Wednesday WIPs

Sometimes I show all your lovely people my great triumphs, this is not one of those times. This is a time to admit that, perhaps I have too many things on the needles. But casting on moves yarn out of the bins, thus making room in the stash... it's legit, ya? So, let's take a tour of the WIPs, (that's Works in Progress, as opposed to Wery Important People.)

I took part in a Knit-a-long with the crafty friends at Fancy Tiger. We were all working on the Blank Canvas by Ysolda Teague. I'm using a couple of skeins from the sale bin - Anzula Squishy. Naturally, since I can't have it remain blank, I added lace panels to it. Things I learned -
1.) Size 4 is really small for making a whole sweater. (I knit rather tight, many folks would use size 2 with this yarn.)
2.) I HATE bobbles.
3.) This thing is taking forever because of 1.) and 2.).

We had two months to work on it, and I am usually one of the first done. But alas, I have only the torso and starts of sleeves. I think it will rest a bit until I've finished something else.

These mitts, perfectly portable, not so good for mindless knitting! I started with a pattern, but quickly realized how stiff and unnatural the trees looked. Since it was too tight I went ahead and frogged (*gasp* What? I never frog!) back to the beginning and have been making a pattern up as I go. Thus, it is not mindless, there's no repeating, each row has to be considered and each stitch judged. The yarns are Tracie, left over from my Viking Boat sweater; and a surprisingly soft mill-end bought in New Zealand.

Having been slaving on those two projects, each inching along and requiring focus, I started a quick and easy instant gratification project. My father had requested a dickie - basically just the yoke of a sweater to wear for extra warmth under a coat. So I am revisiting the Riddari lopi, nice greens and grey, size XXXL. It may seems large but it has several nice features for the knitter -
1.) Worsted weight yarn, size 8 needles, 'nuff said.
2.) A simple pattern, colorwork that can be memorized instantly, then repeated 42 times.
3.) It's only the yoke, once I split the sleeves I will do a few inches of ribbing and call it good!

Let's not talk about the Laminaria, it's hibernating on the back porch to avoid any further moth damage. I will pick it up next time I feel like doing 650 stitches at a time...

What are you working on?

VIking Sweater

The boat has sailed! Off to explore new lands and bring back great riches, the Viking Boat sweater is now keeping me warm thru chilly nights and grand adventures.

It began as a simple idea, I was inspired by Betsala's project on Ravelry, a brilliant take on an oversized drop sleeve sweater. I picked up large quantities of Imperial Ranch yarn on sale, one skein goes a long way and I got several! As always, I needed to change every last thing about the design, I never follow patterns! I have grown fond of yoked increases, so I spotted a nice chart for my fingering yarn. (in Norwegian of course, no matter for the chart tho.)



I ended up re-doing the chart, simple because the "x" in a grid is hell on the eyes after a short while! The chart itself was not difficult to follow, but very time consuming, and it needed plenty of table space! Each round on the sweater involved doing four passes of the chart, back and forth for the mirroring. The upside is that a pictorial chart like this makes it very easy to see if you're doing it right!

Beneath the main chart I went back into the red and black. I wanted something suitably scandinavian, but also badass - the Deathflake was the answer! I altered the skull to look like a dragon's head so there weren't too many conflicting motifs.

Below that I did two repeats of Furthak runes, charted myself. They are all straight lines, so it's not that hard!

As for the sleeves (It's soooo sad to get to the bottom of the body and realize, with horror, that the sleeves are yet to come. *sigh*) I decided to go with the traditional "lice pattern". Sounds tasty? I'm guessing that's why many fiber people just call it a Setesdal. It's nice and simple, but still involves the stranded carry, for extra warmth.

The bottom of the sleeves and body had a basic colorwork pattern from the Setesdal Sweater book I picked up in Norway.

In traditional style the sweater was steeked. In non-traditional style I put in a zipper instead of fussing with a button band. It was sewn in by machine and simply tacked down without a covering ribbon.

Then I tested it out by going in to the high mountains and drinking, just like a Norsewoman.

But wait, there's more! (Yarn, that is. I told you, these skeins are huuuge!) I was digging the red and black, and I do enjoy colorwork. It's super warm and sturdy. I pulled up ye olde Deathflake, and found a chart for some mittens. As I cannot stand to simple knit a pattern straight thru (see above), and Mr. Crafty prefers gloves, I gave them a split finger. Perfect for cycling in the cold!

What did you make this summer for the cold season? I, for one, am delighted for Skadi's return!

WIP - Dragon Boats and Baby Blankets

I decided to start the New Year with a sweater project - and epic sweater project.

The Viking Boat pattern has seen many iterations over the years, but  it always seemed a little dumpy to me. I have a bias against drop sleeves ( get it? Bias? Haha..ha... ok it was bad.) I noted a version of the project, that was fitted! A raveler had incorporated designs from other patterns, color changing yarns, and a Led Zeppelin quote. In other words, she made it AWESOME.

So I set out to recreate the feat. I got many skeins of yarn from the sale bin, this is Tracie from Imperial Ranch, and each skein is never-ending! I first had to find a yoke pattern for a comfy shaping, and re-chart the dragon boat. The original is hand-scratched x's on a grid, headache city. Both patterns turned out to be entirely in Norwegian... but since I was only concerned with the charts it was OK. I've picked out a few more patterns to complete the bottom, and charted the Elder Futhark runes to add more Old Norse flair!

And then... I will have to knit the sleeves. *Scream of despair *

I've also been distracting myself with a pair of baby blankets. Last year I started a year long afghan class, with a new crochet pattern each month. I, needless to say, fell behind in my crochet. I picked out my 10 favorite patterns, and made 5 iterations of each, all in different colors of green. I'm now divvying them up into two piles, to create two different baby blankets, one trimmed in bright yellow, and one in sage grey.

When I started this project I was simply planning ahead, assuming abstractly that I would need baby blankets eventually. Now there are two alien parasites gestating, so I have to stop slacking and get them done...

What are you working on?

Lopi Sweater Number Two - Finished!

 I cast off my second Lopi sweater this weekend, and promptly went snowboarding in it. It was really warm!

I used the Árni pattern, but knit it top-down, I made the sleeves separately however, for portability, and then kitchnered them in place. I was really happy with the easy pattern, and it fits great! I've been on quite a sweater kick, and I'm sooo tempted to make another Lopi, particularly since my LYS is carrying the Icelandic wool now.

I'm knocking off more and more things from my to-knit list, and busting through that stash (hopefully before the moths can eat it all!) What have you been knitting?

Lopi Sweater Number Two

 I've joined the KAL at Fancy Tiger to make another Lopi Sweater, this one with the worsted weight yarn I bought in Iceland. I opted to do it top down instead of bottom up, which means I've already completed the interesting part.... Boo!

That does however make it more portable, not needing to have four colors of yarn on hand. I'm also planning to knit the sleeves bottom up and graft them on, so they will remain highly portable projects. School starts this week, I need to make sure I have projects for lecture time! Who knows how I'll get projects finished after I graduate.

The original look for this pattern is black sweater with shades of gray in the yoke, I opted for something more colorful, a lovely merlot and a gradient of mauves. I couldn't find a third transition color, so the light pink there is a scrap yarn dredged out of the bottom of my craft closet, good thing I never clean that out right?

Hopefully I can wrap this up by early February, I expect it will be cold enough to want it before the winter is over! What's your latest project? How do you stay motivated to knit stockinette for 15 inches?

One Sweater Done!

Finished my first Lopi sweater this week, complete with terrifically dramatic steeking! It's the Riddari sweater from the Icelandic Knits book, but I made a cardigan instead of a pull-over. This wool is so heavy that it's best worn as a bike-riding-on-a-twenty-degree-night sweater. I tried that out last night, it worked. My face was cold as hell tho, 

 

I used vintage buttons and a single sheep's tooth at the top. I was tempted to buy full sets of buttons for both sweaters when in Iceland, but they were pricey so I bought one for each sweater. That's right, I have two sweaters worth of yarn! I start my second Lopi sweater this next week to take part in a KAL at Fancy Tiger. Let's get sweatered!

What's the scariest crafty thing you've ever done?

Off the Needles, On the Needles

 I started this sweater back in February, and after diligently finishing yoke and both sleeves in a matter of weeks, I set it aside for the summer in favor of lighter smaller projects. July is not a time to have a wool sweater sitting in your lap.

 It's a Ysolda Teague pattern which means there were lots of options for customization. The collar, front, and cuffs have a cute leaf pattern. I tailored the bust to a gradual slope instead of the sudden gather in the pattern. It's cozy and colorful, made with a vintage yarn that isn't real soft but does have a touch of sparkle.

 I've been resisting the urge to wear the sweater every day... So I cast on another Ysolda pattern I'm revisiting. I bought some lovely handspun heritage wool in Paonia last May, listed as Black Welsh. I used it for the edging, with much larger needles to give it a lacier feel than my first one. This is the difference between size fours and size eights! I bought some nice dark Shetland wool to be the center.

 And while on my Shetland craze this weekend picked up some awesome yarns from Piñon Wood. The center one has a fine maroon thread with maroon beads plyed into it, I'm going to use the three together for something warm and wonderful.

It's the season for warm fuzzies, what are you crafting?

Baby Sweater Done!

That's right, cast off a few hours before the shower started. But that wasn't the end of it naturally, because anyone who has ever tried to shove a shirt over a toddlers head knows - Cardigans are the way to go.

 So I washed and blocked it, laying it in the sun to hurry the process (Physics has no respect for crunch time!) The blocking fortunately smoothed out the lumpy colorwork bits, I guess my tension was a bit wonky.

 Then, using the techniques I learned in the class the day before I sewed two lines on either line of the center row. The sweater was knit with a pair of purl stitches in front to be guides. I learned the hard way that it is tricky to capture the carried threads, and that many knitters simply use all their yarns at once on these "steeking stitches" I'll have to do that next time!

 I crocheted the edges and added buttons. A trick from Joyuna - split a multi-ply down to use as thread for sewing the buttons on.

 I then went back in for another row of double crochet on the other face, with single crochet loops for the buttons. (Confession - I intended to use a zipper, never thought to get a separating zipper instead of one bound on both ends. Duh.)

And done! One hour before leaving for the shower! Now I can get to the matching hat I was supposed to have finished as well...

Sweater Crunch

One might think, that given nine months notice I might have plenty of time to knit a baby sweater. That assumes I start after the first sonogram... I have until the end of this month (that's when the baby shower happens) to make this lovely sweater and hat set for my friend's baby. The pattern is from the Icelandic sweaters book I bought, but I opted for a superwash yarn.  Let the race begin!

Sweaters in Summer

It seems that every year sweater projects end up being finished in the summer. Fortunately it's been cold enough here that my think woolens haven't gone into summer storage yet. This sweater is a long time coming, but as with all large projects it suddenly passes the point of "stuff it in your purse" size and I stop working on it for a while...

I had nearly finished the body when it went dormant, and so I had to figure out a pattern for the sleeves. I'm doing a simple eyelet lace with the hopes that it will make the yarn stretch farther. This is my own hand-dyed wool, so what I've got is the end of it, and I'll just have to knit on both sleeves until it's gone. So far it's looking like it will be 3/4 sleeves, which would make a pretty good summer sweater...