Category Archives: sweater

A Tale Of Two Swatches

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I have decided to swatch for my Love Note. And I learned some lessons.

First up, this is not the fingering weight yarn I plan to make the sweater out of. I will be playing yarn chicken with my Old Rusted Chair sock yarn so I pulled some fingering scraps from my leftovers to swatch with that has the same yarn base.

I knit the top swatch first with the pattern recommended gauge. And boy howdy….was she tight. I was easily 4+ stitches over gauge. So I went up from US 7s to US 9s. And a bath for both led to me to understand that US 9s are what I need. My row gauge is off a little but I can account for that.

Just need to get my other WIPs clear so I can start this! Happy Knitting!!

Two Autumn Gold Sleeves

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The sleeves of Autumn Gold are complete and happily matching.

I ended the second sleeves with just one tiny nub of yarn left from the skein. Both sleeves knit nicely from one skein of yarn. I will have more than enough to finish this sweater based on what I have caked up.

Now I am just on the forever knitting of the body and adding the ribbed side details. So I have to pay attention on every other round. I wonder how many times I will get that wrong?

Happy Knitting!!

Wishful Knitting: Cozy Classic Raglan

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My knitting plans are absolutely out of sync with my actual time available to knit. I have now a fourth sweater that I am putting in my wishful knitting category.

This time it is the Cozy Classic Raglan by Jessie Maed Designs. I have five skeins of a grey tweed DK from my a 2020 virtual yarn retreat that I went to. And DK has been my preferred yarn weight for finished garments as I am warm but not to warm. And I have not yet developed the mental stamina to do a fingering weight sweater.

I have this yarn wound, pattern printed and bag ready to go. I just need to swatch to chose final needle size. One downside of all this fit of creativity is that most of these sweater need US 7 or US 8 needles and I only have one interchangeable set and not a lot of singular fixed needles in this size.

I am torn between sourcing some additional in this size and just waiting for those needles to come open. I want to keep the mojo going but don’t want to amass too many needles, lol.

Happy Wishful Knitting!!

Puppy Dog Eyes And A Sleeve

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Duke is doing his best to derail my Autumn Gold Sweater. It’s a good thing he is super cute and very cuddly.

I was in a place where I needed more “autopilot” knitting and that is NOT this sweater body that has a section with moving increases and decreases. So I broke out the short circulars and started one of the sleeves. This is all stockinette and easy symmetric decreases that a can be counted. I made great progress on the first sleeve in my meeting!

I will probably wrap up this sleeve and go ahead and complete the second one while I am at it. That way I have a better shot at the sleeves matching and being the same length. I can count rows and make the second one identical.

I am really liking this project and the speed at which it is going. Remind me of that when I get back to working the body that has a pattern!

Happy Knitting!!

Bibliophile 2 In The Round

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I made some slow and steady progress on the Bibliophile 2 sweater. I am through the back and forth process that has a ton of purls.

This construction is intriguing as the back and forth is what is what is making the ‘short rows’ that build up the back of the neck. Where I joined and the work is very skinny will be the front neck. I am not sure I have ever built one this way, so I’m interested to see how this works out

Next up for this project, I am in for inches and inches of raglan increases. But at least I will be in the round! Happy Knitting!!

SSK Try It On

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A really cool feature of SSK is the Try It On Room. Knitters bring finished pieces in all sizes to share and try on. You can test drive finished garments before you knit. And those that bring garment get extra tickets for prizes!

I even got in on the action this year and put my Rainbow Radiate in the mix! It made my heart grow three sizes to hear other knitters compliment my sweater.

I also fell in love with a couple of patterns. I want to now knit Love Note by Tin Can Knits, Rock It Tee by Tanis Lavalee, and Beachcomber by Tif Neilan. I used that inspiration to guide my yarn purchases….

Wool fumes coming soon!

Cast On: Bibliophile 2

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One of the tasks I accomplished at SSK was casting on the Bibliophile 2 that I was swatching. Swatch #1 was not succesful but I tried another size of needle.

My second swatch was more successful. I am within half of a stitch of the pattern gauge. My swatch was a little unconvential….but it works.

I didn’t realize the yoke of the sweater is worked flat for a minute. Not ideal, but I guess I can manage a few purl rows. In an SSK class I realized that I am a combination knitter and purl the English way. Hit me like a lightning bolt that is why my decreases lean opposite ways sometimes!

The more you know!! Happy Knitting!

Split For Autumn Gold Sleeves

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The yoke eternity is over! I have officially split for sleeves on my Autumn Gold pullover!!

I have a wee bit of stockinette before I start the body patterning. I like my sweaters just a little but longer as my torso is long for my frame. So I am added some rows under the arms before the pattern. I am getting ready to finish the second ball of yarn so I don’t think yarn chicken will apply.

Therefore I think I will keep doing the body and save the sleeves for last. At least for now I may change my mind if I need a break from the body patterning and length.

Happy Knitting!!

Slow Porch Mornings

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This week has been for slow porch mornings. I am still recovering from attending SSK this past week. My head and my draft posts are so full of memories that I am working on processing. Hopefully over the next couple of days I will send my drafts out 🙂

For now, I am drinking some coffee and working on my Autumn Gold pullover on the patio. I am in the interminable part where I am done with increases but working to get to full yoke depth. I am two skeins of yarn in and chugging along. And I cannot wait until I am divided for sleeves and the stitch count goes under 300….

Happy Knitting!!

Finished: Rainbow Radiate

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Rainbow Radiate is done and photographed on the HOTTEST day thus far. I must really love knitting.

Pattern: Radiate by Joji Locatelli (Rav Link)

Needles: US 6s and US 4s

Yarn: Hue Loco Phyllis DK in Vivid Sampler Rainbow, 316 Dye Studio House DK in Graffiti, Wichita Woolery Tweed DK in Graffiti

Mods: I made my own custom sleeves and did NOT follow the body shaping.

I am really happy with the fit. I could have used some more positive ease in the body but it does make a nice line at neutral or negative ease. The total yards ended up at 1,351 yards and I used up all of the tweedy yarn. I have had this idea for this rainbow sweater for close to five years and I’m glad it’s finally in existence. Now to wait for fall to actually wear it!

Happy Knitting!!