One step forward, two steps back

Fresh off the high of finishing my Whisper Cardigan last week (pictures and post to follow as soon as I get some photos taken), I decided to tackle another UFO lurking next to my couch. This time: my  handspun Stasis Pullover, aka my P3 Today's (not)Sweater.

When last discussed on the blog, I had just come to terms with the fact that my swatch lied to me I didn't swatch properly, and had ripped out the four inches of sweater that I had to start over again with my new gauge and numbers from a smaller size. I managed to get most of the way through the waist decreases on the new version, which then sat in a crumpled pile for about 6 months. Last night I picked it up again, determined to get some good progress made. Then I realised (after referencing my spreadsheet that I was supposed to follow for both stitch AND row counts) that I had completely f-d up the waist decreases. Given my much-larger-then-called for row gauge, I was supposed to decrease every 8 rows. I had managed to ignore that directive entirely and go with the every 18 row decrease spacing called for in the pattern. Fabulous.

So I pulled the body off the needles to rip back to 8 rows about the first set of decreases so I could get them sorted out. And as it was lying in my lap, I had a sudden, terrifying thought: "You know, this looks kind of big..."

So I pulled out my trusty tape measure and checked. Several times. And discovered, in fact, not only was it "kind of big", my spreadsheet-calculated with-my-gauge measurement of 42 inches was actually...(wait for it)...46 inches. W.T.everloving.F!!!????!!!

Now here's the kicker - my gauge is still 6 sts/inch, but the sweater is coming out 4 inches too big. Either I cast on some bastardized number of stitches, or gremlins are coming and stretching my sweater out when I sleep. After much wringing of hands, gnashing of teeth and tearing of hair, I ripped out again, cast on the number of stitches for the size 37, and got most of the way through the ribbing.

This morning, on the train, I realized that I cast on the number of the stitches for the body (240) not the number of stitches required for the ribbing (228).

I am beginning to think that this sweater is cursed. Truly, truly cursed. And I'm not sure it will be finished by October and the next installation of P3/Today's sweater.

But it will make a good story...;-)

Overcoming neglect

I am, in the best of times, a more-then-indifferent gardener*. I may start off with good intentions (let's plant some tomato seedlings and maybe some strawberries in containers!), but within a few weeks, my horticultural aspirations get forgotten/ignored/shoved aside in favor of other things. And to be perfectly honest, the same thing happens with my knitting projects more often that I care to admit...

Last week I was seized by some deranged enthusiasm for weeding, and I spent a couple of days yanking out piles and piles of one particular plant that was covering all the beautiful bluebells that have come up in the back garden. As I collapsed on the couch one evening after the girls went to bed, nursing my sore back and blistered palms, I was inspired to dig up another neglected item: my Whisper cardigan, knit in Malabrigo Lace in Paris Night.


Now, I'm not sure that this colorway has much to do with Paris at nighttime, but it's a lovely navy blue with some subtle variegation. I had stalled out on the body, but my spurt of good intentions meant that I managed to get it to the called-for length before a vicious yarn barf episode resulted in broken laceweight.

That made it a good time to start working on the sleeves (you probably don't recall, but I have modified the ever-living Bejeesus out of this pattern). As of today, I'm more then halfway through sleeve 1, and have every intention of finishing sleeve 2 by the end of the week. And if things go according to plan**, I should be able to finish the body in the next week. Which should be perfect timing, as we are heading off to the Norfolk coast for half-term, and we all know that going to the beach for a holiday means I'll need a sweater.

* And in the worst of times, positively Darwinian (i.e. oh, it's supposed to frost tonight? Oh well, we'll see what's still alive come morning...)
** Hahahahahahahahahahahahahah! I'll just sit here and wait for the lightening strike to come.

When all you can do is pick up the needles

I've been knitting up a storm recently, but it hasn't been a particularly happy experience. A dear friend is dealing with her father's just-diagnosed late-stage metastatic cancer. We've been lucky enough to get to know her dad, Himself even more so then me, and the news about his cancer has been very difficult.

I don't set much store in prayer, but my immediate reaction to the news was “I must knit him something”. After consultation with the daughter, I decided to knit him a nice, warm jumper to ward off the post-chemo chills.

I did a bottom-up, saddle sleeve sweater all in one piece, á la Elizabeth Zimmerman – a technique I've wanted to try for a while. I did a simple 2x2 cable up each side and along the outside of the sleeve up to the collar. The yarn is Colorado Yarns Durango, a wool/acrylic/viscose blend I've had in stash for a looong time. The finished sweater is cozy and warm, easy to care for, and hopefully will help keep him comfortable and warm in the coming months.

After finishing that off, I knew I wanted to knit something for Mum as well.

This is Cinnamon Grace, and since that picture was taken, I've knit the border and started the cast off. Once I've got it blocked, I'll take some better pictures and give some details.

They have a hard road ahead, and I knit every stitch of these pieces with good thoughts and hope for them in what is statistically a pretty hopeless situation. I hope they'll wear these and feel us close to them, sending mojo and strength across the miles.

Easy sweater gratification

Sweaters are so satisfying to knit and wear, but at some point in the process, things definitely start to drag, and it seems like you're a) not making any progress, and therefore b) never going to finish and get to wear the beautiful creation you've been slaving over. In the last two weeks I have discovered two solutions to the problem of sweater doldrums.

Solution #1: Use bulky yarn.

Pattern: Top-down raglan, a la Barbara Walker
Yarn: Handspun Porpoise Fur Shetland/silk in "Magpie", approximately 500 yds/1 lb of bulky, squishy 2-ply.
Needles: US 11/8.0 mm and US 10.5/6.5 mm
Start/finish: I started spinning on 10th Feb, finished the singles on the 11th, finished the plying on the 12th, and started knitting on the 13th I think? Stalled out on the 19th by running out of yarn, but finished up yesterday and blocked it last night. It's still drying...

This is my barter sweater, and it was started and finished (spinning and knitting) in less then two weeks. It would have been done in about 9 days, but I ran out of yarn and had to spin up a bit more, so that stretched it out a bit longer. Still, 9 days for the whole project, and about a week to actually knit the sweater, is pretty hard to beat for almost-instant sweater gratification.

I wanted to get it blogged today, so the pictures are somewhat less then stellar. I'll try for some better ones tomorrow if the weather cooperates...

Solution #2: Knit baby sweaters.

Pattern: Henry's Sweater by Sara Elizabeth Kellner
Yarn: Adriafil Duo Comfort Classic, 131 yds/50 gr, the 3-6 month size used less then two balls.
Needles: US 5/3.75 mm
Start/finish: 15th Feb - 18th Feb 2013
Comments/mods: talk about instant gratification! My new nephew arrived on Valentine's Day, I started on Friday after some frenzied stash diving, and the knitting was done on Tuesday. Boo and I bought some buttons yesterday and I sewed on the snaps and buttons today.

I did a few mods. First, I did fewer short rows on the shawl collar because I didn't want it too get too long and floppy. I like this mini-shawl alot.

I worked the garter stitch edging on the sleeves back and forth instead of in the round. It was only 5 rows or something, so sewing up that tiny bit on the end of the sleeves wasn't a big deal.


I also skipped the buttonholes, choosing instead to sew on the buttons on the outside as a decorative element, and using snaps to hold it closed. I think this will work better for getting the sweater on quickly and for keeping it closed.

I'm sorely tempted to put leather elbow patches on, since the baby's Dad is a professor. I think in the interests of getting it sent off to the States quickly, I'll forgo that, but wouldn't it be adorable?

Barter Economy

I have been working on a sweater for someone I've never met. That is to say, never met in person. We've corresponded over email, but the first time we meet in real life will be when I hand this over to her. Isn't barter great?

The recipient of this sweater is an illustrator who's been working on a logo for an event I'm organizing with Alli. But since we, as a pair, aren't able to pony up the big bucks that such a logo would require, we proposed a barter exchange: specifically, she do up a logo and we knit her a handspun, custom fit sweater.

This baby is 70% Shetland/30% tussah silk, in the Magpie colorway from my shop. I spun up approximately 460 yds of bulky 2-ply over the course of a couple of days (love spinning bulky!!!) and started knitting over the weekend. One skein (225 yds) got me through the entire yoke and through the waist shaping decreases.

Think about that for a minute. 225 yards. Only. Ehem...(ponders wisdom of trying to cloth size 16 self in bulky sweaters from now until the end of time) (decides that, at least in my own personal instance, DK-weight or lighter is still the way to go) (weeps for lost yardage...)

The other cool thing is that this baby is knitting up before my very eyes. I was hoping to finish the body last night and get started on the sleeves, but 1) one child on half-term holiday and bored out of her skull because of 2) one child out of school with tonsillitis means that not much knitting has gotten done for the last few days. But child #1 is currently engrossed in the iPad, and child #2 is snoring on the couch, so as soon as I hit the Publish button, I'm settling down for some quality time with my handspun. And that, my friends, is bliss...