My Arachne is done! I love it. I wore it for driveway knitting earlier this week even though it was above 70 and a heavy wool sweater was not necessary. I’ll be wearing this sweater constantly until Halloween.
I adapted the pattern heavily and actually kept notes in my Ravelry project page. I gained a lot of confidence making this sweater. I took a pull over and made it a cardigan. I added pockets. I changed the weight of the yarn. I feel like a fancy knitter now.
Oh my gosh, steeking is cool. I want to try a sewn steek too. One pocket lining is all it took to make me want to cut up my knitting.
This week is flying by for me. Luckily, it feels like my knitting is flying along too.
I’m working my way down the leg of the second sock. I’m hopeful I’ll get to the heel flap today.
I’ve finished knitting the first pocket lining of the Throughstone sweater. I would be steeking it today, but I didn’t bring the right size of crochet hook to secure the steek. I used magic loop on this lining, but I’ll be switching to DPNs for the second lining. It is the first time I will have used DPNs in years, so wish me luck. I really like that the pocket linings are used as the colorwork gauge swatch.
What are you working on this week?
My March cast on was originally scheduled to be Ellie’s graduation socks, but I started them early. I decided to make my March cast on the Throughstone Sweater. My colors choices are unusual for me (other than the teal).
The brown and purple are very similar in tone, but they won’t be used at the same time so I’m going with it.
It might seem odd to start a colorwork yoke sweater the month before the Arachne KAL starts, but there are several new to me techniqes I want to try out before I start knitting my Arachne with dreamy yarn.
I have completed the gauge swatch for this sweater. I knit a flat gauge swatch, as I normally scoff at swatching in the round. My gauge was so off I decided to try swatching in the round. I tried the technique where you use two circular needles of different sizes to knit a tube, knitting two swatch sizes at a time. While knitting that swatch I became paranoid that I wouldn’t remember the size of needles that I was using, or which needle I used on which side (yes, I realize the smaller the needle the more stitches I’ll end up with, but when I’m looking at gauge I’m easily flustered and confused). I decided to purl the number of stitches of the size of the needle I was using. It was very helpful, and I’ll be doing it again.
The pocket linings are used as the colorwork gauge swatches. I’ll be starting them soon, just as soon as I work up the courage.
Are you casting on anything new this month?
Last week, after I finished my Farmhouse Cardigan I was excited to see how much yarn I had left over. I could have put it back in my stash, but I decided a better thing to do was try to make a sweater for Audrey in a week. I mean, why wouldn’t I add knitting stress to the regular stress of the holiday season?
I cast on the Oxbow Cardigan by Andrea Mowry and started knitting like mad. I didn’t make Christmas cookies or party mix in order to gain knitting time. I finished it on Christmas night, and I love the results.
This is an open cardigan without buttonholes. That does not fly with a certain five-year-old. I sewed the buttons she picked out on to the sweater. She is a big fan. I did not block this sweater, because it seemed like a lot of work for something for a child. It looks fine.
This sweater pattern is sized from baby to adult. I think I’ll be making this sweater for myself soon, because now that I see it close up I adore it.
After finishing The Weekender last week I quickly finished a pumpkin hat for my sister’s baby.
Once I finished my hat I told myself I was going to focus on my socks. If I really focused on them I could finish them in time for a sock it to me Monday post. I was determined. I pulled out the socks. I knit one row. Then I tossed them to the side and cast on a baby sweater.
The pattern is Gidday Baby I was looking for a free pattern to use up some Valley Yarns Superwash DK and this sweater fit my needs. I normally believe in paying for patterns because you get what you pay for. I still believe that. The pattern was awkward to work from, only because I’ve knit sweaters before. From the increases to picking up stitches under the arm, I was annoyed every step of the way. But it’s done. And I knit it fast to be done with it.
While blocking the sweater I threw in a pair of socks that needed to be washed. They are socks with very little pink in them, but the socks managed to bleed onto the sweater, so you can see some blotches of pink. I am choosing to think of it as a special gift – this way Mary-Claire can spill something on the sweater and not feel the least bit guilty.
I should get back to work on my socks. Or maybe I’ll start a sweater. What do you think I’ll actually work on next?
mildlygranola 