FO: Ironman's Christmas Aran

Pattern: Heirloom Aran Pullover by Sue Mink
Yarn: Garnstudio DROPS Karisma Classic, colorway 16, 120 yds/50 gr, 14 skeins.
Needles: US 4/3.5 mm and US 6/4.0 mm circulars.
Gauge: 20 stitches/28 rows in stockinette
Start/finish: 20 October 2010 - 24 January 2011
Comments/modifications: this pdf is quite a minimalist pattern (all of 2 pages) with no charts, which (as a dedicated chart-ist) I found irritating. However, it is a pretty straightforward pattern. The other thing is that I used DK weight instead of worsted weight yarn, so I ended up using US 4/6 needles instead of US 7/9 - I still got gauge, so that was fine.

I started with the sleeves for a couple of reasons. 1) I hate knitting sleeves because they take forever, and 2) I wanted a chance to learn some of the cable patterns before launching into the front and back, particularly as I was changing the big middle cable panel. I think this is the first time I've knit both sleeves at the same time and, while it meant that all the increases and decreases matched up fine, it also took me a month. A solid month of knitting, to get two sleeves. Bah!

I swapped the odd, very in-and-out middle cable panel from the pattern with a much more uniform one from the Harmony Guides (the Lattice Cable, page 162 in cables & arnas if you're curious). Back and fronts went fairly smoothly. The yarn was really nice to work with - a bit stiff in the ball, but lovely and soft once knit up. And extremely economically priced, as these things go.

I blocked all the pieces before seaming and doing the neckband, but then had to reblock as the finished sweater was a bit too close fitting for Himself, and the sleeves were a bit short. Blocking took care of that but I may have to go back and redo the hip band - like a doofus I didn't check my notes on how much ribbing I did on the sleeves, and the waist ribbing is probably an inch too short. It was deemed acceptable by my husband, who has been waiting for this sweater for two Christmases now. But I can't guarantee that I won't be redoing the ribbing and trying to graft knit 1, purl 1 rib at some point in the future. I just couldn't face the prospect right now...Another thing that I would do over: I'd add some short rows at the back to get it to hang a little better. There's just not quite enough fabric coming up to the neck there.

So, Sweater #1 of 2011 is done. Thankfully sweater #2 is up to armholes on both body and sleeves, and might even be done before leaving for our ski trip in a week and a half. Which is good - Devil needs a new sweater!

Finishing

I hate seaming sweaters, but the list of this year's goals has inspired me; I managed to finish up the knitting on the IM Aran last Friday, and for once, I wasted no time in throwing the bits and pieces into some water and laying them out to dry.

 

I pinned out the body pieces to measurement (22 inches across for each), but the sleeves I just laid flat and smoothed out. I pinned the strips for the saddle shoulders down because they were twisting a bit. This proved to be a good idea, since the girls later admitted to going up to the guest room and jumping on the bed.

I've sewed in the sleeves and knit the collar, but a few problems have cropped up. The first is that I obviously miscounted the rows needed for the waistband ribbing, and it's a bit shorter then the ribbing on the sleeves and collar. The second problem is that it turns out I probably should have knit the 46 size, not the 44. I'm hoping I can block it out a bit wider, to meet Himself's specific requirements, but I may be out of luck. Thnakfully I've figured out tentative fixes for both issues: if post-seaming and re-blocking, the ribbing is still too short, I'll pick up the stitches, pick out the cast on edge (groan!) and knit a bit more ribbing. If it's still too narrow through the body, I will not rip out the whole thing and redo it - that would require a good divorce lawyer. Instead, I'll knit two strips of ribbing/seed stitch about an inch wide, and sew them in at the sides. I'll need to carry the gusset up through the armpit and down the sleeves a bit, which might add way too much volume to the sleeve, but we'll wait and see. Blocking first!

Going gray

Picasso had his Blue Period, and apparently I'm in a Gray Period. To whit: in the last week, I have purchased this,

and started this.

I finally started knitting Design #3 that's been percolating in this,

and started knitting a DK weight protoype of Design #2 in this.

Hmmm...one might be forgiven for thinking that the recent rash of Absolutely. Spectacularly. Sunny (but cold!). Weather. is inspiring me towards typical London autumnal shades in an attempt to fool the weather gods in to keeping the clouds away for a bit longer.

New projects

Writing down a list has definitely helped me prioritize my knitting activities. For example,

The finished prototype for the hat in my three piece collection. I did this a bit differently from my usual design process, which is think up an idea and knit it, then go back and try to write it up after the fact. That procedure usually results in my having to knit another item after I've finished writing the pattern, just to make sure I've got it right. This time I put a bit more thought into the pattern ahead of time, did the chart and then knit from that. I've still got to finish up the pattern writing, but having the chart done ahead of time meant that I could knit the hat as a test knit of the chart.

Priority #2: Ironman's Aran. When I went back to my parents' a few weeks ago, I scored a huge stash of new needles. My aunt, who has previously sent me destash stuff in a potting soil bag, had brought up a bunch of needles and yarn she wanted to pass on. None of the yarn was particularly useful for me, but the needles...

Oh yeah...in addition to this absolute honking pile of straight needles, there was a bag of circulars and crochet hooks. And stitch markers. And stitch holders. Etc, etc. You get the idea. As a result, I now have a new favorite type of needle.

Nylon. Molded in one piece, with no joins at all, bendy, flexible, comfy. My only complaint is that they're not very pointy, but I was so enamored that I immediately used them for a swatch.

Drops Karisma, on US 7, 8 and 9 needles. None of which are quite right - 7s give me 5 sts/inch, 8s and 9s give me 4.5 sts/inch, and what I'm supposed to get for the pattern is 4 sts/inch. However, given that Mr. Fussy Mc-Wool-Is-Itchy-pants has okayed this yarn, I think I'll just knit a bigger size on smaller needles and hope for the best. Good plan, right? Right...(famous last words).

I also threw design-work to the wind last night, and started a birthday present for my Mom. I'm one third of the way into the first of two, and it's cranking along. Hopefully I can get them finished up by the end of next week and send them off. Should be do-able - school starts tomorrow, so my commuting time is about to take a drastic leap upwards. Hooray!