FO: Spring Fling

Pattern: Spring Fling from Knitty Spring '05, size S.
Yarn: Knitpicks Shine Sport in Orchid, less than 6 skeins.
Needles: US 3 straights for ribbing, US 5 straights for lace pattern.
Started: May 11
Finished: May 29

I had a lot of fun working on this little cardigan. The yarn was really wonderful. It shed quite a bit while working on it but I haven't had any problems with the finished sweater pilling or anything. It's remarkably soft and squishy, it's light and has excellent drape, the color certainly grew on me. All in all a wonderful project.

The pattern itself was well written and fun. The lace was just enough interest to keep from dying but certainly not intricate enough to require all of my brain cells. (It's a k2, yo, skp on RS or a p2, yo, p2tog on WS).

I had intended to shorten the sweater because I wanted a real cropped cardigan where the ribbing began just under the bust, but then I forgot to measure and ended up making the body to the same measurements as the pattern indicates, and it's a good thing I did. It is the perfect length. It is exactly where I wanted it to be. I did make the sleeves a little bit longer - I think I did 2.5 or 3 inches of ribbing instead of the called-for 1.5 inches. I also added three buttons to the front ribbing instead of the hook-and-eye closure. I did a 2 sts BO buttonhole. I had intended to just do a YO or two, but wasn't liking how it looked.

I am convinced the model in the pictures at Knitty must be, like, 4 foot 7 or something. It says she is wearing the size XS (31" bust) and it looks quite long on her. I made the S size (34" bust) to fit around my 36" bust, so perhaps the negative ease shortened it a bit? That makes sense, except that mine is a lot shorter than it looks in the picture.

I really like how Knitty tells you what size is shown in the photos, but I think it would be nice if they also gave the bust measurement of the model. I realize many people would not want to be models if they knew their bust size would be broadcast on the internet, but sometimes I'll really like the fit of the sweater on the girl in the photo, only I have no idea how much ease I should use to get the same fit for myself.

This is my second sweater ever, and it also happens to be my second Jordana Paige sweater. Her designs are really lovely. I imagine I will be making more of them in the future.

Progress

As you can see with my last post, I'm going to try to update all of my finished objects from 2007 so they can be linked in a sidebar. Those updates will probably be pretty sporadic (as though all my posts aren't...)

Today I want to give updates on just about everything. I've been knitting a lot this past week, since I got out of school before all of my friends from home, so no one's been around to distract me from all that yarn yarn yarn. I should get a neon flashing light that says Yarn! Yarn! Yarn! You know, insead of Girls! Girls! Girls! ...Sometimes I'm too weird for my own good...

Anyhow, updates:

Thermal

I have finished the first sleeve!! Pretty exciting, n'est pas? Here, proof that I'm not lying like a pig in mud:



A close-up of the beautiful, beautiful, beautiful waffle stitch:




I am having so much fun working on this project. The stitch pattern is interesting and the fabric it creates is squishy and fun and wonderful. I have cast on for the second sleeve (against every tendency in my body which would compel me to work the body first, I have decided to start with the sleeves) and I have a few rounds of the twisted rib finished. I knit the majority of the first sleeve on US 3 dpns but my new Knitpicks circular was calling out to me so I decided to use the sleeve as an exercise in learning Magic Loop. I worked the first sleeve Magic Loop starting after the increases were complete. I'm going to use Magic Loop to work the second sleeve, I think. That's how I've cast it on, but I (still) am not entirely sure how I feel about the technique. I dislike working ribbing on dpns, so I think this is good for now, but I tend to find a cable flopping around to be just as finicky as dealing with double points. So I'm still up in the air about it.


Spring Fling

After casting on May 11, I have, in the past 10 days, completed the back, the left front, and the ribbing of the right front.



As I think I've mentioned before, the yarn is ridiculously soft. It's quite a bit pinker than I thought it would be, but I'm going to consider that a "happy accident." I generally don't wear pink, especially this shade of it, and since I really like the color, I think this will be a good chance for me to branch out. And if I end up hating it/looking jaundiced in it, a good friend of mine looks excellent in pink. Also, it's only a summer cardigan, so I can probably bear to wear it occasionally for the three months of the year it would be useful.

This is my first project with YOs. I tried making the legwarmers from One Skein which have a lace pattern at the tops, but the lace looked like I took my knitting to the garbage disposal, and I decided to frog. The lace pattern on this sweater is very simple, but still interesting enough to keep my from falling asleep.



I'm also altering this pattern to include buttons. I'll be placing three half-inch buttons along the ribbing at the bottom of the sweater. I think it will be a nice touch.

Raglan Sweater

Finally, I talk about the dang raglan that's been sitting over in the sidebar forever. It has, alas, also been sitting over in my knitting bag forever. I picked it up the other night while watching An Inconvienent Truth (excellent film, by the way). The Raglan makes for really excellent movie or tv knitting since it's just stockinette in the round with no shaping at this point, so I can just knitknitknitknitknit without having to look and check my stitches or pattern (ha!). I'm still not through with the body, but it's getting there. Slowly. And then I have the sleeves. Oh god, I may never finish....


(Please excuse the Peter Pan pose, here. I don't know what got into me...)

Okay, well, since this has been the longest post known to mankind, I think I'm finished, now.

I have, as you can see, lots and lots of work left to do. A friend just had a baby last week, so I have a cross-stitch birth sampler to work on as well.

Speaking of babies, congrats to Franklin and especially to his sister, Susan on the birth of Abigail Ann this morning. The 21st of May was my mother's birthday and she was a remarkable woman, so I'm sure that sends miles of good luck vibes to the new baby.

Huzzah!

Spring Fling

Today has been a lovely, lovely day. I am officially done with my Sophomore year, and am back home (sort of). As I think I mentioned, my dad is getting married soon (three weeks), and so we just moved into his fiancée's house, not far from the house where I grew up. And so I am in a new house, with a new room, and new animals (she has two cats).

To make the transition easier on myself, I bought yarn. And in the past two days, I have gone from this:



to this:



I'm really trying to be good about making swatches, I swear. I usually make about half a swatch, but I almost never save them because I'm convinced that I'll run out of yarn. Always. No matter how much I bought.

to this:



and a close-up of the lace pattern:




It's going along swimingly. I'm really enjoying working with the Knitpicks Shine Sport. It's my first time working with cotton, and I'm finding this yarn to be very soft and nearly as stretchy as wool, thanks to the 40% Model. It sheds a little bit, but only while I'm working - the actual fabric does not seem to be shedding, which is good.


Also ridiculously fabulous - a new episode of Cast On today, and Brenda Dayne mentioned my name!! (hint: my name is not really Amelia) What an exciting day.

Coming soon: Thermal. I joined the KAL today, so I better get started.