FO: Antoinette...

I just moved back to the US and have been busy so posting has been rather slow. In the meantime, I have another FO!



Pattern: Antoinette from Rowan 39
Yarn: Rowan Cotton Rope in shade 063 "parma"; 12 balls
Needles: US10/6mm and US9/5.5mm Denise Interchangeables
Time: ≤ 3 weeks

Notes:

This was a very simple cardigan to knit--mostly stockinette with just a bit of mock cable rib for interest. I wasn't a huge fan of the yarn, though. I like the feel of the knitted fabric but it wasn't fun to work with. The plies were easily split, and I found it difficult to weave in ends without making it noticeable. The latter might just be due to the thickness of the yarn, though.

I knit the smallest size, which called for 12 balls and I pretty must used it all up. I had two feet left. I bought a couple extra balls just in case that I didn't use in the end, but I probably would have used a bit of one extra if I hadn't have used the Russian join for adding new balls of yarn.

Overall I'm pretty satisfied with this cardi. I just need to go back and fix a couple spots where the joins between balls of yarn is quite visible but that shouldn't be a huge problem.

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Next up: a cotton top with buttoned sleeves. I've been working on the sketches and pattern for a while now and finally got around to starting it a couple weeks ago. Another nice, simple knit but with a fun little twist.

I also just started the Deep V Argyle Vest because I can't seem to stay away from colorwork or new (to me) techniques. This time, steeking! I'm looking forward to it. (Note: I have a mildly destructive side to me so the idea of cutting my knitting and getting away with it intrigues me.)

More pending fall knits include Sarcelle by Kristi from Knitters Anonymous, a thick wrap sweater that I've been sketching, and this Phildar pullover (a.k.a. "Colchique") that I've been thinking about for months. The Colchique will depend on how the Rowan Felted Tweed I have in my stash looks in the stitch pattern, though.

I'm also thinking about the Embellished V-Neck from this fall's issue of Vogue Knitting.



However, I'm hoping to find photos other than the magazine before I decide to do it.

FO: Orangina...

I'm on a roll.


Drying in the window.

Pattern: Orangina by Stefanie Japel (Glampyre)
Yarn: Jaeger Java (5.5 balls)
Needles: US4/3.5mm Addi Turbos; US3/3.24mm Inox aluminum circs
Time: ~2 months of on and off knitting
Mods: Joined front and back at base of armholes; went down one needle size for ribbing.

Notes:

This pattern is really simple and easy, which is great for "in-between" moments. I accidentally knit the lace part about an inch short--I knit the 36" side but for some reason, I must have looked at the 34" instructions when I checked for length. It's not too bad, though. My mom will be wearing something underneath, and she has a shortish torso so it should be fine.

I read in a couple places that a few people have gone down a needle size for the ribbing so that it draws in more rather than hanging loose. I can't really tell if it made a difference for me as the yarn has pretty much zero elasticity nor do different stitch patterns seem to produce very different gauges.

Yes, I finally found some info on the Java! According to the ball band, it should be a fingering weight (and it looks like it, too) but the wiseNeedle entry calls it DK. I swatched in four different needles sizes and I think it's closer to fingering. The fabric is just too open and floppy on US5/3.75mm needles. However, the fabric is also a little stiff so you can't really knit it at anything less than US3/3.25mm's, either. Anyway, the yarn was fairly coarse to work with, which did start to bother me after a while. Once knitted up, the fabric does have a nice and pretty sheen. I just hope it softens up enough after it dries.

In other news, I cast on for Antoinette. It's pretty straight forward stockinette in a chunky yarn on large needles (well, large compared to the needle sizes I normally use). Perfect for my multi-tasking habit.


The least cluttered part of my desk...

Read, knit, write, knit...

Throw in job searching plus figuring out how I'm going to pack for the move back to the other side of The Pond and this pretty much sums up my life right now. Things are busy and stressful, but I still knit here and there to help keep from going crazy. (By the way, thanks for the nice comments on the argyle stockings! I really appreciate the feedback.)

I finally installed a zipper into Saranac, and it was my first time doing so. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be but it's not something I care to do again in the near future, either. I'm sure I've mentioned this before but I am simply bad at anything that involves a needle and thread. So even a small task such as sewing in a zipper is very frustrating. However, I took my time and I got some passable results. It's not perfect but the imperfections are unnoticeable on the outside. That's what counts, right?

As shown in the sidebar, I'm now halfway through Orangina (for Mom). I've mostly been knitting this at knitting group or while waiting for research documents to load into .pdf format for downloading. It's going by fairly quickly as the lace pattern is easy to memorize and my mom is much smaller than my dad (never making him a sweater again). I decided to join the front and back at the base of the armhole rather than at the beginning of the ribbed section. This will save me from having to seam the sides and cut out some purling time. I generally don't have any issues with purling (unless I'm knitting Continental style), but this yarn is a little difficult to work with, especially when purling long rows. Normally I wouldn't just work any lace garment in the round as the presence of seams would give it more structure. However, the lace pattern seems pretty sturdy and it's not a large piece so I'm okay with knitting it in the round.

I also broke down and bought 12 balls of Rowan Cotton Rope in "parma" that were on sale for less than £2 each. To be fair, though, I did buy it with a project in mind. I've been in need of a simple cardigan or two and was eyeing a couple patterns in Rowan 39--once I was able to differentiate between the, um, extra styling and the actual knitted garments, I noticed quite a few nice patterns such as Antoinette.



Of course, this doesn't really help me with my packing issues...