Startitis Castonugus

 Have you ever worked away industriously on a project only to miss the busy-ness terribly when it is finished? 

 

That's the way it's been with this one. Knowing that the start of the West Knits MKAL 2023 was coming up on October 5th I have been diligently working on this handspun hand knit sweater for at least a couple of hours every day so that my time and needles are clear for the launch day.

I love love LOVE the sweater and have been wearing it constantly since it came off the needles --- but I miss it as a project. Within minutes of finishing I had a bad case of Startitis Castonugus and dug through my handspun stash in search of a small project to tide me over until I, along with thousands of other knitters, can get going on what will no doubt be another epic shawl. 

This is the hand dyed roving I started with.

I purchased it from West Coast Colour at FibresWest 2023. I estimated that to be safe I needed 9 of the 100g bundles, but 9 of the exact same colour run were not available. I did my best to create a gradient by plying singles from each colourway together with others in a way that progressed through all the colours.

The fade through the colours isn't perfect, but I'm happy with it anyway. The sweater is so comfortable! I find the Targhee wool is an interesting mix of woolly feeling, yet next to the skin soft. It also seems to keep me at a comfortable temperature. I've been wearing it a lot and haven't been too hot or too cold, despite changes in the weather and the temperature in our home. 

I'm very happy with the sizing. I designed the sweater myself using Elizabeth Zimmerman's Percentage System to work out the increase and decrease rates and it fits very well. 

I love the simple textured stitch pattern I worked out. It's a slip stitch column over a reverse stockinette background. I did some calculating so that the columns of slip stitch came together neatly at the Central Double Decreases that make up the raglan shaping. 

This next photo isn't the greatest picture of some of the neat little finishing details, but I want to mention them. I went to the extra time and work to do a tubular cast on at the hem and the cuffs and a matching tubular bind off at the neckline. I also made sure that the 1x1 ribbing of the hem and cuff flowed straight into the columns of slipped stitches in the main body and sleeves. I think it's a nice touch.

Very pleased with this project. I miss having it on my needles. 

Squish-alicious!

Some projects are just pure pleasure, right from the get go. This little handspun baby sweater is one of them. I'm knitting it in my own 3 ply merino/kid-mohair/silk handspun. The fibre was hand dyed by Jude of Ewesful Creations. It spun up very soft and, combined with the stitch pattern, makes a lovely squishy, bouncy fabric.

The pattern is "Purl Textured Cardigan" by Jacqueline Gibb. It's only available in the newborn to 3 month size but I like it so much I may try to work out an adult version for myself some time in the future.

Is there a new baby expected in the family? Nope. Just felt like knitting something that would tick a few boxes. My criteria were:

1. Requires no purchases other than the pattern. 

2. Uses some of my growing stash of handspun. 

3. Fits a category for submission at the Chilliwack Fair in August. 

4. Can be sold at the Chilliwack Christmas Craft Fair in November.

The pattern didn't call for it, but I've gone to the extra work of starting the 1x1 ribbing with a tubular cast on. Fussy and time consuming, but so worth it. I love the way the ribbing runs right up to the edge. So polished looking!

Sophie X2

I've been watching Podcasts each morning while Teddy, our dog, naps for two hours. It's nice to have that quiet crafting time to look forward to on a daily basis. While watching/listening I've completed two Sophie Scarves, not so much because I need them, but just to keep my hands busy with an easy, mindless project. 

I do love this size, shape, and style of scarf. I made a similar one last winter and, in the cooler months, I found it to be just right for keeping the chill from my neck on our morning dog walks. The small size means there are no ends dangling annoyingly. It can be wrapped twice and tied, and if it is not wrapped and tied, the modest length allows it to be tucked neatly into a coat. 

I knit these two in "Colorina" from Hobbii.com, which is a soft 80% acrylic/20% wool blend. Each scarf took a little less than one entire ball, though due to the finer gauge I knitted until the increases brought the width to 41 stitches rather than the number called for in the pattern.

The red/orange one is knit with colourway 12 Sweet Secret and the black was knit with colourway 15 Silhouette

It's a popular pattern and has been knitted 9758 times on Ravelry alone!

DRK Everyday Cowl

A relaxing and enjoyable knit. The pattern is the DRK Everyday Cowl by Andrea Mowry and the yarn is my own 3ply handspun, a merino/kid mohair/silk blend.

It was about 6 mornings of mindless knitting while watching Podcasts. The knitting was repetitive enough to be relaxing, but the pattern had enough unusual shaping to keep it interesting. 

Thinking that a scarf/cowl doesn't need exact fitting I foolishly did not do a gauge swatch. Nearing completion I realized that, as is, it was not going to fit over my head once seamed. I decided to just pick up stitches along the short slip stitched edge to knit a little rectangle of garter stitch to extend the neck opening.

Ta Da! my fix worked. I love the result. So comfortable and easy to wear.

 Turns out my 3ply handspun was more like a fingering weight yarn than the DK the pattern calls for. The thing is, I LIKE this weight! I don't think I'd want it to be heavier. I may make more cowls from this pattern in the future, but I'll work out the math so that I can keep the lighter weight.

DRK Everyday Socks

Socks. A minor finished project. 

Simple mindless knitting to occupy my hands while I watch episodes of "Fruity Knitting", a favorite knitting podcast that I highly recommend to anyone interested in knitting, wool production, sheep, or hiking. It is very well done with loads of interesting content. There are even small nods to crochet, weaving, and spinning.

"I'll Knit If I Want To", is another knitting podcast I regularly watch. The sock pattern I used for these socks, the "DRK Everyday Socks" is one designed by that podcaster, Andrea Mowry of "Drea Renee Knits".

The socks fit very well, but I find having ribbing on the soles a bit to textured for my sensitive feet. I think next time I'll knit them with stockinette soles instead, but keep the ribbed tops.

Plan B Cardigan

My "Plan B" cardigan is now finished and tucked away for safe keeping until next September. I refuse to wear it until then because I'd like to enter it in the 2023 Chilliwack Exhibition and the amount of dog hair Teddy would add in the meantime would not be considered an enhancing decorative element.

I would have liked a little more room in the sleeves, they are a bit narrow for wearing over other sleeved shirts. Otherwise the cardigan fits well.

I changed a couple of things about the pattern. First I omitted the notch and instead added short rows in the neckline portion of the button band to bring it closer to the neck. 

Second, I changed the size and placement of the buttonholes. The pattern called for four 4 stitch buttonholes unevenly spaced. I chose to do five 2 stitch buttonholes evenly spaced. My two stitch buttonholes were all that were needed for these large 1 inch buttons.

Other than that the cardigan was knitted as written by Hinterm Stein. Her attention to detail is exquisite.

Setback

I finished and bound off the left front of my "Plan B" cardigan and admired it, with it's lovely contrasting patch pocket, then I went on to pick up stitches for the back portion. 

I had all 104 stitches for the back picked up when I realized that they seemed to be off centre, so I counted the remaining stitches. Something was off!

It only took me a moment to realize that I had not made adjustments for the additional 12 stitches added for the shaping of the A-line version of the cardigan. The pattern does mention in a small side note that the shaping will throw off the stitch count from that point forward. I forgot, and it is not mentioned again in the instructions. In this left front portion my error is a difference of only 3 stitches, but I'll have to frog it anyway. *sigh*

At least I hadn't knit the entire lower back section as well, before noticing my error. Besides, it's all knitting anyway, and I like knitting, right?

Bouncing Around Between Hobbies

Yesterday I managed to work on two different knitting projects. I also got a good start on an involved bag sewing pattern, and I spent some time weaving at one of the looms. It was a good day. I'm bouncing around from one hobby to another, not because of a lack of attention, but to reduce muscle strain from spending too long doing any one particular thing. 

It was nice to get a bit of weaving done. It's been awhile!

Not Nice Knot!

 Well King Cole, that knot in the skein of "Riot DK"  is not at all subtle!

I'm in the middle of knitting a long, narrow, shaped scarf of my own design. It features a long slow colour shift that should work well with the design. SO aggravating to come upon this ugly knot in the skein. 

It's annoying enough to find a knot hidden in the depths of a ball of yarn, but it adds another whole dimension of exasperation when you find it in a slow colour shift yarn and the manufacturer made NO attempt whatsoever to maintain the continuity of the colour shift.

Diagonal Shell

This "Diagonal Shell" vest has been completed for quite some time. I started it back in November after years of being intrigued by this particular design. It's worked diagonally from one hip across to the opposite shoulder, front and back worked separately. That diagonal stitch pattern creates a really nice drape to the fabric. 

Sorry for the very dark photos, they were taken on a gloomy day and I haven't gotten around to taking better ones. This next photo shows the colour a little better. It really is quite pretty, with diagonal ribbons of colour that are ever changing.

The edging is a crocheted "crab stitch" which gives a delicate picot looking textured finish.

This is a pattern I may make again some day. I purchased yarn for this one, but it would also work up nicely for a destashing of little bits of this and that.

Barnstaple Vest

From the great long blogging break that I have taken you would think I hadn't done anything at all creative in a long time, but that isn't the case. During the 2 hour breaks I get each morning while the puppy, Teddy, goes down for a nap, I have been able to accomplish quite a bit. This new vest is a recent finished project.

It's the "Barnstaple Vest", pattern by Sandi Rosner.

The fit is perfect and I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

I respaced the buttonholes. I have 5 buttons with 12 stitches between each buttonhole rather than the 7 buttons with 8 stitches between each buttonhole as suggested in the pattern. I find fewer buttons, placed farther apart a more pleasing look.

Since my last post in November I have been working on several other projects, some are finished, some are still works in progress. More on that over the next few days -- if my blogging ompf holds out and Teddy-pup gives me a few moments to myself.

Won't Fit For Long!

 I'm almost finished this sweater for Teddy.

I just need to find appropriate buttons for the belly straps and get them sewn on.

But I don't know if he'll get much wear from it. 

The weather is just starting to get a bit cold here, 

and Teddy can't walk in places where other dogs may have roamed until he's had his next vaccinations 3 weeks from now.

By then he may have outgrown the sweater! 

While I was knitting it it seemed like it was going to be too large.

StoDoll Eggy's Introduction

I've been so busy rushing to get the knitting patterns for DreamHigh Studio's micro doll Pocca ready for publication that I completely forgot to introduce a newcomer around here. Meet StoDoll "Eggy", renamed "Betty" after arriving here. 

I ordered her as a "full set", meaning she came with the wig, eyes, outfit, and shoes pictured above, which is a good thing because I was so caught up in the designing for micro-doll Pocca that I didn't have time to work with her much at first. 

(I know! Her expression does look like she was feeling the lack of attention!) 

The pattern collection for DreamHigh Studio's Pocca was published a few days ago, so now I can knit and/or sew a few things for Betty. This dress is the first of what will hopefully become a nice new wardrobe for her. 

She still looks a little sad. Maybe she's disappointed that it's only one dress after she waited so long? 

Fortunately Betty fits into the clothing from my Pukipuki line of knitting patterns. She is on a stodoll S body, which is much like an ob11 body but with legs that are 5mm longer and with stronger joints. 

The StoDoll body is amazing at posing unsupported!

True "ball jointed dolls" are strung with elastic cord, which often makes them "kicky" and prone to having their elastic stretch out over time leaving them less stable and needing restringing, which can be difficult. 

The StoDoll body has more of a mechanical joint and it holds varied poses beautifully.

A Travel Bed!

 Lookee what I found for Pocca! An itty bitty travel bed!

I found it at London Drugs in the central aisle where they display seasonal items. It's like a hard shell eyeglass case, except it's much smaller. It was advertised for earbuds, loose change, or jewelry. 

I figure it will be a nice safe way to keep Pocca near me for try-ons when I'm designing knitwear, and at the same time it will keep him out of bright sunlight that is known to cause premature yellowing of the resin.