knit1frog2

hourglass is pau

Okay okay, so I haven't blocked this sweater (b/c I don't have a spray bottle!  I need to find one someplace...) and I thought I didn't like the neckline...but um, I tried it on "backwards" and I like the way it fit that way much better!  Isn't that funny?  Now I have to remember that the sleeve with the thicker yarn goes on my right arm.  Should be easy enough!  (What went through my head immediately after typing this was: "thicker=bigger=stronger=more-dominant=right-handed=Iamabigknittinggeektobethinkingofthis!")

my mannequin shot

Things that I did differently on this sweater than the pattern called for...

• the two and a half extra hanks of yarn that were actually needed to knit the sweater
• a knitted hem was done on the bottom and cuffs of the sleeves (just wish I had finished the neck off this way as well) b/c I really hate weaving in the ends (hate it!  can't stand it!  it's the whole reason why my NBaT sits in a neat pile not seamed together...bah.)
• instead of a ssk opposite of the k2tog, a [sl1 knitwise, sl1 purlwise, twist & transfer back to the left needle and k2tog like usual] was done so it matched its mirror stitch better
• many more dec rows were done on the neckline.  I really think the larger sizes were not fully tested.  If I left it per the instructions, it would have fallen to my waist!
• Even though I followed the width for the 41", I followed the length proportions for the next size down (thanks Kristin for prompting me to post this part!)
• I pretended that I didn't mind weaving in ends and finished this sweater up in record time

For next time...

• knit a smaller size (I always do that, I see myself bigger than I am, I think...)
• even more decreases would be done to close up that gaping neckhole even more
• close up the arm(pit) holes early on, b/c waiting until the end leaves them all stretched out and weird, plus there's the added bonus of not having to deal with it later!

All in all, it was a fun project!  I would like to try it in a different kind of yarn...something a bit more drapey perhaps...though I'm loving the large size and comfy feel of the Cash Iroha and I'm still trying to come up with something to do with the extra hanks... ^_^

knitting in the round

Apparently, it's common knowledge (?) that knitting in the round often includes knitting the body and both of the sleeves in tubes and then joining them all together.  Now it is common knowledge for me as well since I wasn't in that majority previously.  Well check this out...

moving right along!

I joined all of the pieces last night...and at first it was a little awkward to move all of the pieces around...but I'm excited to see it all coming together!  Strangely, the sleeves are different b/c the skeins of yarn were different!  So one sleeve is thick and lofty while the other is thinner and more string like.  Weird how yarn is like that...

While putting this together, Monday night after seaming one of the sleeves, I noticed that the increases didn't match further down toward the elbow.  Yes, and you know me, I had to redo that.  Now each increase matches perfectly (remember I didn't knit these in the round so I had to seam up the sleeves).

Last Saturday I went to AS with Zina and picked up the rest of my Cash Iroha (and thank goodness I picked up a 40" circ so I could knit all of the pieces together!).  Karen is such a sweetheart there and comped me a hank for the previously anorexic one!  Now I have more than enough to finish the sweater...I'm wondering what to do with the rest!  Hmmm...a smaller version for my niece?  OSW?  Maybe combine it with another color and make another sweater?  Any suggestions?

hourglass math

So...my latest dilemma with the hourglass sweater is coming up short on yarn.  The errata says that some knitters have come up one or two balls short among other pattern errors.  Seeing that the sleeve alone would easily gobble up 2 skeins of the 40g/99yd yarn, I started to do some calculations...

• say I use 11 hanks/skeins, this would equal ~ 440g/1089yds (this amt seems short for a sweater with very long sleeves)
• 11 skeins at 50g, would be ~ 550g/1353yds (this yardage is more like it)
• 1353 - 1089yds = 264yds ~ 2.67 each of 40g balls

So it looks like I'll need another 3 balls at least...I called AS and they have the yarn!  (apparently the UK hanks are in 50g quantities)

hourglass progress

So I finished the body on Monday night...

okay, this *was* relatively a quick knit

I was confused at first with how exactly this was supposed to come together...you knit the body like a tube with decreases/increases along the sides.  (this idea I really like, b/c I've heard that sweaters knit in the round tend to not have much shape and are a bit too stretchy)  Then you knit the sleeves in a tube and connect them.  This is what didn't make sense to me, looking at the final drawing of the sweater pieces, I didn't see a straight edge sleeve tube connecting to the tubed body. 

Many thanks to Pamela who I met at the local knitters group (no I just really don't like the term SnB, thank you) it is all coming together for me now...that and she pointed out that the Vogue knitting book had an illustration of what exactly would be happening. 

After meeting and knitting with the group at Jerzey's I raced home and scoured the book...there it was.  Clear as day.  I had only bought the full Vogue Knitting recently, so I still hadn't unearthed all of the treasures that await in that book!  I had the compendium for a long time, which I see now, is nice to have as a takealong, but doesn't contain anywhere near the informative pearls of knowledge as the full copy.

this is what I knit last night :)

The sleeve looks more tapered than it actually is...the darn Inox needle cord is soooo curled, and yes I'm knitting my sleeves straight b/c I didn't have a long enough needle to do them magicloop style or a short enough circular to knit in the round.  Oh, and I suppose an added bonus of knitting the sleeves straight, is that I finally have something to practice my continental purling on.  I'm getting better, but wow is it challenging.  I still have to think when I purl.

yikes a new project

well hmm...Zina told me that Acorn Street had blocking wires...so I went on Saturday innocently enough to look.  They didn't have any and they wouldn't be placing an order for another month.  I continued looking...

Well, before I knew it...this Noro caught my eye...and no Zina, I don't blame you for my newest stash enhancement... ^_~

so tidy and neat, all ready to wind...

Isn't that the prettiest blue?  It's even prettier in person.  And you know what the Iroha is for, right?  When I started to wind the hanks, I saw something odd.  One of the now-skeins was small...much smaller than the other yarn cakes so i weighed it.  Take a look:

it should be 40g, not 25g!  gah.

Sigh.  Of course I paid the same price as the other hanks for it, but since I've already wound it, can I say anything to the yarn store?  I did save $40 though on the purchase from punchcards.  (one of the reasons I love Acorn Street)

But check out what a good girl I was...

mark the day, I actually made a full swatch!