The Half-Blood Poncho

After a whirlwind 10 days of devoted knitting, my sister’s birthday poncho is finished:

I used about 3 1/2 skeins from Handpaintedyarn.com, in the “Lettuce Violet” colorway. (FYI: The yarn was more vivid than pictured online, but that’s the gamble with a kettle-dyed product.) The pattern was free, courtesy of Lion Brand, but you have to be registered there in order to see it.

And why the title, you ask? Well, I was racking my brain, trying to figure out why the color scheme seemed so familiar, when the answer dawned…

Very fitting for these last few days of waiting for Book 7!

In less exciting news, I’m going to have to cool my knitting heels for a few weeks. There’s a spot on my wall that’s calling for a gigantic cross-stitch sampler. Hopefully, the knitting will forgive me upon my return.

Studious

After much procrastinating, the Back-to-School U-Neck Vest is complete! Woohoo, another wool sweater for scorching summer weather!

The Specs

Yarn: Cascade 220, in a russet-brown heather, under 3 skeins used for the 38″ size
Pattern: Back-to-School U-Neck Vest, from Stefanie Japel’s Fitted Knits
Needles: US7
Lessons Learned: The shaping created by the front darts is quite nice. I also *love* the look of the waffle stitch. But most importantly, I realized that I can’t fully judge a project until all the design elements are in place. I put off the neck and arm edgings for weeks, because I thought the vest was looking silly on me. But once I buckled down and added on the edgings, it looked, well, complete. Brilliant insight, eh? I could have picked up more stitches around the neckline, but I’m happy with it as is.

ETA: I forgot to mention that the book’s instructions for the dart increases (RLI and LLI) are really confusing, and are not even included with the vest! I came across them in the Alexandra pattern. Instead, I followed the instructions for “Raised (M1) Increases” from the glossary of the Summer 2006 IK — same move, just described (and pictured) much more clearly.

Selfish, selfish me!

I confess, I don’t always knit gifts with the purest of motives. Sometimes, I just want to try out a certain pattern, one which would suit the recipient more than me. Other times, I’m dying to have a go at an untried yarn. But then there are times when my selfish interests and benevolent impulses happily collide:

This is from www.handpaintedyarn.com, in Lettuce Violet. My sister requested a poncho for her birthday in July, and chose this colorway herself. It’s always a joy to make things for her — she’s a crafter herself, so she likes handmade gifts and appreciates the time that goes into them. You can view the pattern here, but I think you have to be registered for the Lion Brand website.

So, I’m still plugging away at the Petunia Tote, the Vine Lace Scarf, and the U-Neck Vest, and a Squatty Sidekick bag, but I’ll be giving the poncho some quality time as well.

SQUEE!!!!

I am not a particularly lucky person. New tubes of mascara dry up after three days. If I suggest a movie or restaurant, it will almost always be horrible. If there is anything to be tripped over on the ground, I will trip. Actually, even if there is nothing on the ground, I will still trip.

But, the curse must be broken, because the very nice Anne of Knitspot informed me yesterday that I’d won a prize in connection with her MS fundraising raffle (held to support Claudia’s bike ride)! Woohoo!!! I got to choose a skein of sock yarn from these lovely offerings, all dyed by Judy of Ball and Skein. I honestly tossed and turned over my choice, but decided to go with “Leaf” — love those vibrant greens.

I would have been happy to contribute anyway, just to have taken a part in Claudia’s awesome fundraising total, but I’m thrilled to have won pretty yarn, too.

Here she is!

Miss Alexandra is finished, just in time for…90 degree weather. Here she is reclining on the sofa, in her unblocked (and more true to color) state:

And finished:

DETAILS

Pattern: Alexandra Ballerina Top, from Stefanie Japel’s Fitted Knits

Size: 38″, but FK patterns run large! My gauge was small, so this worked out perfectly.

Yarn: RYC Soft Tweed, in Kingfisher

Needles: US 10.5

Time: TEN DAYS!!!

Thoughts, Mods, and Lessons Learned:

I didn’t want a “cropped” look, so I used just about every last bit of yarn on the length. But after final blocking, I discovered that it was too long, so I had to rip back and shorten it. I’m pleased with the final length.

My best discovery during this knit was the miracle of back darts, now my most favorite shaping tool. I’m very short-waisted, so I’m a little leery of waist shaping, as it can exaggerate my squashed torso. However, the darts created a sleek, unfussy, and flattering fit — woohoo!

I went back and forth on the yarn as I was knitting, but now that I’m finished, I’m glad I used it. RYC Soft Tweed isn’t plied — it’s most like one felted-looking strand — so I wasn’t sure if it was the most suitable thing for cables. But once I blocked and shaped the cables, everything looked much better. The best thing the yarn’s got going for it is the content: 56% Wool/20% Viscose/14% Polyamide/10% Silk. It’s soft and cozy without being suffocatingly heavy and hot.

This is my third adult sweater, and it’s definitely a keeper.

PSA

The preview for the Fall 2007 Knitscene is up! No, I’m not a dork who obsessively haunts certain sites for news of issue updates. *coughcough* But if I were, I would tell you that Amy Singer said to expect a new Knitty at the beginning of next week.

Knitscene’s designs are often just a little too funky for me (let’s not even talk about Knit.1), but I can usually find a gem or two in each issue, such as the Central Park Hoodie. This time around, the stand-out patterns seem to be staple pieces for the guys, such as the Hero Pullover and the Notting Hill Vest (which I especially like). I think they’re trying to live down this.

Planning to buy this issue!

Progress Report

(I’m taking the lazy expeditious way out and copying my last post to the Fitted Knits KAL.)

It’s been a crazy last day or two, as I cast on for the Alexandra Ballerina Top on Wednesday night and…couldn’t stop.  :P  I’m usually not one for bulky yarns, but it sure makes projects come together quickly! I’ve used up 3 balls of my RYC Soft Tweed so far to get to this point:

My cables seem somewhat wonky, but I’m hoping that a little blocking and tweaking later on will help that.  I was quite pleased with how my swatch reacted to a wash — the stitches smoothed out and took on a very pretty luster.  I was glad, too, that I re-did my swatch to make it in the round — it made a definite difference.  Looks like I’ll definitely be able to finish this before the end of the month!

I’ve also picked up my other Fitted Knits project again, the languishing U-Neck Vest. I’d been worrying that the vest would make me look too much like a busty barmaid, but once I actually seamed the shoulders together, it didn’t look that bad. I’ve just got to do the shoulder and neck edgings now:

**

Also, have you donated to Claudia’s MS Ride yet? It’s for a wonderful cause, and there’s some gorgeous loot to be won here and here.

You Know You’re a Knitter When…

…your first response to a cold, rainy day in June is, “Sweet! I get to wear a sweater today!” Poor Wicked thought it was going to be put away for the summer, but it’s now had a stay of hibernation.

And even though it really is summer, I do so love the colors of autumn:

This is KnitPicks Memories sock yarn, in the Redwood Forest colorway. I’d wanted this forever, but it was the “Clearance Colors” tag that spurred me into action. I wonder what that’s that all about? Are new colorways in store? It’s a nice, squishy yarn for the price, IMO. I haven’t used it for socks yet, but I made a pair of Fingerless Mitts in the Fly Fishing colorway last year. They pilled TERRIBLY on the first wearing, but once I took a sweater shaver to them, they never pilled again.

Also in the KnitPicks package were DPNs to finish the Back-to-School U-Neck Vest, and Options tips to begin the Alexandra Ballerina Top, also from Fitted Knits:

I’d already ordered the yarn for this baby — RYC Soft Tweed from WEBS, in Kingfisher. I’m trying to branch out from my reds, greens, and browns. I can’t believe how light and, well, soft the Soft Tweed is — thank the content (56% Wool/20% Viscose/14% Polyamide/10% Silk) for that.

My personal mandate it to now drop the Petunia Tote and Vine Lace Scarf, to see if I can finish these two garments by the end of June. I want to be able to enter the prize drawing in the Fitted Knits KAL. Eeep!

It’s All in the Presentation…

I shared this already in the Knitting community on LiveJournal, but I thought I’d post here, and wave my pom-poms about my recent experience with WoolGirl.com.

I came across this vendor while checking out the stockists for my friend Axelle’s gorgeous cashmere. I’ll pause now, to allow you to pick your jaws up off the ground. Anyhow, I was surprised at the selection of hand-dyed yarns, mostly sock, that WoolGirl offered — many from dyers that I’d never heard of. I was click click clicking along, when…I found it. The *perfect* yarn for my Clapotis. My knitting rite of passage.

Now, I’d come across several yarns earlier that had tempted me for this project (Lorna’s Laces in Gold Hill and Patons SWS in Natural Earth were contenders), but nothing had fully “clicked”. Sock yarns offered the greater variety of colors, but a Clapotis in sock yarn would take me forever to knit. So, imagine my delight when I saw this ENORMOUS, 560 yd. skein of pure worsted loveliness:

This is Miss Babs 100% Superwash Merino in Bronzed Plum. There was only skein left, and so I pounced. The colors are much deeper and muted than they appear in the picture — just fabulous.

The icing on the cake, however, was all the thoughtful attention that WoolGirl put into the packaging:

Wrapped in tissue, complete with ribbon, shiny sticker, Soak sample, and handwritten note. Not only that, but I ordered the yarn on a Friday, and it arrived on the following MONDAY.

WOW. They’ve won me over. I’ll be back.

It’s Not You, It’s Me…

I’d wanted to make a Saturday Market Bag ever since the pattern was released. I’d even bought the requisite needles and a bunch of Sugar ‘n Cream with this intent. But try as I might, I just never felt at ease knitting it. The big needles and dropped stitches made me as jittery as I would be after a 64 oz. Diet Coke. So, after about a year of trying, I’ve finally called it quits. It’s still a cute and awesomely functional design, but we’re just not meant to be, not quite yet. And that is why, a week before Mother’s Day, I used my skein of Mauve Cotton Fleece to cast on a Lacy Yoga Bag instead.

And doesn’t the yarn look happier?

NOTE: The lace patterns for the bags are interchangeable, but there is a one stitch difference. So, cast on accordingly, and when you get to the upper hem/eyelet portion, be sure to follow the directions for YOUR stitch pattern, which may not necessarily be the ones for your bag size. I choose to use the Pierced Diamonds pattern, but in the water bottle version.

Of course, the bag and I did have a few of those early-relationship misunderstandings along the way. For starters, it seemed like I would have scads of yarn left, and so I added an inch or two to the body portion. Oops. As I got to the upper hem portion, I realized my folly. But because of time constraints, I didn’t want to rip back, and so I made the upper portion with eyelets only and no picot facing. The top rolls a bit, but it’s a nice, casual look.

Then, try as I might for the bottom of the bag, I just could NOT manage to start knitting and increasing in the round with only eight stitches. If I’d had the time, I would have jaunted over to the LYS for help, but again, because of time constraints, I improvised. I’m normally not one for the maths, but I managed to knit a sort of octagon/circle piece with a 20 inch circumference, just what I’d need to fit the bottom. When pseudo-mattress stitched, it fit perfectly (not that you can necessarily tell that from the angle, but it did fit):

And finally…the cord. As my yarn shortage was becoming increasingly apparent, I decided to forgo the long strap for a simple drawstring closure. Really in crunch-time now, I cut several long lengths of Cotton Fleece and began braiding. I thought it might look tacky, but really, the final result was a cute “design element” (as I’m calling it). I just didn’t realize how much yarn a braid would eat up, so it turned out rather short. Luckily, my mom is also short, so this was the perfect length for her to sling over her shoulder.

So, while we didn’t experience clear sailing in the making, I *was* pleased to gift the final result, and I’d like to make a proper, by-the-book one for myself at a later date: