Sunday Knitting

Today is the first day of fall, so it is a very fitting day to present my finished Humboldt Raglan.

(As well as a huge chin dimple and the weirdest backdrop ever.)

I mostly like it. I'm not super happy with the neckline, which is wider than I'd like. But it's still very wearable, I think. My biggest concern was with the sleeves. If you remember, I was wanted to make them a little longer but was worried that I'd run out of yarn. It turns out that they are longer than I thought they'd be and feel fine. And I was right to worry because I only have about a half skein of yarn left (maybe 50 yards or so.) 

I made it a little longer than the pattern specified because although I have a short torso, I find that sweaters tend to come out short. Grumperina once suggested getting to where you think it's finished and then knitting another two inches, and I think that's a very smart rule of thumb. I've used it ever since.

All in all I'd call this project a success, and I'm looking forward to wearing my new orange sweater this fall!

Sunday Knitting

I now have two completed sleeves, and both are attached to my Humboldt Raglan.

I'm now working on the raglan decreases, and the project is encumbered with a variety of stitch holders and markers.

The pattern instructs us to place removable markers in certain stitches, but I have terrible luck with those markers. The first time I turn the project a bit, the marker will come out and I won't realize it until I knit past the point where it should have been and then I have to do lots of counting to figure out where it should be. But I have learned from my mistakes. This time I have put TWO markers in each of those stitches and check frequently for the spots where one has fallen out. I grab my container of markers, put in another one in the spot (which is still clearly marked with the back-up marker) and then when I'm done knitting for the evening, I stand up and retrieve all the stray markers from my clothes and couch cushions and replace them in my marker container. It is a system and it works. 

I'm in the home stretch now! My only worry is the shortness of the sleeves, but given my yarn quantity restraints I don't think that can be helped. I knit the sleeves to the length specified, but I would have liked them to be longer. I believe they'll go just past my elbow and feel a bit annoying. Hopefully they're longer than I think they are.

Sunday Knitting

The last time I posted about my Humboldt Raglan, I had begun a sleeve, panicked, and shoved it all in a bag. Finally I decided I needed to bring it out and deal with it because like it or not, cold weather is approaching and I want to be ready.

My concerns were twofold. First, I was afraid I might run out of yarn. There's nothing to do in this instance except keep knitting. Second and more importantly, I had begun a series of increases and I needed to do a little math to figure out how to space them. The instructions said to increase ever 8th row. Of course when one's row gauge is off (which is pretty much always) you need to adjust that somewhat if you want them to be spaced properly. It was mostly this math that was preventing me from picking up the sleeve again.

Finally I decided I needed to grow up and deal with things, so I pulled out the sleeve, got a measuring tape, pencil, and scrap paper and measured my gauge. Which turned out to be spot on. All that procrastination for no reason! My sleeve became my bus knitting and I powered through it in no time and have even begun the second sleeve.

The sleeves are three-quarter, so are fairly short. I'd actually like to make them longer as I'm afraid this length might feel a little annoying, but of course I have concerns about yarn quantities. I'm less concerned about that now that I realize how little yarn each sleeve uses. I think the rest of this project will go pretty quickly.

Sunday Knitting

This knitting update is long overdue. The knitting is slow and steady.

First, lo those many weeks ago, I finished the lower body of the Humboldt Raglan. Then I began a sleeve.

When I looked at the amount of yarn I had used and the amount I had left, I became afraid that I wouldn't have enough to finish the sweater. So I did what anyone would do.

I shoved it in a bag and pulled out my other sweater project. I knit a sleeve.

This one is made by picking up stitches at the armhole and continuing that way so you don't have to sew it on later. The sleeve itself will be seamed though. Last time I made this sweater I knit the sleeves in the round because that's easier but I don't know how I accomplished it. I don't have the right size needles in the correct length for magic loop, but I don't think I have the right double-pointeds either. It's a mystery. But this sweater is too hot to even think about right now.

I also finished my first Openwork Rib Sock and began the second.

This goes pretty quickly on the bus, but when I get to the parts where I need to look at instructions (like for turning the heel) I tend to set it aside for a while rather than just doing it and moving on. Hopefully I won't do that with the second sock because I'd really like to finish them and start another pair.

I haven't touched my shawl. I need to work on that soon.

Sunday Knitting

I just want to show you the beginning of the lace panel on my Humboldt Raglan.

I apologize for the photo quality and the fact that you can't actually see the lace very well. It's the best I can do, given that I'm supposed to be cooking brunch for my book group right now.

One of the reasons I liked this sweater in the first place is that there's enough lace to make it interesting, but not enough to screw it up. It's a 10-stitch repeat which you do only 3 times. Easy enough!

This is great knitting for movie-watching actually. The lace is just a tiny part of each row and the rest is all stockinette so I barely need to look. Considering the tiny gauge, it's moving along at an unexpectedly quick pace.

Sunday Knitting

Since I finished my Noro Striped Scarf last week, it was clearly time to start a new project. Never mind that I still have my Fountain Pen Shawl and Cozy V Neck Sweater in progress. Clearly another sweater was needed. Here's part of the waistband for the Humboldt Raglan from the Spring 2013 issue of Knitscene.

I'm using Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, a blend of wool, microfiber, and cashmere. I bought it as part of the yarn-buying spree I allowed myself at Windsor Button before the store closed its doors forever.

Though I bought the yarn knowing full well what I was going to be knitting with it, I neglected to check the pattern for needle requirements. This happens to me every time I start a project. I've been knitting for over a decade at this point, and I think I've convinced myself that by now surely I must have all the knitting needles I need. Yet my over-confidence is downfall every time.

It was after the final closing of Windsor Button (over which I am still grieving) that I realized what I had done. Panic set in. The point of the spree was that I didn't know where I'd go for knitting supplies after that store closed so I was stocking up. But I remembered another small store in the area that was still around - Mind's Eye Yarns. I went online to check that store's hours in anticipation of a needle-buying trip and saw an announcement that unless anyone buys the store soon, it too will be closing. I high-tailed it over there for the needles I needed.

Then I sat down one evening with an episode of Doctor Who and my yarn and needles and looked at the pattern. Oh.

It requires two different sizes of needles.

I got them a few days later, but I no longer trust my ability to plan a project properly. Perhaps I should just stick with socks. For those, I know I always have the right needles I need, and in multiples.