A New Sweater!

Some of you may remember a couple of years ago I attempted to knit the Sous Sous pullover.  According to project comments, there may (or may not) be errors in the pattern, and at the time I didn't have time to sort through everything that might or might not have been going on.  I ended up frogging what I had, which was most of the back, and worked on something else.  I've never been able to get the sweater out of my head though and I've decided to give it another try.

I sat down and re-read all the notes I'd made on the first attempt, and read through the project notes of those who had already knit the sweater.  The weird thing is, there are people who say there are issues with the pattern and make corrections, and people who say they knit it as directed and had no trouble at all.  Some of the latter are probably experienced knitters who are just automatically correcting things as they go because they see what the pattern should have said, but the biggest problem I see noted is that the number of repeats don't match up between the front and the back (the sweater is seamed so front and back are knit separately).  The pattern directions begin with the back and that's how I started last time, but this time around I decided to start with the front.  I'm also marking the first and last stitch of the first row of each repeat.  This will help me count repeats, but it will also help with seaming later.

I'm knitting this in Madelinetosh Tosh DK in Fatal Attraction - a gorgeous, rich, slightly cool red.  I've just gotten to the place where the neckline splits the front, so I'll be working both halves at once as I continue.  There is shaping to the front that makes the raised hemline, but it also does the shoulder shaping, so that's why the piece is angled downwards on the sides.  I'm optimistic that I'll get this done this time, and I'm keeping copious notes, which I'll add to my project page, to either help out or confuse future knitters.  (Or so I can knit it again someday if I love it!)

Finished!

I finished and blocked the Katahdin Cardigan!  This was a lot of knitting, but the finished cardigan is cozy and snuggly without being too heavy.  I knit it in Malabrigo Arroyo in Azules, which is a tonal blue colorway that knits up looking like Paua shell.  I used almost 2000 yards for this cardigan, but I did make a few changes from the pattern.

The pattern has waist shaping, which is usually a good idea, but in this case, with an open cardigan, I knew it wasn't going to really do any shaping, it would just pull towards the back.  Instead I added some A-line shaping instead.  I mean, if you're looking for a shaped garment, you're not going to finish it off with a huge, dramatic shawl collar and hide all that shaping, right?  So I went with the big and snuggly.  I also made the sleeve cuffs shorter than the pattern called for.  Garter stitch takes forever to get any length, and I didn't think I had the intestinal fortitude to knit cuffs as deep as the pattern calls for.  (Mine are still a couple of inches, though.)

The collar is definitely a commitment. It's not hard to knit, there's just a lot of different stitch patterns and the original pattern was written as a leaflet for a yarn company: they used as little paper as possible, so I found it easier to make a list of each of the steps and manually checked them off as I went.  Overall, I enjoyed knitting this, and I believe it will be nice to toss on when the weather cools off again!

Not The Collar

Before there is panic, I'm still working on The Collar, but I have also done a bit of sewing.  This is the Stanwyck Skirt.  I made the pencil version with curved pockets and straight waistband.  I made it in a Japanese Cotton Linen blend canvas because I was looking for something casual.  This is actually the same fabric I used for Mr. Noodle's Christmas leaf.

The pattern was easy to follow, although some of the directions might have been easier in a different order.  For instance, she has you join the side seams of the front and back before installing the zipper.  I think adding the zipper to the back first, then sewing the side seams would have been easier.  I don't know if there's a reason for this, and I did follow all of the directions in order to make this skirt, but when I make another one, I'll probably do a few things in a different order.  Also, I'll probably make the circle skirt version at some point (with pockets, of course!)

Have a great weekend!  I'll be finishing The Collar (hopefully) and blocking my cardigan!

The Collar

I have only been working on this collar for the last week.  I'm actually within a couple of inches of finishing it now.  I've used almost two skeins now and I'm pretty sure I've got enough yarn left to finish, but the project comments were right about the collar being a yarn eater!

So far I've held off starting another sweater, but I've already picked out a pattern and yarn for it.  I've done a pretty good job on this sweater weaving in ends as I go, so as soon as I bind off, it's mostly just going to need a blocking!

The Collar

I finished the sleeves of my Katahdin cardigan over the weekend, wove in the ends, and picked up stitches for the collar.  There are more than 350.  To say that progress has slowed is an understatement.  I love the look of the finished collar, but it's going to take a while.

I've been trying to talk myself out of casting on for a new project so I can alternate between it and The Collar, but I should really finish the socks first, right?

A New Cardigan

I started a new cardigan at the first of the month.  I've actually made good progress on it, but this is the first you are seeing of it because life got busy.  It's the Katahdin Cardigan by Amy Christoffers and I'm knitting it in Malabrigo Arroyo in the Azules colorway.  (This picture is terrible because it's overcast here, again.)  I've completed the body and started the first sleeve.  Once the sleeves are finished, I'll begin the collar.  Several comments from other knitters who made this imply that the collar knitting is like knitting a blanket, and that there's as much knitting for the collar as the rest of the sweater.  I should have enough yarn, but just in case, I'm getting my sleeves done before the collar.

Progress

I've made all five of my Pines Hexagons and three of my Blue Jean Hexagons for my Nectar blanket.  The pattern is easy, but not something I've memorized; and I can do a hexagon in a couple hours easily.  

I'm not weaving in my ends as I go (which I should be), but I will probably sit down with them soon.  I also haven't blocked anything yet.  It is a long term project after all, so I'll get it done when I get it done.  In the meantime, I'm finding the hexagons relaxing!