skein

Honeybee cardigan progress

I've been too busy to find much time to knit this past week (and commuting / lunchtime knitting is non existent at the moment, blame crowded trains and short staffed at work due to holiday/maternity leave,,,)

I have, however, finished the knitting on Honeybee!

I tell you, it has taken me longer to knit the cardigan from halfway up the armhole to the top, than it has taken me to knit the body and two sleeves!  

It started off well. I joined sleeves to body ready to start the mock set in sleeve shaping. I was a bit worried about this, a few of the ravelry projects mentioned that it was hardly worth knitting them like this and might have been easier to knit sleeves and then set them in.  I found it ok though. I followed the chart, adjusting some of the decreases as I had less sleeve sts for my size (deliberately) and it all went well.  That part anyway..

The sticking point for me was the neck decreases. You cast off, for my size, 12, then 6 and then 1 st for six alternate rows.  When you start the shoulder shaping you are meant to have 25 stitches on each front, after decreasing 24sts each side.  

This is where there is a pattern fail.  There are two lace patterns. A narrow faggotting pattern, over four sts, and a bee pattern over ... well it varies depending on which row you're on!  Each row has a different stitch count, ranging from 8 to 13! The pattern doesn't instruct you on which row to start the neck decreases.  My first attempt left me with a narrow lace panel as the neck edge. I reached the shoulders and decided I didn't like it so frogged back (not peasant with the bee stich!) and reknitted, decreasing another four sts so that the neck edge ended with a bee panel. Another gripe was that there is no instruction for whether to work half a bee or st stitch as you are doing the front slopes. I tried half a bee (of course) but frogged that and knitted plain, it looked far too messy.

The shoulder, same thing about the stitch count!  I just stopped on the left shoulder at the same point of the pattern, as my stitch count varied from 20-25 depending on the bee row!  Just annoying. It would have been better to state which panels to decrease to for the shoulders, rather than giving a stitch count...

Grumble over. I had a mishap with the i-cord neck edging, but that was down to me. I had to tink back as I'd split the yarn, and dropped some of the faggotting lace stitches on the back. 

After that waffle here's the finsihed knitted garment. Still have ends, underarm sts to graft, buttons and a wash, but it's nearly there!

Honeybee cardigan process over the weekend

Not much knitting done this weekend.  I finished off another baby cardigan, meaning that on Saturday I had ONE WIP on the go. 

It's the Honeybee cardigan, which I haven't really picked up for a few weeks, had to have a quick look at the pattern again to remind myself!

Six more repeats done, meaning that it looks like this:

Apologies for the dismal photo, taken this morning in dim light. Where's the sun gone?

It means that I have about three more repeats to go before I reach the armholes.  Then I put this aside and knit plain sleeves, join them all up and do some sort of set in sleeve and shoulder shaping as I knit the whole garment. Not looking forward to that!  But then it's nearly done, and I'll just have bands to do, minimum finishing.

I can't quite manage just on one WIP, so I've cast on some socks. Rather than knitting them plain, I'm knitting an Anne Hanson patttern, Longjohn Socks. A very subtle pattern, just adding a bit of texture and interest.  A simple four row pattern.

The yarn is Yarn Yard's SSS4 yarn.  I usually get one skein, not enough for socks for me unless they're short. Now Toddy is a favourite sock yarn, and I love this vibrant green, and luckily for me I accidentally received two skeins so socks it is!  A very cheery col0ur/ 

From one 4ply cardigan to another

I must be mad. First, Audrey in Unst, in Rowan 4 ply Soft, and now, Honeybee in rowan 4ply Wool Cotton!  Lace as well.

The cardigan is knitted in one piece up to the armholes (all lace), then plain sleeves are knitted and it's all joined together for the top bit - set-in sleeves as-you-go.

 

The colour 

It's going to be slow going for the body!  The lace is very easy to memorise.  I now have to knit about 15" of body.  Yikes.

The pattern:

Amazing the difference evening lamps make to the colour!

I'm nervous.  This lace is stretchy, and stretches right out in washing. I've gone down a few needle sizes and am making the smaller size. My row tension is completly out, but I have to decide how much to knit to the armholes.  This could go either way. Stretch like mad and be huge, or not grow as much as I want and be too small!

 

Audrey in Unst progess

I've had a pretty productive weekend.   I finished the mitts I was working on, and tried to take some photos yesterday, but they were out of focus and looked a bit big on my hands. I think that's down to wearing them when they were still wet!  Stretchy wool!  I'll try to get some more this week, when they're dry!  Meanwhile we have a photo of the first mitt off the needles as a teaser.

Yesterday I had more Audrey progress.  I've finished the first sleeve and started the second. They're narrow and shortish, so they don't take much time once I get on with it.   Hopinv to finish the second sleeve this week, ready for just the bands at the weekend. Getting there...

I tried it on last night and it's a bit worrying, it seems to be all the wrong shape and was ridign up at the back. I hope it's down to no bands!  Still resisting the urge to cast on the next cardigan.

Apart from Audrey I have only plain socks on the go!  Time to scout around for a baby cardigna for a quick mid year gift to someone.

 

 

 

Audrey progress (or lack of!)

I had plans. Which would have meant comfortably finishing Audrey in May.

Plans involved using the weekends, when there was natural light, for the bits of knitting which involved picking up stitches.

So, last weekend went well.  I picked up the stitches for the sleeve and started the short rowing sleeve cap shaping (which is dead easy).  I intended to knit this first sleeve during the week, ready to pick up stitches for the second sleeve this weekend.

I've done hardly any sleeve knitting though!

Actually, at this stage I have another 29 rows of stocking stitch, and 36 rows of twisted ribbing to go (if my row tension is ok). 

However, at midnight last night I took a good look at the knitting and made one of those middle of the night decisions. I wasn't taken by the fake seam purl stitch on the sleeve. Before frogging back to the start of the sleeve I thought I'd try dropping the stitch down and crocheting the stitch as a knit stitch. A tiny trial showed it looked better than the purl stitch (especially when stretched out) and I'm sure after a few washes it will even out.  So I dropped the stitch,  Not just down the sleeve, but continued down the fake side seams too!

 

In hindsight I could have done a ptbl, which would have been tighter than a purl,, but I'm not going to do that now!

Let's see how much I can knit tonight! I won't start another cardigan until it's done!

More Audrey progress

And I've finished the body!

The fronts were so easy, the Unst lace pattern is quick and gives a break from mindless stocking stitch.  However the back is back to plain knitting. For some reason I thought the whole fo the top bit, past the start of the armhole shaping, was in pattern.

I've worked less rows for the upper body as my row tension was a bit off, so I'm going to pick up stitches for one of the smaller sizes. I don't mind, I like smaller sleeve caps!

I'm thining I may start this next bit of knitting over the weekend. But I want to sort out some summer yarns, so we'll see just how much knitting gets done.  I wouldn't be surpriesed if I waste an entire rediscovering that part of my stash which has been packed away for seven months!

As predicted, my plans to go outside and take a few photos before leaving for work this morning were thwarted by a dark drizzly morning. So we have indoor with lights and lamp on instead.

 

I'm still keeping up with my ravelry kal too. Penultimate clue done.

It's a ghastly shot, but that means it'll be all the better to look at once it's finished and blocked.  Ive said it before, this can only be a cowl! (It's a mystery kal)

 I'm hoping that the last clue is a short clue, as that little ball of yarn next to the cowl is pretty small! 

Audrey in Unst progessnd

I went home to visit my parents this weekend (and siblings plus families, they all live fairly close to each other) and took three lots of knitting. I nearly took all four of my wips but thought that a bit excessive ... except I very nearly ran out of knitting! 

My first wip was the Mystery220 April KAL. One clue, which was pretty short - I finished this in an hour or so, if that.

My second (emergency) wip was a pair of socks. I'm now past th heel fo the second sock, hopefully these will be done by the end of the month.

And the third wip, which was my main knitting this weekend, was Audrey - but I only took down one spare ball of yarn!  Mind you, it went well. Mindless stocking stitch up to the armholes. 

Getting there ....

And up to the armholes!

I've worked another 2.5" in length, just hope this is long enough for me. 

No photos, but I've now knitted the right front and nearly finished iwht the left front.  It only took an evening, and it's super easy lace.

I have more boring stocking stitch to do for the upper back, and I may leave this till the weekend, have a break and finish those socks!

What's tempting me now is yet another garment. I haz the yarn. Rowan 4ply wool cotton in Butter, which is not as orange as this.

I have never knitted or worn anything yellow or lemony. Not since I was eight, when I had a wonderful bright yellow crimplene dress which I lived in all summer.  I wonder if this might be a mistake??? I'm just so fed up with our long winter and want to knit somehting in a summery shade!

But first, I must finish Audrey!

 

Audrey in Unst progess

I tend not to do much knitting in the evenings so there's not much progress on Audrey.  I have, however finished the twisted ribbing!  I'm now on the plain stocking stitch, currently doing decreases for the waist shaping (not that I have a waist..).  I've added about 1.5" before starting the decreaes as I want a longer cardigan. As it stands, the measurement from bottom to the beginning of the armhole is 12.5", with a fairly short armhole (which suits this fitted cardigan) so I'm probably going to do 14.5" or so. 

My tension seems a bit loose, sometimes. Depends on how I measure it!!  But as I've accidently cast on a smaller size than I thought that's no big deal!

In artificial light

In natural light (but not much of it). This is a truer Beetroot colour. 

I've not looked at any other garment patterns. I wonder how long I;ll resist!

Knitting catch up

 A few things on the needles which I haven't blogged about yet.

 

First up is a Mystery 220 KAL,  Each month this ravelry group has a KAL and a CAL, using 220 yards or less.  I've not joined any KALs yet, as I thought they were designed each month by one or two of the group moderators.  I thought that it was pushing it a bit to expect them to design a project each month!  It turns out (when I checked the previous KALs) that they use free patterns from the web, with the designer's permission. As it's just 220 yards I thought I'd try it out this month, as part of my NY resolutions, to do 12 ravelry KALs in 2013.

 

I'm doing the Mystery KAL 2 for April.  It's 4ply.  I'm using The Yarn Yard's SSS2 yarn (it's a montly opt out at any time club, a 50g skein of yarn each month),  

 A murky late night shot again!  it's looking very much like a cowl!  Three more clues to go,

 

The second thing I have to show is ,,,, a garment!  It's been 10 months since I knitted anyting and I really felt like casting on something.  I have three that I wish to knit (as of pre-Twist Spring/Summer)

Audry in Ungst (whish this is), Honeybee Cardigan and Brookline (from Summer 12's Twist),

Now I have two more!  Floriston and Lyssia!  I'll never knit them all this summer.

Audry in Unst is cast on. I hope that I'm not tempting fate by blogging about it when I only started it this weekend.

It's knit bottom up in one piece to the armholes.  That's the bit I don't like, just a small error in the tension means I might have to rip out the whole width. It's also in twisted 1x1 ribbing.  So one side is k1tb, p1 and the other side is p1tb and k1!  I'm now 31 rows done, 5 to go.  Here's last night's photo.  

The colour is called BEETROOT.  It looks BEETROOT not this lighter, redder colour. Rowan 4ply soft.  I'm concentrating on this for the next few evenings, see if I can get this ribbing done and a bit of the back. I shall probably be lengthening it by a few inches, as it's a bit too short for what I want.  

Just in time for the Olympic games!

Things are hotting up here in London, and I don't mean the weather! Olympic fever has gripped the nation (well, according to the BBC news site, which is only talking about the torch and the Games) and I'm getting excited about starting my Olympic knitting.  I am not so excited about my commuting over the next few weeks,  though I can't see an extra million visitors being so disastrous to London.... time will tell.  The first test is getting home tonight, as I'll be on the underground line which leads to the Olympic Park, where the Opening Ceremony is taking place tonight.  i expect I might bump into all of those poor MPs who are being told to mix with the masses and use public transport...  

Anyway, back to the knitting.  Get the flags out!  I HAVE FINISHED MADRIGAL.  What a journey! It really isn't a difficult knit, but I kept dropping slippery stitches and the yarn's dark navy.  Never again!  Wednesday I finished that second sleeve and darned in the remaining ends.  

Tada!!

Just a good wash and it's ready to wear. 

I had a whole evening for something else, and as I have neglected the crochet for a while that's been brought out, though not much done - three full circles and the rest are jsut the firsst round of the circles  At least it's a start.  

Sorry, both photos taken in dark dark lighting on the mobile.  

I shall be watching the Opening Ceriemon, needles at the ready to cast on. I'm really looking forward to it!  Roll on 9pm!  We'll crack open a bottle of wine and knit (well I will, Mr C will just guzzle the wine much faster than I do).  Best start off with a simple project, not the double knit hat!