Work in Progress: Khair-ish

The "something new" mentioned briefly at the end of my last post is a modified version of Khair.  For some reason--perhaps because of the way the scarf is arranged in the photographs in the pattern description--I thought that the pattern was asymmetrical, with a cable on only one side of the scarf.  However, the pattern as written is symmetrical, with a large panel of a repeating stitch in the middle, and a cable flanked by another pretty stitch on each edge of the scarf.

There's nothing wrong with the pattern as written, but when I found that my first attempt at an unmodified Khair was too tight on the suggested 4.0 mm needle, I decided to rip back, size up my needle to a 4.5 and switch things up to match the asymmetric scarf I had stuck in my head.

I'm now working three cables on one side, with the centre panel of stitching from the original pattern on the other side, making for a roughly 1/3 and 2/3 split.

It's not that I didn't like the pattern--I still think it's very pretty--but I do like it better this way.  Also, one of the stitches called for in the pattern involves purling three stitches together, and I wasn't a big fan working this on the back side, so I adapted the stitch to a k3tog thing to be worked from the front.  It's close enough to the right look, and sooooo much easier to knit.

Knitter in the dark?

The biggest challenge to this pattern has definitely been the yarn itself.  I love the Cascade 220 Sport--it isn't super-soft but it's appealingly springy and sturdy, and the stitch definition is good--but knitting with navy blue yarn in the darkest months of the year in a cabin that's generally ill-lit requires a little creativity.

I have been meaning to make a lampshade for this thing for ages, but mostly it just gets pulled out whenever I need extra illumination for animating or whatever.  I was too lazy to figure out how to hang it from the ceiling, so I slung it over the bookshelf instead.

It's being propped away from the wall with an old Dawson City Music Fest program, and held in place with a trashy romance novel I bought at the Salvation Army in Homer, AK (which is about all that book is good for).  Not exactly home decorating at its finest--and it's certainly not doing any favours to my art collection--but it is keeping me from going blind.

Finished: Autumn Leaves

I finally finished my Autumn Leaves sweater a few days ago.  I am really surprised that something yellow actually looks good on me.  I haven't worn anything yellow in years and years and years--entirely convinced that my complexion couldn't handle it--but I decided it give a shot because the Fug Girls seem to so often say that anyone can work a yellow with the right red lip.  Of course, this meant ignoring that I myself rarely wear much on my lips beyond lip balm...  Fortunately it looks alright even when all  I've done is rolled out of bed and into some clothes.

(Hideous curtain courtesy of Ben's apartment.)

I am reasonably happy with the finished product.  It's hardly the most flattering sweater I own--I've started to think of it as my Butterball sweater--although I think part of the problem is wearing a Stanny underneath.  A silky camisole would probably help the sweater drape more naturally, but... it's January in Dawson City, so a sweater that has 3/4 sleeves and is full of holes needs to be worn with caution.  And a touch of miner-from-the-creeks fashion is always appropriate in this town.

Anyway, Stanny or not, I probably could have knit the 38 1/4 size rather than the 43 1/4.  The Cascade 220 sport seemed to bloom more than I anticipated, and I think the style of sweater would generally be more flattering with negative ease.  Also, it ended up quite long from underarm to neck, which adds bulk to the lines.  I did add an extra pattern repeat to the body of the sweater as well as on the sleeves (below the join), and I do like the extra length.

I'm not 100% certain what to say about working with this pattern...  I actually found it quite hard to follow, and I'm a little surprised that everyone else on Ravelry seems to give the pattern such good reviews.  Part of me thinks that if I can't say anything nice then I shouldn't say anything at all, but then again--wouldn't some constructive criticism help other people interested in this pattern?  This post from Hungry Knitter is a good read!

I certainly don't want to dissuade anyone from purchasing this pattern and making this sweater.  I think the concept and design are beautiful and unique, and I am very glad to add this piece to my closet.  But...  I do have some comments.

The Sleeves
I think the sleeve instructions for the 43 1/4 size tell you to do too many increases.  You don't need to do ten paired increases to get from 5 repeats of the pattern with 3 purl stitches in between each leaf to the arrangement of stitches called for in the pattern (5 repeats of the leaves with 4 purl stitches in between, with 1 extra stitch on each side of the  stitch marker at the beginning of the row).  I chose to do just enough increases to end up with the called for arrangement of stitches rather than doing all those 10 increase rounds.  The sleeves are plenty roomy without the extra increases.

The Yoke Decreases
Everything went to hell after I attached the sleeves to the body.  Well, not so much straight to hell, but... I think the instructions weren't as clear as they could be, and there may even be an error in the pattern at this point (remember, I worked the 43 1/4 size; with other sizes it may be different).  Unfortunately I didn't keep notes as I was going along, but if I remember correctly the first two (maybe three?) decrease rounds worked out okay, but then after that what I had on my needles didn't match up with the pattern and if I had made a mistake somewhere, it was so far down the sweater that ripping back was not an option.

I ended up choosing to ignore the exact instructions in the pattern and proceed with what I understood.  Basically, to work the yoke decreases, you 'finish' a leaf and then on the next row, you purl together the one remaining leaf stitch with the purled stitches on either side to eliminate that "vine" of leaves.  I think it's a cool method, but would probably be easier to understand if the instructions described these decreases in a different manner, and perhaps included a photograph or two (there are plenty of included photographs but they are all show the whole sweater--no close-ups).  I knit the correct number of decreases on the correct rows, but maybe didn't finish off the right leaves?

The Neckline
One reason I chose to this pattern is because of the cool v-neck look on the sample sweater.  However, I don't think that the larger sizes have this neck line.  Mine is definitely round, and I notice that other examples on Ravelry have quite a round neckline as well.  Also, my neckline is quite wide compared to what I was expecting.

Oh wow... this ended up long.  I thought a lot about this pattern after I reached joining the sleeves.  I guess the short story would be proceed with caution, although like I said before I don't want to dissuade anyone from purchasing this pattern.  I do realize that I could fix the underarm bulk with some frogging and re-knitting, but it doesn't bother me so much to make all the extra work worth it.  I would rather move on to something new (I mean, I have already moved on to something new).

Yet Another Work-in-Progress

I wish "more knitting" could be the answer to all my problems.  Life would be so much simpler.

A few weeks ago, I decided to make Spring Leaves (Ravelry link).  Except that it was October, so calling my project Autumn Leaves seemed appropriate.  Also it's yellow, although paler and more buttery than the brash gold of a Yukon fall.

(Not a perfect example of the fall colours I am thinking of, but I love the visual of the little yellow airplane with the yellow leaves.  I took this photograph on September 4th, in Eagle, Alaska.)

Now that the yarn has arrived, and I have begun my so-called Autumn Leaves sweater, the name seems a little ridiculous, what with all that snow on the ground.  But it's very pretty:

I am using Cascade 220 Sport in Lemon Yellow; it's a little washed out in this picture, but not by much.  It's the first time I have used the 220 Sport, and so far I'm pleased with it.  I hope it has the longevity of the 220 Wool in worsted weigh.  I put on my Corona the other day--knit all the way back in 2009--and noticed that it is holding up beautifully.

The only impediment to all this knitting I am trying to do is the bandaid on my thumb.  Earlier this week I was slicing mushrooms for dinner and managed to also slice open my thumb--badly enough that Ben brought me to the nursing station.  I was glad we went: it was good for my peace of mind.  The cut didn't require stitches, but I did require a tetanus shot (which also included diphtheria and whooping cough vaccines--a real multi-tasker).  The band-aid is kind of driving me nuts, though.

That being said, it is an excuse to avoid doing dishes...

Also: whooping cough?  I as a little surprised at that suggestion, but I guess I'm enough of a hypochondriac/all-around-worrier to agree to any vaccine.

Winterizing

It snowed for the first time on October 16th this year.  And today--only November 3rd!--it is -26°C out!

I have been slowly getting ready for winter over the past few weeks: got the car checked out, shrink-wrapped the windows, put away my summer-only clothes, brought the parka out of storage, and so on.  I also knit a new hat:

The stitch pattern is from some ancient knitting booklet that lost its cover before the internet was invented, and I just free-styled the rest of it.  It didn't turn out quite the way I had envisioned it, but nevertheless it looks lovely and is very comfortable and warm.  The yarn is Purple Label Cashmere Sock Yarn from Tanis Fiber Arts in the Royal Flush colourway.  I love Tanis Fiber Arts yarns;  I have ordered from her a few times (see the previously completed Swimming Pool) and have yet to be disappointed.

Despite the slow progression of preparation for winter, the fact that the ground is covered in snow, and that it is so cold out, is somehow shocking.  This is my third winter up here, so you'd think I would know what I am getting into.  Perhaps there is a difference between being physically prepared, and being mentally prepared.  Although wouldn't accomplishing one simply lead to the other?

Clearly the answer is that I need to be knitting more.

Post-Scipt:

I have to add: it is now 1:23 pm, and only just now has the sun risen above the hillside to cast direct sunlight on my cabin.  Daylight hours are so short already!

Finished Object--Laminaria

I finished knitting my Laminaria (Ravelry link) a couple of weeks ago, and finally got around to blocking it last week.

I knit a shawl that was somewhere in between the two sizes listed in the pattern.  I used a three-stitch garter edge as for the larger shawl, but did only four repeats of the Star Chart and then (if I remember correctly) seven repeats of the Blossom Chart.  I pretty much just worked each chart until I got bored with it, and then moved on to the next one.  I like the size I ended up with--it wraps around my neck just perfectly without being too dangly or too short.

The pattern itself isn't perfect; there are a few places that show a certain lack of attention to detail.  The biggie is that, as written, the Star Chart isn't symmetrical on either side of the centre stitch.  I thought it looked awful, so I frogged and then worked the stars as SSSK before the centre stich, and then K3tog after.  But overall I did like the pattern, and the result has already garnered many compliments.

Between this project and my Percy,  I am totally won over to small triangular shawls for warmth and ease of wear.  I used to be a big fan of huge blanket-like shawls, and while I do love the drama and total coziness of them, they can be a bit of a pain to wear.  These little triangles are just so uncomplicated.  They stay in place and keep me warm without getting in the way of anything.  Despite the number of other projects I have on the go, I'd love to cast on for another shawl in this style...

Happy Birthday to Me

Last week, shortly after my birthday, I received two great packages in the mail.  My purchases from Purl Soho arrived (finally).  Mail always takes a long time to get to Dawson, and things from the States can be quite bad.  I was quite impatient for this bundle of joy by the time it arrived.

That's my two skeins of Cascade Alpaca Lace, the contents of my Lovely Liberty Coin Purse Kit and the spare purse clasp.  The colour of the photo isn't great--everything is much prettier in real life.  The yarn is particularly lovely.  It's not a heathered or variegated yarn, but the alpaca fibres haven't absorbed the dye entirely evenly, which gives the blue-green colour a particular depth and interest.

I am using the yarn for a Laminaria shawl (Ravelry link).  I had mixed feelings about the pattern at first--as written, the Star chart isn't symmetrical on either side of the centre stitch, and while it was easy to fix this problem, the fact that it wasn't addressed in the pattern felt like a red flag for me.  It seems to me to be a fairly significant lack of attention to detail, and I worried that I would run into more trouble later on.  But having worked 4 repeats of the Star chart and moved onto the Blossom chart, I am much happier with the pattern.

The coin purse is on hold--not for any particular reason, except that maybe that work these days has left me unenthusiastic for much beyond sleeping.  Even my Laminaria is tough going sometimes, just because I'm too tired to remember the repeats properly.

The other package that arrived last week was my birthday present from my parents--the first exception ever to the usual long wait for mail.  Somehow a normal letter can take two weeks to get here from Salt Spring but a giant box (so big I could sit in it once it was empty [yes, I did]) takes only four business days.  My theory is that it was so big they sent it on quickly just to get it out of the way.  The real gift part of it was new sheets, with chocolates to go on the pillows.

Not terribly exciting to look at, but so comfy to sleep on.  They're hand made on Salt Spring and have a wonderful texture.

The sheets didn't need such a big box as my parents sent, but they just bought a new washer and dryer and since they had such good sturdy boxes, they decided to "fill the corners."  They did cut down the dryer box, to about ten inches high, but it was still massive and full of awesome things that I have been storing in the barn for a few years.

There's my muffin tins, old sheets for more rag rugs, my iron, and a chair cushion from the days when I decorated in purples--all tucked into my giant basket, which I will use to house works-in-progress.  Most of this stuff I had requested, but the basket was a great surprise.  I had wished for it but didn't think it could get sent because it's so big.  Now I just need to get around to sitting down to sew and make more rugs and whip up some muffins...

Finished Object--Percy

Sometimes I am colossally stupid.

The other day, I got to thinking about Percy (Ravelry link).  I knew I had knit one last winter, but realized that I never found it in amongst my other scarves and shawls when I moved recently.  So where was Percy?  Had I lost it?  I was pretty sure it was finished, but couldn't remember wearing it anywhere.

Last night when I needed a break from rug making and flipping through The Gentle Art of Domesticty, I went on a Percy hunt and dug through my bags and bins of knitting stuff.  I found my Percy squished into  a ziplock bag with unrelated yarn from two other projects at the bottom of one of my plastic bins.  It was finished--except for the finishing.  All I needed to do was weave in the ends and block it.  So why, oh why, didn't I do that six months ago?

Of course I pulled out my yarn needle immediately (that, at least, I could find quickly), but kept stopping to admire my Percy.  It's fabulously gorgeous--knit out of the Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace that I bought in New York last December, in a silvery purple shade called Pewter--and somehow I can't believe that I really made it.

I do remember working the nupps.  Nupps are sort of unforgettable, even though one may wish to forget them.

I did the ends last night, and pinned it out on my bed to block this morning.

Hopefully it will be dry by tonight, or I'll be sleeping on the futon in the living room.