Tag Archives: bottom up

Debating Necklines

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Over the weekend I applied the pattern written neck band to my Worsted Boxy. Guys…I hate it. Straight up white hot disgust. Take a look….

It looks sloppy and when I try it on, the weight of the sweater pulls ALL of the roll out of the collar so it’s just a big chuck of stockinette. And my tension got wonky in a couple of places and I may not have picked up in the cleanest fashion. It all just look Homemade instead of Handmade.

So I ripped it back and grabbed a crochet hook (that took me like 24 minutes to find) and added just a simple single crochet edge treatment. I have a few ends to snug up and weave it. But this feels MUCH better to my eyes. And it sits much nicer around my shoulders when I tried it on.

Now on to sleeves! Happy Knitting!!

Completed Fronts

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I hit another milestone on my Worsted Boxy by Joji Locatelli. I completed both fronts and have the live stitches on holders.

It was pretty fast to zoom up the stockinette portion of the front. I did have to slow down and take my time to work the short rows in the shoulder shaping. But at least I wasn’t working with 300 plus stitches anymore!

Of course my mom addled brain put the cord in wonky when I put the second should on holders. My OCD can’t handle that it is twisted and won’t lay flat. So I’m off to fix that!

Happy Knitting!!

Boxy Separation

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I am at the sleeve separation in my Worsted Boxy I forgot to move my progress keeper from earlier this week but I know I added roughly three and a half inches of stockinette to get to the desired length. I did stop right before the pattern recommendation but I know my Berroco yarn will grow when I wash and block.

And I pulled even more cord stoppers out from interchangeable set and put the back stitches on holders. Look at me being a responsible knitter and using tools as they are prescribed!

Now I’m off to Knit and Purl Island for several more inches on the front. I am going to try and pay attention now that I’m working flat to make sure my gauge doesn’t go all wack-a-doodle. I hate when I get a line in my fabric when I switch form flat to the round. Not enough to fix it, heaven forbid, but enough to make a nice harrumph out loud.

Happy Knitting!!

A Good Chunk of Stockinette

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Y’all….stockinette is giving me life right now. Round and round on nice fast metal needles is my jam. And my Worsted Boxy is seeing the results.

The bottom hem is still rolling like crazy. It drives me crazy to try and get good photos of the project. But since my last post I have managed to add about a hands span of work. My Tikka Masalla progress keeper has been making me smile as I pass it every round.

I think based on my last measurement I need like three more inches of body stockinette and then I can separate for the sleeves! I’m both dreading and looking forward to it. I will halve the number of stitches I have to work when I separate but I will also have to purl as I will be working flat. But I know I’m looking forward to a finished sweater for the impending Fall!

Happy knitting!!

WIP Wednesday: Worsted Boxy

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Thanks to many nights of re-watching the Big Bang Theory series over from the beginning I’m making fairly decent progress on my Worsted Boxy by Joji Locatelli.  Despite doubling the ribbing rows, this darn thing still flips and wants to roll. Hears hoping blocking helps!

I’m most of the way through my second skein of Berroco Vintage. This is the Mushroom color that has a decent chance of washing me out completely. But I’m knitting and loving it anyway! I took a quick measurement and I’m about 10 inches into the body. So I still have a ways to go before splitting at what I assume will be the armholes. I really should read ahead in the pattern!

P.S. Both my mother and my husband keep giving me crazy looks because I’m knitting a worsted weight HUGE sweater in August…..in Kansas. I’m just a special kind of crazy I guess! Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Everlasting Bagstopper

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Happy FO Friday! I have finished my Everlasting Bagstopper!!

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The knitting was really really fast. Just about a week of evenings and one weekend. The pattern is easily memorized. Here are the details:

Pattern: Everlasting Bagstopper

Yarn: Lily Sugar N Cream Cotton in yellow

Needles: US 5 and US 10 1/2

Straps: I picked up some yellow grosgrain ribbon with white polka dots as I had no desire to knit straps, lol.20140531-215558-78958682.jpg

 

I used approximately 266.4 yards or 155 grams. This was about 2.2 skeins of yarn. I have oodles of this cotton hanging out in my stash and this was a GREAT stash-busting project! This would be a pattern I’d definitely repeat, especially for a quick gift knit.

Happy Friday!

 

FO Friday….(err I mean Saturday): Abalone

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I did a bit of monogamous knitting the last couple of days. And so I actually have a FO to show you!

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Well it’s done…but despite my best math and knitting know how it’s not quite right. Don’t get me wrong, the pattern is great! It’s written for small size only with directions/percentages given to help you “upsize” your garment. I should have been more meticulous…

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Here it is anyway….

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I completed this sweater in a little under a month. I used 3 skeins of Knit Picks Brava worsted in Wine knit up on size US 8 needles. I simple adore the color! (In math terms I used 657 yards or 300 grams of yarn)

I did my calculations and cast on 80 stitches and increased up to 149 total for the body section. I then knit 17 inches of stockinette up to the arm holes. Then I separated and knit another 7 1/2 inches of height for arms shoulders.

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Now looking at the FO, here is what should have happened:

  1. Cast on 90 stitches (ish) and worked up to 159 stitches (ish)
  2. Knit 19 or 20 inches of stockinette before getting to the sleeves
  3. Knit 8 or 8 1/2 inches for the shoulders/arm holes
  4. Paid attention to the written directions and added increase at the corners of the knit border so it would curl.

This was supposed to have been a gift for a very lovely, elegantly tall, and slender friend. This sweater doesn’t have a snowballs chance in you know where of fitting the intended recipient in any flattering manner. So into my closet it will go after some additional aggressive blocking. I would like it to hit past my butt at least.

Instead my friend for her birthday shall get some local Kansas wine from grape vines that I helped to plant. That’s sort of like knitting her a sweater right? Sigh….

P.S. this is one of my last FO from my 2013 Stashbusting efforts! It’s #45 and I hope to have a post with my final year end stats soon!

Progress: Abalone!

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Remember the other sweater I was going to finish on Christmas vacation? Yeah well, this is that I got done on my Abalone…

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I finished up the last of the stockinette body section (right at 17 inches) and promptly separated for the sleeves. God bless stitch holders!

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Now I get to work just under 8 inches of arm/shoulder sections. They are worked separately and then seamed together using a three needle bind off. I’m well on my way to meet my January 15th deadline. And this the second to last project I need to finish for my 2013 stashbustin’ projects, yippee!!!

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Now if you will excuse me, I have some quiet knitting and coffee sipping to do before I head off to my big kid job!

Abalone Update

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I’m onto the second skein on my Abalone! This simple knit has been going to work with me every day and getting some serious lunch time knitting.

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Being a stockinette body…I had to use the clips to keep it from curling so I could take photo, lol! Don’t worry, it will get a garter stitch border to sort out all the nasty curling. This Knit Picks Brava Bulky has been a dream to knit with. I just love the feel of the wool/acrylic blend. And the color is divine, even in stockinette!

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This is sort of a present and needs to be done in January. This will probably be my Christmas traveling knitting so I can be done with it by my deadline.

How are your deadlines coming?

Wine and Cardigans

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I fell in love with a photo for a pattern on Ravelry. One of those kismet situations where I was instantly hooked. Take a look, it’s Abalone by Beata Jezek…

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(Photo is from the Ravlery page and all credit due to beatka’s flickr photo, it is amazing!)

I’ts a open front short sleeve worsted weight cardigan. It would be amazing over a long sleeve tee or even a simple tank top. I just HAD to make this. It’s even a free pattern. Only one problem, it’s only written for size small and I need a slightly bigger cardigan. Not to worry I perused the completed projects section on the pattern page and checked out other knitters modifications. The author included percentages for each section so you can back into your number stitches based on swatching and doing the math.

Based on my scribbles, I am going to cast on 80 stitches instead of 54. And I will work to 149 total stitches instead of 98. As swatch as my witness, I hope this works. I just love the color and the yarn! I am using Knit Picks Brava Worsted in Wine.

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Now I’m off to grab my needles and cast on, Happy Monday!