And She Knits Too!

Victory!

I finished on time! (except for the ends)

Terai.  I love it.

Perfect Fit (thanks for the fit advice Laura), lovely yarn (Indigodragonfly held with Miss Babs), great pattern.

Things got a bit hairy on the finishing front.  Not only did I have that flu (I'm feeling much better), but then one sleeve wasn't the same length as the other--I suspect my gauge got wonky with the illness.  Then I fixed that and tried the sweater on and didn't like the 3/4 sleeves so I ripped back the cuffs and worked longer sleeves.

Finishing might have stalled my recovery a bit, but I'll catch up on my sleep now that I have this beautiful new sweater.

And the knitting with 2 strands of laceweight--I love it.  It makes a soft, light sweater.  And since I don't like knitting lace, it gives me something to do with the small amount of laceweight in my stash.

NaKniSweMo Fever

More like NaKniSweMo AND Fever...

Sunday I was on track. One sleeve and the collar were done and the second sleeve was on the needles. That gave me five nights for one measly sleeve. Easy.

Monday I woke up and didn't feel too good. Must just be start of week tired.

By Monday afternoon it was clear that I was sick. Not a little cold, but the flu. Aches, chills, cough, fever, malaise.

Too sick to knit sick.

Stay home from work and sleep and sleep and sleep sick.

Today is the first day where I could pick up the needles. It's going to be close.

I'm pretty wiped out now and don't think I'll knit much more before I fall asleep.

And I'm even too sick to want to try it on.

Back to my sick bed.

Half-Way Point Update

Short version: I'm pretty sure I'm not at the halfway point of my Terai.

Long version: It's pretty.  I'm finished the cabled portion and onto the long march of the rest of the body.  I remember again that I hate top down sweaters.  The V-neck and cables kept me busy but now it's round and round and round and round and zzzzzz knitting.

The merino silk lace is AMAZING, at least there's that.

My goal this weekend is to finish the body and do the neckline (I prefer to do the neck before the sleeves so they don't wave around when I pick up the neck stitches).  

Is this a realistic goal?  Probably not.  But NaKnitSweMo is all about DENIAL.

NaKniSweMo 2012

After 2011's successful cardigan in a month, I've decided to do the NaKniSweMo again this year.

The stars all aligned...

Pattern, the gorgeous Terai from Laura Chau's Afternoon Tea Volume Two

Yarn (1/2 from stash even), Indigodragonfly Merino Silk-quel Lace in You know you're doing it right when your mother and Jane Austen would disapprove and Miss Babs Yasmin in Deep Sea Jelly Fish (the pinkish one)

No sweater on the needles

A swatch (I even have photographic proof above)

And go...

As of last night I separated the armholes (no photo, just imagine a slighly bigger blob) and I'm loving the knitting.  Laura's patterns are always great and I needed this sweater the moment I tried to rip it off saw it on her.

The colours are super pretty--grey with all sorts of pinks and warm browns.  Yum.

I can't wait to get to the nifty cables!

 

NaKniSweMo: Woot! Done! Kicked it!

I finished my Walnuss!

Washed, buttoned, ends in, done, fin! I even have 3 days to spare (24 days for an entire sweater).

It was a bit dicey on Saturday afternoon when I was faced with the fact that I was not going to have enough yarn. I was a portrait of desperation and denial as I:

1. Took out the scale and started weighing the remaining yarn every 3 rounds on the first sleeve
2. Used my two swatches to knit the neck band and start the second sleeve
3. Took the yarn off the cone and did more weighing and calculations to somehow change the laws of physics and turn 6 grams of yarn into two bracelet length sleeves (the yarn is heavy laceweight, not thread)
4. Considered how likely it would be for me to find Colourmart Cashmere purchased so long ago I can't remember, on the internet or Ravelry
5. Gave up, and decided that colourblocks on the sleeves would be nifty and rooted through the stash to find the right yarn.  (Note to self: I have a lot of brown fingering weight yarn).  Of course, none of it was suitable.
6. Knit too much on the first sleeve and then knit the second sleeve off the first one.

So, short sleeves it was.  Nice for layering and kinda cute.  Hell, it's cashmere, I'm not complaining.

The Walnuss pattern is really nice.  It's a bit fiddly at the beginning, but I love the saddle shoulders, the all in one construction and the little details.  The shoulder pleats are very nice:

 

I am already considering making another one of these, with more yarn!  

Would I NaKniSweMo again? 

I'm not sure. The knitting monogamy started to wear me down, but I did like the how the dedication pays off in a new sweater.

This month I'm going to catch up on older projects (like my paintbox log cabin) and do some smaller things like hats and scarves, but I might do another sweater in a month in January with the Tosh Dk I have calling me from my stash.

NaKniSweMo 1/2 way status up date

I started late, so my 1/2 way post is late too!  I would blame all the knitting, except that there hasn't been so much of that.  I am making excellent progress but barring some sort of illness that allows me to be home, but lucid enough to knit 12 hours a day, I don't think I'm going to finish it.

I decided on Walnuss using my fingering weight cashmere.  It's knit at 5 sts to the inch so at least I had some sanity going when I chose the pattern.  The start was a bit challenging because it's a saddle shoulder construction (which I really love) and then there's a lot going on to get the armholes placed etc, but now I'm chugging along.  I'm patting myself on the back for choosing a pattern with an integrated button band.

I separated the armholes on the weekend and I'm about 10 cms into the body and onto the nifty waist pleats.  I've chosen not to do the waist decreases because they don't suit my shape.  

Of course, in that photo, you might be distracted by my chest; trust me, I'm not very curvy.

While I plan to have this finished in 13 days, I would be satisfied to get to the sleeves by then.  I have been neglecting my other knitting--I have the border to finish on my log cabin blanket and Xander needs a headband to keep his ears warm under his bike helmet.  That's the peril of this whole sweater in a month thing, you're not allowed to be distracted by other pretty yarn.

NaKniSweMo Gotta get started!

Tonight I start my NaKniSweMo sweater.  The goal: Knit a sweater in a month ~50,000 stitches.  (Stop laughing at me).

Crazy?

Yes.

Why?

Why not.

What sweater?

Well, that is the question.  I was going to do Amused using my lovely Briar Rose Abundance yarn from a few Rhinebecks ago.  I started it last month, have knit about 20 rows and it would be a great sweater to work on this month.  But, I'm not feeling the love. Both the yarn and pattern are lovely, but not together.  So that's out for now.

What I really want is a sweater I can wear to work.  And that's a fingering weight cardigan.  I also have some light fingering weight Colourmart cashmere in my stash and really, it should be a sweater.  So I'm thinking Walnus (Ravelry link).  Nice shaping, simple and work appropriate.

And since it's an 800 metre sweater, that seems rather doable.  (Stop laughing at me).

I'm also tempted by the Carnaby skirt (I love skirts).  

(Photo from Knitty)

I have some brown tweed in the stash that would make a substantial skirt.  I don't think it will fulfill the 50k stitch goal, but I'm sure I can fill in with some other knitting.

Tonight I swatch for the cardi.  If it works, that'll be the sweater.   Hopefully I decide on something since the clock is ticking!  

Maybe I'll do both. (Stop laughing at me).