Vixen Pullover - Cast On!

This is one of the patterns for the Fleece and Harmony third quarter Canadian Collaboration.  The pattern is the Raynard and Vixen Pullover, but that is just too long, so I shortened it to the Vixen Pullover for my project page.  It uses Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted in three colors:

Crow Wing

Fox & Kits (appropriately enough)

And Fairy Ring

I am right at the point in the yoke where I have three colors (the Crow Wing is for the eyes and nose of the foxes), and that is proving a little bit challenging.  I know that I could duplicate stitch those in later, but I really want to try to knit with all three colors.

I did work a couple of repeats with the three colors and then decided to take a break and focus on my Divine Beauty Shawl.  I am also a little concerned with the fabric I am getting.  I am good on the gauge, but I’m not sure I like the fabric.  I did a swatch on US 6 needles (the pattern calls for US 5 for the body), and I like the feel of that fabric, but the gauge I get with the larger needles does not match the gauge of the pattern and adjusting for the difference (by going down a pattern size) doesn’t seem to quite work out for the way I want the sweater to fit.  When I finish the colorwork yoke I am going to put the knitting on Barber Cord and block it and just see how I like it and how it fits.  I can always start over if I am not happy with the result.

The collar is worked on US 3 (3.25 mm) needles, and I remembered to use a needle one size smaller than the body needle on the straight stockinette short row section on the back of the neck.  So I used a US 4 (3.5 mm) for that part, and then switched to the US 5 (3.75 mm) needle when I got to the colorwork.  I’ll use a US 4 (3.5 mm) for the straight stockinette portion of the body as well.  I learned this trick while working the Bunny Wishes Sweater.  When I knit the Bunny Wishes Sweater I did not go down one needle size from the body for the short row section on the back of the neck and I can see the difference - fortunately it is not obvious - but I had made a mental note regarding that customization for the future.

Pattern:  Raynard and Vixen Pullover by Sarah L. Kelly

Yarn:  Fleece & Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needles:  US 3 (3.25 mm), US 4 (3.5 mm), US 5 (3.75 mm)

Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024 - One February Block Done, Second one started!

I finished this block up back on April 8, and then it took two days to dry when I blocked it.  I block these right side down, as I find it easier to pin out, given the curly edges due to the stockinette stitch, so I get a nice reveal when I unpin it.  This one blocked easily to 12 inches (unlike the first January block that I knit that I had to block aggressively to get it to 12 inches).  I’m getting better at the purling two handed colorwork thing, and I think my tension control is improving.  I have cast on the second February block as well.  I do enjoy knitting these, but they take a fair bit of concentration, so definitely not TV knitting, unless it is something that I can just listen to.

The colors for February are:  Mulberry Jam and Lilac

Pattern:  Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Sweet as Honey Cowl - Finished!

I also reblocked my Sweet as Honey Cowl as the first blocking didn’t look much better than the unblocked state, mostly because I didn’t actually stretch it out, I just soaked it and laid it out to dry.  I did try to do some stretching of it before I laid it out, but I didn’t pin it at all.  This time I stretched it vertically first, pinning the top and bottom, and then pulled it horizontally pinning it along the folded edge.  The bee section is still a little more lumpy than I would like, but overall I am happy with it.  I love the colors and the design.  The fabric is soft and it will be warm and cozy next winter.  I used the called for yarn in the called for colors.  I did have to go up two needle sizes to get anywhere close to gauge.  I haven’t actually measured my finished gauge - it fits me perfectly and that is good enough for me.  The only other modification I made was to work a 2x2 ribbing instead of the 1x1 ribbing the pattern called for, as I prefer the look of the 2x2 ribbing.

Pattern:  Sweet as Honey Cowl by Simone Van Iderstine

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024 - January Blocks Done!

Last week I finally finished my Bossy Blue Jay block.  I did an initial block of the block and didn’t like the result.  I don’t think I soaked it long enough and I didn’t block it firmly enough so I decided to reblock it.  I also decided to reblock the other block.  I blocked them right side down as I found it easier to pin the curling edges that way.  I started out with pins in each corner just to set the limits and I quickly realized that I needed to block the Blue Jay to larger dimensions than I had blocked the patterned block.  In fact I was able to block the Blue Jay to 12 inches by 12 inches, which is the called for dimension.  I was also able to reblock the patterned block to the same dimensions, although I had to stretch it rather strenuously.  Both blocks pulled in a little bit side to side when I took them off the blocking mats, but they are the same size.

At one point I thought that I would have to reknit the first block and I realized that the difference in tension was due to the way that I knit them.  I was not comfortable purling continental so I was holding both strands in my right hand and throwing which ever color I needed.  Because I wanted my stitches to be consistent I also used the same technique on the right side, even though I can knit continental and have done that for colorwork in the round.  Unfortunately this resulted in a tighter gauge.  On the plus side, the stitches are beautifully even.  For the Bossy Blue Jay, because I had to trap my floats I used both hands on both the right and wrong side, and because of the design I had to switch which hand was holding which yarn as I only know how to capture the floats when the yarn that needs to be captured is being held in my left hand.  All of that contributed to my stitches not being as even as I would like.  I also had an errant dark blue stitch in the snow flake motif, which I covered with duplicate stitch before I blocked.  I have started the February berries block (the all-over patterned one) and am working it continental on both the right and wrong sides to make sure that my two February blocks have a similar tension.  Depending on how my other blocks come out, I may go back and reknit these two.  I could turn these two into a pillow if I did that.

January colors:  November Sky and A Night Without Stars

February colors:  Mulberry Jam and Lilac

Pattern:  Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024 - Second January Block - Making Progress

I have slowly been making progress on my second January block.  I did take the time to completely set up the chart in knitCompanion (with magic markers and stitch counts), and am even getting the hang of purling continental.  The blue jay is starting to emerge.

January colors:  A Night Without Stars and November Sky

Pattern:  Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)
 

Sweet as Honey Cowl - Cast On, Take Two

After working my Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024 gauge swatch I decided to restart my Sweet as Honey Cowl on larger needles.  I ended up going with a US 5 (3.75 mm) needle instead of the US 3 (3.25 mm) needle that the pattern recommended.  I’m thinking the designer is a looser knitting than I am.  I am working this on 20 inch circulars, and it fits easily without the stitches being crowded (I was working the previous version on 16 inch circulars) so I am more confident that I will actually be able to wear this as a cowl and will not be forced to turn it into a hat, or a small pillow.  If you look close, you can see the bees starting to emerge.  I also switched the 1x1 rib to a 2x2 rib, which I prefer.

Pattern:  Sweet as Honey Cowl by Simone Van Iderstine

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted in Autumn Birch and Plover

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024 - One January Block Done, Second One Cast On

I finished one of the January blocks, and blocked it.  It is not quite square, and it is a bit smaller than the pattern calls for, but I am pretty happy with it.  I started with the easy block, from a pattern perspective, just to get the hang of working stranded knitting on the purl side.  I’ve cast on the second January block.

This one has much bigger blocks of color, and in those areas I am holding the color that I am not knitting with in my left hand so I can catch the floats easier as I knit.  When I’m working Fair Isle in the round I will put the yarn that I need to catch floats on in my left hand, so depending on what is going on that round I may have to switch my yarns.  I’m still not comfortable purling continental, so in those areas where I’m working with both colors I hold both yarns in my right hand.  It makes for some yarn adjusting as I work the pattern, which just takes a little time and interrupts the flow.

January colors:  A Night Without Stars and November Sky

Pattern:  Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024 - Swatch Done, and First Block Cast On

I turned my first attempt at the first block into my swatch, increasing needle size for each set of chevrons.  I started with 2.75 mm, and the other needle sizes are:  3.0 mm, 3.25 mm, and 3.5 mm.  After completing the chart and binding off, I cut my steak (no reinforcement) and blocked my swatch.  I do love the feel of this yarn, and my cut edges are very stable.  I still haven’t reinforced them.  After playing with the swatch and fondling it I have decided to go with the 3.5 mm needle.  I have also decided to work the blocks flat as I think the steek is just going to add too much bulk to the seams, but I am adding an extra stitch at the beginning and the end of the row as a selvedge stitch, to keep the edges neat and tidy, and so I don’t lose any of the pattern when I seam the blocks together.  I also decided to use straight needles instead of circulars.  I think the fact that I have a consistent needle size (instead of the cable) to hold the stitches will help keep my floats and stitch tension uniform.

Knitting back and forth means that I can’t do two handed yarn control.  I can knit just fine continental style, but purling is still very awkward for me.  Fortunately, before I learned the two handed Fair Isle I worked out a technique that holds both yarns in my right hand and allows me to throw the color that I need, and do so in a uniform fashion, and I can purl without any trouble or discomfort.  My box of yarn came last week, although I will have to buy more of these two colors for the July blocks, given my swatch, as that yarn is not reclaimable.

January Block Colors:  A Night Without Stars, November Sky

Pattern:  Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

 

Sweet as Honey Cowl - Cast On!

While I was pondering my path forward on the Mystery Blanket, I decided to cast on one of the other projects that I had purchased yarn for.  This is the Sweet as Honey Cowl by Simone Van Iderstine.  It is also knit in the Selkirk Worsted, with the same gauge as the blanket, but on a 3.25 mm needle.  Hmm, said I, I’ve been wanting to knit this, so I decided to cast this on as part of my figuring out how this yarn knits up experimenting.  This is also coming out on the dense side, although not quite as dense as the blanket.  At this point I’m wondering if it would even fit over my head as a cowl, maybe it could be a hat.  But Kim of Fleece and Harmony has said that their yarn expands width wise and shrinks length wise when blocked, so I don’t know.  We will just see what happens.  That is, after all, what experiments are for.  I am enjoying the knit, and that is really what matters.

Pattern:  Sweet as Honey Cowl by Simone Van Iderstine

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Fleece and Harmony - 2024 Mystery Blanket

Fleece and Harmony is hosting a mystery blanket knit along this year.  I picked up their video pod cast from Fruity Knitting, and I really enjoy it, along with their Harmony Reads video podcast.  I binge watched all of their older episodes and am caught up at this point.  I’ve ordered yarn from them for several projects, but had not actually worked with any until I cast on for this project.  The squares are supposed to be worked flat, but I am not fond of working Fair Isle flat so I decided to work in the round with steeks, figuring that I will back the finished blanket to make it even more durable.  I cast on with the needles recommended in the pattern (2.75 mm), and no, I did not work a gauge swatch.  I’m letting this be my gauge swatch.  I have no problem ripping back and/or knitting over again.  I love the feel of the yarn, but the fabric with this needle size is super dense.  So, after working nineteen rows I set it aside to think.  I grabbed needles the next two sizes up (3.0 mm and 3.25 mm), and will probably continue this as my gauge swatch, putting a locking stitch marker on the round I change needles on.  There are four sections of chevrons, so I can use a different needle size on each chevron section and just see how it goes.  Then I can cut the steek and block it and see if my plan to work in the round will work for the project.  I have already bought the yarn for the rest of the blanket, all of it, although I will have to get more of these two colors (A Night Without Stars and November Sky).  This is one of the January blocks.  The February blocks are already out.

Pattern:  Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needle:  Size to be determined