My mom's reaction was (of course) that she wants one as well. She also said I should email the pattern designer, and show them how I changed the neckline. I don't think she realized all the times I was bitching about knit math was because there was no pattern to go with.

So the specs:
Saxon braid (pick a source! I used the chart from "Welcome Back, Old Friend" (Kathy Zimermann, Fall 2000). But you could pick any Saxon Braid chart). Also: Cables Pull In. Swatch the cable! I had to cast on an extra 20 stitches for the front.

Basic outline from Ann Budd's Handy Book of Sweater patterns. I used short row shoulders on the body, which was much better than steps and seams. I want to use more short rows in the future, they're fun. I started the V-neck shaping a lot lower than she has in the book, so I pulled in the knitting equation from "Stitch and Bitch Nation."

Yarn: KnitPicks Merino Style, Hollyberry. 13 skeins (for $2.29 each -- less than $30 for a hand knit sweater!) I think this is going to be one of my new favorite sweater staples. I found two knots in 13 skeins, and only one snag. Felt very nice in my hands the whole time. It did turn my bamboo needles pink, so I'm a wee concerned about wearing a white shirt under the sweater. Also, I tried spit splicing for the first time. Why haven't I done this sooner?! So quick! So few ends to weave (hate the ends! I wove ends and seamed for about 7 hours today! Okay, so I still have to hem the edges. Bah. Not like I can wear it until Octobor anyway. I hear there's some DMC thread in the same color available, and that makes for easier hemming. Will investigate.).

The V-Neck Detail

posted by Amber @ 8:55 PM 2 comments

Frankensweater - It Lives!

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Mostly just to throw the sleeve from "Spring Fling" in there. It's the many sweater of many sleeves.

I know I haven't talked about the not so fair theoretical lately - after unraveling the front (and much cursing at the yarn) I did the sleeves and the back, and then put it aside for a while before starting the front *again.*

Now to weave in ends (why oh why did I not spit splice until working on the front?) And also to figure out hemming without making it look funny (I decided to do a hemmed edge, but didn't consider that this would involve sewing around 42 inches at the hem, as well as around the sleeves).

In other news, I have 8 balls of sock yarn from knitpicks (and I *am* too lazy to take a picture). Two for machine wash socks, and two hand wash -- which will probably be mittens, since handwash socks are silly). I think a sock would be a good next project. Small and portable. Sock or a side for Spring Fling. Or both. Spring Fling is pretty solitary knitting, with the small and the lace.

posted by Amber @ 8:49 AM 0 comments

Thoughts on Spring Knitty

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Mesilla - After a few takes, I don’t think this would be a bad sweater if it were in a single color, and if it didn’t have the weird embroidery down the side. It looks a little too Rowan for my taste. I’d like to see a back shot, since someone read over the pattern and said it had some strange back decrease.

Anatolia - That’s a whole lot of colorwork. I’m very meh about it.

Ungranny Smith - I don’t like the color, and I’m not quite sure about the shaping, but I think I like this one. Texture without to much over the topness that you sometimes see in handknit patterns.

T-Twist - It seems like Picovoli for people who think they're fat and fat people should only wear shapeless garments. But really, I think Picovoli has better shaping that would be slimming on many body types, whereas this is a little 'tent shirt' in my opinion.

Jamesey - I think someone’s trying to set up her son. Or else there's some weird Oedipal vibes from that first paragraph. I'm choosing to go with trying to set him up. Overall the pattern seems impractical – it's really only going to look good on tall, thin boys, and how many knitters have tall, thin boys to knit for? Some are knitting for husbands, but if you scroll through menswear in knitty archives, it seems most guys being knit for are not so skinny. And the younger knitter set is split into two camps about the sweater curse, so half of them won't be knitting for skinny boyfriends, so it really leaves a very small group of people who will be knitting this sweater. Also, the line between the ribbing and the arrow patterning seems unsightly. And that first shot kind of gives him man boobs, which defeats the whole "He's so tall and thin and hansom!" statements that start off the pattern.

Jardin Anglais - AIEEEEE! The fug will get me! In seriousness, the colors are just way to 80s technobright in my opinion, and it’s designed with 4 inches of ease. Okay, I guess that’s a good outerwear type sweater for crisp mornings. But here’s the thing. It’s kind of cropped (the back measurement on the size I would wear is 22 inches. My theoretical sweater has a 25 inch back) The smallest size is for a 40" bust. That’s me. The largest size is for a 54" bust (with 24.5 inch back), and here’s the best part – a RUFFLE sitting around the waist (and don’t get me wrong, I like ruffles, I'm plotting a sweater with a ruffle at the hem. And that’s the difference (I think) – ruffle at hem – cute and flirty. Ruffle at the waist on a sweater designed for large women – horrific and in no way flattering. Hell, it makes the designer look chunky, and she's wearing the 40 inch size.

Exchequered - I dislike the colors but I like the idea of a double knit scarf.

Tendrils - that looks like the least warm shawl EVER. But then what do I know, shawls always seem impractical to me.

Nagano Sakura - If it’s cold, why are you wearing a tank top? And don’t get me wrong, I love *all* things cherry blossom , but a scarf (a felted scarf) that’s supposed to look like a branch? I just think it looks like a little noose with some flowers.

Convertible - I like the stitch pattern, and I think it might look okay seemed up the arms (no snaps!) And the short sleeve version is cute too, although I think I’d hurt myself if I wrapped part of a shrug around my neck.

Topi - You know that scene in "Fiddler on the Roof" when Tevye is feeding the animals in the barn, and starts singing "If I Were a Rich Man" – I would feel compelled to start singing that if I ever made and wore this hat.

Reid - I think the stitch pattern would be great for a grown up. The fact that they provide suggestion for getting it on without tangling fingers (and thus ruining the stitch pattern by pulling it out strangely) suggests maybe it isn’t suited for the 2-4 year old crowd.

Double Scoop - I don't think it looks anything like an ice cream cone, but it’s still cute.

Tiny Tether - It's funny, the release of Spring Knitty coincided with someone in a knitting community asking for baby patterns. Someone immediately suggested the Tiny Tether, and someone else immediately suggested that some parents would be angry at stuff like this, because they don’t believe in using pacifiers. Which led to minor kerfluffle about how new parents should appreciate things, and then in response how people shouldn't make assumptions about the way people will parent.

I'm pondering how to use the cherry blossom pattern from Nagano Sakura to make a clip so that I'll stop losing my keys in my backpack.

Pedicure Socks - Going back to what I said about Nagano Sakura – if it's so cold when you're getting a pedicure that you need socks, maybe you shouldn't be wearing flip flops? I think they look silly, but I guess I can see the motivation. What can I say, I don't get pedicures (as in, I don't have people mess with my feet, I understand the motivation having a pedicure). If rich famous people like Paula Abdul have shoddy manicures and have fingernails fall off, imagine what would happen to a poor peon like me (plus, my feet are always cold, which I think probably means poor circulation, so if I did get an infection from a botched pedicure, it would never heal and I'd wind up with a gangrenous foot). This is why I wear close toed shoes.

Hedera - Someone had to tell me these were socks (I'm not so much for reading the little into snippits the first go around). In that first picture, between the white shoe with the black sole, and all the white lacing, I couldn't figure it out. (And if I can't figure out what it is from the first picture, why would I want to scroll down?) Anyway, it seems like it's probably a cute pattern. Maybe I'll try it out (I even have some Rowan 4 ply soft in my yarn closet).

Nautie - Um. I guess they’re like the plush microbes, if you're into that sort of thing, they're the coolest things ever, and if you're not, well...

posted by Amber @ 8:52 AM 0 comments

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