All those symbols on yarn labels

So at knitting today we started wondering about symbols on labels.  So I found this 

http://lawsofknitting.com/yarn-care-symbols/. 

Enjoy!

Ripping out, big time

My. Tabor Hawthorne. I love this yarn, but even within a dyelot you can get substantial variation.  This bit me on the butt when I used this yarn for Light Trails - I was literally 4 rows from finishing, loved the shape, but so stripy and wrong.  Didn't do justice to the yarn.  See?

Ripped it out. 

This time I'm using all four balls at once to avoid striping and birthmarks.  The pattern construction is simpler too - well, lots of short rows around the neck - so it's easier to manage change gong balls each row. 

Other WIPs

I'm not sure if I'm happy with this one http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/moroccan-nights Moroccan Nights.  To be clear, I think the pattern is great but I've started it with some KP Gallelio and I'm not sure I love the two together.  

Then again, I got interrupted on this one so maybe it's just that that's putting me off?  Don't mind those heinous jammy pants ....

Linen featherweight

Again, it's been a while!

I've done a couple things I really like this summer - one of which Featherweight in KP Lindy Chain. I'll start with this:

This pattern in this yarn is AWESOME. The yarn is quite forgiving of machine washing and drying and the drape and fit are fantastic. If you’re tall, or have concerns about the linen growing during the day as you wear it, you could always do a crochet chain reinforce down the sleeves and at the side seams - the Yarn Harlot has a nice post about it here http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2008/02/24/hooking....
I’ve had some requests for the lace pattern on Ravelry, and here’s the chart and instructions http://freeknitstitches.com/pattern.php?num=64&menu=3 - I did 3 repeats on the body, 4 on the sleeves and for the neck I cast on for one side and did 18 repeats, then picked up the same number of stitches along the cast on edge and knit another 18 repeats going the other direction (gives you the nice detail at the nape of the neck) and mattress stitched (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring04/mattress.html) this “scarf” onto the front of the cardigan.

After 4 washings and dryings the yarn and at term combo can be washed and dried without loss of shape or stitch definition. I’d recommend this yarn for this pattern.  It was a nice summer knit - not to hot have on your lap and portable. But there's more ...

Those better pictures ....

Thanks to Amy, a work/knitting friend who takes great photos and gets all the credit for discovering these stairs as a shoot location. 

I also gave the green sparkly scarf to Kendra today and she promised to let me take pictures of it on, so those will come later. 

Well that was awful

5 mile run

Sorry it's been so long!

Soccer, finishing 8th grade, work, trying to not live in a pit of a house, these things really eat up your time.  

So, I've been doing my usual this spring - reknitting patterns I like. I've redone Dark and Stormy (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dark-and-stormy) in Mewsic Brick House (http://www.spinnery.com/shop/products.php?cat=47) for me (yeah, finished that just as the 80 degree weather hit ATL, go me), did another Age of Brass and Steam (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-age-of-brass-and-steam-kerchief) green beaded scarf for a colleague at work, a pair of fingerless mitts (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sleekit-mitts) for another work colleague and did another Funky Grampa (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/funky-grandpa) - in greens this time.  I'm attaching some pictures here, but should have better ones next week. 

I've also started doing Featherweight (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/featherweight-cardigan) in Lindy Chain, we'll see how that turns out. Sometimes wool patterns don't work with plant fibers if they're too fitted. I had original pegged the Lindy Chain (http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Lindy_Chain___D5420254.html) for a pattern called Simply Flattering, but I think I'll use some Hawthorne (http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Hawthorne_Fingering_Multi_Yarn__D5420251.html)for that since the pattern is so fitted and I'm not sure the linen would have enough give. 

Promising to post more regularly!

Ravello pictures

Had both a cold day and an available coworker willing to waste a couple minutes with me. Sorry about all the wrinkles!

I like it but....

Okay, first of all I'm home from work today because the city of Atlanta shut down because it's raining. This means in addition to getting to hang out with my family, I got to finish the second sleeve on Ravello. I like it, but I feel like I need to redo the stripes on the body and I wasn't totally happy with the way that my shaping came out. So I'm ripping out the body so that I can redo the stripes and just knit it straight down without any shaping. I'm including a picture of it pre-being ripped out though see you can see what I've done. 

I'm going to add an extra stripe to the body in the bright pink, I think. 

Ravello

I really like this pattern.  I stayed conservative on my first take and stayed close to the orginal colors - which I like:

But I think I want to try it in some closer tones - like this:

I love palette. I worried it wouldn't wear well, or be scratchier than I'd like. Nope.  And the colors. So. Many.  Colors.  

Ravello

I feel a bit odd turning 44 and making so many hipster sweaters with horizontal stripes, but ....

Palette on 4’s feels and looks really nice. Great pattern, the short rows for the neck shaping are awesome. I’m excited to see how this one comes out - I think most of my jogless color switches worked on the back yoke. I decided to extended the contrast color stripes down into the darker body portion to try and make the entire peice more intergrated. I think I like it so far. I’m also adding some shaping to the body.  I'm thinking that doing one with greens could be nice too.  

Front

Back

I think I can wiggle and block those out a bit. Right now the unevenness is being exacerbated by tension funk at the color changes. 

Interesting last sentence there.  

If you're interested in jogless stripes, check out the Techknitters blog from 2007 - http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/01/jogless-stripes.html?m=1. 

It's done, blocked maybe it will fit?

Knit about 40 yards of icord this morning and it's done, needed a bit of stretching post block.  We'll see if that did the trick. 

Not sure if I like it or think it's just heinous ...

Paulie

I started working on this over break. It's a very fun and I wanted to do it again with the stripes this time. It makes for nice and permitting if you're trying to watch a movie for the most part. So I wanted to use up some black and lollipop Chroma. The problem with color change yarn is that if you work back-and-forth the gradations not going to work out very well. So I did was basically a really unnecessary steeking process on this one. Then I tried out a new way of handling steeks using the crocheted steek method. You can see it here http://eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/01/the_steeking_chronicles_part_i.html. 

I'm now picking up for the neck edging and I'm going to have to figure out how I want to finish it-  with buttons or clasps or what. 

Happy holidays!

Two weeks off!  Went for a walk today. 

Just.... Wow

I love this pattern. I think this might be one of the best projects I've ever made. 

Last Christmas knitting

So I finished Dark and Stormy today.  Wet blocked it and dried it in the sun.  The Alpaca Elegance is really lovely, works great for this pattern, it fits beautifully . I'll get some shots of it on tomorrow at knitting.  I think my sister will really like it, and it will look really good on her. Oops if she reads this. :)

I'm not in love with the buttons, but I'll send her some yarn to replace them if she finds something better.  

Now I just have to finish mom's lap blanket...