Why I Knit the Same Sweater Twice

...or, when you sense something's wrong with your knitting, frog it. Don't keep going on telling yourself it'll be fine, when a little voice in the back of your head keeps saying it won't :)

So last summer I started Buttercup with 7 skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy - six skeins of one dyelot and a seventh of a different, noticeable darker dyelot. I told myself it'd be okay, and started the top-down sweater with the one odd skein. After starting the second skein the difference was very noticeable and I frogged the sweater with plans to make it again this summer. (You can see my original post here.)

I decided to try the sweater again this summer. In a fit of brilliance (not!) I decided that instead of using the one odd skein by itself in the first half, I'd alternate rows with another skein. Let me just say, bad idea. I somehow convinced myself it was okay and finished the sweater.



You can see the striping in this photo. Also, the neckline was too low for my taste - it just looked weird with a shell under it. I like my sweaters to be about 15" from the underam to the hem. After trying it on, I decided that even though the sweater was about 2" short of that, it felt okay, and bound off. Another bad idea. It was too short, ending at the widest part of my hips, not flattering at all.



I decided to try again, with only the six balls of yarn, and using option B of the pattern, which has a higher neckline. I also decided to make the body length 15", and not go by the try-on length. I'm so glad I tried again, because I love this sweater!



Pattern: Buttercup by Heidi Kirrmaier
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy, color 14, 6 skeins
Needles: US 4 & US 5



This is the second time I've used this yarn, and I love it. It's a bit rough to work with, but it wears incredibly well, and makes a very comfortable sweater.



I finished this in late summer and didn't get a lot of time to wear it before fall, but I hope to enjoy it next year.

And I'm so glad for this lesson that I was able to use this past weekend. I was working on my Tree Jacket and made a mistake which I realized a few rows afterwards. I tried to brush it off, but finally decided to rip a few rows and fix the mistake. I'm so glad I did, because the mistake would have thrown off the pattern of the whole sweater yoke.



I'm absolutely loving this knit, and the Cascade Venezia - it's sooo soft and silky smooth!

Tree Jacket - Finished!

Pattern: Tree Jacket by ZephyrStyle
Yarn: Reynolds Soft Linen, 13 skeins
Needles: US 7 (4.5mm)
Modifications: None



This was a great pattern. Like any top-down pattern, it was quite quick and easy. The yarn was great to work with also. I was using it at first for the Dollar-and-a-Half Cardigan, but it came out horribly (all my fault) and I frogged it.



I started the sweater with size 8 needles but it was coming out way too loose, so I started over at the raglan increases with size 7's. The sleeves are a bit loose, but they're also quite comfortable, and the sweater is warm and light enough for the 50 degree weather we've been having.


Just a little sleeve bokeh for you.

FO: Ariann

Ariann is finished. And I'm sure she'll be a favorite.



Pattern: Ariann by Bonnie Marie Burns
Yarn: Cascade 220, color 4008, 5 skeins
Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) & US 7 (4.5mm)
Mods: Lengthened the body by about 2", worked buttonholes every 3".
Ravel It!



I started this sweater in late January, and then got sidetracked with other projects. I just wasn't feeling very enthusiastic about it, but after finishing a couple of other projects, I picked her up again. And I'm so glad I did.



The pattern was enjoyable and the two-row lace repeat was very easy to memorize. The seamless construction is a huge plus, and it was just plain fun to work on. I love the garter stitch collar on it as well.



I think I'll probably be making another one of these - my Mom asked for one after seeing mine:)

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Cabled Spiral Pullover

So I'm finally getting around to blogging about my NaKniSweMo Sweater. It was finished on December 6th. I've worn it quite a bit - it's now one of my favorite sweaters.



Pattern: Cabled Spiral Pullover from Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Rowanspun DK, mist, about 5-1/3 skeins
Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm)
Modifications: Added waist shaping.



This was a great pattern, very easy to follow and of course, yoked sweaters are always enjoyable. The yarn was pretty good. I discovered during seaming though that it's also very delicate - if you pull too hard it will break. I have to be careful taking it off to not snap the seams (yes, I did that the first time I took it off!). Overall, this is a great sweater and I'm very happy with it.

Pre-Blog Sweater: Ribby Cardi

This is the Ribby Cardi from Chic Knits. I made it about a year ago using Cascade 220 tweed. It's very warm, but did not receive much wear last year. I've worn it once this year, and I think it'll get more wear this year than last. It was a great, fast and easy pattern. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Wheat Ear Cable Yoke Sweater

I've been taking photos of several pre-blog projects for Ravelry. I'm glad of that now, because they make excellent blogging material when you didn't take photos on a particular day, and you want to blog.



This is my Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke Sweater designed by Pam Allen from Interweave Knits Summer 2007. (Ravelry Link Here.) This was one of my favorite sweaters last year, and I'm sure I'll be wearing it a lot this winter as well.

Trying Again

Well, I missed a few days there. I hope I can blog every day for the rest of this month!

I finished the sleeves for my Cabled Spiral Pullover and have started the front and back. I'm knitting them both at the same time flat as the pattern states. I took the photo above last week and have made more progress since then. This was at the end of the first ball of Rowanspun DK. I was able to get a sleeve and 2-1/2" of the front from it - great yardage!

Sleeves

After I finished my Veste Everest there was some time before NaKniSweMo, so I cast on for the Dollar-and-a-Half Cardigan. I read on a blog a while ago about knitting two sleeves at one time on a circular needle to avoid second sleeve syndrome. After reading that, I've always cast on for the sleeves first when I'm making a sweater, and it really does help the sweater to at least feel like it's going faster.

I was able to finish the sleeves for the Dollar-and-a-Half Cardigan on October 31st.



I then cast on for the sleeves of my NaKniSweMo sweater, the Cabled Spiral Pullover by Norah Gaughan from Knitting Nature.



I'm using Rowanspun DK in Mist. I'm used to knitting with worsted weight yarn, so this is going a little slower than usual. Hopefully I'll finish the sleeves this weekend.

FO: Equinox Yoke Pullover

It's finished! And I love how it turned out.



I've wanted to make this sweater since seeing it on the cover of Interweave Knits Fall 2006.



And, even though I look like I feel so-so about this sweater in the above photo, let me assure you I do not. I just am able to make some weird faces in photos at times.

So, the details:

Pattern: Equinox Yoke Pullover by Michele Rose Orne from Interweave Knits Fall 2006
Yarn: Cascade 220 Wool - Color 3462, purple, 4 skeins, and one skein each of 8884 (dark burgundy), 4147B (pale yellow), 8401 (medium gray-green heather), 7829 (medium red), 7824 (orange red), 8400 (dark gray-brown heather), 8010 (light tan heather), 2453 (red-brown heather), Berocco Ultra Alpaca 6275
Needles: US 6 & US 4



So, modifications. I knit the sleeves in the round, and cast on eight less stitches than specified in the pattern (they were coming out huge). I also knit the sweater in the round, using the instructions for holding the underarm stitches from the Cactus Blossom Pullover in Knitscene Fall 2007. I did a few extra decreases at the neck because the neckline was a little wide for my taste.



I hope you all have a gret weekend! I'll be casting on for my Norovember & NaKniSweMo projects - more on that next time :)

A Finished Project and Some New Ones, Too

I finished a pair of socks a few weeks ago that I never blogged about.



This is my second pair of socks with Noro Kureyon Sock and I'm sure it won't be the last. After having to frog my Meida's Socks, I just wasn't into the sock knitting for a while. But the Kureyon Sock took care of that.



I made a ribbed sock this time instead of plain stockinette. I'm a tight knitter, and the last stockinette pair I made is a bit tight on my foot - I have to do some coaxing to get the sock over my heel. To those of you who make plain stockinette socks, is this just how they are, or do I need to go up a needle size?



Pattern: Madder Ribbed Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock, 1 skein, color S95
Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm)

I also started some new projects.

First, the Flower Basket Shawl in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool.



I finished the first Bird-In-Hand Mitten:



I've started the second mitten, but I've only done a few inches of it.

I started the second toe-up sock of the pair that I started in April, which I've just turned the heel on.



I decided to try the Meida's Socks again, this time knitting a little looser and on US 2 needles instead of US 1's.



And, the project that I've put everything aside to work on, the Equinox Yoke Pullover.



Both sleeves and body have been completed and joined, and I'm working on the colorwork part of the yoke now. I'm hoping to finish it this weekend. It's going pretty quickly and it's so much fun to work on a fall sweater again.

I've got a few more thins that didn't make it into this already long post that I'll save for next time. I think I'm finally getting back into a blogging rhythm!

Josephine Top

I finished the Josephine Top, and I've worn it quite a bit.



This is the first time I've made a garment on size 4 needles, and I really like the thinner material you get with the thinner yarn. The Karabella Vintage Cotton was really nice to knit with, too - soft and silky. Definately a cotton I'd use again.



I finished the front and back, and then let them sit for a couple weeks before doing the finishing. I wish I would have done it right away - I could have worn it a few more times when the weather was warmer. We had our first real fall day today - I don't think it got above 65 degrees - and it's soooo nice! Almost cold enough to wear fall sweaters.



Here's the Specs:

Pattern: Josephine Top from Interweave Knits Summer 2007
Yarn: Karabella Vintage Cotton, color 320, 6 balls.
Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm)
Modifications: The empire and a-line top styles do not look good on me so I made changes for the fit. I cast on the number of stitches required for the 36" bust, and increased to the number required for the 40" bust when I got to the bodice. I also continued the textured lace pattern to the armholes, and switched to the textured purl stitch pattern just before I began the armhole shaping. I was hoping this would work out well, and I'm so glad it did.

And, here's one more photo - thanks to my sister Priscilla for doing the photo shoot with me.