An Abundance of Lisa

Motivation

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my February Lady Sweater. It has gotten a fair amount of wear in the last couple of weeks and I love it more and more each time I wear it. After two sweaters back to back, I'm onto some smaller projects.

Last post, I asked whether I should start my Cashmere Cowl or my fair-isle mitts and most of you voted for the cowl. That was just the motivation I needed to adapt the Anemoi Mitts pattern to one long motif and cast on the 100 or so stitches for my Swirly Cashmere Cowl. It was off to a rough start on dpn's, but then I switched to one short circular, plus I got smart and inserted stitch markers to delineate the sections of the chart. Now it's going smoothly (and softly).

Two concerns here: First, that I will run out of the brown yarn. It's a possibility and would be utterly tragic. Second, that there isn't enough structure to keep the cowl upright and that it will pool, albeit softly, around my neck like a cashmere necklace. I'm hoping the colorwork gives enough body to the top of the cowl that it won't collapse when worn. We'll see!

I am cruising through the second sock in my pair of Monkeys in Hello Yarn sock yarn, but not terribly enthusiastically. While knitting with the gals at Brooklyn General the day after Thanksgiving, I found a snuggly little bundle of motivation to get these Monkeys off the needles. It was a hank of Pagewood Farm Alyeska sock yarn, an irresistible blend of merino, cashmere, and nylon.

That's the second Monkey, reclining on the yummy Alyeska. You want a close up of the Alyeska, you say?? Well, OK.

I almost cannot stand how delicious this yarn is. And the color is SO me, right? *Sigh* Now I just need to find the perfect pattern. Nothing too lacy or complicated to obscure the beauty of the yarn. But I don't want to do just plain stockinette. The stitch definition on this yarn is going to be amazing. Any suggestions?

FO: February Lady Sweater

I knew as soon as I saw this sweater on FlintKnits Pam's blog that I would make one for myself. It's based on an old Zimmermann pattern for a baby sweater, but is in keeping with today's styles. It's knit in a worsted weight yarn, meaning it would be a relatively quick project. And the pattern was FREE! For me, it was just a matter of finding the right yarn in the right color. The Sundara yarn Pam used on hers is impossible to acquire anymore, and a glance through Ravelry showed me that Dream in Color Classy was a popular choice for this sweater. I had just decided on using that yarn when I got an e-newsletter from Sonny & Shear with a 20% off code. And they had Dream in Color Classy in stock! I really wanted Happy Forest, but it was out, so Ruby River went into the cart. It's quite pink and I quite love it!

Pattern: February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne (rav link)
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy in Ruby River colorway; 3 skeins
Needles: Size 8 circulars (bind offs done on size 10s)
Buttons: Black & Gray opalescent beauties gifted to me by Blue Garter Sarah
Time to knit: October 5 - November 13
Mods: Instead of yo increases for the raglan increasing, I did kfb's. I eliminated the eyelet row as well. I added the extra stitches at the armpits, but decided to decrease them out once I started the sleeves.

I didn't even block the sweater before wearing it, save for a bit of light steam blocking to get a little length in the body. I may block the sleeves out a bit to open them up some more, but it's pretty fantastic just as is.

Here's a close-up on the buttons. They're somewhere between black and pearl-grey and are the perfect size for this garment.

I declare this one of my most successful knits. It will get PLENTY of wear this winter. Now, I have a few other winter projects I can start: some fair isle mitts and a cashmere cowl with some delicate swirly colorwork. Which do I start first??

Making progress

I have been knitting only in fits and starts the past few weeks. I squeeze a row in here and there while constantly scanning and obsessing over political blogs like FiveThirtyEight, Politico, Real Clear Politics, Talking Points Memos.... ok, the list is long. Instead of revealing the true extent of my obsession with this upcoming election, I'll just give you what you came here for in the first place: the knitting.

The little bit of knitting I'm managing to do here and there is starting to add up. I think I need to do about 4 more inches in the lace pattern before switching back to the garter rows. This stuff really blocks out big, and I really don't want this sweater to be too long.

Should I be concerned about the amount of space up there in the shoulder? I saw many people on Ravelry omitted the step that adds 7 stitches to the body under each armpit. Wondering if I should have done the same?

I'm looking forward to finishing this sweater--I think it's going to be a real cute addition to my wardrobe. My most recent fave addition to the wardrobe? This bag:

Cute, eh? I saw a girl walking around with it at Rhinebeck and ordered myself one from Cafe Press. I just hope that I can carry it around proudly after Tuesday!!

Two crafty weekends in a row

I love brisk fall weekends!! I feel extra motivated to be crafty and domestic when the temperatures start to dip. Last weekend, I trekked upstate with my fellow Spiders to Rhinebeck. We couldn't have asked for a better day. Photos will do the day more justice than any of my words....

L-R: Carrie, Maya, Virginia, Jess K, and Jess G



Jess and Stephanie with the "just-bought-yarn" glow



Virginia lounging with her newly acquired stash



L-R: Jess, Carrie, Virginia, and Jess at the Ravelry Party



Springtide Farms Cashmere for a colorwork cowl of my own design, eventually.



Lacy Lamb bought at Fabulous Yarns in Tivoli, NY. I plan to double-strand for some fair-isle mittens.

More craftiness ensued this weekend at Virginia's, where Jess and I canned jams and jellies all afternoon. We made strawberry jam, strawberry-blackberry jam, and--get this--hot pepper jelly! Have you ever? I sure hadn't, but it was delicious. Not spicey at all, although poor Jess's fingers burned all day from handling the peppers without gloves on. And because I'm feeling picture-happy today, here are some pics of our adventures in the kitchen!

Hot Pepper Jelly ready to go into the hot water bath



YUMMY!

Momentum

The buttons hadn't even been sewn onto my Tangled Yoke Cardigan before I started scheming for my next sweater project. FlintKnits February Lady Sweater had been top in my queue for some time, so when I saw Maya's beautiful rendition, then just days later received a 20% off coupon from Sonny & Shear, I knew I didn't have to search any further. A February Lady Sweater in Dream in Color Classy in Ruby River was going to be my next project.

Immediately after taking FO shots of my Tangled Yoke, I capitalized on the finished-project high and cast on for this lovely lady. The yarn is scrumptions, the color is vivid, and the pattern is a breeze. After all the needle and cabling drama, not to mention the pressure to finish on the Tangled Yoke, this project feels leisurely and relaxing, as a good knitting project should. I'm already through the yoke, sleeves separated, and cruising through the lace body.

To add to the fun of this project, several of my Spider friends have decided to cast on for their own February Lady Sweaters, so we can cheer each other on. I can't wait to take a big group shot of us all in our FOs!

FO: Tangled Yoke Cardigan

Tangled Yoke Cardigan
by Eunny Jang
Started September 2007 :: Finished September 2008
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed
Needles: Size 4 circulars
More details on Ravelry.



The cabling on the yoke was some of the most challenging knitting I've ever done, but ended up being very rewarding. Just look at the finished product! The cable a subtle, yet intricate detail that adds great interest to the sweater. I couldn't be more pleased with how the entire thing turned out.




I'm not sure why it took me a whole year to knit this sweater. It languished in the WIP basket last winter and then summer came and I didn't want Felted Tweed anywhere near my fingers. But toward the end of summer there, I had plenty of motivation: Ravelympics and Jess's "Shallange!" I didn't cross the finish line with either of these events, but I wouldn't be done with this sweater today without those kicks in the pants!




Can you tell I love my Tangled Yoke Cardigan?? It's definitely going to be in regular rotation in my fall/winter wardrobe.

These Irish Eyes are Smiling

I have Irish ancestry on both sides of my family, so, after a week in Ireland, I can safely say that MY Irish eyes are smiling, indeed. BK and I thoroughly enjoyed our entire trip and were sorry to see it come to an end. We took a whirlwind tour of Dublin, Galway, Doolin, Cork, and Killarney and felt like we only scraped the surface of this incredible country.

Highlights for me include the Hurling championship in Croke Park in Dublin, the stunning Cliffs of Moher off the West Coast, the delicious Beef and Guinness stew and brown bread served in a pub in Doolin, and the nightly pints of Guinness that I came to crave by the end of the trip. The roads were narrow, the people were friendly, and miraculously, the weather was perfect. All in all, a tremendous vacation. Click through to my Flickr set for more photos.

I was a bit concerned that I had burned out on my Tangled Yoke Cardigan in trying to finish it before leaving for Ireland. But now that I'm home, I am just as resolved to finish this sweater, especially now that it's officially fall and the weather is turning cooler. Plus, the Celtic cabling along the yoke reminds me of Ireland, so I reminisce about my trip as I knit, and the long, long rows of the yoke go by quickly. I hope to have an FO to show soon!!

Throwing in the towel

 

It just wasn't meant to be, getting this sweater done by the time I leave for Ireland. The cabling on the yoke really threw me for a loop and I ended up ripping and re-knitting pretty much every one of the 7 rows of the chart I've completed. I'm disappointed that I won't be able to get pictures of it in all its glory in the lush green Irish countryside, like I had hoped. But, I know that I'll be excited to finish it once home and that I can find a great location for some FO shots.

Thanks, Jess, for the kick in the pants! I wouldn't have gotten this far in the sweater in such a short amount of time without your motivation!

We're off to Ireland tomorrow night on the red-eye. We're landing in Dublin, spending a couple of days there, then heading west to Galway, Doolin, Cashel, Cork, and Killarney. Keep an eye on my Flickr for pictures!

The throwdown gets painful

No pain, no gain, right? Well, in my case this weekend, it felt like LOTS of pain, NO gain on the Tangled Yoke Cardigan. I brought my second sleeve to Brooklyn General on Friday night for an evening of knitting and toasting to Carrie, who's getting married later this month. The meet up almost turned bloody when Jess and I squared off in an arm-wrestling match in the back of the store.

Little did I know, the pain was only beginning. On Saturday, I planned to spend the entire day inside, knitting my sleeve while watching movies, and letting the remnants of Hurricane Hanna move its way through Brooklyn. I knit furiously. I knit until my wrists were aching and sore. See how fast my needles are flying?

By Saturday night, I had joined the sleeves to the body and started the long, long rows around the yoke. Also by Saturday night, my wrists were in some serious pain.

Here's my progress as of Sunday morning--the sleeves have just been joined. It took me nearly 9 hours of football watching to get through the 3 inches of stockinette on the yoke... the rows are THAT long and tedious at about 276 stitches around. My wrists were seriously protesting by Sunday night, but I plowed on, determined to at least start the pattern in the yoke. I groaned as I read that the set up row included a make-1-into-5 stitch every 9 stitches or so, and the second row included bobbles and cables. I made it through the make-1-into-5 row and started the second row with the cabling only to find that things aren't lining up correctly.... I'm not sure what's wrong and I'm hoping to fix it tonight, but it's leaving me feeling very pessimistic about my chances of finishing before Friday night, when I leave for Ireland.

It's a throwdown

Thanks, everyone, for your encouragement on my race to finish my Tangled Yoke Cardigan before leaving for Ireland on September 12. But let's face it: what is really going to help me get this sweater to FO status is some good ol' fashioned competition. Jess over at Fig & Plum recognized this and proposed a Tangled Yoke Throwdown. I'm never one to back down from a challenge, so game on!

  

Here's how the race shapes up. We have comparable amounts of knitting done: one sleeve and the body up to the bust. Jess is slightly ahead of me on the second sleeve, but is experiencing gauge issues which may necessitate a rip-and-re-knit. She will probably save time, though, with her plan to omit the cabling on the yoke. But I may catch a tail-wind on the home-stretch with all the football-watching-knitting-time I have coming up on the weekend. A few hurdles, like packing for Ireland and such, could trip me up though!

The finish line is September 12! May the fastest knitter win! Thanks, Jess, for this much needed kick in the pants! Let's do this!