WIP Wednesday

We’ve had terrific weather here in Sweden which this year perfectly coincided with our vacation. But now, those 4 weeks are over and apparently also the good weather. I have made some progress on the cardigan. Joined the sleeves and body to start the yoke yesterday. Not much left. However, as I realised yesterday in a book store, I miss reading. So I got my self a new book – One hundred names by Cecilia Ahern. So now I’ll split the commute between reading and knitting, while any spare time at home will be earmarked for sewing.

WIP Wednesday

Third time’s the charm. At least that’s what I’m hoping for. Many years ago, I bought a whole bunch of Drops Paris in white during the summer sale. I started making a double breasted cardigan with moss stitch bands and a cowl neckline- it was a very popular pattern a few years ago. But it was put away after finishing the body. After finishing the princess shawl I took the cardigan out of it’s bag and tried it on. Just awful. Did not suit me at all.

I cast on for top down wrap cardigan during a weekend road trip. But after a few rows on the body it was obvious that it was too big. Some searching on Raveley later and I am now working on Drops 127-16. It’s a basic bottom up yoked cardigan white eyelets and rib in the yoke. Keep your fingers crossed this will work.

On the way home I bought a sewing magazine the summer issue of Ottobre kids. Hoping to make some gifts for two babies that will arrive in the coming months.

Progress

It’s been awhile since I’ve used my blocking puzzle. I just laid out my cardigan without to much effort to get it to size. Once dried I have to weave in some ends and then I have a new FO.

I like the library

I like the library and most of the time I have a couple of books on loan at home. It’s very convenient to get inspiration you might not have got otherwise. Most of the books I borrow are books I would most likely not buy or might never have discovered. But browsing the bookshelves at the library can be quite exiting. Sometimes you strike gold; a very popular book have just been returned or you come across something your not sure about but you take it home anyway and it turns out to  be a little treasure.

(image from Amazon)

That’s what happened a while back when I found Knitting in the old way: designs & techniques from ethnic sweaters by Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts and Deborah Robson (Amazon) sitting in the knitting section bookshelf at my library.  It’s not a pattern book but it contains the history and methods of different sweater shapes,  from a basic gansey to a shaped sweater, and colour stranding styles of different regions from Sweden to Canada.  It was interesting to read more on the western versus eastern style of knitting. I’ve heard of continental versus English knitting or in other word picking vs. throwing. But if I understand correctly the way the stitches are mounted on the needles is the same for both these ways of knitting, which would both be western style. Whereas the eastern style of knitting has the stitches wrapped around the needle in the opposite direction. This came in handy when I helped my friend A who has been thought in the eastern style. She wanted to pick from the opposite direction and know I understand why and could explain it to her.

Another good thing I picked up from this book is to make a diagram of my pattern. Instead of writing instructions the instructions are charted with symbols. I used this technique for the Geodesic cardigan. Before I started knitting I read through the instructions and made a diagram. This way  I had an easy very visual way of knowing what to do and when. It’s been very helpful.

The cardigan is coming along quite nicely. After around 38 hours of knitting, the left front is finished and I’ve started on the back.

Now the fun begins

I’m knitting away on the Geodesic cardigan and have just reached the part where the tucks begins. It is a delight to knit with Malabrigo lace. Back to the fun.

Process-knitting

Last week when I was knitting on the lining of the squirrel sampler mittens I just wanted to be finished already. I wanted to pick up and continue knitting on the geodesic cardigan I started when waiting for the mittens to dry. Well, things don’t always turn out the way you plan. Last Wednesday, the latest issue of  Interweave Knits arrived (spring 2010). And so this is what that led to:

I went out and got me some Rowan summer tweed in a turquoise colour, labeled SH551 lot 27A9. Which look so similar to the colour in the pattern that I almost took it back. It is not the exact same colourway and I like the colour I got, so it stayed. Since it’s on size 5.0 mm needles it is going rather quickly. Am already more than halfway done.

It seems likely I can finish it before the knitfest SiV next weekend. However, I’m not so sure it will look particularly good on me. But this is definitely mostly a process knitting project. I’ve never tried entrelac before and it has a very  interesting construction. So if it looks good on it will be an added bonus.

In the meantime

While the mitten is drying I started knitting on the Geodesic cardigan by Connie Chang Chinchio from the latest issue of Knitscene (Ravelry). I’m using the Malabrigo lace I had started the Adamas shawl. It was too plain and got boring. So, I frogged it. And know it’s go from this

to a scrumptious, super soft cardigan. I’ve knitted for 6.5 hours and I just finished the straight portion at the bottom. The colour is best represented in the above photo, it is purple.

The mitten is dry now and so I’ll do the lining before going back to knit on this.  Hopefully I’ll get the chance to wear the mittens this season. But not for too long, I hope spring is near.

Drying

A nice and relaxing bath and then drying in the shade. Sounds nice doesn’t it. Maybe it’s time to go to the spa again soon. So, clearly I did not take a bath, since the bathtub was removed during the remodeling, and now we only have a shower. The basin is, however, large enough for knitted objects. So last night I finally finished the second outer mitten of the Squirrel sampler mittens. Now it is drying by the radiator under the window, but not in direct sun light.

I’ve really struggled to get the second mitten the right size. First it was too big, rip back and start over. Then the  part above the thumb was too small, frog again. But, third times a charm, it worked after blocking they are the same size. I was planning on being efficient, and knitting the lining of the first mitten while the second was drying. But with all this sizing difficulties I decided to wait and knit both linings at the same time.

This week has seen some pretty good weather, clear blue skies and the sun is starting to melt away the snow. Our orchids are in full bloom and are looking quite stunning in the sun.

All set

Yarn – check (Colinette Jitterbug Adonis Blue)
Needles – check (2.5 mm Addi lace circular)
Pattern – check (Skew)

I bought a skein of Colinette Jitterbug in the Adonis blue colourway (most accurate in the second image). Totally uncharacteristically, but believe it or not I actually wound it into a ball. Of course there’s a perfectly good reason for doing this. I’m planning on knitting both at the same time so keeping it as a skein would most likely cause a big tangle and a center pull ball seems more appropriate. There was a knot in the yarn, a couple of meters from one end, see the piece of yarn at the back out of focus. Hate when that happens. I’ll leave it out for now and take part of it to graft the heels and then we’ll see if I need to splice it in at the end or not.

Swatch made and I’m all set to go. Just under 6 hours left until the Knitting Olympics starts. And of course Ravelympics. I’m part of team Sweden and this is of course for the Sock Hockey event. If I get the time I’ll frog my Adamas shawl to prepare for knitting the Geodesic cardigan, that would be for the Aerial unwind.

Good luck everyone!

Mobile blogging

I got myself an Android phone just before New year. It’s a Samsung Galaxy Spica. My old phone was starting to act up, the microphone stopped working, so I needed a new one. If money weren’t an issue I would have bought something else. Still an Android mind you. The Spica is still a good phone and I like it.

I’m knitting away on the squirrel sampler mittens. The second is a little bit bigger so I’m considering ripping back and starting over with the pattering. Not very fun. But it’s almost a done deal.