mostly done...

also known as: maybe one more tweak.

   I finished the knitting on Golden Wheat over the weekend, but only got most of the finishing done as of yesterday.  Before I could really call it done, it needed to be blocked.  After a dip in the tub and a couple of days laying flat to dry, I finally got to try it on.  Because I didn't wash my swatch and I expected growth, I needed to be sure that the lengths on everything would work for me.  Turns out that the length of the body and the sleeves was fine, but I needed to make my bind off on the body a little looser.  I also decided that I wanted to remove the bottom 4 button holes and leave the cardigan open at the bottom like the original pattern.

   So, I ripped out the original BO and before binding off again with a larger needle, I dropped the two stitches of the button band (where I made the button holes) down and hooked them back up.   That's why my button band looks a bit wonky at the moment.  It desperately needs to be re-blocked.

   Nearly 100% of the time when I add buttons to a cardigan, I baste grosgrain to the button bands to prevent pulling and gaping which otherwise makes a gorgeously knit cardigan look frumpy.  This time, I was a bit overzealous when I stitched additional grosgrain to prevent the buttonholes from stretching, so, my button band currently looks sloppy and wavy.  It was getting late after all, and hand sewing is not really a talent of mine.  I will have to go back an fix this soon.

   Just one more tweak and another blocking and this one will be completely finished.  

baaaaaa

A quick finish.

Pattern: ASE's Little Lamb, Knit Version

Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool

I realized only after sewing one ear on and casting on for the second that the ears should have been knit in the contrast color according to the pattern.  But it's no biggie.  Ears are ears.

 As of 9:00 am this morning, there was no snow on the ground outside.  But here's what it looks like as of 2:00 pm.

Today is no snowpocalypse, but it is a snow day!  So my new little friend is sitting next to me at my desk while I work on all types of miscellaney at home. 

weekly WIP report 2.17.13

Although hectic, this has been a somewhat productive week.

  This jumped off my needles and into a bath this morning.  It's currently drying in the laundry room awaiting a decision on buttons.

Pattern: Golden Wheat Cardigan, Veera

Yarn: MadelineTosh Tosh Vintage

Colorway: Cove

   My version of Golden Wheat is reminiscent of the original, but besides the stitch count at the beginning of the raglan increases, I basically changed everything.  Once she is DONE done, I'll add some notes about my changes.

   Continuing with my stashdown efforts, I recently cast on a mini cold sheeping mascot.  Once finished, this little guy will serve as a reminder to keep my stash acquisition down to a minimum.

Pattern: ASE's Little Lamb - Knit Version

Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool

Colorways: Natural Mix and unknown heathered burgundy 

   So far, so good on the cold sheeping front.  However, this week was big in the temptation department.  Instead of giving in, I broke some rules and cast on a new project, Cinnie.  Good news is that I'm using stash and I already owned the pattern.  What I should have been doing is picking Cassidy back up, but knitting a Chic Knits pattern (or all of them) is never a bad idea.  

Pattern: Cinnie, Chic Knits

Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton Sport

Colorway: Duchess Heather

I have to confess however, that while I shopped both the yarn and pattern stashes for this WIP, I really just wanted to cast on something with my new Knit Picks nickel-plated interchangeable set.  I have nearly an entire set of Harmonies, but over the last few months have noticed my knitting style/speed changing a bit and realized that metal is the way to go from now on.  

I have to say I'm loving the new needles so far, just a bit bummed that I have to finish up WIPs with the old needles.

quiet

  Lately my morning writing sessions have been dedicated to prepping a manuscript, not keeping up with the blog.  So, its been quiet around here lately, but that doesn't mean that nothing crafty is getting done.  

   Over the weekend, I got started on this:

   I might have been marathoning Downton Abbey seasons 1 and 2 while stitching this.  In fact, I think I might do some more of both tonight.

Pattern: North Pole Post Office, CCN Santa's Village #3

Fabric: 32 count (2 over 2) Wichelt amber linen

Floss: DMC and Weeks as charted

Hue Shift Section 1

   Last night I finished the last mitered square and wove in the final ends on the first section of my Hue Shift Afghan.  Although this really isn't a real FO, I'm considering it to be one WIP done.  Only three more sections to be done and the border.  Maybe it'll be done by Christmas.

   Over the weekend, I think I'll start stitching the third installment of Santa's Village, North Pole Post Office.  Hopefully I'll have something to show after my own weekend stitching shut-in.

coming up next...

   With Golden Wheat awaiting a second sleeve, blocking, and some buttons, I thought I'd plan out what I'll be working on next.

   Over the last few nights, I've pulled out the first section of my Hue Shift afghan, and have been adding a few more mitered squares here and there.  Here's what it looked like a few weeks ago.

Pattern: Hue Shift Afghan

Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Sport

Kit: Hue Shift Afghan Kit, Decor 

As of last night, 7 more squares have been added.  It should only take another night to add the final two squares and weave in a bunch of ends.  Once the ends are woven, I'll be calling this a finished WIP even though there are three more sections just like this one to do.

   Thinking about finishing up Golden Wheat brings me to the next sweater I'll be focusing on, Cassidy.  This baby is a long hibernating UFO that is about halfway done.  I've got two new sweaters that I want to CO soon, but I think it'll be a massive relief to get Cassidy off the needles.

Pattern: Cassidy, Chic Knits

Yarn: elann.com Peruvian Highland Wool

Colorway: 2583 Deep Blue Sea

Apologies for the terrible photo, but the weather has been anything but cooperative every time I've got a few minutes to take some pictures.  Cassidy is another fantastic Bonne Marie Burns pattern that I cast on in December (OMG...) 2010!  I'm ashamed it's taken me this long to knit the thing.  I've already gotten the back, one sleeve, and more than half of one front done, so it really is at about the halfway mark.  This is definitely one of my oldest UFOs that I have no intension of ever frogging.  I'd like to get this done in time to wear it at least once this season, which for Nebraska means, my deadline could either be sometime in March or in April.

   In non-knitting news, I received North Pole Post Office in the mail last week and am ready to start stitching once I get a couple of things off the needles.

Pattern: CCN Santa's Village

Fabric: Wichelt 32 count Amber Linen, 2 over 2

Floss: as charted

So far, NP Post Office is my favorite of the Santa's Village charts, but I know there are reindeer coming, so we'll see if this one holds up as my favorite as new charts are released.

Weekly WIP Report 2.4.13

   So I'm late again with a report on this week's WIP progress, but here it is.

   I finished the body on Golden Wheat and knit what I thought would be a sleeve, but it turns out that the pattern is really not that generous with sleeve length or that I have orangutan arms which is entirely true.  I'll need to add another 5 inches (!) or so before I can start the cuff at bind off this sleeve.

   I'm knitting the sleeves flat, so I can more easily continue to alternate skeins.  I'll seam them up later.  As you can tell in the photos, I used my skein with the most blue first, so it shows up in the yoke.  There really wasn't a better place to use the skein, so I figured I might as well make it prominent.