Sweater surgery preliminaries

Arisaig gets a lot of wear, and usually that's a good thing. Unfortunately somewhere between Salt Lake City and Boston during a business trip last week, I noticed a hole in the cuff.



After getting really pissed, I realized that there's an easy fix. The sleeves are too long on the sweater, so I decided to rip back to a better length and knit back down.



I used circulars as a lifeline through the stitches in the row where I want the lace pattern to begin. I'll post updates as the surgery progresses.

Arisaig

Finally.

After a year and 4 months, it's done.


The speed of execution is not a reflection of the pattern's quality; I think it turned out well once I started working on it at home rather than using it as a travel project.

Pattern

Arisaig by Ysolda Teague, in medium.

Yarn

Rowan Cashsoft 4 ply in Loganberry (MC) and Dale Baby Ull (CC) both from the Black Sheep Wool Co. Both yarns were not too difficult to work with: I found the Baby Ull somewhat splitty if I wasn't paying attention. It also got a bit of a halo after hand washing. Although the Cashsoft does pill a bit and I had to shave the sweater after blocking, it held up reasonably well after frogging. I found that the sweater needed aggressive blocking to open up the lace. I'm not sure if that's because of the Cashsoft or the lace pattern.

Mods

Very few: I knit the sleeves in the round at the same time because I had trouble getting a consistent gauge. I also added about 5 rows of stockinette to each shoulder to make the armsceye fit the sleeve cap better, then joined them using the three needle bind-off. Finally, I picked up and knit the ribbed tie stitches rather than sew it around the neckline. The one thing I would change: if I knit a sweater like this again, I would make it a little longer.

I started Arwen and a vest for C's uncle late last week. While some progress was made, the knitting will slow down for the rest of the month while I prepare for the Moab century (no Big Nasty this year due to road and bridge repair work). I'll be doing the 70 mile option, which should be hard enough.

Inevitability

Taxes: I don't mind paying my fair share, but WTF does the IRS and the CRA have to make the process so byzantine in it's complexity?

I've been putting off finalizing my returns by...

1. Going out: here's a very blurry photo from last Thursday's TV on the Radio show.
   
   


2. Knitting: the very best of procrastinating techniques.
   
   

Long projects and short

Last week was one of those weeks. I did manage to get the body of Arisaig finished, blocked and seamed, as you can see. The sleeves are coming along: I started the second sleeve with the intention of knitting both at the same time once they've reached the same length.


While going through the stash, I found a single ball of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran which was orphaned at the NPS store, of all places (it was $3 USD, how could I refuse?). So what do you do with 1 skein of this yarn?
OK, that was fast. Do I have enough yarn to continue?

My hands get cold when I'm working on our home office computer.

OT: Battlestar Galactica Simpsons-style

Brilliant (found via Boing Boing).

I'll be back later today with a real post about Icarus and the Trellis scarf.

In Arisaig news, the first sleeve is up to the elbow and body pieces are blocked, but I found that I miscounted the rows for the second front piece resulting in a too-long armscye.

I guess I'm frogging.<le sigh/>

edited to add:
More Boing Boing goodness (contains actual knitting content, SNWS).

Fall knitting

Happy blog-versary everyone (a bit late, I know)! I've been busy preparing demo material for this. We also went on vacation at the end of September and saw some amazing sights.



While driving around BC and Washington state, I took the opportunity to start gift knitting for the Moms. The photo has other WIPs that may look familiar. Click on the photo for annotations (I've been playing around with the Gimp for Windows).



The Trellis scarf is being knit in KnitPicks Gloss Woodland Sage (for the Mom who prefers heavier-than-laceweight gifts): I've used an entire skein of Gloss so far. The pattern calls for Alpaca Cloud, but I think it looks great in fingering weight yarn. I haven't tried washing Gloss yet, I'll post comments on how well the scarf blocks when it's done.

Icarus is being knit in KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud Tide Pool. The first part of the shawl with all that stockinette makes for a great roadtrip project.

The hat is my backpacking project since 50g + 1 needle isn't much to take in my pack. I've been motivated to work on it more since it got cold last week.

Finally, some pictures!

On the bottom are two of the three body pieces re-knit with the tubular bind-off for double rib and on top, the original cast-on. I don't know if you can see much of a difference in the photo: I think the tubular bind-off looks tidier with ribbing and it is nice and stretchy.
















Now on to FO, which is on it's way to it's new home. Here's the stole, unblocked:













Blocked:












And the customary self-portrait:

Pattern

Estonian Garden stole (larger size)

Yarn

Lacey Lamb knit on US 5 needles

Mods

None.

This was a fun project, once I got used to dealing with such a thin yarn (and the relative largeness of the needles).


This is also the time of year to start on (more) gift knitting for winter holidays - I ordered some Gloss from the new KnitPicks fall line and some of the alpaca lace weight. Haven't tried the new needles yet.

Arisaig update

I've actually got the body done! Finally! House shopping and moving really cuts into knitting time.

I wasn't thrilled with the cast-on edge, so I'm in the process of picking it out and doing a tubular edge. I'll post pictures soon.

Arisaig progress

As promised, an unblocked back and the right front piece with the bottom half of the lace pattern chart done. The yarn is Rowan Cashsoft 4 ply in Loganberry.

FO and something new

Finishing projects is a good thing. This poor neglected scarf was started well over a year ago.

Pattern

This is the Alien Scarf out of Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook. The shadow knitting pattern is pretty clever and I'll definitely wear this in fall.

Yarn

Shepherd Colour 4 Me 8 ply on US 7 needles. Overall, I wasn't too happy with this yarn (it was available when the local yarn stores were back-ordered on Cascade, Black Sheep and other worsted weight wools that sell an appropriate green colour). I found broken plies and knots in the skeins, and it pills like crazy.

Mods

None. There is a mistake in the chart in earlier editions of the book, so let the knitter beware. I also put a little bit of No-Fray at the ends of the fringe.

I also have a new project on the needles. I cast on for the back while traveling for work at the end of April. The ribbing is nasty-slow but the lace pattern practically knits itself. Blogger is being flaky right now, so I'll post the photos of the completed back and right front in progress later.