Pattern: Nihon Vogue class project (drafted my own)
Size: bust ~108 cm
Yarn: 9 skeins of Cascade 200 Heathers, colorway 9332
Needle size: 4.5mm for body, 4 mm for sleeve ribbing, 3.5mm needle for neck and button band ribbing
Gauge: 26sts x 31 rows = 10cm square
Note: Adapted from pattern called Karen's Cables.
Project archive: Posts about Nihon Vogue class
Pattern: Nihon Vogue class project (drafted my own)
Size: bust ~108 cm
Yarn: 6.5 skeins of Louet Gems Sport Weight in Eggplant
Needle size: 3.75mm for body, 3.5 mm for body ribbing, 2.75mm for neck and sleeve ribbing
Gauge: 24sts x 35 rows = 10cm square
Stitch pattern source: 1000 Knitting Patterns Book
Project archive: Posts about Nihon Vogue class
Pattern: Nihon Vogue class project (drafted my own)
Size: bust ~101 cm
Yarn: 8 balls of Crystal Palace, Panda Cotton Print
color Chocolate Almonds 0436
Needle Size: 3.0mm for body, 2.5mm for neck ribbing
Gauge: 27sts x 41 rows = 10cm square
Project Archive: Posts about Nihon Vogue class
Pattern: Nihon Vogue class project
Size: chest circumference 112cm
Yarn: 6 skeins of Cascade 220, The Heathers
color 2452
Needle size: 4.5mm for body
& 4.0mm for ribbing
Gauge: 19.5 sts x 27 rows = 10cm
Project Archive:
Posts about Nihon Vogue classes
Pattern: Kauni Cardigan
Designer: Ruth Sørensen
Size: medium (but shorter)
Yarn: Kauni EQ (rainbow)
Needle Size: 3.5mm
My Gauge: 23sts & 33 rows = 10 cm x 10 cm square
Project Archives: Kauni Cardigan (blog posts)
Pattern: Firebirds
Designer: Jade Starmore
Yarn: Hebridean 2 ply by Virtual Yarns
Size: Medium (but dressed to 48" wide)
Project Archive: Firebirds (blog entries)
Notes:
- Yarn and pattern purchased as a kit from VY
-Buttons are 7/8", purchased from local fabric store
- Would have shortened one repeat
- Purchased enough yarn to make extra large sweater but actually made medium size so I have lots of leftovers, although much more of some color
- Dressed on a woolly board
Pattern Source: Spin-Off Magazine Fall 2001
Designer: Sarah Swett
Yarn: 2 ply handspun (by me)
Fiber: 100% merino top (colored fiber) & 70% merino/ 30% tencel top (uncolored fiber), both distributed by Ashland Bay Trading Company and available on the web from Woodland Woolworks in Oregon.
Finished Size: 44" bust/chest
Project Notes:
Believe it or not, this is my first handspun project.
Summer 2003 I started getting interested in spinning after receiving a fleece and started spindle spinning. When I was asked by a family member to fill out a Christmas wish list, I listed this fiber kit and received it that Christmas. I thought that I would spin all the fiber using a spindle but quickly figured out that I might also enjoy spinning on a wheel and that the project might go a bit quicker if spun on a wheel.
Spring 2004 I took a beginning spinning (with a wheel) class at The Weaving Works and shortly after purchased a Schacht spinning wheel. I then spent the next year practicing spinning with merino fiber and taking several more classes at several venues.
Once I got enough confidence in my skills to produce a fairly even yarn, I started working on spinning all the fiber from the kit. Spinning the pure merino top was not too difficult although the first few skeins were a bit inconsistent (the dark blue and horizon blue skeins were a bit thicker than the others). The blended top proved to be much more difficult to handle due to the smooth texture of the tencel. Although, once I got it mastered, I really enjoyed spinning it and appreciate the luster added to the top by tencel fiber.
This past summer I took several spinning classes from Rita Buchanan that helped me master the ability to match yarn thickness and was able to use her "loop" technique when spinning some of the blended top.
Knitting of the sweater began Spring 2005 with a couple of trips back to the spinning wheel to replace fiber that turned out to be too thick. From this experience, I learned that it's very important to knit swatches before spinning all the fiber. While your yarn might look good, only a knitted swatch will really tell whether it's acceptable for the project.
Knitting Adjustments:
The body of the sweater has been shortened a bit to avoid having the bottom stop at the widest part of the hips.
The sleeves are one inch shorter than specified in the instructions. I followed the instructions for knitting the sleeves until the honey colored part was 14 inches long and 74 stitches were left on the needle (also half of a cable pattern was completed). On the last row of the honey colored yarn, I decreased one stitch in the middle of each cable so that there were 72 stitches on the needle. I then started knitting the cuff following the instructions for the medium (51" chest) sweater.
I also found one error in the pattern. Under Neck band section it says, "Rnd 5: K with plum, decreasing 16 sts evenly around ..." but it should say, "Rnd 5: K with plum, decreasing 12 sts evenly around ..."
Project Archive: Spin-Off Sweater (blog entries)
Yarn: Dale Falk, 100% superwash wool
Colors: green 9155, dark purple 5072, orange 3418, red 3918, yellow 2427
Needles: 3mm & 3.5mm
Design: Knitting for Baby by Melanie Falick & Kristin Nicholas
Notes: This one was knitted for a nine month old baby. While the pattern called for one ball of each color, I had to buy two balls of purple to complete the sweater.
Pattern: Irish Moss from Aran Knitting by Alice Starmore
Size: medium
Yarn: 17 skeins of Jamieson's Soft Shetland
- Anthracite (1050)
Notes:
- Pattern calls for 16 skeins while I used 17. Extra skein was from a different dye lot which was used for shoulder panels and ribbing around the neck. Difference is not noticeable.
- Able to achieve tension mentioned in the pattern using size 4.5 mm needles.
- Easier to obtain correct tension sample when sample did not have borders.
- Perfect yarn and pattern for splicing yarn ends so there are no yarn ends to weave into the sides.
Pattern: Bergere de France - 466 (free PDF)
Yarn: Bergereine
50% cotton & 50% washable wool
103yds, 50 g. , color Pyramide 235.601
5.25 sts per inch with size 4mm needles
Pattern: Blue Waterfall Pullover by Holly Minor from INKnitters Summer 2003
Yarn: Debbie Bills Cashmerino
50% Merino Wool, 33% Microfiber, 12% Cashmere
125m, 50g / ball color 340614
6.25 stitches per 1 inch
Project Archive
Pattern: Phildar - free PDF
Yarn: Phildar Plaisance, Licorne, Sunset available from Breiweb
Pattern: Jaeger JB10, Tea Tree
Yarn: Skipper by Grignasco
100% Shrink Resistant Merino Wool
50-gram, 109 yards/ball
3½ sts per 1 inch
