Starting & Stopping

Note to self:
Get your hands on a scale before starting another Clapotis.

To the right there is how close to (and yet how far from) I came to being able to complete the Sunshine Shawl by eye-balling how much yarn I had left to complete.  ::sigh::

The plan for the next go:

• Weigh ball of yarn. (whole total)
• Knit until I get to the end of the beginning.
• Weigh ball of yarn. (whole total - end of beginning = that corner amount)
• Knit through the straight stretch, weighing ball of yarn as I go along.
• When weight of ball of yarn = that corner amount + 1 gram, start decreasing on both sides.

Idea being that in the end, I'll have one gram of yarn leftover for doodles after the fact or ass-covering in case my measurements are off.  Margins of error can be quite flexible.

Two skeins of Malabrigo sock yarn await this treatment for me, and I only have the single skeins, so there's no way to go back & buy another skein of yarn to complete like I did for the Sunshine Shawl above.  Because if I had two skeins of each, I'd want to make a two-skein Clapotis.

As it is, the Sunshine Yellow remainder sits balled, waiting for new instruction.  At this point, it may become flowers.  Or perhaps an infant wardrobe something.  No telling.  It lurks in quiet patience until called.

On the other side of the color wheel, a Summer Shiver Shelter begins in purple intensity.  I'm working the vest called Jane from Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits. 

After an hour or two of angsting over start-up, I went ahead & cast on.  "Why the angst?" you ask?  A number of reasons, involving gauge, yarn & fit.

For some reason, I can't seem to do projects in the recommended yarn, much less with the recommended gauge.  And just when I think I've got everything figured out, it turns out I've misjudged the fit.

Case in point: Prevailing Karma.  While I was able to manage the exact yarn recommended for that project (see the hot pink tank a few posts below), I didn't trust the recommended gauge.  Especially since the lighting in the book's photo showed a bit more see-through-edness than I liked.  So I went down a few needle sizes, measured my gauge, determined the size needed to fit my measurements, and started plugging along.  Only to find out three skeins in that I hadn't accounted for enough negative ease. -_-

Maybe it was because my math was off, but I don't think so.  That's actually a problem I've had with a few of the projects from this book: NEGATIVE EASE.  I make things to my measurements, when the author seems to think that everyone will work their project 2 or more sizes down from their measurements to get the fit shown in the book.  ::angst::  At least this time, she explained the inclusion of negative ease on the project. 

This time, instead of working the vest in the recommended worsted-weight wool on size 8 needles, I'm holding together two strands of laceweight over size 6 needles.  Which, depending on how the fabric is held comes out to either 26 stitches over 4 inches, or the recommended 18 stitches over 4 inches.  ::Angst::  At least this involves seed stitch instead of the ribbing involved in the Slinky Ribs debacle...

The yarns in question are JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18 (left skein) and laceweight Madelinetosh superwash wool in Wood Violet (right skein).  I'm working the largest size to get the smallest, which may end up either 3, 6 or 9 inches smaller than my measurements.  Which is OK? because it's supposed to hang open anyway?  ::ANGST::

Imma just go through & start working on it.  If it closes, it closes, if it doesn't, it doesn't.  But I'm not going to do the Chevron stitch.  Just so you know.  I'm going to try to sort out a good fractal square pattern bleeding out of the seed stitch.  We'll see.

Trying to stay on top of things...

Starting a Clapotis (from Knitty) for a friend as a gift.  Working it in sock weight yarn instead of the recommended worsted/aran weight: Lace Merino by Ella Rae in this intense shade of yellow gold. Working it on size 6 needles.

I didn't increase as many times as I was supposed to, so there's about 15 fewer on my needle than were called for.  I had already dropped 3 columns when I actually figured this out, so it'll remain that stitch count.

My guide for charting was found through Ravelry.  This link goes directly to the Excel file.  It's from the blog Some Bunny's Love.  Any fault was mine in keeping track of my own numbers. 

New pictures taken of the brown silk skirt, now that the elastic has been sewn in. Fits well.

I've started work on the top to go with it.  I started out with the same number of stitches cast on, with decreases in the purl sections loosely based on what was intended for the skirt.

Coming up to the waist of the top now & not sure I like it.  Correction.  I like it, it's just not what was in my head.  It doesn't fit as closely as the skirt.  The hem/bottom edge/tail will be rather low. 

Completed work on the Cabled Lab Vest of Perpetual Hibernation last Thursday, FTMFW.  It only took 18 months to complete, 15 months of which were straight up sitting-ignored-in-a-drawer time.  Two to knit, one to actually make & sew on the tabs under the buttons to minimize strain on individual strands of yarn when buttoned.

The recipient's dimensions have changed slightly in the interim, but not enough to make it unwearable.  Completion is just in time for use in the air conditioned halls of summer.  Also: one for one with instance of the Sweater Curse working for me.  It wasn't the knitting that did it, but this will definitely make me more wary about what to create for potential SOs.

Best part of completion? Now I can use the overages for myself without the risk of nagging guilt.  No idea what I'm going to do, as yet, but the prospect of now-guilt-free yarn on hand is wonderful.

Finally: the beginnings of the More Righteous Vine.  Complete with woody woolen vine & tinkered leaf patterns.  No ends woven in as yet, but the plan is to leaf up the entire thing in various sizes, thicknesses & greens.

Playing catch-up

Coachella from Knitty's Summer 2007 edition.
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Done in a coppery shade of NaturLin by Berroco.  Swatched until I got a gauge I liked, then sorted out the numbers I'd need to get the fit I wanted.

Ended up working the numbers for an XL to get the S needed.  Finished in January.

Three skeins of the dark amber shade left over.  Haven't decided what to do with them yet...




Then there was Karma from Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits.
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Done in Louet's Euroflax worsted.  I ended up knitting this top at least twice, due to the frogging on having realized that I had about 3 too many pattern repeats in the peplum.  Eh bien.  Definitely worth it in the end.

Decided to make the straps braided I-cord.  That was a good idea.  Finished in mid-February.

One skein of Berry Red left that has languished for a while...

Next came the silk skirt.  A magic math pattern sorted out on the fly, mostly based on what skirts I had done before & how I wanted this to be different.

Done in Mulberry by Louisa Harding with a twisted rib for the body & dropped stitch ladders going up the back of a short-rowed tail.


Fold-over casing for elastic waist band to keep it up.  Finished knitting in mid-March-ish, sewed elastic in about a month later.

Just started working on the top to go with it.  Going for a matched set, don't you know?


Also about this time, I was sent out with a handful of skeins of Sublime's Bamboo & Pearl DK yarn in a canary yellow to make an eyelet shrug called Mimi.  That yarn is worth punching someone over.  Seriously delightful stuff to flow through your fingers, and feels like a dream knit up.

And there was the Tantric Twist Top made of two skeins of Ella Rae Lace Merino (sock yarn).  Which works, but has no good pictures of it.  It works well as a vest & will work admirably as a close top as well, or at least will once I've got appropriate fasteners for the front & back.

Then for fun & stuff came a "summer scarf" called Laguna from Knitting in the Sun by Kristi Porter.

Quick knit, done holding two strands of Grace Silk & Wool by Louisa Harding.  I like the idea, but not the execution.

I tinkered with the pattern as I went along (as is my wont) and ended up developing rules for a More Righteous Vine.  Because this close-but-not-quite stuff doesn't really cut it for me.

Now working with that 100% linen skein of Berry Red worsted weight yarn from Louet.  Trying to sort out a drop-ladder 'kini/sunning top.  There'll be three or four knits of this puppy before it's all over.  Already done it twice... ^_^

And doing the Mulberry top to go with the skirt.

And a better-er vine scarf.

Hmm... the benefits of being slack: posting a season's worth of stuff in one go makes me feel so accomplished.  Eh bien.