Oooh, those colorwork yoked sweaters really are my favorites.  Something about the simple construction that just makes me smile.  There was Aftur, and then Jacquard, and the Védis Vest, and the most recent Liberec sweater for Kris … and the newest (in progress) addition:  Eyja!

Body done and sleeves complete to the armholes – time to yoke up!  I pulled out my long circular needle and counted around the 300+ stitches.  Sure beats the 600 stitches I had going on for Kris’s sweater on size 2 needles earlier this year.  Puts things in perspective!

I am making a small change to the colorwork chart, but I doubt it will be that noticeable.  I am also planning to add one more color – a deep purple – for a 4 color yoke instead of the 3 colors in the pattern.  Hoping it won’t be too *loud*.  I realized as I was knitting the body together that the majority of yarns for this sweater (minus the ivory) were bought in Canada.  The main color, the dark teal, was purchased in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia at Hands On Crafts (my fun day with Ingrid and Annie!) and the mustard yellow was purchased in Vancouver, British Columbia earlier this year while visiting Christa at Three Bags Full.

Can’t wait to start this colorwork!

PS: Looking for a little pattern inspiration?  I am doing a crafty bookshelf sale – check out what I have here!

It’s inevitable that when the longest and hottest days of summer hit (that would be now), my mind automatically shifts to the fall season.  Projecting to the cooler temperatures and the warm knits to come… trying to plan ahead…

My knitting has slowed a bit this year – at this point last year, I had already knit 6 garments and a handful of other accessories.  This year, I only have 2 garments down, but many more scarves completed.  What I do have:  a whole lot of plans for the future.  Pullovers and cardigans on my brain.

Round One:  the Switcheroo Cardigan (+cowl and armwarmers) and Eyja Pullover

The Switcheroo (designed by the wonderfully talented Mandy Moore, who I had the pleasure of meeting in person in Vancouver earlier this year) is featured in Mandy’s book, Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti.  Brilliant design – simple 3/4 length sleeve plain front raglan cardi with a detachable cowl and detachable arm cuffs.  So customizable!  I will be casting on right after I finish this post in that yummy red yarn above it.   The Eyja pullover is another of my favorite Icelandic patterns that has been in my queue for years – this one from the Lopi #26 collection.  I am using Briggs & Little Regal yarn for the body – the main color is this great teal, and I am still working out the plans for the yoke, but it looks something like this.  I like options.

…leaning towards the gold, violet, and ivory now… still thinking…

…and everything was fine and dandy and I had a plan for the future – and then this came along.  Oh Delancey!  I think I had a dream about you last night.  It’s gotta be that shawl collar.  I think I want one in every possible combination of stripes and solids.  LOVE   …and can’t forget Kerrera.  Love that too.

I could go on for awhile… sigh

What are you dreaming of for fall?  I can’t be the only one…

Another quick stashbusting project – this time a very wearable pullover for at least three seasons of the year.  I made another version of this Mottled Pullover last year, and while that one turned out quite well, I think I am even happier with this one.  The yarn is a better match – more drape and even mottled or “speckled-y” as I like to say – and the overall fit is better.  I think second time was a charm!

Pattern:  Rebecca 33, #26
Yarn: Rowan RYC Natural Silk Aran, color 465 (blue-gray)
Needles: Size US 9 and 10
[Ravelry Notebook page]

Modifications:  Like my first version, I made the sleeves 3/4-length, which seems better for the warmer temperatures.  I also shortened the hemline rib, favoring stockinette.  The pattern also calls a picked up neckband, which I just found unnecessary.  So, I left the smaller vertical rib, making the v-neck a little deeper.  As with any translated pattern, there are many times where the knitter has to “fill in the blanks” and just go on instinct.  This instinct comes from making other garments, so this sweater (and maybe others from Rebecca’s collection) would not be the ideal “first sweater” project unless there is lots of guidance! 

I bought the yarn awhile back at the LYS – it was that amazing mottled colorway that drew me right in.  Seeing it become a lovely fabric was a nice treat.   However, I have been going through a small-scale existential dilemma… after reading Maria’s amazingly well-researched Sustainability Series at Bloodroot Spins , I am feeling a conviction about using silk.   The thing is, I have quite a bit of it in my stash (usually in blends)… and I like working with it.  Sure, I knew the basics about silk production, but I was still ignorant as to exactly how things actually happened; Maria’s blog post helped educate me.  At this point, I feel that using silk in my knitting does not “jive” with my code.   I am hoping that I can avoid an arrest by the vegan police… but I don’t feel the need to get rid of all my silky FOs (not this new one!) or stashed yarns… but I do feel the need to put the brakes on any new silk  purchases (ahem… just got this blend last weekend…) for the time being.  Yet, I will be evaluating the stash (and my conscience) and figuring out where I want to go from here…

I am not at the point where I want to reject use of all animal fibers (and many of my vegan peers would chastise me and say that I am in fact *not* a vegan because of this).  If that is the case, so be it.  Truth is, I love to work with wool, alpaca, mohair, angora… and I think that each of these things can be done in a sustainable and non-harming way.  (Anyone else seen the angora bunny lady at MDSW in years past?  that bunny doesn’t even feel a thing!)  Perhaps this is more ignorance on my part (or Pollyanna?) but those fibers are staying put in my stash.

~

By and large, the average (non-knitting) person automatically thinks of wool as the go-to fiber for knitting.  And while I could extoll wool for many a-blog post, I can also say that wool just is not suited for warm weather knits in my “neck of the woods” where it gets hot and steamy and sticky in the humid summer.  While we seem to be in a bit of a cool spell after a little heat wave earlier in the week, my mind is racing thinking about all of the spring/summer knits for those 90+ degree days!

 I made a tank top – so simple and fast to complete – out of some leftover yarns (stashbusting continues!) and I am nearing completion on a simple spring pullover next…

This is the A-Line tank from the Spring/Summer 2007 issue of Knit Simple.  I used leftover Classic Elite Classic Silk yarn in this lovely perwinkle color.  The tank is knit bottom-up, flared at the bottom with small decreases all the way up along these faux princess seams – then a small ribbing in the middle to gather the stitches.  I modified it to knit in the round,  adding an edge stitch to each side.  The pattern only goes up to a 36″ bust, and since I wanted a little ease, I went up a needle size (size US 8 and 9s) to make it more of a 37/38″ bust.  My plan worked, for the most part.  It isn’t the most “flattering” knit I have ever made, but it is cute and it will be worn. 

If I made this again, I would add some more length to it.  I often forget that my torso is longer than I think it is, and I tend to like my tops and tanks to be longer – around the top of the hip.  Luckily, I have a periwinkle camisole that is nearly the same color underneath to give the illusion of a bit more length. 

This pattern page on Ravelry has some lovely projects by other knitters, but none of the other knitters have my body shape – so I wasn’t quite sure how this one would out since I have a larger bust and wider hips.  Jury is still out if it is a success or not!

My newest knit – which is nearly done after lots of weekend knitting! – is another version of the Forrest Pulli top that I made last March.  This time, I am using a different fiber to get a more relaxed shape with some more ease.  This RYC Natural Silk Aran reeled me in hook. line. sinker. at the LYS awhile back.  The steeley blue/gray with little color flecks was just too much for me to turn down.  I didn’t have a pattern in mind when I bought it, so I was quite happy to match this pattern to this yarn.  The picture shows the knit as it looked late last week… you can now imagine a completed back and a front left panel.  Now onto the right and the sleeves, and it will be good!  I didn’t expect to motor through this knit so quickly, but now that I have, it seems almost possible that it could be done by the weekend – for Maryland Sheep and Wool festival

I am analyzing many garment shapes in my Ravelry queue to see if this is really the best style and knit shape for my body… luckily, I have Amy’s *amazing* new series of blog posts called “Fit to Flatter” to help me determine this kind of thing.  Amy has put together two amazing tutorials (so far) with lots of visuals, drawings, models, etc.  to aid the knitters/crocheters out there on the search for the perfect garment for your body shape.  Check it out.  You will definitely learn something.

Right now, I am particularly drawn to long tunic-style tanks and shifts – and while it’s a lot of knitting, it’s also a nice stashbuster too.  Some of the patterns that have caught my eye:

• Berroco’s Moska
• Interweave’s Summertime Tunic
• Purl Bee’s Leah Tunic
• Pegboard Lace Tunic
• Bottoms Up Tank
• Rebecca Yoked Lace Pulli

…and the list could go on and on!  Wonder how many I will realistically make this summer…

There she sits.

Undone.

…but I am okay with it…

It was a whole number of things that contributed to the fact that the sweater is not done – and won’t be done by the time I leave for Vancouver.  The snow was both a blessing and a curse.  It gave me five days to sit in the house (with occasional “snow shoveling” breaks), watch movies, and work on her.  But, when I ran out of the main color of yarn for the collar and the top colorwork section, it also prevented me from going to the yarn shop to pick up another ball.  And time constraints prevent me from going there now and spending another day working on it…

The knitting was a joy – but the finishing is not.  I have attempted to seam her up three times – shoulders and sleeves into armholes – and each time, I am not happy with the results.  So, I ripped back.  I think I need to do one of two things:  rip back to the point where I made the first mistake (stockinette and all) and just start over from there – OR steek about 2 more inches so that the armholes have more space and don’t bunch up like a trash bag.  It’s a drop shoulder construction, so that automatically changes things – it’s hard to get it to lay right on my shoulders.

So, maybe I ran out of steam as well as running out of yarn.  Maybe we both need a little break from each other.  Maybe she needs a vacation too.

Yeah, I am a little disappointed, but I also realize that it is not the end of the world, nor the end of the sweater.  I don’t want to do a shoddy job in finishing – cutting corners and leaving out parts of the chart – just to have it finished before the trip.

There you have it.  I am at peace about it.  It does help knowing that at least one part of my goal was completed with Kris’s sweater turning out so well – much better than I expected. And I will just finish this one sometime in the future…

–

Did you watch the Opening Ceremonies?  I was just amazed.  It was so beautiful and so well-done.  I loved the tributes to each part of the country and the cultures therein, and I thought the tragic death of the Georgian athlete was handled well during the ceremony (although the media really needs to stop showing the accident footage).

I know many of you were watching and casting on for your Olympics/Ravelympics projects.

Which part was your favorite?  I almost have too many to name – but the First Nations’ welcome, the orcas, the fiddlers, and the Rocky Mountain aerialists come to mind.  It was beautiful!  YAY CANADA

…Can’t wait to get up there and join the festivities!

See you on the flip side!!