Q&A

First off, I have actually been knitting since March. Hopefully I will get around to taking pictures & updating soon. My Ravelry page is pretty boring without pics of my works in progress. (I'm ssummerer by the way.)

At any rate, I got a question in the comments today about the hat I made for my sister-in-law last Christmas. Anonymous asked:

Can you please tell me how you knit the herringbone stitch in the round? in order to make the Christmas hat to match the "my so called scarf"

To be honest, I don't remember if I even knit the brim of the hat in the round. I don't think I did. I probably did some math to figure out how many stitches to cast on and then knit the brim of the hat flat. Once I had the brim the correct length, I most likely joined the two ends and knit the rest in the round in stockinette. I had previously knit some baby hats from Dale of Norway patterns that were done this way. When the hat is done, you just sew up the seam of the brim and it's good to go.

Of course, you could probably reverse the second row of the herringbone pattern so that it could be knit in the round. I just don't think I did.

Hope that helps!

Mmm Alpaca

The first time I ever went to Webs, I fell in love with Classic Elite Miracle and Classic Elite Premiere. They are both so soft. I could caress them all day long. I decided that I must knit myself two different sweaters using these yarns. I used the premiere on the Phyllo Yoked Sweater to not so great results. I am hoping that the sweater made of miracle will fit much better.

When I got my Vogue Knitting Fall 2006 issue, I fell in love with the Cabled Scoop Neck sweater from the Gray's Anatomy section. I love the traveling cable. It is so different and classic looking. You can't tell from this picture, but this pattern also features quite a bit of waist shaping. Hopefully that will make this sweater even more wearable than the last.

I am using the color Martin's Purple which is a really deep dark purple. Right now I'm almost done with the back.

I have gotten some major help with this pattern from Ingrid on the knitting help forum. Here's the thread if you're interested in all of the ways that I messed up the cable section of this sweater. It really is not a hard pattern. It's just that every time I had to interpret an instruction on the chart I did it completely wrong.

But, now I'm cruising right along.

In other sweater news, I am planning on making the Dollar and a Half Cardigan by Véronik Avery from the Interweave Knits Spring 2007 issue. I ordered the elusive Reynolds Soft Linen yarn from Webs and it came in last week. Tomorrow I'm driving up to pick it up. Of course, I might get a few more things while I'm there. :)

Jess' Birthday Gift

For Jessica's Birthday I made another scarf. She's always wearing scarves -- even inside the house. So I figured I could get away with a really impractical scarf. Not so much for keeping you warm, but instead just to be pretty. So when I saw that the yarn barn had gotten a shipment of Tilli Tomas in, I ran right down to get some. While I love the silky softness and sparkly rhinestones in this yarn, the number of knots I came across was unbelievable! There were at least six knots in this one skein! I doubt I will be picking up this yarn again.

Pattern: Ariel Scarf, by Ysolda.

Yarn: Tilli Tomas Disco Lights in color hope. I only used 1 skein. I bought the yarn from the yarn barn.

Needles: I used size US 8 aluminum straight needles.

Here's a close-up of the stitch pattern on the blocking board.

A Sweater for Me

Pattern: Phyllo Yoked Sweater, Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan.

Yarn: Classic Elite Premiere in color 5207 (bright blue). I only used 8 skeins (about 864 yards). This is much less than the 1400 yards called for in the pattern. I bought the yarn from Webs.

Needles: I used a 24" US 6 Knit Picks options circulars.

Finished dimensions: I knit the 40 1/2" chest size and it came out a little large. I think the premiere yarn stretched after washing.

I think the spiral pattern in this sweater is simply gorgeous!

If I were to knit this again, I would add a little waist shaping and maybe go down a size. Unfortunately, it's not the most flattering sweater in the world in its current incarnation.

Still, I learned a lot with this project including how to read a lace chart and how to seam up a sweater.