Knitted lace--only when you're mad?

Well, I was home, and steamed at my neighbor for causing my basement to flood, so of course I decided to try some knitted lace ("Branching Out" from Knitty with CrackSilk Haze).

I actually did really well for a full repeat of the 10-row pattern. Then about row 5 of the next set, it happened: I was short a stitch. I counted for a while and finally just adjusted. Turned my work and found I was short by yet another stitch. Time to tink back.

I tinked back an entire row, and found the stitch count was still off (and some of my stitches were so twisted that I couldn't even move them on the needle.

What's that you say? Lifeline? Yeah, I remembered that just at this point. Oh, well, I think I did rather well, given that I was watching a movie that required watching rather than just listening ("Rush Hour 2" with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. In one outtake, a guy has a horrible multi-story fall, and one of them jokes, "Well, he won't be in 'Rush Hour 3'!"). I don't see the pattern--in fact, it looks kind of backwards, but I hope I can recover the lost switch and continue on.

I decided to conquer Branching Out before I start my Leaf Lace Shawl, which, I believe, is lace knitting, the kind where something happens on the return rows as well as the forward ones. Yoiks.

An FO I left out

I started another watchcap just before we went up to my mom's, one weekend in March. I was able to finish it just as we arrived. I'm really pleased. The color variations in the yarn are really beautiful. And, once again, Cleckheaton's 8 ply, what can I say? Easy care, soft, 100% wool. This one is from the Tapestry line, color(way) 13.

You can see where I changed balls: the second ball has some lighter colors. I still like it; I think the variation is interesting but not jarring. And I love this pattern (a free Plymouth pattern; email me about it!).

Now I have a watchcap to replace the one my son commandeered. Ha, and his is just Red Heart TLC!

Secred project, revealed.

Sharp readers will have noticed very few updates on this blog lately. That's because I was working on a Secret Project and didn't want the recipients to see it before it was ready.

Well, now it has been delivered, for the Most Heralded Baby Ever, and you all can see the final project.


Voila. Baby Sweater for Murrita.

Details

Yarn: 2 balls Cleckheaton's Country 8-ply Natural, in a heather purple color that seems to have been discontinued. This is a superwash wool; easy care for the new moms.

Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Practically Seamless Baby Sweater," from Knitter's Almanac. Modifications: my gauge is larger than hers. Also, instead of doing the Gull Stitch, I chose a 2x2 cable interspersed with 3 purl stitches. Finally, I knit the sleeves in the round (only doing cables on the fronts and plain purl stitches on the undersides, as cables all around made them all shrunk up and funky looking), and ended with 1" of ribbing.

Fasteners: large black snaps, over which I sewed these cute green flower buttons found at my LYS (interestingly enough, cheaper than at Beverly's!).

Preparation: I washed the sweater using a small amount of Orvus from my mom and blocked it on two towels on the couch. There was quite a bit of wrinkliness where the cables began. Perhaps next time, I'll decrease some stitches before I start the cables...?

Overall, I'm pleased with the result. I hear the moms are, too.

Good start on childHood

I'm nearly done with the first sleeve of a rainbow-striped childHood in Elann's Peruvian Highland Wool, which is so soft. (No, the sweater won't be entirely rainbow-striped. Just the striped parts of the original sweater. The body of this one will be yellow.)

I had to modify parts of the pattern because the gauge I'm getting is too fine. Fortunately, as someone on my glb-knit list pointed out, it's mostly rectangles, so it's pretty easy.

I think it's darling so far, and I'm loving this idea of doing a sleeve first as a gauge swatch. I had to rip it out three times, but I do like that the knitting I'm doing has the potential not to be ripped out.