Girl Who Knits

I haven't written in a while and I am not sure why.  I think it started with watching all the suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  After the hurricane struck, I felt guilty knitting.  I was still doing it but I felt like I shouldn't.  I went out for ice cream and wished I wouldn't have enjoyed it so much.  Like I should deny myself the everyday luxuries of my life because others are being denied theirs.  I feel less guilty now but still feel so sad for everyone who has lost so much. 

I got some knitting done (although I wish it was more).  Here are some updates...

Intarsia sweater:  I finished all the pieces and seamed this baby up.  Actually, I did this weeks ago.  The night I seemed and tried it on was not a happy night.  You have to understand.  This project is a labor of love.  It took forever to conceptualize and to get designed and started.  It was expensive (although I love the yarn and don't regret using it.)  Then it took forever to actually knit the thing.  I kept going because I knew how it would look.  I visualized exactly how it would fit and what I would wear with it.

So I tried it on.  Granted, I hadn't yet done the neck ribbing or weaved in the seeming ends or done a final block but I was sure I could get a good idea of how it would look.   With perhaps too much anticipation, I looked in the mirror and immediately felt like I was 5 and someone took away my cotton candy.  It looked nothing like I pictured.   Where I wanted it to be really fitted, it was loose.  Where I wanted long sleek arms, they were well...not.  Without further ado, I promptly took the sweater off, folded it up and did not look or talk about it for weeks.

Yesterday, I decided it was time to assess the damage.  Do I need to re-seem?  block?  gasp...re-knit?  Well, here's the funny thing.  It isn't as bad as I remember.  So it doesn't look exactly as I pictured.  So what?  Really I think this is salvageable.  I just don't know how to do it.  I think it is too bulky in the back.  I also think it could be a little smaller all around.  So do I re-seem?  Try and shrink it? 

Here are some pics...first, the mirror shot:

the front:

the back (picture makes my upperbody look HUGE):

I feel much better in general about this sweater but part of me wishes I could re-knit it so it will be exactly as I picture.  But really, when does that ever happen?

Paula: I finished the back, left front, and am half way through the right front.  Fall is beginning and I would love this one to be done by October.

Butterfly: I finished the fringe and started on the body:

Close up of the pattern (if you look hard enough you can see beads):

I love this knit, the only problem is that it is very intensive.  I have to concentrate really hard so I don't mess up that lace pattern and I haven't been in the mood to do so.  This is another one I want to get done by October so I need to step it up.

New Yarn: On a trip to LA over Labor day, my sister went to Suss Designs and got me this beautiful yarn:

Isn't the color beautiful??!?  I love my sister.  No idea what I am going to make with it but it is really cool because it is two separate strands twisted together. 

Basic Cable Hat: For my friend's birthday I need to knit her something as I have been promising to for way too long.  I am going to make the Basic Cable Hat from Stitch-N-Bitch Nation with this yarn (Lamb's Pride Worsted) that I got at my LYS:

If this turns out I am SO making one for me too.  

So that what I have been up to.  Sometimes progress seems so slow.

 

So I figure I should give a state of the union on my knitting.  I don't really know why as my sister (Hi Kara!) is the only person who currently reads my blog and as she is my roommate and fellow knitter—she already knows everything there is to know about my knitting projects.  But I am going to pretend for this post that there are others who may be interested.  So here goes.

Current projects:

Intarsia Sweater—This is a horribly plain name for what (I think and hope) is turning into a really beautiful sweater.  The concept was to find a basic sweater pattern and then find a design I wanted knit onto it by transferring it onto a graph and thus creating a unique piece.  The sweater pattern and yarn I got on a trip to NYC in June.  The Yarn Co was so awesome.  They have some basic patterns that they will customize for you based on your measurements and a gauge swatch.  So from them I got a pattern for a fitted v-neck sweater (size=me) and 16 balls of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.  I love this yarn.  It is soft and looks so elegant knitted up.  The only thing I don't love is how long it takes to knit an adult sweater using size 4 needles and a 6x8 gauge.  But I had to have a small gauge or I worried my intarsia designs would look too simple and not give the sweater the look I was going for.

For the intarsia, I found a clip art book of Chinese designs.  I decided to do a flower that would wrap around my left side and then a butterfly flying on the upper right-hand side of my back.  Using this handy site, I transferred the designs I chose to my gauge graph and then played around with colors, design, and placement until it was to my liking. 

I started in mid-June and I have finished the back, front, and one sleeve.  I am currently working on the second sleeve.  You know, sleeves are tricky.  You think they are going to be quick knits because, well...they are sleeves.  But then when you get down to it, it is just as time consuming as a whole back or front piece. 

Here are some pictures of what is done so far.

The back:

The front (the flower connects to the one on the back):

Butterfly detail:

I still need to finish sleeve #2, weave my ends in, block, and then sew together.  So much work...it better turn out.

Opera Gloves—This is one of those cases where the yarn comes before the pattern.  I picked up some Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino (KPPPM) while in NYC that I seriously love.  I mean it...I love everything about this yarn.  The colors are so beautiful, like raspberries and blueberries and cream.  Yum.  I love the way it knits up, seriously, everytime I start knitting with it I have to make everyone around me admit how great it is.

See, how beautiful is this?

A picture of my progress:

So there are the two main things I have on the needles now.  I am probably going to expand the group soon as I have purchased the yarn for several projects I am itching to start.   So now you are all caught up.