Joy’s Back

The back of the Joy cardigan is finished.  I think the only reason why pattern writers start the instructions off with knitting the back first, is to see if you can actually grin and bear it.  Of course, not all patterns are like pulling teeth, and Joy isn’t that bad, but that moss stitch is killer.  Flipping the yarn this way and that, I’m glad it’s only a six and a half inch stretch.  On a positive note, moss stitch creates the perfect flat fabric with a good bit of give and blocks nicely. 

The rest of the pattern should be a breeze really.  How do you like my nubbins?!  I’m loving them, so simple, but a wonderful detail.  You know, you could put just about any pattern on your Joy cardigan if you really wanted to… hint, hint.  You really should. 

More to come soon. 

Welcome back, Old Friend, I missed you.

Happy Autumnal Equinox! 

You’ll always find me in good spirits in the harvest season.  I’ll be in the kitchen, in a baking, bubbling, toil.  Cakes, pies, muffins, and sweet breads seem to fly out of the oven.  Today, I celebrated with mini pumpkin muffins, a small step to prepare the fam with what is to come over the course of the season (my husband will develop a taste for pumpkin soup and butternut squash soup this year… or starve).

Egads! The knitting is afoot!

Yes, the knitting is afoot. 

I decided against the Suzette cardigan for now, as Christmas knitting requests dire attention.  Instead, before knitting two pairs of socks (for good ol’ dad and my BIL), I’ll make my way through the Joy cardigan (also by Kim Hargreaves, also found in Vintage Knits, as in the Rowan version).  Some changes will be made, of course, as I’m not keen on threading 5,300 beads onto my yarn.  Joy wouldn’t be the same, however, without those textural details, so for every “Bead 1,” there will be in its place a purl bump, or “nubbins” as I refer to them. 

  

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of Rowan’s Vintage Knits, you can find a similar cardigan in Jennie Atkinson’s Romantic Style, the Beaded Jacket (the one in yellow, just minus the satin-ribbon, but about nine times as many beads, or in my case, nubbins).

As a side note, I’ve noticed an increased interest in my blog recently.  Mr. Yarn Bearer referred to the regular readers as my “entourage.”  Soon I’ll have a Cadillac Escalade and access to VIP knitting groups.  Now my readers just need to bulk up.

An Evening We Shant Forget

I am pleased with the reviews of my skirt, An Affair to Remember, thanks to all the Craftsters who visited and commented (here or there, on Craftster.org).

Recently, however, my knitting has taken to the back seat.  I suppose I just haven’t felt inspired.  Of course, there are countless patterns available to me as well as waiting to be discovered, but I think I’m just waiting for that project that really jumps out at me. 

Last night was the weekly SnB at Wild Fibre, and it seemed like more of a treat than usual.  An adequately sized group, we all appeared to be in good spirits and rather chatty.  It was lovely and relaxing.  Afterward, Julia, Rachel, Jennifer, and I paid a visit to Tracy (a.k.a. the High Queen Poo-bah of Fiber Art, a.k.a. Mayor of Yarn).  A good time was had by all (and without the use of Chloroform even, imagine that). 

My knitty senses feel revived and invigorated, I think I can get back to some serious knitting…  As soon as I find that pattern, I’ll let you know.

An Affair to Remember, remembered

I finished Romantic Hand Knits’ An Affair to Remember just over a week ago, but Mr. Yarn Bearer (who also serves as Mr. Camera Man) was on duty.

I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful this project was.  It took three days to knit, and if you don’t have a three year old, you may do it in less.  I changed the yarn to Knit Picks Main Line in Blueberry.  I used ten skeins, with some to spare, for the smallest size.  Actually, if you buy eleven skeins, you’ll have enough left to make the High Society hat (which I think would be such a lovely pair).  I didn’t change anything pattern wise, except I made mine just an inch shorter, but I’m 63″ tall. 

OH!  I did find one pattern flaw.  For the Waistband, after working eight rows of St st your Next Row (RS) should go as follows (eh, this is for the smallest size, the corrected error is in bold):

K7 , (K11, k2tog) 8 times, knit to end of row – 104 sts. 

Now and Then

When I started knitting, I thought I’d never use a chart keeper, my hands were just as good as a swift, and acrylic was just fine.

Fortunately, we grow as knitters.  I got tired of keeping track of my rows on Post Its (which I would lose, and find again, only now with a website or phone number written on it).  My chart keeper arrived just last week. 

I still don’t have a swift, but am always on the look out for one.  I envy those with swifts (and ball winders).  At the moment, I’m holding out for a lovely floor standing swift, it’ll look nice even when I leave it out (and I know that I will).

As for acrylic… gross.  That was back when the closest LYS was more than two hours in one direction and Walmart was only five minutes from my house.  But now I know.  There is a difference between a sweater made with Caron Simply Soft and the same pattern in Cascade 220 or Rowan 4-ply Soft. 

Wait… am I a yarn snob now?  Maybe to new knitters, eh, they’ll see.