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Saturday, July 29, 2006

Back At It

I finally got around to picking up my applique project again. This is to be a Christmas stocking for my son-in-law. The toe section is now completely finished.

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I have to be a little more diligent about working on this. I haven't even started on my daughter's yet and I would like to get them both done before the first of December. That seems a long way off but time has a way of sneaking up on me when I'm busy with other projects.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Bands and Diamonds WIP

In this heat wave I haven't been doing much knitting, but here is a peek at my latest work in progress.

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This is "Bands and Diamonds" from Knit Picks, designed by Sue Mink.

I'm not all that pleased with it. There are mistakes in the pattern and I'm finding the sweater itself rather ho-hum. I'll still finish it though. I like the yarn (maybe not this particular color combination though) and I need a few cardigans. I was cold all the time last winter.

Cold. Hmmm, that's hard to imagine right now.

My son bought an air conditioner second hand from a friend and last night he and his dog slept in comfort. My husband and I sweltered in the next room. Brings new meaning to the saying, "Lucky Dog"!

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Reading Instead

I haven't been knitting much the past several days. I've been reading instead. I'm one of those people that can't seem to read a book "now and then" or "for a few minutes" until it's finished. Just like my marathon sewing projects, once I start on a book I do almost nothing else until the last page is turned. Luckily for my long suffering family I don't read novels all that often!

This one was an interesting read. Even though it's a fiction novel there is a lot of food for thought in the historical facts throughout the book. MUCH better and more in depth and understandable than the movie. I highly recommend "The DaVinci Code" by Dan Brown, if you haven't read it already.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Cabled Tempting "directions".

Sorry ladies, I'm a better designer than I am a pattern writer. I don't even have notes for this one. I'll give you what I remember, from there you are on your own.

I ended the yoke lower down, only 2 inches or so past the joining in of the sleeves. The band is wider, incorporating a 22 stitch cable panel, but is applied in much the same manner as the original. I eliminated the decreases in the main body section because I attached the band at EVERY row. SSK on the right side (end of row), purl 2 tog. through the back loops on the wrong side (beginning of next row). It gives a smoother, no holes join while at the same time accomplishing the equivalent of k2tog all the way around. The ends of the band had to be seamed.

I did not have to invent a curved cable panel, I used a regular one straight from a stitch pattern book. The curve comes from attaching it one band row per stitch on the body side but then reducing the length of the other side by attaching a 3 stitch I-cord at a ratio of one I-cord row to two cable band rows. The look of I-cord on the body side of the cable is accomplished by knitting the second to last stitch together with a purl "bump" on the inside one row below. This pulls the stitches together a bit to give the raised effect of an I-cord where it is actually just two knit stitches.

For now that is as good as the "pattern" gets. If there is enough demand I will perhaps write it out as a real pattern and submit it somewhere like Knitty.com. I really need a few pattern writing lessons though!

Edit: The cable is # 8.27 on page 27 of "The Harmony Guide To Aran Knitting" published by Lyric Books Limited.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Tempting 3?

Presenting my own, original version of Tempting II. Would that make it Tempting III? I'm very happy with it. Perhaps it could have been a little smaller though. The wavy appearance on the right side is the fabric buckling.....not body rolls!

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Instead of the original version's buckled, ribbed band I've done a cabled band. Now I have another design decision to make. Should I leave the cable unadorned.......

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......or should I add little pearl-like beads?

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I do really like the beads but I'm in LOVE with the washability of this top. Done in TLC Cotton Plus it is completely carefree. I can throw it in the washer AND dryer without worry. If I add beads I might have to hand wash it to protect the finish of the beads. Handwashing in itself is not that big of a deal, but a sweater this heavy and made of cotton will take forever to air dry! Past experience tells me that sweaters like that spend more time in the laundry than they do being worn. I guess I could go ahead and sew the beads on and then just take them off later if the laundry ruins them? Opinions?

Friday, July 14, 2006

"Sweet" Pleasures

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For you, from my garden.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Revisions Are Working

Just a quick post to say that the planned construction revisions for "Tempting II" have been carried out and they worked beautifully. I'm now in the process of going around and around and around doing several inches of ribbing in the "yoke" portion before I start my next revision to the pattern.....

.....I'm making a big alteration to the neckline band. Stay tuned.

Monday, July 10, 2006

W 2

A photo of my second "W" at last. This one in Online, Linie 117, City in 02, Marble.

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It isn't the best of photos. The flaring at the hem is because it has been worn a couple of times. I suspect that it will snap back into shape when it is washed.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Tempting II Sleeves

I've finished the body of "Tempting II" and now I'm working on the sleeves.

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I'm doing them two at a time on two circular needles, not my usual technique. I am usually able to manage with just ONE circular needle for such things, but it wasn't quite long enough to work comfortably.

I've done a tubular cast on which gives 1 x 1 ribbing a nice, professional looking start.

Attention Knit-a-long-ers:

Another change I am making to the original pattern involves the way the body and sleeves are attached and the yoke is knit. The pattern has you knitting partial rows and breaking the yarn several times at this point. Instead I plan to join the underarm of one sleeve using a 3-needle bind off, knit across the front stitches, join the second underarm with a 3-needle bind off, and knit across the back stitches. For the next row I'll knit across the tops of the first sleeve, along the front, the top of the second sleeve, and the back. As far as I can foresee this should have exactly the same outcome as breaking the yarn all those times.......and will result in less ends to sew in when I'm finished. Anyone see a problem with this alteration? Please leave a comment if you do!

Thursday, July 06, 2006

IKEA dragonflies

I found a lighted dragonfly mobile at IKEA. I really like it. I wish I had bought a couple more, one for each space between the posts on our sundeck.

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Between traveling, attending a wedding, and visiting with relatives (away, and at home) some knitting has been accomplished but the blogging hasn't kept pace. I've completed my second "W" from the Knitty pattern, (I'll have photos of that in the coming days), and I've now started on Tempting II where I'm making good progress.

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