Something for me

My Christmas knitting list is very ambitious this year, but it is on hold for now because dangit, I want a cardigan!

The Equestrian Blazer has been frogged once and for all and is now on its way to becoming something else entirely:



A top-down, raglan sleeve cardigan that may slightly resemble the Glampyre Minisweater, but without the ruffled edge or the puffed sleeves and regular-cardigan length. Basically the only resemblance will be in the cast-on numbers, the garter edges, and the neckline (but that's got mods of its own). So far I'm a lot happier with this than I was with the first two renditions of this yarn. Will the third time be the charm?

I should also say that Ravelry was a huge help here. I would not make a sweater like the one in the Glampyre pattern. But if you look up the dozens of Minisweaters on Ravelry, many people have omitted the puffed sleeves and the edging doesn't appear at all. I certainly won't be the first one to make it full length, either. And I noticed that the less busty girls wound up having to put two buttons on (think double-breasted jackets) because the increases were too much, so I modified the neckline increases for a sweater more suited to my smaller chest.

Tom's gauntlets are looking more awesome, but are slightly stalled because he wants the arms two inches longer than they came out, so I'll need to modify the pattern some to add two inches worth of swirly comet tail.

Ketchup

Did you guys miss me? I have been so freakin' busy. And it's funny how going more than two weeks without blogging about current projects means you have a TON to talk about, even if it's been light knitting.

1) I got into Ravelry at last! I've found some of you already, but you can look for me as EverwhelmingLiz.

2) I forgot to say, but I passed my comps. I am now ABD (all but dissertation), and once I fill out a form and turn in a transcript I will have completed the requirements for a Bonus Master's Degree. But now I'm frantically working on a dissertation proposal and, soon, grant proposals. I should be doing that right now, but I missed you guys!

3) The wedding plans are... progressing. Slowly. Hopefully on Friday we'll get the final news about whether the seamstress can do the dress I want. I'll post about that later, if it works out it is going to be really awesome.

4) If you guys pray, please pray for my grandmother and our family. If you don't, send us some good thoughts. She has Alzheimer's and finally had to go into a nursing home last week. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry, it was so sad to see her there, with her mind essentially gone.

Ok, and the knitting.

1) I've mostly been working on the second Twisted Flower sock, which is done at last. In a fit of generosity last weekend I offered these to my aunt, but I don't know how well they will wash, so I guess I ought to test a swatch.


These were some very challenging socks, but so much fun. Also, Dave had better keep an eye on me, because I am tempted to run away with Louet Gems and have its babies. Softest, prettiest yarn EVER.


2) With the socks winding down, I started working on smaller things. I made a baby hat with some leftover 1824 Wool. The Yarn Harlot is coming to town next Tuesday, and this is my contribution to the representation.


The pattern is the Umbilical Cord hat from Stitch n Bitch. This was my first ever baby knit, and it is so freaking cute. I hope it makes somebody's baby very happy and warm.

3) With the baby hat done, I went even smaller.


The plan is to make enough of these to cover my entire Christmas tree, then have a Christmas party and let everybody take one home. They're lots of fun to make. Would you guys be interested in a pattern? They're pretty basic, just the normal sock on normal US1s, except only 16 stitches around.

4) This post is quickly approaching critical mass, but I need to include the status of the Equestrian Blazer. I am really not happy with this thing. My row gauge is off and it's coming out too long. I made some adjustments and lowered the armpit a couple inches. It was still too long, and then the other front came out about a half inch longer. Groan.


I have the back and both fronts done (they're those long skinny curled up things), but now that I can see other people's finished blazers on Ravelry I am falling more out of love with this project. It is just not as tailored or sleek as I had hoped.


I think it is destined for the frog pond. I want to make a cardigan with the same lines as the Tangled Yoke cardigan from the latest IK, but maybe without the cable. Any thoughts?

Save this blazer!

Along with the purple socks and veil, I've been working on the Equestrian Blazer from Interweave Knits (for pic click and scroll down). There is a LOT going on in this blazer. I have one of the fronts done, but sadly I do not think I will "have it going on" while wearing this blazer. Namely, Liz's Crazy Row Gauge has conspired to make this sweater two inches longer than it's supposed to be. And I'm pretty sure that will make the hem hit somewhere closer to the "dumpy" range than the "smokin'" range.

Here's a picture, you'll probably have to click for big to see everything I'm talking about.



The bottom, to the waist, is shaped with short rows and decreases along a seam line, highlighted in yellow (ok, they're all yellow, but you can spot the lowest one, right?) You knit straight for just a few rows, giving a place to attach the button, and then start the Interesting Upper Half, where you simultaneously a) increase along the bust dart line, b) decrease where you want the neck to widen and c) increase the number of stitches in the collar, which will fold over when you're done.

(that tab at the top is where the collar wraps around the back of your neck. Ignore it for now)

Still with me? I want to make it two inches shorter from armpit to hem. As far as I can tell, these are my options:

1) Frog to two inches below where I started the armhole and start the armhole there instead
advantages: easier
disadvantages: will it look weird to have the bust dart right on top of my bust? Aren't those supposed to be below the bust?

2) Frog to the waist and redo everything, working the collar and neck the same way I did before but putting more "slope" in the bust line. To do this I'd work the increases every three rows instead of every four, and I'd need about 10 rows fewer--just under 2"
advantages: might look better
disadvantages: more thinking required, and I'd have to figure out how to make a perfect M1 from the purl side

I suppose a third option would be to work with gauge and needle size until my row gauge is right and then maybe make a bigger size? But that sounds like such a PIA, plus the bigger sizes come out longer (the whole problem in the first place), plus I also have most of the back done.

A fourth, of course, would be to give up. But I'm not that desperate yet.

Help! Advice, tips, tutorials, more options are welcome!

It's not easy being green...

This is how far I got on my Origami Cardi before giving up. That very loooooong, skinny strip is supposed to be the back. Like, it is supposed to go sideways across my back and not swallow me like a tent. Obviously the "not swallowing me" was not going to happen. I got gauge when I swatched, but I never bothered to check on the sweater itself because I could see that it just wasn't working. Plus, I left the pattern at home when I went on a long-weekend trip to visit scenic Oklahoma. I knew the lace pattern well enough to knit without it, but I totally botched the edge treatment.

By the time I was reunited with the pattern and understood what I'd done wrong (and how big it was turning out) I was kind of sick of the whole idea anyway. I decided that the yarn wanted to be something much more classic.



It is now turning into the Equestrian Blazer from the Winter IK. And MAN is it going quickly! This is basically one evening of knitting, and I am already to the bust increases. My row gauge is off so the sweater's going to be a lot longer than called for, but I'm tall so I think I can live with it. (Note: this color is "Spruce" and is a much deeper green than the pictures would have you believe)

Something green also came off the needles yesterday:



(and my cool heel)



To recap, this is Artyarns Supermerino, US 6s, for my brother. Now I have to decide whether to give him the socks next time I see him or to make him wait until his August birthday.

Not everything around here has been green, though.



Wow is this pattern (Cookie A's Twisted Flower) ever complicated! But soooo pretty. The heel flap nearly killed me, though--it's lace patterned every row, so I had to do backwards ssk's and all that craziness. But I'm getting close to the end on the foot! Wheeeeeee...