Saturday 11 January 2014

plaid!

My first plaid project is finished - just have to weave in ends in front of the tv today:
 

Pattern project details can be found here on.Ravelry

distraction

I've sidetracked myself again with a project that I found on Thea Colman's blog:  "Bastille Backstory" tells the story of the band Bastille and her daughter's chance to see them in a private concert in Boston.  Reminds me of the way music becomes the soundtrack of our lives - songs bring us to moments in time in the same way that looking at a photograph can.  I thought back to the music of my life, the musicians and the songs that stick with me.  My love of alternative rock music has been with me since high school, but the bands from Seattle in the early '90s solidified what music was supposed to be (for me). 


So, I drove immediately to Soper Creek Yarn in Bowmanville to find the perfect yarn for my own rock-inspired cowl.  I bought a luxury (for me) yarn that is a splurge - Malabrigo Rastita in a steel gray colour:
Cast on last night and hope to finish by the end of January!

Saturday 4 January 2014

cape cod - the details

My Cape Cod sweater fits exactly as I planned.  This is due to reading the pattern and schematics carefully, planning for a fit to my body using measurements for decreases and increases rather than the number of rows or measurements in the pattern (e.g., deeper yoke, longer torso, longer sweater). 

Ease:  zero ease at bust (size 38) allowed for slight positive ease at waist.

Yoke:  I knit a few extra decreases for the raglan to get deeper shoulders, and more room in the upper arms. 

Waist Shaping:  as written in pattern, with attention to the space between my upper torso and waist.

Length:  measured the length of my shirts/sweaters that fit well (don't ride up at the waist) and knit to that length.

Sleeves:  knit to lower bicep with decreases as written, then knit cuffs in rib, incorporating 2 more decreases in ribbing every four rows.  I knit sleeves before finishing the body so that I knew I'd have enough yarn for them prior to lengthening the body.  If I needed more yarn, I would have ripped back ribbing to make it shorter at sleeves.



The only thing I don't like is the boatneck.  This is not a fault of the pattern, but more my own size and style.  I find the top of the neck rides up (you can see a slight ripple at centre front of neck).  I'd modify the neck to make it a crew neck if I were to knit this again or knit another pattern with a boat neckline.    I love scarves, so my solution is to wear a scarf to cover up the neckline.
 

I do like how it looks from the back, though (the cable is straight, just curved in this picture)
Overall, this is an incredibly well written pattern and I know I will get a lot of wear out of this.

Thursday 2 January 2014

Queued up... Plaids and Checks and Houndstooth... oh my!

Trends in fashion, aside from orchid colour, seem to be plaids, checks, and other graphic prints.  I'm going to make a few projects:

Bucheron Mitts from Interweave Knits Winter 2014:
picture from Ravelry:  http://images4-b.ravelrycache.com/uploads/hannahrbaker/190833403/20130828_intw_knits_1341_small_best_fit.jpg

Mine will be in Lett-Lopi yarn (wooly and scratchy and Icelandic!)


Also making a mashup of patterns, using the Hollywood Herringbone Pullover pattern for its fit and shaping, in gray and purple houndstooth.  I swatched a bit of herringbone and a repeat of houndstooth:

Top is my swatch, bottom is the original pattern (taken with my camera - my copy of the magazine).  Using the trendy Purple (see post on Pantone colours!) and the trendy houndstooth.  Let's hope I finish it in time to be on trend still!

finished cape cod

My Cape Cod sweater is finally done!

Modifications:  short sleeves were done by decreasing for sleeve to lower bicep, then 2 inches of ribbing.  Did this due to a shortage of yarn....  and the need to lengthen the torso to accommodate my height.

Front and back on the hanger - posed pictures may follow on Ravelry.