The third project is done. A very simple raglan knitted in pieces from the bottom up. It also has a stitch pattern that matches at the shoulder seam.
Sometimes simple is good, especially when juggling several projects at once.
Still haven't started the second project, a dolman sleeved cardigan. I keep pressing on with the other projects, hoping I'll eventually find time for the dolman.
The Aran is almost finished but it's on the back burner while I make progress on the gansey and Lopi projects.
Pattern: Third project Nihon Vogue year two class (drafted my own pattern)
Size: bust ~102 cm
Yarn: 9 skeins of Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed in color 405 Emporio
Needle size: 4mm & 3.5mm
Gauge: 19sts x 33rows = 10cm in pattern on 4mm needles
Started in November 2008 and completed June 2009
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.
Yippee! The first project of year two is finished.
It's the Shaped Lace T from Knitting Lingerie Style by Joan McGowan-Michael but redrafted with "puffy" sleeves.
This weekend I've been catching up on my projects. It took me two days to sew sleeves on the raglan. I swear, I'll never use Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed again. The yarn is wonderfully soft but breaks too easily when seaming.
On the way home from the Farmers market I popped my head into the Quilting Loft. Last year I remember seeing some wonderful bags by Cheryl Kuczek on display. She was teaching a class on how to make these bags but not having much time for another class, I asked whether they had patterns for these bags. They didn't but expected to have some in a couple of months. Time flies ... and I totally forgot until yesterday when I was in the neighborhood. This time they did have them. Don't know when I'll find time to make one though.
Pattern: Based on Shape Lace T from Knitting Lingerie Style by Joan McGowan-Michale but redrafted with "puffy" sleeves for first project of Nihon Vogue year two class.
Size: bust ~97 cm
Yarn: 4.5 skeins of Cascade Sierra in color 03 (natural)
Needle size: 4.5mm & 5mm
Gauge: 17sts x 24rows = 10cm in pattern on 5mm needles
Started in October 2008 and completed May 2009
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.
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
I've been so busy with so many things that blogging has taken a back seat.
But that doesn't mean I've given up knitting. Actually I'm on the verge of starting yet another project, a gansey.
This Nihon Vogue class definitely breaking me of my serial knitting habit. So far four sweater in progress with three nearly complete. While our fall trip to Japan set me back, I've also been making time for other things in my life. It's so easy for me to get tunnel vision when working on a project that I tend to let neglect other things ... but not this year.
The Aran is nearly complete ... just need to add the ribbing and start sewing it together. I'll post a photo of it next week.
I'm also dropping the idea of using an openwork stitch pattern for the dolman. Others in the class that did ened up having a difficult time with the short rows on the top of the sleeves. That's one good thing about being behind, I get to see how others struggled with theire projects and make changes accordingly.
This is the second try. The first one had a couple of cables crossed the wrong way and I didn't like how I spaced the increases.
One thing to note about this sleeve is that the saxon braid is not centered on the piece. There's about 1cm more on the right side than the left. According to Jean the front part of the shoulder panel should sit about 1cm more towards the front. So with my Aran sleeve which has a 7cm panel, 4cm of it will be on the front and 3cm will be the back. Unfortunately my notes don't say why we need to do this. I'll ask when we have our next class.
Sophie couldn't help herself ... just had to be in the picture and attack my sweater. I had to pry it out of her paws after this photo.
This is the front. The back is about half done (and looks the same).
It's coming along ok. When I hold it against my body it almost looks like a corset ... very stiff. The yarn should soften when washed, at least that's what happened with the swatch.
After the sleeves are finished I'll start the gansey swatch.
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