Ultimate Flexibility

Knitters have it and enjoy it -- ultimate flexibility.  We can begin a sweater at the neck, at the yoke, at the end of one sleeve (and knit 'across') or the traditional way, from the bottom up.

Top down is the appropriate adjective for this one.

This KAL is proceeding nicely.  It's the Lapis Yoke Pullover from Interweave and is the subject of their KAL.   You will have to purchase the pattern; look for an Interweave special or coupon.  Reliable patterns, always.

Start this one at the neckline with a US6 and a few rows of
knit and purl in the round, to make it look like garter stitch.
Then move to 1x1 ribbing.  After a few rows, increase to
create 1x2 ribbing.  Follow this pattern for a few rows,
increase again to 1x3 ribbing. . . etc.

The yoke expands and the 1-stitch knit in the ribbing is on display.  Here's a close-up.

For my size I ended the yoke with 1x5 ribbing.
The body of the sweater, and the sleeves are knit
in stockinette stitch.  1x1 ribbing at the end of the sleeves
and around the bottom of the sweater.
Some shaping at the waist.

This one allows me to report several items of good news -- 

• I'm knitting up stash;  bot this Cascade 220 Superwash when they wound the skeins as part of manufacturing.
• I'm already at the body of the sweater, which means I'm keeping pace (I think) with the KAL.
• I'm knitting with one of my absolute favorite colors.
• I'm knitting with size US7 needles and in the round so things are smooth and easy for knitting.

Can't get much better than that!

No, wait!  The SUN is shining in Lakewood.  Now that is something to see and celebrate and enjoy.

Project Details

Beatrice Wrap
Yarn:  Red Heart Stardust, superwash wool, nylon, and sparkle

Manufacturer:  Red Heart
Pattern:  Free from Red Heart
Bot the yarn online.  I will admit to price shopping.

Harry Potter Sox
Yarn:  Heritage Superwash, superwash wool and nylon

Manufacturer:  Cascade Yarns
Pattern:  from a library book, Charmed Knits for Harry Potter Fans
Needles:  size US1, dpn
Bot the yarn at Yellow House Yarns.

Bernat KAL Afghan

Yarn:  Waverly for Bernat

Manufacturer:  Bernat
Pattern:  Afghan Knit-along, 2012 Mystery Afghan
Needles:  US8 (5.00 mm)
Bot the yarn online from Bernat.  It was on sale with free shipping when they announced the afghan KAL.

Cream Comfy Shawl

Yarn: Paton's Shetland Chunky, 75% acrylic, 25% wool

Manufacturer: Paton's

Pattern: From The Prayer Shawl Companion by Bristow and Cole-Galo

Needles: US 13(9.0mm)

Don't remember where or when I bot the yarn, but patting myself on the back for using stash.

My Blue Sweater
Yarn:  100% washable wool
Manufacturer:  Cascade 220 washable wool and Cascade 220 Paints
Pattern:  New England Knits (it's on the cover, but I modified it)
Needles:  US8 (5.00 mm)
Bot the yarn:  Yorkshire Yarns in Lakewood, WA and Yellow House Yarns in Puyallup, WA

Prayer Shawl
Yarn:  Red Heart Eco-Ways
Manufacturer:  Red Heart Yarns
Pattern:  Joyce Fassbender's Deja Vu Scarf/shawl from Knitpicks
Needles:  US10 (6.00mm)

Strolling Mitts

Yarn: Cascade 200, 100% wool

Manufacturer: Cascade Yarns

Pattern: Strolling Mitts from Stitch Nation

Needles: US6 (4.00 mm)

Bot the yarn for the TKGA Level I Master Knitter submission package of swatches and a hat.

White Lace Shawl

Yarn: Comfy Fingering, 75% pima cotton, 25% acrylic

Manufacturer: Knit Picks

Pattern: Spider half hexagon from Victorian Lace, by Jane Sowerby

Needles: US 6, 7, 8, and 9

Bot the yarn: online from KP, which has great customer service.

Mosaic Cowl

Yarn: Mosaic, 100% Acrylic

Manufacturer: Bernat

Pattern: Mosaic Cowl -- Knit, free from Bernat

Needles: US9

Bot the yarn: don't remember. I liked the colors.

Rick Rack Scarf
Yarn:  100% wool
Manufacturer:  Rowan
Pattern:  Rick Rack Scarf from Purl Bee
Needles:  US10.5
Bot the yarn:   online, this scarf made from last skeins left over from a cable sweater.

Burgundy Lace Crochet

Yarn: 100% wool, lace weight

Manufacturer: Knit Picks

Pattern: Emerald Scarf by Tracy St. John, Interweave

Needle: a crochet hook, USB, a little tiny one

Bot the yarn: as part of a shawl kit and stole this color for a special friend.

Mohair Gossamer Lace Scarf

Yarn: 37% acrylic, 33% mohair, 30% wool

Manufacturer: Nashua Handknits, Gelologie, 142 yds, Italy

Pattern: Gossamer Lace Shell, One Skein Wonders, pg 55

Needles: 10 1/2 US, wooden, Clover probably.

Bot the yarn: part of a scarf-of-the-month club from Patternworks in NH.

Swatches and Hat for Master Knitter Level I

Yarn: 100% wool, Cascade 220

Manufacturer: Cascade Yarns

Patterns: all instructions from Level I, TKGA

Needles: swatches and hat use 7US, ribbing on hat uses 5US

Bot the yarn: Yellow House Yarns and Shibori Dragon, in Lakewood, WA.

Hat -- resubmit for Level I, TKGA
Yarn:  100% wool, worsted weight
Manufacturer:  Shetland  Wools
Pattern:  Hat, Level I, TKGA
Needles:  US5 and US7
Bot the yarn:  Yellow House Yarns, Puyallup.

Blue Lace Shawl

Yarn: 85% cotton / 15% silk (Lyndon Hill)

Manufacturer: Bristol Yarn Gallery, Plymouth Yarn Co, spun in Peru

Pattern: from Victorian Lace Today, Jane Sowerby

Final measurements: will update when I finally finish it!

Needles: Size 6 US

Where I got the yarn: Webs (www.yarn.com), a favorite site for yarn and patterns and other supplies.

Crochet Interlude

Yarn: Silky Alpaca Lace, 70% baby alpaca, 30% silk

Manufacturer: Classic Elite Yarns

Pattern: Shawl from LionBrand free patterns

Hook: size US G

Where I got the yarn: Special gift from Fiona Pearce

Special notes: Decided to take the advice of wonderful owner at Yellow House Yarns in Puyallup. We were being knitting snobs and making derogatory comments about crochet. She then commented positively about the work of a friend who took a very light weight, lacy yarn and a very large crochet hook, creating a final fabric that was soft with a nice drape.

There you have it.

Crochet Interlude #2

Yarn: 100% acrylic

Manufacturer: Bernat Super Value acrylic

Pattern: from one of Bernat's afghan books

Hook: size US I

I bot the yarn online at Yarn and Thread by Lisa, outside of Lincoln, NE.

Shawl in the Sun

Yarn: Cotton, Silk, Wool, Nylon

Manufacturer: Noro "the world of nature"

Pattern: Joyce Fassbender, Deja Vu Shawl from Knitpicks IDP

Needles: probably a 10 US, but I don't remember

I bot the yarn at Yorkshire Yarns in Lakewood, WA

KAL

No matter your opinion on the benefits and/or drawbacks of social networking, you have to admit that it does allow people with a common interest to 'convene' even when geography, finances, and circumstances keep them physically separate.

I have an account on www.GoodReads.com and enjoy this a lot because the focus is books and only books.  Readers come from all over, with diverse reading interests.  The demographics -- age, gender -- are also diverse and so different views emerge.  I enjoy GoodReads.

Another great example is the KAL/CAL (Knit-A-Long / Crochet-A-Long) where people who love yarn and their chosen craft can 'convene' to explore a new pattern, a new yarn, and get help from others.

I've decided to participate in two KAL's.  One will yield a sweater and the other an afghan.

This is a new acrylic from Bernat, taken from the lovely and elegant colors that you find in Waverly upholstery fabrics and wall coverings.  The afghan pattern is a mystery, which means the Afghan Master/Mistress reveals one clue every 1-2 weeks.  The idea is that you try to keep up so that your afghan is finished at the appointed time (but truly, it could just as easily go into the UFO closet.)

Links you'll need (and it's never too late to begin):  Bernat Waverly Yarn, Waverly Afghan Knit Along
I used the color tutorial to help me select the combination of yarns for the afghan.  I like the yarn; it's soft and the colors are just wonderful.  The afghan uses size US8 needles.  You'll have to join their forum to get the clues.  No big deal.

When the suggestion for a sweater KAL came from the Knitting Daily blog, I checked the pattern, checked the stash and I was good to go.  The sweater is a top-down with an increasing rib yoke.  You'll have to purchase the pattern or maybe find it in an old issue of the magazine at the library.   Everything HERE to get started -- weekly knitting expectations, link to pattern, etc.  Take it away!

Stash yarn:  Cascade 220 Superwash in a teal heather.
Needles:  US7 using a circular and Magic Loop method.

So that's what's new on the needles.  I'm binding off and decreasing for the armhole on each of the vest pieces.  Don't want to sound over-confident, but I may just get to wear the vest this winter.

Nope, not thinking about spring knitting yet.  I'm not that fond of cotton yarns unless they are blended.  I'm enjoying each of the projects on the needles and enjoy switching from one to the other.

Find the form of social networking you enjoy.  It's probably here to stay, though its path is not yet long enough for us to discover just where it's headed.  Maybe Mark Zuckerberg can tell us this on his way to the bank?

It's a done deal

Lookin' good, huh!  It's bright without being gaudy or loud.  The Cascade 200 Paints pulls it all together.
It's no longer a UFO, but a wearable art textile, a lovely hand-knit sweater which I will wear with joy.

Adding the variegated yarn helped with the 'interest' factor,
I think.  Touches of it on the sleeve to pull it
all together.

I made some changes in the pattern.  

Moved the buttons from shoulder to center right.

Added the attached (knitted on) I-cord around the neck so the neckline would appear more 'finished' and be connected to the rest of the sweater.  Check Nancy Wiseman's The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques.  If you are limited in what you can spend to add to a knitting library, make sure you include this one.  Essential techniques for beginning and ending knitted garments.  Good pictures, too.

I-cord requires DPN's and a fair bit of patience, but
it's worth it for finishing either a neckline or a front
edge, especially if there are no buttons.

I added the Cascade 220 Paints to coordinate with the Cascade 200 Superwash blue.  Paints in the lower ribbing, the yoke, and an accent on the lower sleeve.

In this case I prefer more ribbing to less -- makes for a
fit that is more precise.  This sweater didn't even
approach the 'classical sloppy' look but rather
seemed to be designed for a fitted look.  (IMHO, of course.)

So I will spend this afternoon and evening weaving in ends.  Since the yarn is washable, I will likely throw it all in the laundry (in a large mesh lingerie bag) and then in a low-temp dryer.  How convenient is that.

There are no, underline no, seams.  How wonderful is that.  Knit from the yoke down, this sweater is all done when it's done.  Sleeves are done on DPN's from the yoke with picked up stitches under the arm so there isn't even a tiny seam there!  

But still, all those pesky tails.  

On the special gift front:  I have several folks who are lovers of the garage sale experience.  These friends have been on the lookout for knitting books.  The books arrive by mail or hand delivery (from friends close, geographically.)  

I have books from the 60's and 70's (yes, we did wear some of those awful clothes and colors!)  And today I received two books from 1942.  Every design is classic -- cardigans, car coats, skirts, jackets, even an argyle cardigan.

Reckon I'll make a trip to my LYS -- there are at least three designs that deserve to be knitted in the 21st century.

All this time

Knitter's Regrets

• All this time, since last January, the blue yarn and partially completed sweater have lain idle in a knitting bag.  
• All this time I have kept the bag near a chair in the living room where I can see it when I knit (and where I have to pick it up if/when I decide to vacuum.)  
• All this time, it's only needed a bit of finishing on the yoke and one sleeve to be completed.  
• All this time I could have been wearing this lovely blue item.

• Couldn't stand it any longer.  
• Couldn't really justify -- even to my knitting self -- that I could plan a new project and purchase new yarn.
• Couldn't any longer imagine a partially completed sweater when I wanted to wear this sweater.

Finishing it this weekend.  It's lovely.

Body of the sweater is the blue of the I-cord trim
around the neck.  The plan is to replace the shawl pin
with three special buttons.
Yarn:  Cascade 220 paints.

The yarn was purchased at Yorkshire Yarns in Lakewood (solid blue) and at Yellow House Yarns in Puyallup (Paints).  The pattern is from New England Knits and it's the one shown on the cover, though with modifications -- of course.

Two things moved me to make changes --

1. I wasn't sure I'd have enough of the solid blue and decided an entire sweater of that color just might be a bit too startling to the eyes.
2. I was absolutely sure I did not like the hem at the hip-line of the original sweater pattern.  Don't mind where it was intended to land, just prefer the flexible fitting of ribbing.
3. Also did not like the position of the buttons, right over the shoulder, so I moved the placket to left front over the ribbing.  Seems more cohesive to me, design-wise.   I'm knitting it for me, not for them.  (That's my sassy voice!)

So the yoke became the variegated yarn.  The ribbing at the base became variegated.  And just to accent the sleeves I added a few rows of purl in the variegated, so the stitch and the color would connect to the yoke.

Used a different setting on the camera.  This is closer to the
actual color.  You can see the yoke with the shawl pin in
the upper left.  Then the ribbing of the sleeve with the
accent of variegated purl stitches.
The markets indicate every 10 rows (dark purple)
and decreases (orange.)

The pattern is knit from the top down, which means the only finishing is the weaving in of yarn ends.  There's no underarm seam, no side seam.  Yoke begins at the knit row right below the ribbing; yoke ribbing is picked up and knit after the body is knit.  Short rows raise the back neck a bit.  

The attached I-cord is my idea.  I wanted something to seal off all the colors and look good around the neck.  Not sure a simple bind-off would do; can be sloppy sometimes, IMO.

The sleeves are knit from the yoke down, either on DPN's or on a long circular using Magic Loop.  This time the Magic Loop method is working for me.  After the length is established and a few decrease cycles, I'll add 4 rows of purl in the variegated.  Then a switch to a smaller needle, US7, and finish off the ribbing.

Yarn, needles, sleeve stitches -- add Knitter, stir gently while
listening to a good book and . . .

Meanwhile, I'll be spending a bit of time to finalize the notebook to send to TKGA.  Really ready for that project to be in the mail.  It counts as a massive UFO, with not enough knitting to compensate for the other work that has to be done.  Groan.

The sun has gone the way the sun does in the Pacific Northwest (west side.)  Gray clouds have returned.  Good day for knitting (and working on the notebook.)

PS  I added a new tag/label -- SWEATER! Hurrah!