You know how some people just have their knitting thing?  like complete and utter love of lace or cables?  like that is all they want to knit all the time?  well, I think I found mine.  It shouldn’t really come as a surprise considering how much I love the interplay of colors and the simpleness of stockinette.

Could you tell with all of the colorwork projects of late? 

I wanted to try colorwork for years, but I was nervous about the technique.  I delayed even trying it.  I still have a lot to learn, but I am really in love with the process and the results.  And for some reason, it really seems to work up quickly!  Perhaps it is because I can’t wait to see how the colors will interact on the next row?

The Jacquard Pulli was a test trial - I wanted to see if five disparate yarns from my stash could come together in a Fair Isle pullover.  I think I lucked out.

The colors are combining and creating a lovely spring-themed knit.  I am using the deep brown as the main color - a nod to Project Spectrum’s Earth element - and mixing in the pink, cream, greens and blues.  Each yarn here has lived in the stash for over a year, so this is truly a stashbusting project.  And how quickly she grows!  I started this project for Project Spectrum, as well as the Lord Stanley Stashbusting KAL on Ravelry.  So far, I have knit this much after watching two playoff hockey games. (Go Penguins!)  However, when the hockey gets intense, I have been known to put the colorwork down, for fear of messing up the charts… such was the case during last night’s nailbiter between Pittsburgh and New York! 

I have found it quite simple to keep the tension in the stranding.  My floats don’t pull too much, and with a light blocking, I don’t think there will be any puckering.  I am using yarns of slightly different weights (the pink is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, but I have always thought of it as more of a worsted weight; while the green - Knit Picks Andean Silk - and blue -Cascade Lana d’Oro - are a lighter worsted, bordering on DK-weight).   

SO, yes, I am quite enamoured with the colorwork… maybe it is just a phase, but I see this one sticking around for awhile.  Guess what’s on my shopping list for this weekend?

What’s you knitting thing?  is there a technique that you just can’t get enough of? 

After a full weekend of knitting and finishing, I was so incredibly thrilled to hand this cardigan over to my sister. When the last end was sewn in, and the rainy skies finally let up, I told Sarah that we had to get photos before the next cloudburst. A belated birthday gift for my sweet sister…

Printed Silk Cardigan

Pattern Source: Interweave Knits, Spring 2008
Yarn: Frog Tree Pima Silk, colorway 810
Yarn Source: Webs
Needles: Size US 3 and 5

As I was sewing up the last sleeve, I was overwhelmed at how well this all came together. I took a chance on the yarn - it wasn’t the same content (cotton and silk) and was a little larger gauge - but it is beautiful, and from a respectable company. At first, I thought it was going to be a problem because the yarn does tend to split. Like most other cotton/silk blends, it is a few small strands spun together. Luckily, I got the hang of it, and I didn’t have too many issues with errant threads popping out. The few that did were easy to poke back through to the wrong side of the fabric.

My choice of cardigan was ambitious to knit in the small time frame of one month - I began knitting this in mid-February (squarely within Project Spectrum: FIRE!) and hoped to be finished by March 17th, Sarah’s birthday. Alas, I did not finish until three weeks later. The timing did work out, however. We had planned a visit to North Carolina during the first week in April, and with a little dedication (and a lot of knitting!) it was all wrapped up on Sunday afternoon.

Sarah has a small frame, and without her physical presence to measure along the way, I had to take a chance. I chose the smallest size - 34″ and made a few modifications to fit the bust. I added an inch and a half to the stockinette body to account for her longer torso. The pattern does not call for a hem edge, so it rolls slightly. Some of the other knitters that have finished [Ravelry link] have added a small 1 x 1 ribbing around the bottom. I considered this, but Sarah said she liked the little roll… so I thought if she was happy, I was happy. Another change/oversight on my part involved my modification of the the body into a knit-in-the-round pattern. I knit the two front panels and the back as one piece to avoid seaming the garment in the end. I used stitch markers to note the separations and where to decrease/increase for the waist and bust shaping. However, I did not work in the small ribbed edging that is supposed to essentially “close” the garment across the torso… I simply forgot to work it in… yet, I have to say, that I really like the way it looks. Sarah is thin, and she doesn’t have to worry about the dreaded “muffin top” phenomenon. The draping in the front is reminiscent of another pattern that has caught my eye many times over the years, the Slouchy Cardigan from Greetings from Knit Cafe [Ravelry link].

I hope she can wear it for years to come. The color suits her better than I could have imagined!

The week ended quietly, as I worked diligently on the Printed Silk Cardigan. I took only one night “off” this week to spend some time with another project… and finally, the cardigan is taking shape and really surprising me with its beauty! To show off her best qualities, I figured some macro textural shots were in order.

back of the cardigan - diamond twisted stitch pattern detail

sleeve two - 1 x 1 ribbing

silky shimmer of the yarn in the pattern

While I am not finished yet - half of sleeve two and the right front pattern remain and all associated picking-up and blocking remain - I feel a great sense of accomplishment with this garment. The twisted stitches gave me a small problem in the beginning, and Connie of phyicsknits, the designer of this and many other lovely pieces, was so kind to offer help. Her tips worked and immediately, my knitting looked like the sample.

The problem I had regarded the left-leaning twisted stitch. Simply put, it wasn’t working for me as described. It is not the pattern, as several other knitters have finished it successfully (Ravelry link) with the instructions given. Still, it wasn’t working. Connie offered an alternative method, provided by the inimitable Barbara Walker:

With right hand needle behind left hand needle, skip one st and knit the second stitch in back loop, then insert right hand needle into the backs of both stitches and knit 2 together through the back loop.

…and this one worked perfectly for me! Many thanks to Connie! I hope the have the cardigan finished very soon. I will be seeing my sister next weekend, and I would love to give it to her then (and to take some pretty spring-y photos in North Carolina). Wish me speedy needles and some free moments!

The waning days of Project Spectrum FIRE and the still chilly March winds prompted another warm / red cooking dish this week. Adapted from the Rosy Beet Risotto seen in the newest issue of Better Homes and Gardens:

Click on photo for recipe!

Do you have any last-minute FIRE plans? are you planning ahead for the EARTH element of Project Spectrum?

PS- I hope to see my area fiber enthusiasts this afternoon at the Homespun Yarn Party in Takoma Park!

Dear Sisi,

So, yeah, your birthday is tomorrow, and your gift is still not finished. However, it is close. I ran into a few issues… but it is all cleared up now. When I come to visit you in three weeks, you will have a brand new, perfect-fit (*fingers crossed*) cardigan to wear this spring. Expect a photo shoot!

It should be a nice three-season cardigan. Since you live in the sunny south, you probably won’t be able to wear it in the heat of summer, but all other times of year should work. I think the coral-orange shade will be a great complement to your shiny chestnut hair. It is pretty and professional, much like you and your style. Of course, I considered green for the cardigan’s color - as you are a St. Paddy’s Day baby - but I figured that you had enough green in your closet, and maybe not enough of this color.

As I am knitting it, I am thinking about you and our many memories. You have grown into such a talented and beautiful young woman. Of course, you were always cute… the freckles and the big hazel eyes and now, here you are preparing for a new life with your Mr. I love him too, by the way. In fact, I have a feeling that after he sees this cardi, he may commission a sweater for himself. Tell him that I can’t knit a football jersey!

So… it will be finished soon. I hope you love it. I sure love you.

Happy birthday, baby girl~

Love,

Lolly

There is definitely something to be said for steadiness. I have been completely monogamous in my knitting… ALL Printed Silk Cardigan ALL the time. Well, not all of the time, I must say, as I have also been spending a large amount of my free time with my nose in various books. My mind has been wandering to all sorts of small “instant gratification” knits [my Ravelry queue is 7 pages long!] but I have stayed true. I remained loyal. Printed Silk Cardigan, you better be worth it!

…and Sissy, you better like it when its done! All joking aside, it is an enjoyable knit. I am at the “calm before the storm” - or the ribbing right before the twisted stitch/lace bodice. I knit the body pieces together to avoid seaming with this splitty yarn later. Yet, I am at the point where I need to separate the pieces and knit the lace on each panel.

It occurred to me this afternoon that while I am creating this garment for my sister, she is in the process of looking for a very important garment herself… she and my mother went wedding dress shopping today. It is still the preliminary round and no decisions have been made (that I know of) but many other wedding plans are falling into place. They set their date for October 18th. They already have the church and the reception hall reserved, as well as the caterer. They are planning a midday wedding. She has even chosen the dresses for the bridesmaids, and while I have not bought it yet, I am pretty excited about the design. It is a simple and elegant cocktail-length dress in a lovely shade of green. Since it will be an autumn wedding, we are going to have a great time with colors. Sarah is planning an orange bouquet with red and brown highlights for all of the flowers. Who knows… maybe this cardigan color will inspire her as well!