A Saturday of Unravelling

I've got a couple of new smaller projects started while waiting for the new #4 KnitPicks needle tips to arrive. The Classic Elite Yarns Bam Boo yarn came in so I've been swatching it for the Lounging Jacket I want to make. The pattern calls for #4 needles, but the Bam Boo yarn recommends a size 7 needle for a 4 stitches = 1" gauge. I started the swatch at #4 needles and have worked up to #8 needles and still do not have the recommended 4.01 stitches = 1". I'm hoping size 9 needles will do the trick. I'll still have to wash the swatch to see if the gauge changes much. Someone must have been sleeping when they put this pattern together.

The texture of the yarn knit in twisted stockinette stitch gets smoother as the needle size gets larger. The hand of the plain stockinette stitch sends me to heaven. Smooth and drapes so well, but would stretch out over time. The twists in the stockinette should help the garment hold its shape.

To recover from my previous Brioche let down I decided to make some fingerless gloves in Plymouth Boku #1. I love the colors, they should match my hats. Problem is the pattern. I tried the pattern for garter stitch fingerless gloves. They were too small for my hands, but too large for my fingers when I increased rows. I have wide palms with short fingers so the increase from the wrist to the thumb happens quickly. Likewise with the decrease from the top of my thumb to my pinky fingertip.

I started trying to figure out how to fit the glove with short rows but found one in Ravelrey.
Only problem is my yarn weight is worsted and the pattern calls for dk or light worsted. I could try smaller needles than gauge and see if I can avoid making the fabric too dense. I opted to try another pattern from Ravelrey that is knit with stockinette stitch from the bottom up as usual. It's a basic pattern and the gauge should work. Only problem is I don't have any #7 double pointed needles on hand. ERrrgggg! I may try #6s , #8s opened up the stitch too much.

I'm staying away from my sweater today. I'm too likely to destroy it. This is one of those days that I decided to just stay at home in my lounging clothes and knit all day. I've been knitting alright, but not making much forward progress. I would very much like to make something!

All is not completely lost. I've learned a few things about my patterns and how off gauge they can be. Designed a hat in my head and found 3 fingerless patterns that don't work for one reason or another. Now it's time to give the #6s another try. I really want that Boku on my hands!

Brioche Wins

For over two weeks I have attempted to knit Brioche stitch and I have finally decided that my dyslexic brain simply cannot master making stitches with absolutely no errors. Of course I made it difficult for myself in trying to knit a Brioche Cap from the book "Weekend Knits" that uses two colors which alternate in the brioche. The colors I was working with were golden yellow and black, my son's school colors. I wanted to make him this cool hat for nordic skiing. Stripey and warm. Alas! it was not meant to be. I gave it my all.

I have another hat in mind that will have the important M on the front in yellow in a black background. The background will be like a hill that will go down gradually over the ears until the hat is all yellow in the back. The yellow "sky" will have black "snow flakes" coming down around the crown of the head. May have some kind of "star" on top of cap. They do allot of night skiing and the colors match their uniforms. Could even make white snow with a layer over the black hill. I don't know intarsia but this project may call for it.

I still hate it that a stitch got the better of me. I've always felt that patient determination could win the day. Not in this case. It's not like this is the only thing I've got going.

Knitting Mania

I don't want to do anything but knitting. Knit my sweater and scarf, read about knitting, blog knitting, dream about knitting. Forget about household chores. They take too much time. I am unmotivated to do dishes and scrub the bathroom although they both need my attention. This must be compulsive if not down right manic but I'm enjoying it, as manics often do. I will do the dishes and scrub the bathroom this afternoon.

My circular needles for my Dale Sweater keep coming unhooked. They are cable needles with interchangeable nickel plated tips from KnitPicks. I've heard they are very good about replacing non-working needles, if not the price of new needle tips is not prohibitive.

I've ordered 24 skeins of Classic Yarns Bam Boo in Sienna for a Lounging Jacket by the same company. I love this jacket. It is loose fit and the bamboo yarn is silky and very soft. The only change I will make is to lengthen the pattern several inches and shorten the sleeves to 3/4. This is the first time I've ordered my own materials from websites rather than buying them through the local store. I found a great price at WEBS. They gave me a price of $6.20/skein for buying 18 skeins at once which is fantastic. The Classic Elite price per skein was $8.95. The WEBS price made the project doable.

I found a good source for Plus Sizes at Vermont Fiber Designs. Their sizes go up to 6X which is good to see. You can buy the patterns at The Mannings store on the web.

I bought a outfit for myself from Clearwater Creek this weekend. I wanted something nice to wear for spring and summer. It is a wrap shirt with a slightly gathered a-line skirt. Both are of flowing material. The skirt has a open floral design and medium stripes around the bottom. The combination actually makes me look thinner from the front. I was very happy to find that what they say in the design books about design for plus sizes works. This gives me more ideas of what to look for in the patterns I look for to knit.

Ravelry - A Knitters Heaven

My friend Meg, from the Tuesday afternoon knitting group at Yarn Harbor told me about Ravelry beta website. They have everything that a knitter could ever dream of and then some. It's not yet open to the public, but you can sign up to get on their new member list. It only took one week for me to get added.

Ravelry has a place where you can keep all your projects. You can enter your pattern, needles, type of yarn, and any comments. The patterns and yarns entered by each person go into the Ravelry database so you can browse thousands of finished projects some of them just like yours. Ravelry searches it's database when you enter a project and will connect you to any forum topics and pattern listings that match your item.

You can develop your own Library online, of books you have or want to buy. Any patterns that are listed in those books that are in Ravelry will show up when you click on your books. You can tell ahead of time if there is more than one pattern you'd like to knit out of each book, and whether they will fit as written or not.

There are more features that I haven't even figured out yet, like making a queue of projects for the future based on patterns and yarns you've chosen as favorites. A Library of knitting books that hooks into examples of patterns that people have knit.And more.

Check it out! No knitter should live without it!

Dale 12102 Sweater

This is my current project. A long way from my wool socks. They go together nicely though being color coordinated and all. This sweater is a real challenge for me. Every step forward has included two steps frogging back, but it's worth it. I'm very happy with the quality of the knitting on the body. It's very even and is already draping nicely.

I chose this pattern because it does not have patterns on the sleeve. I wanted to knit pattern on a simple tube before attempting decreases and pattern together. I didn't realize it when I was choosing the colors, but the match the colors in the handwoven blanket beneath the sweater that my Mom gave to me some years back. The blanket is constantly used and very warm.

I used a lighter color grey yarn for the pattern and you can see why in the pattern picture above. The light grey that looks white beneath the red looks almost the same color as the med grey I used for the body when next to the black. It works out well. The medium grey with the black would have been too dark.

I had knitted the arms first, but they were in a larger gauge, which I changed after seeing how huge it made the body. So I get to frog those too and reknit. I don't mind. Even though it's taken allot of work knitting this sweater has been a joy. I have a real sense of accomplishment. It's like becoming a "real" knitter. I'm sure there are many more Dale sweaters in my future. I know one I want to knit for my son the skier already.

Basic Wool Socks

These were the first knitting project I attempted after a long hiatus. The first pair I knit I used the size 7 needle size recommending in Ann Norton's pattern. The socks ended up huge. My son now uses one of them to cover his skiing goggles.
For this pair I used a size 5 needle and they are closer to my size foot. Perhaps the original pattern was calling for fingering rather than worsted, I thought it said worsted, but I could be wrong. As you can see one toe remains undone. I forgot how to do Kitchener stitch when I finished knitting the sock, and there it sits for a free minute to close the toe. I expect I'll get it done when I completely run out of other socks to wear. I'm not sure they will last very long. The dark colored yarn is loosely spun.