June 18, 2013 by Cassy

Stockinette meditations

Working on Nuvem is soothing. The alpaca/bamboo blend slides over my fingers and I only have to think about 8 increases every other row. I can do it while reading and mindlessness of it relaxes me. I’m sure I’m not alone in finding stockinette to work like a meditation from time to time.

I miss bright colors, but I believe this is going to be beautiful in the end. I decided to go with the color strategy shown in the second picture from the last post, and I’m now on the third color in Classic Elite Mountain Top Vail. From the center out the colors so far are slate, steel, and parchment.

I augmented my collection of neutrals with a cream color to transition from the white to the lighter brown color. I want to use just one ball of each color to show how the bands of color get larger and thinner as they change. I did buy a spare ball of the dark brown though, because the ruffle will eat up double the amount of yarn per row. I will have 7 balls, 50 grams apiece. I have 50 more grams of yarn than used in the pattern, but almost 100 less yards. I’m getting gauge. I might just leave it be, or I might have to revise at some point.

I’ve been reading a few books while I do these knitting meditations. Some of them aren’t noteworthy and are cheap (under $4) Amazon acquisitions that I finish in a day and a half. One that I will fess up to reading and loving so far is Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg. It wasn’t on the under $4 list, but it’s awesome and addresses many barriers women face in the workplace.

What are you reading this summer? Suggestions? I listen to audiobooks too, so feel free to suggest one specifically if it is particularly good as an audiobook.

June 12, 2013 by Cassy

An obsession takes hold

What is it with me and stockinette projects? I do get a thrill out of completing complicated lace and cables. I love the way they look. I guess at this point in my life, I really love projects that I can pick up and put down without stressing about remembering a complicated pattern, or having one in front of me. And really, I think so many stockinette projects just look elegant.

I was corresponding with a new Ravelry friend, and of course I had to go and check out some of her projects. I saw this shawl/scarf/practically a blanket. I fell hard. Instantly. I’ve been wanting a giant shawl that could sort of double as a blanket at work because it’s freezing there, especially in the lactation room I use in the basement. The thing is, it takes about 1740 yards. EEP! That’s either a big yarn purchase, or many colors from my stash.

I decided to try to make do with what I have. I have stashed 5 skeins of Classic Elite Yarns Mountain Top Vail, in all coordinating natural colors. I originally got this to make an Aranami Shawl. Aranami looks gorgeous, but I just couldn’t take doing all of the little semi-separate pieces (with all of their subsequent ends to weave in). Soooooooo, I think this will be a good start for Nuvem. It’s not enough yardage. I need about 2.5 more balls to have the recommended yardage. There are more balls at my LYS in the three lighter colors. I won’t be able to make the width of the stripes even, but I think it will look interesting.

Which color progression is better? Either would start with the darkest color in the center and would move from right to left to the outside.

Right to left for center to edge color progression.

Right to left for center to edge color progression.

My only hesitation is that I never make things this neutral. Never. I hardly ever knit with neutral colors. Yet, the soft muted palate is appealing and I want to use this gorgeous yarn for something. It’s been wound and sitting in a drawer for a few months. I made just a few Aranami pieces before giving it up. I think it’s funny that some people have reservations about using really bright colors to knit garments and I’m hesitating about using really muted ones… I know I’m mixing grey and brown…

I’m going to keep going with the darker grey at the center, but I’d love opinions about which progression to do. There isn’t more of the darker brown at my LYS, so that entire ball would likely become the ruffle. Expound away color theorists and fiber enthusiasts.

June 10, 2013 by Cassy

Orange Crush

This sweater makes me want a giant orange soda. Well, I don’t really drink much soda, but I make an exception for the occasional cream soda, birch beer, ginger ale, and orange soda. Homemade lavender and cardamom sodas are also exceptions to this.

But I digress. Here is my finished Goodale cardigan. I LOVE IT. Like I want to dance around and yelp and exclaim, love it. The yarn is Frogtree Pediboo in Marigold. I added length to the body (about 6.5 inches after blocking). When I worked the collar, it seemed like my picked up stitches better matched the numbers of the smallest size, rather than the 34″ bust size I was making. I just went with it. It didn’t seem important enough to try to add the extra stitches.

The buttons are held together with an i-cord that’s not sewn down on either side. I will probably anchor the i-cord on one side because I have a feeling that’s something that might get lost.

One consequence of adding some length to the body could be that the part of the flap that forms the pocket might roll more since it has a longer length to travel. I can live with this. If it gets to me, I might stitch it down a little in the middle, very lightly, but I doubt it will come to that.

Overall it was a really easy knit, without so much finishing that I put it off for ages. I did not finish this in time for our family photos last weekend, but I ended up wearing my Liesl and Damask, and Zooey wore her Little Sister’s Dress. I think they all coordinated well. It was a chilly morning. Sadly, Matt did not have any knitwear to sport for the photos. We will have to take more photos in the fall when we all have matching sweaters!

June 8, 2013 by Cassy

Finito!

Ruffaluffagus The Second was finished with plenty of time to spare. I didn’t do a full wet block, but instead pressed a damp towel against it to smooth out the wrinkles made from being shoved in a project bag so often.

I was not able to complete the 2yr old size with my 450 yard skein. I had to alter the sleeves so I just worked the sleeve short rows one past the increase, then I completed two full rounds before binding off. I had about 1.5 grams left over.

Here is a close up of picking up for the ruffles:

On another note, I’m unable to find out how to get pattern updates to those that downloaded Ruffaluffagus during the free period. I’m really sorry about this. I thought it was as simple as pushing a button in your library, as that has been my experience with other free patterns I have. I didn’t know that if I offered it for free and then turned it into a pay pattern, all of the people that got it for free wouldn’t get the update. Of course, I never counted on making mistakes either… I will keep investigating this, but in the meantime, I’m putting all the changes I made (they’re minor) on the project page, and they’re here as well:

On page 3:
Divide for front and back: From this point on you will be working on the front and back of the tunic separately. At beginning of next row, BO 2 stitches. Knit until marker. Place next 59 (62, 65, 68, 71, 80) stitches on a holder. These are the back of the garment.

Turn work so that you are looking at the WS of the front of the tunic. You will now be working stockinette flat (knit on RS, purl on WS). BO 2 st at the beginning of this row. On next RS, decrease one stitch at each armhole, 53 (57, 59, 63, 65, 75) stitches remaining. Repeat decrease 1 st on each shoulder every 4 (4, 6, 6, 8, 10) rows two times 49 (53, 55, 59, 61, 71) sts rem. You will continue in stockinette, with the exception of the 5 center broken rib sts for 12 (16, 18, 20, 20, 22) total rows, ending with a WS.

On page 4:
In the second paragraph, after the buttonhole the next sentence should read, “Work 1 more row, ending with a WS.”

On page 5:
Collar: Pick up 49 (53, 53, 57, 57, 65) sts along collar. You should pick up 1 st for each bound off neck st, and approximately 3 out of 4 sts along the shoulder rows to get these sts. Knit 3 rows, then BO. You will want to BO very loosely.

June 7, 2013 by Cassy

Pink and sparkles and ruffles, oh my!

It’s pretty humbling to make a mistake while knitting your own pattern. I was knitting the 2 yr old size of Ruffaluffagus, and I completely ignored some decreases, even though they were listed in the pattern. I decided that I should rearrange the sentences in the pattern so this would be more apparent, so if you have a copy, make sure you have the updated version. When I updated it on Ravelry it said “Notifications sent to 4 users,” but it was downloaded by about 2,000 people. I think once I changed it to a pay pattern, it messed with the system. Just putting the word out.

I’m going going going on this dress. It has a deadline of tomorrow afternoon. I will meet it. I also want to finish my Goodale by Saturday at 7 am for some family pictures. It has minimal finishing, so that should be ok.

The yarn is Starry by Dream in Color, in Flamingo Pie. The yarn has some sparkle to it for added whimsy. I think the rest of the pattern will go swiftly. After all, this time I’m not trying to write a pattern while I knit it. I just have to follow my own instructions.

As you can see, again I have a very small ball of yarn left. I have the ruffles, the collar, and the sleeves to finish. I’m going to go in that order, and if necessary, the sleeves will be modified. It looks like the 2yr old size will take a little more than 450 yards, or it will be super duper close. I’ll keep you posted.

June 5, 2013 by Cassy

I’m a gambler

I’m blocking my Goodale cardigan, finally. It seems like I’m not able to churn out the projects as quickly, or I got distracted by a new phone and going out of town, and working on several projects at once. I added a whopping 6.5 inches to the body length (14.5 pre-ribbing) on 34″ chest size. I have a long torso, and this sweater was way too cropped for me as written. It doesn’t seem that cropped in the pattern photos, but she’s also wearing this over a dress with a higher waistline, and she probably has a shorter torso. Either way, this project is finally on the blocking board.

I did a wet block. The superwash yarn rapidly expanded and I had to squish it into place. It’s not the neatest or most exact blocking I’ve ever done, but I figure as long as I get the top and bottom sewn down neatly it will all be ok.

It’s not totally done, because I still have to knit around the collar a bit and sew things down to make the pocket become a pocket. I wanted to make it as long as I could, but not run out of yarn, of course. I think I hit a good point for that. I have 10.4 grams of yarn left, and there doesn’t seem to be much to the collar finishing, and sewing won’t use much either. The ball does look a little small and sad. I got a little anxious before I bound off the body, but I forged ahead.

Of course, I could report back in a day or two when my sweater is dry that this was a total disaster and I should have made the body shorter, but I’ll cross my fingers and hope that doesn’t happen.

June 4, 2013 by Cassy

Birthday toes

Happy Birthday Matt! Matt is one of the most energetic and passionate people I know. He’s a tremendously great father and husband. I’m extraordinarily lucky to have him in my life.
The jig is up. Matt already has a birthday present from me from about a month ago, even though his birthday is today. These are some socks I’m making slow progress on. The yarn is Alpacas d’Auxvasse Alpaca Sock Yarn. It’s my first time using the yarn. My M-I-L picked it up at a fiber festival for some birthday socks for Matt. Obviously, this is a fail in terms of me finishing them in time for his birthday, but it’s too warm to wear them right now anyway.
The fiber content includes alpaca, merino, bamboo, and nylon. The yarn is lovely and soft. I’ve sort of fallen out of love with socks lately, but he will definitely have these long before it is cool enough to wear them.

June 3, 2013 by Cassy

10 months!

This post is a few days late. We were out of town visiting my parents, and since I drag along at least 2 extra kid-related bags and accessories, I didn’t take my computer to finish this. Her official 10 month birthday was May 31st, which is also the same day as my parent’s 33rd anniversary.

These are some of my favorite shots from this month. The following pics are all from my phone, so the quality isn’t as good as I’d like, but life happens when it happens. There isn’t always time to pull out the big camera.

It feels like it flew by in a second. Zooey is 10 months old. I’m more and more amazed by her every day. Lately she’s learning to wave, which melts my heart. She waves at a lot of inanimate objects, like trees, when we’re walking, but she’s also catching on that you wave at people and she does it occasionally.

She’s getting her top two front teeth, but she’s very reluctant to let me look at them. She’s happiest when we help her walk around the room. She can crawl up the stairs on the porch (with us keeping our hands near her at all times).

I’m sad that her super chubby baby cheeks are going away. She’s looking more like a kiddo and less like a baby every day, but at the same time, it’s really exciting when she learns to do more things and beams with pride.

She seems to be a thoughtful little human that we adore down to the last bit. I’m immensely grateful to have this little person in my life.

May 29, 2013 by Cassy

Slow going mojo

It’s been a slow week in knitting for me. I got a new phone and there’s a bit of a learning curve since I’m switching from iPhone to an Android–iPhone 4 to Nexus 4. I love it, but I realize it’s been occupying my hands during a lot of the time knitting usually does in the evenings.

So, there is not much to report. My Goodale is progressing. I’m now about 5 inches below the armpits. I’ve got some socks that are moving at a glacial pace. I’m rotating between three different WIPs, so they’re all just meandering along. I’ve also been working on this:

It’s a 24 month size of the Ruffaluffagus. It is a surprise for a birthday coming soon. I’m using some Dream in Color Starry in Flamingo Pie. Isn’t that a crazy awesome color name? I wanted to see what Ruffaluffagus looked like in a multi-color yarn, and I’d also love to have a more exact idea of the yardage for another size. I love it when people put the exact amounts of the yarn they used on projects, so I know if my stash yarn might work out, even when it’s a little less than recommended.

Seymour seal of approval

For Ruffaluffagus, the 3, 6, and 12 month sizes all use one ball of the sample yarn, but the larger sizes would need at least 2 if you’re using Luna Grey Fiber Arts Astro. If I put up the exact yardage for the 24 month size, it will make it easier to choose from your stash if you have fingering weight skeins with more generous yardage.

Starry has 450 yards. For the 12 month size I ended up using 326.8 of the 380 yards in the ball of Astro. I’m pretty confident that I will easily make the 24 month size out of one skein. I suggested on Ravelry that if you have almost enough yarn, but are worried about running out, doing an alternate color on the inside of the hem and on the ruffles might be really cute.

Now, I’d like to make these fingers fly a little faster so I can make some progress. Happy knitting!

May 22, 2013 by Cassy

A little slice of orange

I’m so excited to be at the top of the “hot right now” patterns on Ravelry! I really really can’t wait so see projects when people get them going. Thanks for all the lovely comments about the pattern.

I’ve also been working on my Goodale on and off. I started it one day before I got the yarn and cast on for Ruffaluffagus, and then I got so excited by the baby tunic and writing up the pattern as quickly as possible, so I set Miss Goodale aside for a bit.

The pattern is a breeze. It’s a top-down raglan. As long as I check myself every now and then to make sure I’m increasing as I should, it’s no problem.

It also has a pretty little i-cord edging. I think it makes it look polished and lovely.

I’m really enjoying the Frogtree Pediboo. It’s the first time I’ve worked with this yarn. It did feel like it was taking forever to get through the increases to separate the arms, but I think it will go much faster now.

I have a couple of other things on the needles that haven’t gotten a Ravelry project page yet. I’m knitting Ruffaluffagus in a 2 yr old size. I’m also working on something for Matt that’s semi hush-hush for now. I also desperately want to cast on a giant shawl to take to work with me. I have Litchfield in my queue and some alpaca blend yarns earmarked for it in my stash. My office is so cold sometimes! I’m talking 60 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s too much air conditioning for me.

knit the hell out

More obsessed with each passing stitch.

Author Archives: Cassy