Yoke Sweater

Look-ee what I’ve been working on! This was made with some sale yarn that I picked up a the local yarn store last weekend. I decided that it would make a really cute yoke sweater (a la Elizabeth Zimmerman) for one of the grand-nieces, grand-nephew, or niece. Since I don’t have any little ones around, I have no idea whether this actually fits anyone or not, or what size this really is. But doesn’t it look adorable on Sparky?

I didn’t weave in the end at the neck, just in case I need to rip it out and re-knit to fit the head. For some reason, it seams that all the little ones in my immediate vicinity are all head. I make hats on the large size for babies, with the hope that they’ll grow into it. Then I find out that it fits perfectly NOW. Well, what about next week/month?

Project Notes:

• Yarn: Bergere de France, Irland. 50 g/70 m each. 4 balls grey, 1 ball blue, a bit of white.
• Gauge: 9 sts/2″
• Needles: US Size 3 (3.25mm) and US Size 6 (4.00mm)
• Body: 125 sts; knit 12 rows with smaller needle, then switch to larger needle
• Sleeves: 34 sts; same as body; incr every 5th row until 42 sts

I might leave it as a boat neck next time … by skipping the last decrease (just above the white peerie).

Now that the trauma of the tea burn has subsided, I’ve picked up the pi shawl again. But it could just be more procrastination on finishing the LL spiral socks (the mate looks nothing like the first) or the purple raglan that I’ve been working on since last year. I’m working on the sleeves right now. This is different from the EZ pattern in that the sleeves are worked last, while it is attached to the sweater. I’m not enjoying turning the entire sweater over and over in my lap — and getting the body and the yarn all twisted up. Anybody have any tips on dealing with this?

Web Logs

Interesting show on what a web log is and why people keep them on KUOW today.

Why do I keep one? I started this primarily to track my fiber projects and thoughts on future projects. I didn’t create it with the intention of putting it out for the world to see — perhaps a few selected people when I want to show them what I’ve been working on. But, I also thought that by writing about my current projects, it would become another tool to help me finish it. There — my goal is out there for all the world to see — whether anyone looks at it or not, I know it’s out there. And I want to be able to show that I have indeed completed them in some fashion or another.

I had kept a project notebook, when I started to knit socks again in earnest a couple of years ago. But I’ve noticed that I’ve slacked off on that quite a bit — attaching sample yarn, yarn label, gauge, needle size, etc takes work. But I also didn’t have pictures. Taking pictures, printing them out and attaching it to the notebook was just too much. But snap a digital picture, and put it on the web log with the stats, now we are getting somewhere. And, I have the benefit of scribbling some thoughts I have on the fiber as I work through it. Hmm, experimenting with a new heel? How do I like it? It’s all here. Well, that’s my intention anyway.

And Movable Type allows me to search my archives. It’s not quite so easy with my paper notebook.

Yeah, I know, my geeky nature is showing. But that’s why I do this. If someone else gets some benefit from my web log, then that’s a bonus that I didn’t plan for.

Why do I read web logs? For a long time, I only read blogs of friends who I no longer share an area code with — to find out what’s going on in the portion of their lives that they choose to share. I didn’t even know that there was a webring (or two or ten) dedicated to people who enjoy knitting, spinning, and all other types of fiber pursuits.

There are a few people on the fiber/knit rings that simply inspire me. I’ve been a fairly conservative knitter. I knit. I knit boring things and and sometimes boring patterns. Not because I’m not capable of doing more complicated things. But because I’m lazy and sometimes not very motivated to find new things/patterns to try. Reading Wendy’s and Bonne Marie’s blogs inspire me to do more challenging and fun knitting. And I thank them. I read Marilyn because she amuses me. She says stuff that I wish I had thought of. What a mouth on that woman! And I love it!