Meltintalle's Closet

Ravelry Entry

Pretty sweater, yay!

I picked the yarn because I liked the colors and it sort of matched what had attracted me to the pattern in the first place. However, at that point I had not fully caught on to the fact that the darker the yarn the less likely the pattern is to make a statement. So we'll see how it turns out in the end. You can see that there is a pattern, anyway, so it should be 'good enough'.

This is my second pair of socks; the first set went reasonably well. I'll want to be sure to increase a bit more as I go up the leg this time so it's less stretched when I put them on/wear them. (Which also means I need to think about how the pattern goes together; because this is a large lace pattern I THINK I want to increase by filling in pieces of the pattern that aren't there yet as opposed to fitting stitches into the existing pattern (which is what I did last time and I didn't do enough of it). I have no idea if that even makes sense but I have plenty of time before I get to the heel...)

So, in the 'I-have-too-many-projects-anyway-what's-one-more' category:

http://www.modcloth.com/shop/jackets/holland-1945-jacket

I picked up a man's suit coat at the thrift store yesterday and with any luck at all I can modify it to look like that... Of course, it could just be a spectacular fail but it never hurts to try...

And in the 'Huh-that's-super-cool-maybe-someday-I-could-try-that' category:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nightingale-2

Obviously, the best socks ever and probably more fun than I want to have to make. ;))

Bonus: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gryffindor-pride-socks
Bonus bonus: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hufflepuff-pride-socks because I'd be a Hufflepuff if I were a HP fan...

Triple bonus:http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-architect-of-rivendell

Also, since the first try at knitting the Mary Margaret Beret failed spectacularly (I begin to suspect it cannot be knit in the round, but I'm going to give it another go with a larger needle size) I ripped it out. I haven't started anything for my doll, either.

http://www.salttree.net/2011/08/make-it-chalkboard-paint.html

If I actually had both ingredients... not that I want to make chalkboard paint at the moment, but it's always been interesting...

http://craftyblossom.blogspot.com/2011/02/fabric-labels-tutorial.html
http://makethemwonderblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-to-make-iced-branches.html

Also in the things that could be done category. ;))

 

Lo, I have finally procured photo documentation of my sweater (and its lovely 'buttons'). It was snowing to beat the band, and I think the photos are some of my favourites of any project so far. :D

• Hobbit necklace


• Quote bracelet


• http://anyalowery.blogspot.com/2012/12/bofurs-fingerless-gloves.html


• http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/03-green-autumn-druid-mittens

Do you know what I am thinking about now? You have three guesses, and I bet all of them will be right.

I am sad I didn't get right on creating a set of hobbits for Hobbit day because it just so happened that I actually went to part of an actual event.

Also, a Hobbit limerick for your amusement and someday I will end up caving to Tumblr...

I did a test swatch which informs me that everything should work as promised by the pattern. I shall actually trust measuring my pieces against my favourite existing sweater more, though. 

• sport weight yarn
• size 5 USA needles
• 14 stitch repeat
• in worsted weight, the repeat equals 2.75"x6" inches of knit fabric

Naturally, I started my swatch with the ribbing. Two purl stitches to one knit looked really good. But... ribbing stretches. That's what it's supposed to do. So the pattern is actually knit one, purl one. What you'll see when it's relaxed is all knit. That figured out, it was on to the fun part--reading knitting charts. You can see one of my sample eyelet lace patterns pulled from the set I pointed out in the previous post next to my screencap print-outs...

The whole over-under knit two together for the leaf edge took awhile to figure out. You need to have the stitch from the inside of the leaf on top to define the motif. Well, I noticed that about halfway through the first set of leaves. Trying to position the eyelets by eyeballing the pattern didn't work out so well either, but by then I had some idea of how the pattern was supposed to work. 



I started over with the ribbing and a neatly charted pattern. Hurrah! The failure/practice helped. It looks a lot better this time. And even though the eyelet at the top didn't quite work out (they need to be closer together) and there might be an extra knit 2 together, or knit 3 together, on my chart, it's fairly obvious while knitting when it needs to go. I'll have to mark it next time through the pattern.

I'm thinking maybe 10 repeats in the beret in the show? It seems to be knit in a lighter weight yarn, maybe baby or lace, which ought to put it in the 22" brim circumference territory. I just so happen to have a set of size 2 circular needles, and I hope I have enough yarn... I might be able to make a guesstimation by weighing the ball of yarn.    

The swatch folded itself nicely and suggested a hotpad. White or Ecru, of course, is not the wisest choice for a utilitarian item, but it is what it is.

For Christmas, my sister gave me some yarn she spun herself. I think the fiber is from one of our llamas, but it might be from a random bag of sheep wool. I decided I'd make another beret with it, because the first one went so well. I'm a poor judge of how much yarn a project might take, because I haven't completed the cable motif (I stole the pattern from a sock book my sister received!) and I only have enough yarn left to do another round or so. Hat fail. 

I've been promised more yarn, but I expect it'll be another Christmas before this project is finished. So I don't forget in the interim, it's taken me about eight hours to get this far. And that's with learning how to do cables and reading a knitting chart and making a few counting mistakes along the way.

Anyway, when the hat gets finished, I think it would look lovely with a sweater from this pattern. It always looks so cute when Solanah of Vixen Vintage wears hers. I'd need a slightly lighter-weight yarn, the gage for the sweater (8 sts = 1 in.) is double the gage I have in the beret.

Deep V front cardigan pattern

Chunky sweater

Henritta Maria

Agatha

size 8 needles
approx. 1 ounce sport weight yarn
made up the pattern as I went along

Finished the mitts today!

I was only off my estimate by about two days? Not bad at all. Of course, as soon as I finished the first mitt, the unseasonably cool weather went away and we're back to normal late spring weather. Figures.