I have a conundrum….I have a yarn I adore and a project I am bored with.
My Prism Break hat is really awesome. And it has got me through some really touch times during COVID19 and crazy work environment. But I’m honestly ready for the project to be done. I think I’m far enough that I can add decreases and still end up with a decent hat. Just maybe not as slouchy as the designer intended.
Do I power through or finish the damn thing? Pretty sure I’m going to finish the thing, lol
Happy Knitting!!
My Weekender is 99.9% complete and getting its bath now. I had some false starts and ripping back on the first sleeve to get a fit I liked. But once I had my plan settled I quite literally zoomed through the second sleeve. It was so much easier to just count my rows and know exactly what I was doing next.
Now you might notice I said 99.9% done and keen eyes will see some blue tape and needles in the photo. I finished the knitting of the sleeves but I very purposefully didn’t bind off. This yarn is Malabrigo Rios, which is a superwash yarn. Odds are that this garment is going to GROW depending on how I block it. So to keep my cords and needles nice I used some painters tape to just keep them just above the water line.
After its bath my intent is to pull this sleeves as wide as I can in the upper arms to see if I can buy myself just a teensy bit more ease. But the fabric is going to want to stretch lengthwise regardless. I left the sleeves live just in case I need to rip back and shorten the sleeves if they come out ridiculously long.
I’m hoping that all these precautions will keep my knitting karma in check, the sleeves will turn out fine and I’ll just be able to do the tubular bind off once the sweater is dry. Fingers crossed!!
Happy Knitting!!
I have officially reached sleeve island on my Weekender sweater!
I picked up the pattern recommended number of stitches at the arm hole and knit an inch or so to where the pattern wanted me to start decreasing. Then I stepped back and looked at my sleeve and looked my arm….and looked at my sleeve and back to my arm. I’m confident the sleeve will fit my upper arm as it is now but I’m just as confident it will not fit if I work the pattern decreases as written.
My arm and shoulders are a little robust from hauling around a 31 pound toddler who still likes to be carried and snuggled. My arms taper more sharply at my forearms to my wrist. So based on this I have decided to wing it for the sleeve shaping. I’m going to just knit and keep trying the sleeve on as I go. I’ll start my decrease at or just below the elbow. I dug out some locking stitch markers to start marking my decreases to help me remember how to knit the second sleeve.
I am also pleased to be using my Chia Goo mini twist set that I got last Christmas so that I can knit the sleeves on a tiny circular. This way I can just zoom along and not fuss with changing DPNs or creating ladders.
I’m really happy with this sweater and hope to have this done very soon. Though it is now officially 100 degrees Fahrenheit here in Kansas so I won’t get to wear it until the Fall. Oh well, sometimes it’s just about the process right?
Happy Knitting!!
I did it! I finished the body of my Weekender!!
The short rows were easier than I thought and I did manage to do each side the same. The ribbing was a bit of a challenge as I had an extra stitch on one side and one short on the other. I just fudged it to make it work. And bonus, I was able to try this one!
As suspected, the sweater is not exceedingly oversized on me. It still has positive ease but it’s not exactly boxy on me as it is in the pattern. But the length is nice and I’m glad I added the 2-3 extra inches in the body.
I finished the body and I have two 100 gram skeins left for each sleeve. So I have more than enough yarn to knit each sleeve and I won’t have to alternate skeins. I measured the armhole and my arms will fit through but they don’t have a ton of ease either. I think I will have to call an audible and knit my own sleeves. I will not have a lot of space in the upper arms to do the decreases the pattern calls for. I think my plan is just to knit a tube to my elbow and then try it on. I will just crunch the numbers and plan out my decreases from elbow to wrist.
I’m getting so antsy to finish this! I can’t wait to wash and see how the final garment is going to come out. I am also seriously considering casting on a second one in the next size up right after I finish this one! Am I crazy?
I’m inching every closer to finishing my Weekender Sweater. I had split for the armholes and knit up both sides in the plain section. I’m finding it helpful to knit the sections in one after another. Meaning I knit up the front until I got the right height and then I counted my rows and knit up the back to same measurement.
The next step in this project is to knit a series of short rows before the final ribbing that will create the boat neck collar. I think I will like ways knit those in a similar fashion. I hope these will mean I can keep them symmetrical and therefore matching.
I’m keen to get this knit up and bound off so I can try the sweater on. I am thinking its not going to have as much ease as the pattern suggests. That is what I get for not swatching but I do believe blocking will add some because the Malabrigo is superwash. And for my body shape it is not always a bad thing not to have a huge amount of ease and be a little closer fitting. I just need to knit faster so I can find out!
Happy Knitting!
Happy Wednesday to all! I took some time this week to turn the heel on my second Antagonist Vanilla Sock. Why is so satisfying to finish a heel and then just sit an admire the magic that is a hand knit sock heel?
I really was feeling the vibes of this sock. You see that progress keeper? That is where I was last Tuesday. I completed the fit and finished the heel! All that is left is the small leg and then the cuff.
I haven’t officially finished this sock, but I’m already dreaming of my next sock cast on…..probably something self-striping…..
Happy Knitting!!
No second sock syndrome here….I cast on my second Antagonist Sock!
The yarn is just so scrumptious! The BFL really feels sturdy and soft as I create fabric. And the first sock fits really well so I’m continuing the second sock same as the first. And don’t you just love the beautiful speckles?
Happy Knitting!!
I have added the third and last color block in my Fluffy Sockhead Slouch hat and I’m ready to start the crown decreases! It really didn’t t take that long to finish the main portion of this hat after getting the latest color of suri alpaca yarn added. There is a big difference in color but I really like the contrast.
I’m loosely following the Sockhead Slouch pattern by Kelly McClure. I am not doing the full prescribed length of the pattern. I have been trying this hat on and I am shooting for a small amount of slouch instead of the prescribed extra slouch. The fabric is super super soft and this has been really zen knitting wise. The decreases really shouldn’t take that long and I’m excited to get another FO under my belt during this time of self isolation.
I wish you love, light and a big hug from my little corner of the world! Happy Knitting!!
Welcome to Friday everyone! May it be as happy and peaceful as possible during this time period as possible. I am excited this Friday because I have a HO (half finished object)!! I finished the first Antagonist Sock.
I am really pleased with this project so far. I didn’t have a super concrete plan in mind so I just kind of worked the leg until I was bored and then I started the ribbing. Turns out I made a “just a little bit higher than shorties” sock. It is not low rise at all but fits nicely at the base of my ankle. The fabric feels good on my foot and the whole sock fits nicely. I am definitely moving on to getting sock number two on my needles. The little speckles and pops of color are really making my soul happy.
In these photos you might notice a new tool. I was completely surprised by the husband with a present for no reason surprise. He found some metal sock blockers on the interwebs and got them for me. They are PERFECT my large lady sized feet. He definitely earned some husband points on this one. I really like a great knitting tool!
Happy Knitting!!
I’ve been quietly working away on my Weekender Sweater. And as of last night I hit the pattern mentioned 15 inches of body knitting. I’m using helical knitting and I’m pleased with how the skeins are working out color wise.
Now here’s the deal, I have a friend from college theater group who also knits and she knit the Weekender last year. She did not add any length and regrets it. I want a big cozy sweater and I feel like my waistline post two babies and how tall my torso is……that 15 inches is not sufficient. I need to add some undetermined amount of body length.
My project has been made even cheerier by the unicorn stitch marker ala Hannah of the Corner of Craft. I have knit maybe three to three and half inches of body since I last blogged about this. I’m going to move my marker and keep knitting the body.
I hope to actually be allowed to see my Mom soon and have her help me measure my torso. I’d like to get an idea for my length from underarm to torso so that I can do some maths to figure out an optimal body length using the pattern schematic. And also to make sure I’ll have enough yarn to make decent sleeves, lol.
Happy Knitting!!
Michele plays with yarn, food, and music in Portland
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