Raspberry Blaze - Minor Modification

The weather has turned a little cooler here and I've been wearing my Raspberry Blaze to work and I must say that it is wonderful.  The length is perfect, just past my elbows, and it looks great.  The only down side that I had noticed was that the neckline seemed to be stretching and it was starting to want to slip off my shoulders.  Yikes!  So I went to my random ribbon stash and found a thin gold satin ribbon and threaded it through the eyelet holes near the top.  I then sewed the two ends together.  To do that I folded each end over about 1/2 inch, I folded one toward the wrong side and one toward the right side, and then I slipped the folds into each other so that the raw edge of each end was nestled in the fold of the other.  I carefully hand sewed the overlapping edges to join everything securely.  I will have to make more of these, and I imagine that the Beadcats will covet them so I may just preempt that by making them each one.

Pattern:  Ocean Blue Collar by Eline Oftedal, modified to be a capelet
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy in Raspberry Blaze
Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Corfu - Finished!

I actually finished this up last Sunday, and got it blocked and a picture uploaded to The Loopy Ewe web site on Tuesday - successfully completing Camp Loopy this year.  The picture was approved very quickly too, which was nice.  Last month it seemed to take forever for my picture to get approved.  I have had a tough time getting a decent picture, but finally managed to get a good one of the back this morning.  I still haven't gotten a really good one of the front.

I haven't had a chance to wear it yet, it has still been too hot, but I have tried it on.  It has a really nice drape.  The sleeves are loose, which I like.  I don't like sweaters with tight sleeves.


Pattern:  Lilium by Amy Herzog
Yarn:  Shalimar Yarns Breathless DK in Corfu
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm) and US 5 (3.75 mm)

Corfu - One Sleeve Done

I finished up the first sleeve just before noon today.  I was worried that I would have to join another skein of yarn before I got to the bind off, but ended with about 4 feet of yarn left.  I picked up every other stitch around the armhole, except under the arm.  Once I started working in the round I went up a needle size, knowing that I always knit in the round tighter, especially when I'm working on short cables.

Pattern:  Lilium by Amy Herzog
Yarn:  Shalimar Yarns Breathless DK in Corfu
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm) and US 5 (3.75 mm)

Corfu - Front Edge Done

For the front edge I picked up 272 stitches, this is actually less than any of the pattern sizes called for, but that is because I didn't make my cardigan as long as any of the pattern sizes called for.  I wanted this to stop at the top of my hips.  I worked 7 rows of garter stitch, and then bound off a little loose, keeping my stitches relaxed so the bind off wouldn't distort things.  Next up the sleeves.

Pattern:  Lilium by Amy Herzog
Yarn:  Shalimar Yarns Breathless DK in Corfu
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Corfu - Body Done

Despite the craziness at work this past week, including a 12 hour day on Wednesday, I managed to get the body done, finishing up the right shoulder this morning.  As I was working the top sections of the body separately I was glad that I hadn't combined all the charts.  The only ones that it might have been worthwhile combining were the three charts used for the back.  Between the charts and the separate counters available in knitCompanion it was pretty easy to keep track of what I was doing and also be consistent between the sections.  One thing that I did modify was the spacing on the decreases along the front neck edge.  The pattern has you alternate between every 2nd row and every 3rd row, which I frankly found confusing.  I went with every 3rd row, which also had the advantage of ending the shaping on row 57, which was close to where I ended the knitting on the sections - row 63 - so I ended up with a nice line along the front going into the back neck.

Next I will pick up stitches for the front edging.  I'll pick up 2 stitches for every 3 rows along the front edges, and 1 stitch for every stitch along the back neck.  Then I'll work the sleeves.  I'll do those top down and probably make them longer then the pattern calls for.  The pattern has them ending just below the elbow.  I'll go at to at least 3/4 sleeves.

Pattern:  Lilium by Amy Herzog
Yarn:  Shalimar Yarns Breathless DK in Corfu
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Camp Loopy 2016 - Project 3 - Take 2 - Corfu

I finished up Neptune, my Short-Row Vest, which was supposed to be my August Camp Loopy project, but came up short on the yardage, so last Saturday I went back through my pattern library and found another pattern that should meet the yardage requirements easily and ordered more yarn.  The pattern that I selected, Lilium, by Amy Herzog calls for Catherine Lowe yarn, which I don't have easy access to, so I had to do a yarn substitution.  I ended up buying Shalimar Yarns Breathless DK in the color Corfu - in keeping with the exotic locale theme of the third challenge.

Of course I did a gauge swatch.  The yarn band recommends a US 6 (4 mm) needle, but when I started swatching with that needle it was obvious to me that the gauge was too open.  I raveled that false start and pulled a US 4 (3.5 mm) needle out.  I liked the fabric that I got and the gauge was close to that called for by the pattern.  My gauge is 21 stitches and 31 rows in 4 inches, while the pattern calls for 24 stitches and 32 rows.  Taking my gauge I looked at the pattern and picked the size that would get me the right measurements.  I ended up going with the 31 1/2" bust size, which with my gauge will give me a finished bust of 37" and a couple of inches of ease.  I don't like tight cardigans.

The pattern calls for knitting the back and fronts separately and joining, but of course I am knitting the body as one.  I left off 2 stitches from the cast-on count from the back, and 1 stitch from each of the sides to account for the fact that I don't need to seam mine.  I use markers to mark the sides, but otherwise don't use them.  The front edges have a braided cable design, and there is also a lace panel flanked by the braided cable design in the center of the back.  There are only two charts, but the way the pattern is written you start out on different rows of the braided cable design depending on where you are at.  Once I got it all figured out I copied the braided cable chart in knitCompanion and ordered the charts in the order that I need to knit them.  If I had felt like taking the time I could also have recharted the whole set and just had one chart to work from, but I kind of like the way I am doing it because I can use which chart I am currently working to remind me of which section of the cardigan I should be on.

Here is a shot of my knitCompanion screen.  I am using my old iPad, instead of my new iPad Pro because I really don't need the screen size of my Pro.

Pattern:  Lilium by Amy Herzog
Yarn:  Shalimar Yarns Breathless DK in Corfu
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Neptune - Front Done

I finished up most of the wedges yesterday, and finished up the last one this morning and joined the short row section to the right shoulder using a thee needle bind off.  Now I just need to work I-Cord edgings on the neck and top part of the short row section and both arm holes.  I did some yarn usage calculations this morning, though, and realized that I am not going to make the yarn usage requirement for the August Camp Loopy project.  I've only used 590 yards, and the requirement is 800 yards.  I don't think that I-cord will make up that difference.  I had some concerns regarding the yarn usage after I finished up the back, and as I started working the wedges I did some quick calculations and realized I was in trouble, so I did another pattern search, limiting the results to patterns that I already own and found another project, Lilium, by Amy Herzog, from the Spring/Summer 2013 Twist Collective.  I've bought a lot of Twist Collective patterns, but haven't made any yet.  I picked Shalimar Yarns Breathless DK in the color Corfu.  The irony is that both of my other Camp Loopy projects used a lot more yarn than required.

If I make it with another project, I make it.  I'm not going to get stressed about it.  If it hadn't been for Camp Loopy I might not have found this cool vest, or used Shalimar Yarns Enzo Sport - a very nice yarn to work with.

Pattern:  Short-Row Vest by Carol Feller
Yarn:  Shalimar Yarns Enzo Sport in Neptune and Glacier
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Neptune - Back Done

I've been working pretty steadily on my final Camp Loopy project.  I didn't do as many garter stitch rows at the bottom as the pattern called for because my row gauge is different.  I knit the body to a length that works for me - about 10 inches and then split for the upper body shaping.  I noticed that the pattern didn't have much in the way of shaping for the armholes, so I added that as well.  I worked 8 1/4 inches for the armhole length before I did the short row shaping for the shoulders.

After finishing the body I did a 3-needle bind off to join the left shoulder and then picked up stitches to start working the short rows.  I ended up picking up 48 stitches along the right edge.  I worked 1 row and then on the next right side row I cast on the stitches for the armhole.  I ended up casting on 43 stitches, which should give me the right length for the armhole.  My total stitch count came out pretty close to the stitch count for the third size (91 compared to 93) so those are the directions I am using for the short rows.  I've finished one wedge and have started the second.

Pattern:  Short-Row Vest by Carol Feller
Yarn:  Shalimar Yarns Enzo Sport in Neptune and Glacier
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Neptune - Camp Loopy 2016 - Project 3

I finally cast on my third Camp Loopy project yesterday.  I almost dropped out of Camp Loopy last month after becoming very disenchanted with my second Camp Loopy project, but managed to revitalize myself with a project change to the Raspberry Blaze Cape.  Shortly after I found that project the third project was announced and I found one that I liked - the Short-Row Vest by Carol Feller.  The pattern was published in knit.wear Spring/Summer 2014, which I happened to have.  The theme this month is Faraway Lands - so your project has to  incorporate a different country by using a pattern by a designer who lives in a different country, or you picking a pattern named for (or celebrating) something in a different country, or can picking a color that reminds you of a place in a different country.  I decided to go for Ireland and started a pattern search and came up with this pattern.  The designer lives in Cork, Ireland, which, coincidentally, is where my Uncle John (my mother's brother) spent the last years of his life.  I chose Shalimar Yarns Enzo Sport, a yarn that I have not knit with before, and picked as my two colors - Neptune and Glacier.  The picture above is the Glacier.  I did my swatch in Neptune (below).

I picked the colors because their names also evoked faraway lands. Does Neptune have Glaciers?  I don't know, but it sounds romantic.  Of course I did a swatch.  When I looked at the pattern I saw that the gauge was 19 sts and 28 rows = 4 inches.  The pattern also called for a US 6 (4 mm) needle.  The yarn I chose called for a US 4 (3.5 mm) needle and has a recommended gauge of 6 sts per inch.  For my gauge swatch I cast on 28 stitches (24 for the 4 inches and 4 extra stitches for the garter stitch edge - 2 per side).  I worked 33 rows, just to make it easier to work my garter stitch edge before casting off.  My gauge ended up being 22 sts and 32 rows = 4 inches.  From a size perspective, I want to knit the second size (34 inch bust).  This size calls for casting on 108 stitches.  But for my gauge I would need to case on 108(22/19) = 125 stitches.  This falls between two sizes, the third size with 122 stitches cast on and the fourth size with 136 stitches cast on.  After looking at the schematic and noting that the model is shown with 2 inches of positive ease, I'm going to go with the fourth size.

Pattern:  Short-Row Vest by Carol Feller
Yarn:  Shalimar Yarns Enzo Sport in Neptune and Glacier
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Raspberry Blaze - Done!

After I got back from my business trip last Saturday I focused on completing my July Camp Loopy project.  I finished up the third repeat of the chart on Tuesday - had to switch to 60 inch cables to fit all the stitches - and then started the I-Cord bind off.  The bind off took me until Thursday to complete and I blocked it on Friday.

Blocking presented a bit of a challenge as the last chart repeat increased the stitches to the point where it wouldn't lay flat.  In the end I didn't even pin anything, I just laid it out and let the edge ruffle.  This morning I went back and picked up stitches and worked an I-Cord edging around the neck to give it more stability.

Pattern:  Ocean Blue Collar by Eline Oftedal, modified to be a capelet
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy in Raspberry Blaze
Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Raspberry Blaze - Two Repeats of the Chart

I've been busy working on my Raspberry Blaze.  The above picture was taken after I had worked part of the second repeat of the chart and had just placed the project on longer cable needles.  I took another picture after I finished the second repeat.

I started out with 108 stitches.  After the first repeat I doubled that to 216 stitches.  The second repeat doubled that again to 432 stitches.  I'm working on the third repeat, which is going to get me to 864 stitches.  Yikes!  I had to join two cables from my Addi clicks to get this far.  I order some longer size 7 needles - 40 and 47 inch cables - as I don't like working something like this on interchangeables because I'm always afraid they'll come undone.  I just transferred the work to the 47 inch cables and realize that I need a longer cable.

The second repeat didn't take as much yarn as I thought it would - only about 100 grams, instead of 120 grams - which gives me more breathing room on my yarn amounts.  I did manage to score another skein from The Loopy Ewe.  I went out to their web site on Saturday to see if they still had some and they had one skein left.  I took a chance and ordered it and I received it today and it is the same dyelot.  Sometimes things just work out.

Pattern:  Ocean Blue Collar by Eline Oftedal, modified to be a capelet
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy in Raspberry Blaze
Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Raspberry Blaze

You may recall that I wasn't very happy with my second Camp Loopy project.  I started working the second chart and just wasn't enjoying it so I decided to try and find another project in my queue.

The first project I considered was the Cabled High-Neck Tank by Kathy Zimmerman.  It looked like a fun knit, so I went searching for yarn on The Loopy Ewe.  The yarn called for in the pattern (Cascade Yarns Sierra - 80/20 Cotton/Merino) is no longer available, so I found a substitute - Universal Yarn Cotton Supreme in Orange Creme.  Same weight, but 100% cotton.

This is a lovely yarn, but as I started working the swatch I quickly realized that it was not going to work for this pattern.  I guess that 20% wool really matters for this pattern.  I went searching for other patterns that I could use this yarn for and did find one, the Planche Vest, which at least made me feel better about adding to my already extensive stash, but didn't help me solve the problem of what to knit for my second Camp Loopy project.  So, the search continued.

The next project that I considered was the Leaves of Grass Capelet by Sydney Crabaugh.  So I went back to The Loopy Ewe and looked for yarn and decided on Dream in Color Classy in Raspberry Blaze.

As I was waiting for my yarn to arrive I bought the pattern and started to look it over.  The first thing I found was that the Leaves of Grass pattern that adorns the front was not charted.  Ugh.  So I started to chart it.  I also looked at the construction and wasn't crazy about the shaping.  Not looking good for a successful project.

So, back to my queue I went and found the Ocean Blue Collar by Eline Oftedal.  There were a few challenges, the yardage was one, and the original pattern calls for a heavier weight yarn.  I did the math on the gauge and decided that I could cast on the same number of stitches that the pattern called for and I would still be okay.  The pattern has a gauge of 14 stitches per 4 inches, and has you cast on 108 stitches, which gives you a collar opening of 30 inches.  That seemed a bit large to me.  Classy has a gauge of 4.5 stitches per inch, which gives an opening of 24 inches.  I pulled out my tape measure and determined that it was enough.  The only other challenges were the fact that the chart did not use standard lace symbols and I needed to determine how to repeat the chart to expand the collar into a capelet.

Re-charting was easy, and the nice thing about my charting software is that it tells me how many stitches I have in the repeat for each row.  The first row of the motif that I wanted to repeat has 14 stitches, so I know that I want 28 stitches in my last pattern row to set myself up for repeating the motif.

The last row as given is:  k1, yo, ktbl, yo, k1, yo, CDD, yo, k3, yo, CDD, yo, k3, yo, CDD, yo, k3, yo, CDD, yo

I replaced that last row with:  k1, yo, ktbl, yo, k4, yo, CDD, yo, k4, yo, ktbl, yo, k4, yo, CDD, yo, k3
This is essentially a repeat of row 3 of the pattern, and the only thing I needed to do to set myself up for working row 5 was shift my end of round marker 3 stitches to the right.  So far I've done one repeat of the chart, which took about 60 grams.  The second repeat should take about 120 grams and a third repeat would take about 240 grams, which is more yarn than I have.  Unless I can get another skein of the same dyelot I'll have to figure out a way to finish off the capelet by modifying the lace pattern.  But I'll worry about that when I get there, right now I'm just enjoying the knitting, which really is the whole point, isn't it?

Pattern:  Ocean Blue Collar by Eline Oftedal, modified to be a capelet
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy in Raspberry Blaze
Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

I Am No Mermaid - Eight Repeats of Chart A

I finished up eight repeats of Chart A this past week and then stalled out on this project.  I'm not sure why but it just isn't pulling me in.  I even went back to my queue and found another potential Camp Loopy project and ordered yarn for it, just in case I don't get my mojo back on this one.  Maybe I'm just bored with repeating the same 4 rows.  I'm going to give Chart B a go and see if that helps me get back into the groove.

Pattern:  Percy Shawl by Sanne Kalkman
Yarn:  Fibernymph Dye Works Elegance in I Am No Mermaid
Needles:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

I Am No Mermaid - Cast On

I cast on my July Camp Loopy project this morning and made it through the setup chart.  The pattern is the Percy Shawl, which has been in my queue since March 6, 2011.  The challenge was to knit something that had been in your queue for over a year and must use at least 600 yards.  I'm using Fibernymph Dye Works Elegance in the colorway I Am No Mermaid - hence the name of the project.  The yarn is an 80/20 SW Merino/Silk and feels very good to work with.

I have more than enough yarn to meet the yardage requirements.  In fact a single skein would do it, but I wanted some room to play.  The fun thing about this pattern is that you can adjust the size by repeating the charts.  I also added a wedge to the shawl to turn it from a triangular shawl into a 3/4 square shawl.  I have also tweaked the lace pattern just slightly.  There are double decreases and I'm working them as sssk in the first wedge, cdd in the middle wedge, and k3tog in the third wedge.

Pattern:  Percy Shawl by Sanne Kalkman
Yarn:  Fibernymph Dye Works Elegance in I Am No Mermaid
Needles:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Deep Blue - Finished!

I finished this up on Sunday, with only about 10 grams of yarn left over.  It came out a good deal larger than I expected - eight feet long.  I did not block aggressively, just laid it out on the blocking mats and smoothed things into place.  I didn't even pin anything.  I left the bottom edge scalloped.

Even the ends look like waves.  I've uploaded my picture to The Loopy Ewe web site.

I went back to working on my MagicWaves Triangle shawl, and also cast on my other Traveling Zebra set, so I would have some mindless knitting.  I have also set up the Percy Shawl pattern in knitCompanion, and received my yarn, so I'm all ready to cast on.  And there is another Biscotte KAL starting up - a fun sock pattern called Scamper, and I certainly have plenty of Biscotte sock yarn, so I had to sign up for that plus I got a discount on the pattern.  And Sivia Harding just announced another KAL - the Peacock Shawl KAL.  I couldn't resist the yarn, my kit is ordered and I've bought the pattern.  I will confess that two other of her patterns slipped into my basket before I managed to check out.


Pattern:  Siren Song by Louise Zass-Bangham
Yarn:  JulieSpins MCN 430 in Fathom
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Deep Blue - Past the Half-way Mark

I took Deep Blue and Charivari Zebra with me to Bead & Button, but mostly worked on Deep Blue.  I received a lot of compliments on it as I worked on it in the booth (the show was pretty slow, unfortunately).  I did have to rip back twice because I messed up even this simple lace pattern.  It happens to us all.  Fortunately this is very well-behaved yarn, so I was able to just pull the needles and rip back to one row shy of the mistake and then pull that last row out one stitch at a time while picking up the stitches with the needle.  Yesterday morning I ordered yarn for my second Camp Loopy project.  This one needs to be something that has been in my queue for over a year.  I picked the third item in my queue - a triangular lace shawl called Percy, but I think I will add another triangle (turning it into a 3/4 square shawl) and beads.  It has been in my queue since 2011.

Pattern:  Siren Song by Louise Zass-Bangham
Yarn:  JulieSpins MCN 430 in Fathom
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Deep Blue - Cast On

I skipped Camp Loopy the last two years, but decided to join this year.  This year there is a a pirate theme.  For the first project I am in the Lace Lagoon with Siren Song by Louise Zass-Bangham.  I picked a yarn I have not used before - JulieSpins MCN 430 in Fathom.  The cast on was 362 stitches and utilized the crochet cast on, which I'm not sure if I've ever done before, but I like it.  If you use waste yarn it can be a provisional cast on and is easier than making the crochet chain and then picking up stitches in the bumps.  If you crochet the chain around the knitting needle the bumps end up as stitches on the needle.  If you're not using it as a provisional cast on, you place the loop that is on your crochet hook on the needle as the last stitch.  I'm guessing that if you want to use it as a provisional cast on you would just secure that loop, maybe with a locking stitch marker, and then unravel from there later.  I'll have to try it sometime.

Pattern:  Siren Song by Louise Zass-Bangham
Yarn:  JulieSpins MCN 430 in Fathom
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)