hind sight...

Do you ever have one of those days when you know you’re doing something wrong, but you continue doing it anyway? I have admitted in the past to having a bit of dyslexia – can’t remember which is left and which is right and even though I continually try to talk myself through it, because of that RTR (remove, turn, rehang) I over-think it and make the mistake!

Here’s me, trying to convince myself that I don’t really need a button right up at my neck at the top of the band…didn’t work. I did continue to finish the band so I could at least assure myself that I had the right number of stitches and that it was looking good.

Why didn’t I check out my own blog?

https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2011/03/button-detail.html

Made a new button band, following my own advice and OMG! This is so nice! I wish you could see it on me! Fits perfect! Love, love, love it! And, it does look great with the Aran poncho!

Oh yeah, I keep forgetting to say – had many of you ask if you could use the ribber for the tuck ribs (on both projects) and I did say yes, you can. But you need to consider the value of being able to better see what’s going on without the ribber blocking your view.  And I don’t really feel that it takes all that long to do the tuck ribs. If all the cables were the same across the row, go for using the ribber but with this variety in the mix, it’s probably better to have the view!

the full Monty...

What’s an ‘ess’ or two between friends? Yeah, I made a few wee errors, doesn’t bother me because overall, it’s pretty impressive and I’m happy! I’ll wear it with pride!

Got the fronts done for Driftwood, pockets and bottom bands done. Just need the hood and front bands – I’ve almost convinced myself to do a button front instead of the zipper. Because I lengthened it, don’t have a zipper in stock to use and I would want a 2-way that opens up from the bottom. If I button it, don’t have to worry about that, can just leave a button or two undone at the bottom…

I really like the idea of two projects going at once, one on the mid gauge LK150 and one on the standard gauge.

Since I have a few standard gauge projects in the queue (a couple of Take a Turn s), I wanted to get another one started on the LK. You might think this strange but I do not have much in the way of mid gauge yarns – I was never a collector of hand knitting yarns, unlike some people I know (no names!) but when I found that gold Aran project, I did uncover a stash of worsted weight alpaca  in a hydrangea blue, very pretty but not exactly in my colour wheel house. I got it back when I was contributing to KnitStyle. A yarn company has sent it to me for a project but when I checked with the editor, she told me I couldn’t use it because they hadn’t paid their advertising bill and she didn’t want me promoting them. http://knitwords.blogspot.com/2012/04/is-it-middle-of-april-already.html

I had even made a swatch but couldn’t find the notes to go with, so, unravelled it and made a new one and I’m all set to do more Aran knitting! Hiking sister Janet will like this, I’m sure! Thinking how I can revamp one of my hems for a different look…

under-wear...

Here’s me, wasting time, no, not really! Getting through the day with a sense of accomplishment is a better way of putting it, I think. Keeping the mind and hands occupied works for me, even better if there are measurable results afterwards. 

Forgot to say, if you wanted a standard gauge cable/beginner project, there is a free download at www.knitwords.com on the welcome page, a pdf of one of my patterns

from KNITWORDS #36 (which I call the cable issue because there were 5 cabled garments/projects for different machines and levels) Take a Turn is a beginner V-neck pattern with a little bit of cabling to get you started. I actually printed it out myself and it’s on my to-knit-for-xmas list, have a couple of sisters who live in more exciting places that I may get to visit when things calm down a bit, no names! 

Thought I’d give you a bit of a rundown on my Driftwood Hoodie – driftwood is the colour name of the 4-ply wool here – I’m still planning on using this as ‘wear-under-gold-Aran-poncho’! Haven’t planned it all out, working things out as I go, hence, making the sleeves first. 

In case I never said, that #47, Ribbed Diamond Band, isn’t exactly a cakewalk – it does require perseverance and patience but totally worth the extra effort. It was concerning me a bit that it was a ribbed trim. Usually I want to start with ribbed trims, which I did for the sleeves but, I was contemplating the pockets on the front. In my original pattern, the pocket is knit, beginning and ending with waste yarn. The Front is then knit to the same row as the top of the pocket and then removed. The top of the pocket is hung on the appropriate needles (notice my pockets are on the small garter bar, which works fine) and the Front is rehung and continued. The bottom hem joins the bottom of the pocket with the bottom of the front so, here, the hem will be knit, transferred to the main bed and removed, joined later to the rest…more on that later! 

The body is a little longer (actually a lot longer, about 15 cm more) than my Girlfriend Hoodie. I’ve shaped the side seams, wider at hem, decreased in to the waist and then back out for bust width. For the Back, because of the shaped waist, I’ve added 10 rows/8cm shortrowing to centre bottom, just above the hem. 

You might get the idea that although I have a recurring theme of that diamond, nothing is the same. My theory is no need to burn myself out cabling the whole thing. Besides, I never get to see the back so why bother and if there’s a hood it covers a lot of the back so why bother. I came up with this neat little diamond motif positioned in the middle of the Back. I’m happy (and kind of busy!). 

Now for the Front. Made the pockets with the diamond running up the inside edge. I’m planning to add more cabling as I work up the Front, similar to the steps of my LK tunic, almost finished...