For the first time in 4 years....

...I have progress!

I am the worst KALer on Earth... but... I have progress.

My aunt asked me a couple of weeks ago if I ever finished my sweater, and I sadly had to admit to her that no, I hadn't. She inspired/threatened me that I really should just sew it already, because if I didn't, she would. Hehe.

I took all my pieces to visit her, and we even went out and bought some buttons. She helped me put together the shoulder seams, and it was enough to jump start me into thinking that yes... I might actually be able to do it this time. I might really sew the sweater I have wanted for so long.

I posted about my heartbreaking story on the Knitters Review forums, and after some inspiring posts from the ladies there, I decided to really go for it... so last night I sewed the side first side seam:

And I think it actually looks good! I was so enthusiastic that I decided to keep going and try the second side seam, but to my disapointment, the length of the pieces did not match up.

So I'm blocking them:

They're nearly dry already, so I hope to have that seam done tonight!

That's progress, people!

TCC ALL DONE!!

My Travelling Cables Cardigan is all steamed and seamed. I was so happy to get her done that I had to put up a picture of her right away. There was no one around to take an action shot so a still photo had to do. She is knit out of red Nature Spun even though she looks pink at times in these photos. I found some big silver buttons to hide my poorly done buttonholes. They have a pretty celtic looking cable pattern on them so I thought them very appropriate. There is a photo of the button detail on my blog. I hope to get some better pictures of her up on my blog by this week-end so you can see the true color.

Travelling Cables Front

Travelling Cables Front
Originally uploaded by pghjan2.

Over Christmas I came down with a terrible cold which meant that I had an excuse to sit and knit. I managed to finish the front of my cardigan the day after Christmas. I am hiding the buttonholes from you because they leave something to be desired. I am hoping that a good blocking will straighten them out. When I feel better I am going to go shopping for some buttons. I am thinking some pretty silver ones. What do you think?

Just Joined

Travelling Cables
Originally uploaded by pghjan2.

Hi Everyone! I just joined this KAL and thought I'd post my progress. I started this sweater for the Red Sweater KAL and Jo was kind enough to let me know about this one. So this sweater is a KAL twofer. I am knitting her out of some Nature Spun I had in my stash. She is very bright but I like her. I'm just starting the front and I noticed I didn't do the moss stitch as it is in the pattern. Oh well, I'm not starting over. I knit more of a pebble stitch than a moss stitch. Thats what I get for knitting in a hurry.

A Slow KALer..

Howdie : )

It has been a while.. I've been a bad blogger/emailer in general lately.. I find that I have a lot of things to do that have nothing to do with the computer at all.. and I am very distracted by my new baby Alfie.

But I have been slowly knitting and toiling away on my TCC. When I last posted I had both of my fronts done, which completed the body.. Currently I have one totally completed sleeve and one that is up to the shoulder shaping. Here's a finished sleeve:



I did figure out how to knit the sleeve in the round.. it really wasn't hard.. although there was some ripping back I'd rather not talk about ; )

I am procrastinating very very badly with the second sleeve, because I cannot figure out for sure if I am going to want another inch of length. I know for a fact that even if every other part of the sweater is perfect in every way, I still will not wear it if I deem the sleeves too short. I like my sleeves to go over my hand about half way, (The way it is on the model on the pattern page) which means I knit sleeves pretty long.. I don't know if the construction of this sweater will make the sleeves the "right" length on me or not.. and I haven't decided if I can block another inch into them if it turns out I want to.

Someone suggested that I just try blocking the completed sleeve to see what happens.. but I am so gun-shy on blocking with a baby kitten in the house it isn't even funny. I keep hoping for a good long weekend at home where I can babysit him and keep him off my dang sweater as it dries.. but I have had no such weekend.

All of this aside.. I am dang determined to get this sweater FINISHED before it gets super hard cold around here.. so I can wear it THIS winter. I just hope my procrastination doesn't get the better of me.

Have any of you thought about seaming this thing at all? The thought of it honestly terrifies me. I don't know what stitch to use because seaming moss-stitch doesn't really make sense to me. And the construction of this sweater is pretty odd if you ask me.

After all this knitting and it all coming out fine.. I still find little things to worry about and stop me in my tracks.. I need to decide to get it done and get it over with.. but I do want to do it right and I want a beautiful sweater in the end, above all.

So, any tips or comments of encouragement are very very welcome. (Threats if the sweater isn't complete soon are also welcome.)

Moving along nicely

I can't believe it but this pattern is actually working out quite easily so far - there may well be rapids ahead, but at present we're in calm smooth water.



The cashmere/silk seems to be enjoying itself too, giving wonderful stitch definition and altogether behaving like the upper-class creature it is.

I love the way the cables come closer together in the middle, forming a little flare or bustle at centre back. The next stage is to start them travelling outwards. I assumed this would have to be via the usual method of painstakingly cabling sideways, but to my delight I discovered that it's all done by increases and decreases on either side of the moving cable. So much easier and simpler - why didn't I think of it instead of Karabella? (I don't think, somehow, that I'm cut out for knit design, though - you need to have a certain kind of mathematical brilliance, I think, and the capacity to see ahead to a finished product - neither of which I possess.)

Anyway, it's progressing just fine. I've ordered dozens more of my friends to come on over here immediately and join up as well, and if I don't see their contributions posted soon, there is going to be trouble!

Yo! I'm up and running and in there at LAST!

Yep, thanks to the adorable, the veritably angelic Angeluna, I now have the pattern and I'm ready to go. More than that, I've already started!



Now now, no need to scorn. I only found the pattern in my letterbox when I got home this wild and windy raindrenched night, and it's just after 9 pm now, so I didn't do too badly. I'm making it in some of my very special stash of cashmere and silk yarn in natural. This is that famous yarn I occasionally list on eBay when I can bear to let some of it go, and its most famous attribute is that when you first wash it (on the cone it has this dressing that looms demand for smooth working, so it needs washing), it immediately gives off a strong odour of - well, not to put too fine a point on it - the manure heap. Don't know whether it's the cashmere 50% or the silk 50% but pong it definitely does. Fine after that though, soft and aristocratic and entirely ideal for this beautiful pattern.

When I tried a swatch on the recommended 4.5mm needles, it came out a little larger than the indicated four inches which was fine by me. I'm following it for the smallest size, and I estimate it will actually be one of the larger measurements. Just done the two preliminary rows of rib and then it's on to the cables. Anything I ought to know about in advance here? Danger signs ahead, road works, diversions, disasters? Tell me now! I'm only getting into first gear!

Jo
http://celticmemoryyarns.blogspot.com