eeny, meeny, miny, mo

Vivian

I've been doing a little re-organising of my room this week and as usually happens, I found a bag or three of unfinished knitting projects stashed away. I've been slowly working through my unfinished projects so I kinda knew these were lurking around but now all the accessories like bags, gloves and socks are complete, all that's left are the biggies. The garments. There are 3 tops sitting there in various stages of completion - Durrow, Jaden and Vivian. 

Maybe this time I will get around to actually finishing one of them. With my track record, I'm being realistic sticking at only one:) And maybe, just maybe, I'll get on a roll and finish them all? Stranger things have happened! Each one is at a different stage. Vivian above is quite a complex pattern and I know the reason it got stashed was I made a mistake in the cabling so it will require ripping back and a lot of patience to fix. Either that or just start again. I was reluctant to take such drastic measures last time as it took me sooo long just to get that far, lol! Now, it seems less relevant so maybe I'll start again. It would probably be quicker than tinkering with all those cables and moss sts. But then, I do like a challenge.... :)

Durrow

Durrow, on the other hand is nearly finished. Both front and back panels of rib are done and I only need to complete the sleeves. The sleeves are a lovely fine cabled celtic looking design which should be fun to knit and as it's a chunky yarn, hopefully quickly too. Strong contender for first back on the needles.

Jaden

And Jaden. This lace top is more of an autumnal/fall knit so I really should be wearing it now. It has nearly both sides done but I messed up the pattern decreases on one. I can't remember if this meant I had to take the second lace panel back or whether I had past caring at that point:) Would be a strong contender except I feel guilty that this is the only one I was knitting for myself and I really should get the others done first. Maybe I'll indulge it as second on the list.

Right. I've decided....... Durrow it is. Needles to the ready!

Dear Vivian,

Saturday

I collected my new chunky yarn for Vivian, hoping this time I will get gauge so we can get started. Isn't it nice? It looks even better than the picture on Ebay. (I always worry that the pictures online will be wrong and I'll end up with a really BAD colour:-)) But this one is lovely - just what I was looking for. And as the seller lived just down the road - coincidence or what? - she let me collect rather than pay a lot of postage and have the 4-8 business days wait, which was much appreciated as time is a-ticking for this here Vivian:)

So I started knitting pronto to see if I would get gauge....... YES:-)) First time too. Right size of needles and perfect gauge in both st st and seed stitch. Whew! The pics are a bit luminous as it was very late saturday night when I took these but proof positive before the big knit begins.

Of course, being impatient, I started casting on late saturday night, thinking it's only just a couple of rows and I'd feel a lot better knowing I've at least started. Ahem. Anyone who has already knitted Vivian or read the discussion boards on Ravelry regarding Vivian (which I had, no excuse), will know that the first 2 rows need a lot of concentration to set up and to get a feel of the structure of the pattern as this is knit in the round (i.e. back and the two fronts all at once on the needles with no seams).

Shall I show you the results of saturday nights hard work? Yes? It's quite impressive....:-)

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Ta Da!!

Yup, a big pile of ripped back knitting. At this point, I went to bed! But I did learn a lot although at this point it doesn't look like it. I learned that the pattern starts on a WS row!!  (as well as don't start anything this complex when you are tired:-) Fresh day on sunday......

Sunday - sunshine!

Hiatus for Mothers day here in the UK on sunday. Very nice day visiting, lots of food and conversation - a nice break from knitting:-) I'll get back to vivian on monday, promise!

Monday - positive mood:-)

Cast on again, 188sts using the long tail cast on on 5mm circulars. This cast on is perfect for this pattern as it automatically sets the knitting up for a ws first row. Cast on fine, check. Row 1 WS row - I remembered:-) - followed each chart along the cast on row. Done. Go to start row 2 - problem.......

As you know, I'm a bit of a perfectionist! But I also like a bit of a challenge as well as a new project that pushes my learning skills. I haven't knitted a lot of garments using charts so I'm not really in practice as it were but I like to think I know the basics. Today's lesson in humility is refresh this knowledge often - or, to coin a very apt phrase,  use it or you lose it!

I had a little problem with row 2 as I had to start two of the 6 charts on row 2. But this didn't make logical sense as the rest all cable on row 4 and this would cable on row 5. Ysolda is a very logical and considered designer so this wouldn't happen. But I rechecked row 1 and it just doesn't mention these two charts. Hmmm. Time to call in the big guns - ravelry!

So yesterday, I spent a very pleasant afternoon chatting on the Vivian KAL on Ravelry where I got so much help! I was right, the cables do all cable on  row 4 - whew! BUT I realised that I'd been reading the charts from the wrong side and all the pattern  would be backwards.

Note to self: WS rows read from left to right

                              RS rows read from right to left

Yes, you know what's coming, don't you?

Yup. Another pile of ripped back knitting. But more lessons learned. See how positive I'm being?!

Monday - later on.....

I have cast on again, got past those tricky first two rows and feel like I'm making some progress, finally. I can actually see the pattern emerging now and I am much more confident about progressing. In reality, just minor blip in my memory! At least I had some really good help on Ravelry to make this a lot less painful than it could have been.

Now here is some progress for you:-) 14 rows of no mistake knitting. All cables slanting the right way, all present and correct. Soon there will be decreases and increases to shape the waist:-)) Just don't ask me to watch TV with this one, ok?

I've done some more detailed notes on Ravelry if anyone is interested - the kind of stuff we think we should know and don't want to ask if we can help it, but in truth would prefer a reminder of, kind of stuff :-)) If you're not in ravelry and want to know more details, just drop me an e-mail, happy to help. (But ravelry is such a lifesaver for projects like these, it would be worth joining (it's free) just for their help and support, never mind access to all the free patterns!!)

Back to Vivian now, nearly time for another cable row:-)

Just checking in:-)

Hello, hello! Been computerless for a few days and unable to blog - did you miss me?:-)) The result of all this DIYing  and changing rooms we've been doing is that I've been moving my computer and all my stash from the workroom - yikes! - and that's taking a bit of time:-) We are in the interim stage, where everything hasn't quite found it's home and is piled everywhere around the house. (even in the bath!) It looks worse than it is - well, that's what I'm telling myself. Don't disillusion me:-))

Despite all this, I have been doing a little knitting. My green knotty gloves have been finished off, yay! - and I am knitting away on the second of my little minx socks. Unfortunately, my camera and cable are somewhere in the mounds of 'stuff' so maybe we can have new pics of both soon.

Thank you for all your kind and helpful comments/ideas for the magenta yarn. I still haven't made a final decision but I have decided that the Vivian I was intending to knit for my sister in a lovely dark teal colour (since last year-oops!) should probably be first on the needles:-) S'ok, she knows I'm knitting it so no spoilers:-)) so I can keep both you and my sister updated with my progress. So without further ado....

Knitting progress check; 

Vivian - not on the needles yet but I have knitted the gauge swatches so it's getting close! Once I can get to the yarn and the needles that is:-)) Watch this space!

Limone twist - new sock pattern by Karen Scott to test knit. Really looking forward to this!

Little Minx - on the way to the second heel and then the home run to the top. Yay!

WIP's - slowly but surely:-) Keep checking the sidebar.....

Now, back into the fray of sorting, chucking, recycling and generally trying to make sense of the chaos:-)) What I really need is a Mary Poppins never-ending spacious cupboard that stores all my stuff invisibly and keeps the house looking neat and tidy. The only other alternative is to rationalise.... and I'm not very good at that! Back soon.... I hope!

Food for thought

I've spent a lot of time lately surfing Ravelry looking for patterns for my lovely magenta yarn. There are so many out there that are lovely that it's hard just to chose one but I am pretty slow at garment knitting so I only want one complex cable knit on the go at a time. I've narrowed it down to three, problem is, I love all of these:-)

The top right is Ysolda's 'Vivian' cabled hoodie - just lovely with its complex cables and the shaping is to die for. I'm not saying I'll look like that wearing it but the pattern is certainly designed to flatter, isn't it? I've read up on Ravelry that it is a lovely knit, complex but rewarding so I'm excited to try this one out. Ysolda writes such well designed patterns this could be a real treat.

The orange jacket is designed by Classic Elite - the montera embroidered button jacket.  It is lovely too but I think I love the colour more than the style - although the buttons are definitely cute. But a possibility.

And the last one is the Fireside sweater designed by Amber Allison, that I considered knitting recently too. I love the chunky cabled look and how fitted and snug it looks as well. The collar is a nice touch too but I'm finding it hard to imagine in Magenta. Or maybe this would look lovely extended into a longer coat - over the hips? I'll have to see if it's knitted top down. If so, I can just continue with some increases over the hips:-) and knit till I run out of yarn.

But if I'm going to go to all the trouble to knit a long coat, then I have to bring Sylvi into consideration. I've been waiting to knit this since it came out as it is a big commitment of time, yarn and effort! But absolutely gorgeous! Even after looking at lots of other colour variations on ravelry, I just can't get past loving this red. Even loving magenta as much as I do, do I want a full length, in your face, magenta jacket when it could be knitted in this luscious red? Sigh. I don't have enough magenta to knit this either but I could get more before it's sold out..... Food for thought.

Planning for Ishbel

As I was looking out for some yarn to start Ysolda's Ishbel patterns, I realised I might be kind of in a bluey/green phase. I was trying to find either enough of the same yarn or enough of the same colour for both the beret and the scarf and suddenly my table was a sea of greens. With my Vivian aran yarn still out, there definitely seems to be something going on. My original intention had been to frog the evangeline mitts and knit the beret with the plum coloured merino as I know I have some laceweight silk dyed in the same colour. Maybe I'll save it when I do a second one - you know I never manage just to do one of anything! (okay, except the second sock, glove....)

The ball is my dyed merino from a while back and although it is DK, I remember thinking this should be knitted down a needle size so would do for 4ply. But there isn't enough for both the beret and the scarf. So I rummaged some more and found this lambswool hank dyed at the same time but much finer in weight. It's a slightly darker space dyed mix and I think would work well in the scarf. Both are from the same dye batch so to speak so they are close enough for a pairing.

I also treated myself to a set of bamboo circulars in both 50cm and 100cm. They range in size from 2.0mm - 10mm so I should be able to knit any pattern now.

Thank you to Karen for reminding me this shop existed. I got a full set of dpn's there last year but had somehow forgotten about them. The one problem I did have was not having a certain size of circular to do the job and either ditching the pattern for another day or struggling on with a too long needle - not a happy knitting experience. So now I should be totally sorted.

But the Ishbel beret pattern is OUT! I have loved the look of this since the preview on Ysolda's blog and now, at last, we can knit our own. So, now I must catch up on some sleep and get ready for a Ishbel beret knitting session tomorrow. Night night......