Just a Small Progress Report
Things are plodding along with my new projects. I certainly wouldn't be winning any prizes for speed but I AM enjoying the knits immensely!
My alpaca/silk shawl is a surprisingly pleasant knit. The yarn, of course, is fabulous but what has made it knittable for me is that the entire pattern is made up of 6-stitch repeats. That means I can remember the pattern and knit the whole row without having to check a chart 50 times. It also means if I get interrupted it's super easy to figure out where I was in the pattern. This has been of great encouragement to me, considering how difficult it has been for me to make any progress on the other lace shawls I started and gave up on. Did I mention that having absolutely fabulous yarn to work with makes the project a real pleasure too? LOL!!
The sleeve of my cabled sweater is coming along great. I got off to a rather funny start though. As I usually do, with any cabled project I thought I would write out the pattern stitches I had assembled for it, especially since they had to be converted from back-and-forth to knitting-in-the-round. By row eight the written pattern was such a muddle! I would read back over it and by the time I got to row six it didn't make any sense to me at all - so with a shaking head and a chuckle I chucked it! Yup! I chucked it! Then I sat down with my sleeve and just started to knit and it all came out fine - which for me is really weird - wonderful but weeeird!
The center panel is what I call a 'wandering cable' where it weaves back and forth and twists over itself. It is bordered on either side by a single rib (P1, K1, P1), a 6 stitch cable column and a 5 stitch strip of moss stitch. Yes, the whole arrangement goes around the sleeve so I can't get it all in a pic but you can see most of it here. I never realized how hard it was to photograph white and get the texture to show ... in person it's perfectly visible.
I also wanted to mention that I am using an awesome 12" carbonized bamboo circ to knit it and all I can say is WOW! I had to start with DPNs for the cuff but after a few increases there were enough stitches to switch it over. HUGE difference! No sags in the pattern from the transition betweens DPNs! The best part is the plastic between the needles is actually a clear, supple, soft plastic tube not plastic cord so the needles ends are datoed and the tube is fitted perfectly over it. It NEVER snags. I absolutely LOVE them! I appreciate that some people may find the 2" needle ends awkward but for my small hands they are perfectly comfortable. I can see myself knitting a lot of miles of yarn on these babies!
In spinning news I've already filled 4 regular bobbins with wool/cotton singles so now I'm filling my jumbo bobbins. Talk about having to treadle to add enough twist! Quite the difference for an apparently small size difference! I'd say I'm about 1/2 done the bag of fiber. I didn't bother taking pics - I'll do that when I'm ready to start plying which I figure should be in another week or so.
And as for socks - I didn't get anything cast on yet. I think I'll just puddle away on my sleeves for now, at least until the Eclectic Sole sock book from Rustling Leaves Press comes out next month. I so want to make the Rivendell Socks (aka; the home of the elves from The Lord of the Rings). Yes, the Rivendell sock pattern is available to purchase as a single download but I want the whole book. It is available for pre-order right now.
So that's been pretty much 'it' in my fiber-filled life. Not overly exciting or dramatic ... not this week anyways! Cheers!
My alpaca/silk shawl is a surprisingly pleasant knit. The yarn, of course, is fabulous but what has made it knittable for me is that the entire pattern is made up of 6-stitch repeats. That means I can remember the pattern and knit the whole row without having to check a chart 50 times. It also means if I get interrupted it's super easy to figure out where I was in the pattern. This has been of great encouragement to me, considering how difficult it has been for me to make any progress on the other lace shawls I started and gave up on. Did I mention that having absolutely fabulous yarn to work with makes the project a real pleasure too? LOL!!
The sleeve of my cabled sweater is coming along great. I got off to a rather funny start though. As I usually do, with any cabled project I thought I would write out the pattern stitches I had assembled for it, especially since they had to be converted from back-and-forth to knitting-in-the-round. By row eight the written pattern was such a muddle! I would read back over it and by the time I got to row six it didn't make any sense to me at all - so with a shaking head and a chuckle I chucked it! Yup! I chucked it! Then I sat down with my sleeve and just started to knit and it all came out fine - which for me is really weird - wonderful but weeeird!
The center panel is what I call a 'wandering cable' where it weaves back and forth and twists over itself. It is bordered on either side by a single rib (P1, K1, P1), a 6 stitch cable column and a 5 stitch strip of moss stitch. Yes, the whole arrangement goes around the sleeve so I can't get it all in a pic but you can see most of it here. I never realized how hard it was to photograph white and get the texture to show ... in person it's perfectly visible.
I also wanted to mention that I am using an awesome 12" carbonized bamboo circ to knit it and all I can say is WOW! I had to start with DPNs for the cuff but after a few increases there were enough stitches to switch it over. HUGE difference! No sags in the pattern from the transition betweens DPNs! The best part is the plastic between the needles is actually a clear, supple, soft plastic tube not plastic cord so the needles ends are datoed and the tube is fitted perfectly over it. It NEVER snags. I absolutely LOVE them! I appreciate that some people may find the 2" needle ends awkward but for my small hands they are perfectly comfortable. I can see myself knitting a lot of miles of yarn on these babies!
In spinning news I've already filled 4 regular bobbins with wool/cotton singles so now I'm filling my jumbo bobbins. Talk about having to treadle to add enough twist! Quite the difference for an apparently small size difference! I'd say I'm about 1/2 done the bag of fiber. I didn't bother taking pics - I'll do that when I'm ready to start plying which I figure should be in another week or so.
And as for socks - I didn't get anything cast on yet. I think I'll just puddle away on my sleeves for now, at least until the Eclectic Sole sock book from Rustling Leaves Press comes out next month. I so want to make the Rivendell Socks (aka; the home of the elves from The Lord of the Rings). Yes, the Rivendell sock pattern is available to purchase as a single download but I want the whole book. It is available for pre-order right now.
So that's been pretty much 'it' in my fiber-filled life. Not overly exciting or dramatic ... not this week anyways! Cheers!
Argh! Tempting me with a new sock book ,and the link not working, that's not nice! ;o)
I'm wishing I would be done with my shawl, I want to sit and spin again. Always want to do something else. Can't wait to see the shawl when it's done. Will you block it? Anyway, back to my shawl, second time around it's so boring, that I almost fall asleep during knitting.
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I'm SOOO sorry! I fixed the link on the post but here it is; http://www.janellaidman.com It really is a 'must have' book.
I can't wait to see YOUR shawl!! Every one is so unique, even if it's the same pattern - and I know yours will be done long before mine!! LOL!!
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Lovely sweater, and lovely yarn
I have to say that I prefer DPN's over circ's any day, or should I say any project! Mmm maybe not, but I do love DPN's! lol
I'm finishing up my FIRST pair of socks, right now. Yay, I'm going to have a blog-day when I'm through. ^-^
-Mica
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Congratulations on your first pair! I'm dashing over right now to check them out!
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