harry Potter Sox.  Both heels are done.  Finishing the gusset on sock 2 and making my way down the foot on sock one.  I really enjoy working the socks individually on dpn's, but with two sets of needles I can keep up with myself on sock 2.  Great motivator.  The yarn is Heritage Superwash by Cascade and I love, love, love this yarn.

The Luna Cardigan from Cascade Yarns.  The designer, Vera Sanon, deserves a special mention.  She has a note about shaping with lace patterns that really helped me to create neck and armholes while keeping the lace on track.  You know how sometimes it takes just the right combination of words to hit the neuron in your brain?  Well, this one worked for me.  Many thanks to Vera.  She's got lots of designs on Ravelry, so check her out there.  I am using Cascade Sierra for this cardigan, though Cascade Luna is what the designer used.

Working my way up the left front.  Back is all finished.
I've used every stitch holder I have, including a set of
the sloppy cord Kollage needles.  Stitches on holders
are waiting for 3-needle bind-off at shoulder, and then neck
ribbing, all after blocking, of course.

The Bernat Mystery Afghan KAL uses a wonderfully soft acrylic, Waverly by Bernat.  Square by square I'm making my way.  Sewing and knitting and weaving in ends.  I pick up the border when I want something that shows quick progress.  It's a 14 row repeat and not difficult.  But still, it seems the box has more yarn left than has been knitted.  Sometimes I think the yarn skeins conspire when I am not watching, creating more skeins and more tangles.  I try to remember the glass is always half full.

The green strip is the border (right edge) and the bit of
light blue triangle will become another square.  The little ball
of pink is all that's left of that wonderful color.

You're thinking:  "That crazy lady could finish at least one of these projects if she'd just stick with it.  But NO she has to float from one to the other, doing a few rows here and then a few rows there."

Yup, and for good reason.  The dark yarn in the sox is too dark to work at the end of the day, even with a good Ott light.  The lace pattern requires 150% attention which I don't always have.  The afghan has some simple stitches and patterns that are often very relaxing.

So I drift back and forth, like someone learning a new dance.

Heel Back Border

Repeat

Except

Lace.  You know I knit lots of lace things.  The Luna Cardigan from Cascade is all-over lace.  This means it will be gorgeous.  Except the all-over lace pattern means I must read the pattern not just in its 10-stitch repeat, but also in the way that in lace patterns the stitches added are then taken away.

Back to the left, The big "U" is the armhole.  The
right front is on the right.  The "L" is the neckline.

Details.  This one has a 10- stitch repeat.  All along the rows, the 10 stitch pattern repeats itself, except -- and this is a huge 'except' -- except when there aren't 10 stitches.  Here's an example.

You can see the diamond running just to the right of
center along what will be the shoulder.  On the right are stitches
which will become the neck ribbing, along the flat edge
and then up to the shoulder.  Looks like an "L".

The 19 stitches in the arm hole/shoulder had to work out in the lace pattern.  On the left side of the picture you can see that the patten isn't quite complete; there are some missing pieces to the diamonds.  That's to be expected.  For every hole in the lace, there's a corresponding stitch taken away.  This rule is essential to maintain the pattern repeat.

More details.  The above strip of 19 stitches took me three tries, maybe four.  Every time I thought I could decipher the lace pattern without its required 10 stitches I would look at my work and say, "Nope.  That's still not right."  Tink, tink, tink.

Now I'm making my way up the back.  The body of the sweater is knit in one piece which means each of the two fronts and the back are then continued from that wrap-around piece.

Looking good.  Check the right side of the knitting.
You'll see similar adjustments for portions of the lace
pattern, when the required 10 stitches are not
available.

The cardi will have short sleeves.

Except -- I may lengthen them a bit to fall to elbow instead of mid-bicep.

Another Lace Tag

In the distribution list of the tags for this blog, I noticed that "lace" appears right near the top. When I checked it was actually the most often used tag.

So it won't surprise you that I'm again knitting a lace pattern.  This time it's a Spring Cardi.

Spring has not arrived in Western Washington (USA), unless you count the daffs, the brilliant purple heather, and the pansies that made it thru the winter.  Oh, and the buds on the trees.

But hope prevails and so I have begun  -- for the second time -- my Spring Cardi.

The pattern and yarn are from Cascade.  Yarn is Sierra, a wonderful blend of cotton with a bit of wool.  This is a go-to yarn for what passes as 'warmer temps' in the chilly spring of the Pacific Northwest.  I also like the blend because the wool stabilizes the no-memory cotton yarn.

The pattern is the Luna Cardigan which tempted me from Cascade's FaceBook page, a free pattern using their Peruvian cotton (no wool.)  The pattern is nice because they include the best ways to add length to either or both of the body and sleeves.  

I'm into stash-reduction so retrieved my supply of Cascade Sierra.  Bot this last summer and actually knitted a garter stitch, top-down cardi.  Well, almost.  Got to the the sleeve and decided I did not like the somewhat sloppy nature of the all over garter stitch.  I'd trimmed it with a few rows of Feather and Fan at the bottom and planned that for finishing the sleeves.  But still . . . 

So I frogged the entire thing and when the Luna Cardigan showed up, I knew this one would work for me.

Here it all is together -- past present and a hint of the future.
Left side -- what's left of the garter stitch, top-down cardigan.
In the middle, with the flower pin -- the piles of frogged yarn.
Lower right -- the ribbing and lace pattern of the Luna Cardigan.

This one is almost seamless -- body of the sweater is knit from the bottom to armholes, then separated for fronts and back.  Sleeves are knit from rib to top of sleeve, which is a set-in sleeve.  

One last comment about Cascade Sierra.  The wool content is 20% and the colors are just glorious.  This one is called Moth -- who is that person whose job it is to sit and match the yarn color to its intended name?  Moth is a perfect match, a neutral with lights.

Still working on sox.  And that afghan?  I know how to sew it together now, but still a few blocks behind in the knitting.  Well, maybe more than a few.    

Inspiration

A knitting book from 1942.  Classic designs.  Perfect inspiration for the next project.

Using the wonderful vintage knitting books (gift from a friend) and an un-used gift card I made my way to my LYS, Yellow House Yarns in Puyallup.  Walked out with splendiferous yarn for two grand projects, each inspired by designs from the vintage books.

First book is from Minerva and contains classic cardigans and vests and a cable pullover.  Plus some very helpful advice on how knitting can help the war effort (WWII, that is.)  I know lots of knitters who are helping with hats and stump covers and other items during 'our wars.'  Giving . . .

Pockets and everything.  Classic and Elegant.

The yarn is Cascade sock yarn, 75% wool, 25% nylon.  I'll be using a small US3, targeting the gauge suggested by the pattern shown above.  I've knitted a nice big swatch so measuring will be both easier and more accurate.  In the swatch I've also tried two different ribbing patterns.

I've decided on the ribbing right at the bottom.  It's
from an old pattern book Mon Tricot Stitch Dictionary.  I've had
the book since the 70's so even the rib is 'vintage.'

Here's a better picture of the swatch so you can see how the yarn pools into these yummy shades of gold and cream.  Twill make a loverly cardi I think.

Swatch on the blocking board.  Just above the eyelet
ribbing is the other rib pattern I tried.  You can see
why I kept searching for something better.

I'm completely inspired.  The old pattern is so simple.  It's not written for any sizes that even come close to the ladies of today.  Ladies then were all so small.  The size 16 has a 35" bust -- different times, different sizes.

Meanwhile I've got a couple of projects that need attention.  That other glub is still minus some fingers.  The prayer shawl is about 1/3 completed.  One other item is on the blocking board and will be mailed tomorrow.

Oh, I sent Thuh Notebook on Tuesday.  Now we wait -- 6 to 8 weeks, while the critique takes place.  I'm not one to sit and twiddle my thumbs, though.  I've got knitting to do.