Purlwise

Still knitting

This Aran has been sitting around for months waiting for the sleeves to be sewn on and the collar added. Finally it's finished and ready to turn in.

The Aran was neglected while I worked on this yoke pullover that needs to be ready for the next class. Here's what the yoke will look like.

There are two other projects in the works, a capelet in this stitch pattern and a Cowichan cardigan. 

On top of all this knitting I'm training for another half marathon.

It's been a busy summer. Sorry that I haven't paid much attention to the old blog lately.

Possibilities are endless

First off the gansey is ready for class.

Now it's on to the lopi style sweater.

Yesterday I drafted a pattern for a sweater with a large yoke. I used these swatches to more accurately determine the height of the yoke.

The design is from Aftur in Lopi Book No. 25. Of course as with any design like this, the possible color combinations are endless. Mine is inspired by several other Aftur projects I saw on Ravelry. I'm sure I'll change up the color arrangements again but will stick with a grey/white/black/magenta color scheme.

Well I'm off to adjust my Lopi pattern again ... going to trimming off a couple of centimeters of ease. Less ease + big needles = a lot less knitting. Maybe I'll have it ready for our next session.

Oh, and about those sheep. They're for meat and won't be around past fall. It's sad but not my choice. Hubby's been watching shows on how to raise your own food and he's kicked it up a notch ... from just a small summer garden to getting involved in sheep for meat.

Here we go again ...

We have another project to start.

For me it's a Lopi sweater called Aftur. It's a pattern I've been admiring over the past few weeks and with only seven weeks until the next class I really don't have enough time to come up with my own design.  This colorway is similar to several Aftur projects on Ravelry.

I'm thinking of adding a couple of pink/purple colors.

Never used this yarn before. After reading reviews on Ravelry I'm kind of concern that it might shed too much.

On to the gansey

Wow, so much interest in that little Folca box!

It is a great little box that I found through the Japan Knitting and Crochet group on Ravelry. Someone was looking for one and another member mentioned that  Ichiban Kan had a few. Unfortunately they don't seem to have any in stock right now.

Thanks for the tips on the row counter. I'll check into the ones that Beenotions makes.

I started the gansey this weekend. It's growing fast ... nearly at the halfway mark for what needs to be done for homework.

About the Aran ...

I mentioned that the strip on the shoulder is off center because of how sweaters tend to shift when being worn.  This type of adjustment is done on this sweater so that the panel is clearly visible from the front. We haven't done this on any of the other sweaters we've knit. I'm hoping Jean will let me do a panel on the Gansey so we'll see if she suggests making its panel off center as well.

Minimizing accessories

Not too long ago I down sized my carry along gadget box into this nifty folca box.

This compact box unfolds to reveal many compartments. Including one that long enough for small Japanese snips, darning needles and a mini crochet hook.

One thing I'd really like to add is a manual row counter. The usual row counters like the katcha-katcha or the barrel ones are just too big.

Recently I was thinking about this dilemma and remembered a counter that came along with some knitting needles and supplies I inherited a few years ago.

This small flat counter  fits perfectly into my box but unfortunately some of the numbers have worn off.

This weekend searched the internet hoping to find a new one. My searches on Ebay and Google didn't bring up any sources. When I search the by patent number and found this. The patent was filed in 1941! I had no idea it was that old. Looking at the diagrams revealed that the holes on the underside are there so that it can be slipped onto a needle. It's got to be the predecessor of the barrel counter.

At this point I have no hopes of ever finding another one.

Here's  a picture of the Aran.

Although it's not done, it is ready for the next class ... when we'll learn how to sew in the sleeves.

I asked Jean why the saddle is about 1cm off center of the shoulder (more towards the front). She said it's to compensate for how the garment tends shift backwards on the shoulders

Productive weekend

The raglan pieces are waiting to be blocked before I can tick it off my homework list. Nothing fancy with this one.

Sophie loved all the loose strings and couldn't resist getting into the picture with her mouse.

Yesterday I spent most of the day doing homework for the Knit to Flatter and Fit class that Sally Melville will be teaching at the MFA Winter Retreat this year. We've been asked to have someone take a straight-on  photo of us in close-fit lingerie. With that photo we need to make a 1/8 scale outline of our body. While very interesting it's quite sobering to see ones body outline (got to get back to my marathon training soon). I wonder what we'll be doing with it.

It's time to start thinking about the next project ... a traditional Aran sweater with saddle shoulders. Unlike most traditional Aran sweaters, mine will have set in sleeves.

Swatching will start tonight using this Magpie Tweed. Before diving into the large swatch that will included all the stitch patterns in the sweater I thought I'd make some individual ones first to really see if I like them.

I'm still not sure which stitch patterns I'll use. I've copied several from my book collection.

Trying hard to keep up

I've bypassed the dolman project in favor of getting the raglan homework done for our next class (in a couple of weeks). I thought about adding a fancy cable down the center but since I never seem to have much time lately I decided to go with an very easy stitch pattern.

Row1: *knit 2,purl 1* repeat at *
Row2: purl all stitches

We only need to knit it to the underarm. In class we'll learn how to calculate decreases for the shoulder and sleeves.

Interesting pattern drawing, isn't it? Body and sleeve drawn on the same sheet of paper. I remember Jean saying it's one of the most difficult ones we'll do this year.

On another note, the half-marathon is next week! I'm ready and can't wait to get it over with so I can take a break from training.

Waiting for pieces to dry

Front, back and sleeves are done. Waiting for sleeves to dry and then I need to figure out what to do with the provisionally cast-on edges before sewing the seams.

Also did a swatch for the third sweater, a bottom up raglan. That swatch is also on the drying rack.
I'll  cast on for that one next since that's what we'll be doing in our next class session.

The dolman is on the back burner for now.

I'm exhausted and sore after jogging 12.8 slow miles yesterday. At least I know I can do the half-marathon on the 3oth. That's 13.1 miles.

I will be so happy when this training cycle is over and I get to ease back on training. It eats up so much time.

No time to blog

Let's just say I'm way behind with my homework.

Besides several swatches, this is all I have done during the past four weeks and this piece was cast on just a few days ago.

Yikes!

Dolman swatch

Here's the swatch for the dolman cardigan.

I'm already behind.

Over the past few days I've started another swatch for the puffy sleeve tee with larger needles and redrew patterns after measuring my body parts again.  I've lost a few centimeters (and 12 pounds) over the past few months. I'm still putting in miles although it is getting harder to do with the light changing and class starting again, but I'm determined to keep it up.