Overcome by the Itch to Cast On....
It's still February, what can I say? I feel restless and boxed in by the relentlessly frigid weather. I have been hopelessly in love with this Luxury Blend yarn from Wild Geese. (sorry about the pic colors, Barb, it's evening in my office & the light is SO bad - it's marled pinkish grey)
It's 40% Merino, 40% Alpaca and 20% Silk and luscious enough to eat! SO soft and plush, it almost feels wet to the touch (from the silk, I'm guessing) and I've been desperate to get it on my needles... only yarn this special can't have just any pattern. After I finished my Finn Sheep sweater (believe it or not) I really wanted to start another Aran sweater but I couldn't make up my mind which wool to pull from my stash because I didn't have a pattern (and I was feeling too darn lazy to design another one). Then Wendy posted this FREE Aran sweater pattern from Ram Wools on the BusyKnitting board and I was away.... Oh, BTW, the link starts the pdf download, just in case you're wondering why it doesn't open a new web page...
A totally classic design even if it IS in a not-my-shade of pink! True to form, I had to make the pattern 'my own' and I just couldn't face knitting an entire fine gauge sweater in Moss stitch. I DO, after all, want to have some pleasure out of making this project!! LOL!! I realized that the sweater doesn't have a ribbed hem because the moss stitch will lie flat on it's own (unlike stockingette which will roll). I liked the lace edging from the Finn sweater so much I decided to do something similar for this one, so I started to dig... I went through all my Harmony Guides and found one lace edge I liked but it just didn't have the right look when I had made a few inches of it (it was knit as a strip and I'd have to pick up stitches along the edge for the body of the sweater). So I did what I should have done to begin with - I dug out Knitting On the Edge by Nicky Epstein! It's a remarkable book that never fails to supply me with what I need - even if it's just inspiration! I selected her Madiera Scallop, a variation of the old faithful Feather & Fan but without the garter stitch. It makes a deeper ripple (like Scallops, d'uh!) and in my opinion, knit up perfectly!
The other major change is the cable placement and that I picked a slightly different cable. I've knit this round one before and I wanted to do something else. I figured if I'm not making the entire sweater textured I could make a double twining cable on the front.... It may take awhile before I post more pics because the knitting is slow but Oh! It's a labor of love!! Cheers until next time!
It's 40% Merino, 40% Alpaca and 20% Silk and luscious enough to eat! SO soft and plush, it almost feels wet to the touch (from the silk, I'm guessing) and I've been desperate to get it on my needles... only yarn this special can't have just any pattern. After I finished my Finn Sheep sweater (believe it or not) I really wanted to start another Aran sweater but I couldn't make up my mind which wool to pull from my stash because I didn't have a pattern (and I was feeling too darn lazy to design another one). Then Wendy posted this FREE Aran sweater pattern from Ram Wools on the BusyKnitting board and I was away.... Oh, BTW, the link starts the pdf download, just in case you're wondering why it doesn't open a new web page...
A totally classic design even if it IS in a not-my-shade of pink! True to form, I had to make the pattern 'my own' and I just couldn't face knitting an entire fine gauge sweater in Moss stitch. I DO, after all, want to have some pleasure out of making this project!! LOL!! I realized that the sweater doesn't have a ribbed hem because the moss stitch will lie flat on it's own (unlike stockingette which will roll). I liked the lace edging from the Finn sweater so much I decided to do something similar for this one, so I started to dig... I went through all my Harmony Guides and found one lace edge I liked but it just didn't have the right look when I had made a few inches of it (it was knit as a strip and I'd have to pick up stitches along the edge for the body of the sweater). So I did what I should have done to begin with - I dug out Knitting On the Edge by Nicky Epstein! It's a remarkable book that never fails to supply me with what I need - even if it's just inspiration! I selected her Madiera Scallop, a variation of the old faithful Feather & Fan but without the garter stitch. It makes a deeper ripple (like Scallops, d'uh!) and in my opinion, knit up perfectly!
The other major change is the cable placement and that I picked a slightly different cable. I've knit this round one before and I wanted to do something else. I figured if I'm not making the entire sweater textured I could make a double twining cable on the front.... It may take awhile before I post more pics because the knitting is slow but Oh! It's a labor of love!! Cheers until next time!
What an undertaking! When do you anticipate finishing?
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ROFL!!! 2010 ... maybe I'll wear it to the Olympic games!!
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Hi Monica: Thanks for the pattern link! I'm going to keep that one. I really have to get this blog thing down. Mine is so sparse compared to yours...
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My pleasure to share the pattern! It's a keeper, all right! And don't give the blog thing a second thought! Your blog is 'yours' and that's OK. If they were all the same it would be pretty lame!
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That is going to be one lovely lovely sweater!
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That's a fer sure! I'm counting on you to have those 3 skeins put away for me! LOL!! If you don't and I run out hoooo boy!!! ROFL!!
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Lovely sweater choice. I'm still scarred to cast on one for myself.
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