Acorn Sweater - Sleeves Done!

I decided to take a break from working on the body and get the sleeves done.  Due to the fact that I had to extend the yoke 1.5 inches past what the pattern called for I was little bit concerned about yarn usage, so wanted to get the sleeves done so I would know how much I had left to finish the body.  I did make a few modifications to the sleeve cuffs, mostly because I didn’t really read the instructions carefully.  The pattern has you work the texture round, and then work 2 rounds before decreasing.  I did the decrease right after the texture round, and I like the look so I left it when I discovered my change.  I also worked 7 rounds of the ribbing instead of 6, as the pattern called for.  The neck band has 7 rounds, so I thought I would just make all the ribbing 7 rounds.

Pattern:  Adult Acorn Sweater by Kalley Reedy

Yarn:  Sundara Yarn Extra Fine DK Silky Merino

Needle:  US 6 (4.0 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm, for the ribbing)

Floret Socks - Heel Turned and Gusset Done!

I do always enjoy turning the heel on my socks.  It still seems like magic.  At this point the heel is turned, the gusset stitches picked up and all the gusset decreases done, so now I just knit the foot, with patterning on the top and stockinette on the bottom until it is long enough to start the toe decreases.

Pattern:  Floret by Makenzie Alvarez

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Acorn Sweater - Yoke Done!

I do enjoy knitting stockinette in the round.  It is just so mindless and endless, you just keep knitting, and watching things grow.  It is great for reading, and I do love reading.  It is also great for watching TV that you have to actually watch.  So far I am liking the pattern, and the yarn is wonderful to work with.  I did extend the yoke before setting aside the sleeve stitches and casting on the underarm stitches past where the pattern instructions stated for my size, knowing that I need a deeper yoke to accommodate my broader shoulders.

This photo was taken after I had finished up skein two of the four skeins that I have.  I did some quick math on yarn usage, and I should be fine.

Pattern:  Adult Acorn Sweater by Kalley Reedy

Yarn:  Sundara Yarn Extra Fine DK Silky Merino

Needle:  US 6 (4.0 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm, for the ribbing)

Floret Socks - One Leg Done!

Even with all the other knitting going on, I have not been completely neglecting my Floret Socks.  These are mostly podcast knitting, when I don’t need to be paying close attention to something on TV.  The dark yarn can be a bit of a challenge at times, but that is what good lighting is for.  Overall I am very happy with how these socks are turning out.  Here is a picture of the patterning.

That repeating motif will continue all the way down the foot to the toe.

Pattern:  Floret by Makenzie Alvarez

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

 

Acorn Sweater - Cast On!

Sometime in the past year, I saw this yarn on the Daily Dream email from Sundara Yarn, and just fell in love with the color, so I bought 4 skeins.  I thought it would make a beautiful cabled vest, and even had a pattern picked out (Caol Ila by Thea Colman).  I set the yarn aside until I finished up some other projects, but back on November 9 I caked up one of the skeins and knitted a swatch.  It was a dream to knit with.  The yarn is Extra Fine DK Silky Merino, and is 75% superwash extra fine merino and 25% mulberry silk.  When I pulled the swatch off the blocking square I knew that I wanted to make something simple, in stockinette, to let the glorious subtle colors of this yarn take center stage.

So, back to Ravelry I went, gauge swatch in hand to find a sweater pattern that would work.  I found several potential patterns, but in the end I settled on the Adult Acorn Sweater by Kalley Reedy.  It is a yoked pullover, with a little bit of decorative stitching after the yoke increases.  I have never knit any of her designs before, but the pattern is very well written.  I also wanted something mindless for reading and TV knitting, and this checks that box.  So, after finishing up my Tahari Tank, I cast on.  It has worked up quickly so far.

The neck hole does look small, but I have tried it on, and it fits.  It is a crew neck, with short row shaping for the back of the neck.  I used the tutorial she recommends in the pattern for the wrap and turns, and then had to find one for that last wrap when you start working in the round again.  The link in the pattern takes you to a video on the Knitting with Suzanne Bryan channel, and I found one for working that last wrapped stitch on Andrea Mowry’s channel.

Pattern:  Adult Acorn Sweater by Kalley Reedy

Yarn:  Sundara Yarn Extra Fine DK Silky Merino 

Needle:  US 6 (4.0 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm - for the ribbing)

Tahari Tank - Finished!…and Frogged

I finished up my Tahari Tank, using my handspun Rambouillet, this past Saturday, and blocked it.  It was dry yesterday, so I tried it on.  There are many things that I love about this project, but there are some things that I just can’t abide.  I love the fabric.  The knitting looks great, and I am super pleased with my handspun yarn, and my dye job.  But the armholes are too big, and they gape, and also come down a little too far for my comfort.  Not really indecent, but just outside of my comfort zone.  Of course, being a breast cancer survivor, and only having one boob, does affect how things fit.  I could wear a knitted knocker to be symmetrical, but then I would have to wear a bra, which I don’t, because I don’t need to (because my remaining one is small).

It doesn’t look too bad on my dress maker dummy, but on me, not so great.  And then there is the whole retro bathing suit vibe.  I do like the stripe of lilac, but it hits right across the middle of my buttocks.  The top itself comes down to just past.  And while I did work increases to try to keep the ease going over the hips, I was only partially successful there, so there isn’t as much ease over my hips, tummy and buttocks as I might otherwise like.  I also didn’t realize how far this yarn would go, and realized that I could make a pullover, which I think I would get more wear out of.  So, in the end I decided to treat this as a giant gauge swatch.  I measured my gauge and went hunting for another pattern, which I found, and it was already in my library, which makes it even better.  It is a simple V-neck pullover, that is very customizable, so I can use up as much yarn as possible.  I’m not sure if the lilac will make another appearance - maybe as ribbing?  We’ll see.  Anyway, I spent most of yesterday picking out the tubular bind-off, which took me quite a while, although I did get pretty good at it.  And now the yarn is re-skeined, and had a bath, and is currently drying on my yarn drying rack in the bathtub of the spare bathroom, which is also where I do my dyeing.

The yarn held up beautifully to being frogged, which also makes me proud of my spinning.  The moral of this story?  Don’t be afraid to frog.  That is one of the best things about knitting, you can get a do-over, provided that the yarn takes frogging well (there are some that don’t).  I like the pattern, and will probably make it again, in some other yarn, and as a proper tank top.   It was very well written, and I mostly liked the fit, except for those armholes, which to be honest, I had some doubts about when I was working them.  Another moral - listen to your instincts.  Would I have kept it if the armholes were better?  Probably not.  I did think about just taking the top in under the armholes, but there were those other fitting issues that I couldn’t really fix that easily.  But all in all, a great experience.  I learned lots and I really enjoyed the knitting itself, even if the top didn’t come out quite as I had envisioned it.

Pattern:  Tahari Tank by Tanis Lavallee

Yarn:  Rambouillet, handspun by me

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

Floret Socks - Cast On!

So yesterday I cast on the Floret Socks by Makenzie Alvarez.  This is the first pattern of this designer that I have knitted, but she has some really beautiful patterns in her Ravelry store.  I am through the ribbed cuff and a few rounds in to the chart.  The pattern is well written.  This skein is one of the Spring’s Promise trio.  The yarn might be a little dark for the patterning, but I’m good with it, even if it is a bit challenging to the old eyeballs.

Pattern:  Floret by Makenzie Alvarez

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)