Sunday, May 17, 2009

knit grumps of a WIP (plus a nice FO)

Pretty as a Peacock WIP

My attempt at the Pretty as a Peacock shawl is kicking my bottom. Doesn't it look pretty up there? Pah! That was *four* false-starts ago.

First, I changed my mind about gauge, and I frogged and started again. The yarn pictured is Fyberspaces infinity, held double. Once the gauge was sorted it was going along pretty well, but I still felt the yarn wasn't the best match for the pattern: the thicker, shinier and evenly-dyed silk I bought in Damascus would do a better job. Again, I frogged and started again.

But this yarn is so slippery if a stitch falls even a little, it'll fall all the way to the end (imagine the complete opposite of kidsilk haze). Plus the pattern, at least in the first few charts, isn't regular enough that its easy to see how to neatly bring the stitch. I'm normally pretty good at using a crochet hook to bring dropped stitches up from several rows down - I'll happily turn cables around the other way or re-situate lace. But for some reason I can't get my head around this one. So, there's been two further full frogs. Grrr.

In happier news, I finished a cardigan, and I love it - even if I do seem to look especially grumpy in all the photos.

Top-down Rambling Rose 4

Its Rambling Rose from Rowan 39. I'd made this ages ago but it came out way too big. Plus, I thought a longer version would look nice, and I much preferred the ones I saw in ravelry which had been made out of a springy wool rather than the recommended cotton. The restult is the basic idea and charts of Rambling Rose, but done as a top down raglan with a load of side shaping. It fits perfectly, and is a pretty and practical cardi. A nice bit of warmth over a tee for the warmer months. Details of yarn, needles etc can be found the project's ravelry page.

Top-down Rambling Rose

In even happier news, Lara is coming round for afternoon tea, so I'm going to put the annoying knitting away, getting out some plain old stocking stitch to talk-and-knit with and putting on a batch of maple-syrup scones (they have oats in them and make the kitchen smell gorgeous, recipe from this book. Eat them with marmite: it shouldn't work but it really does).

15 comments:

Unknown said...

Even through the four rough starts, it still looks pretty!

Anonymous said...

The cardigan is beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Such a lot of purple lately!
Love that cardi to bits.

Liz said...

I really love your hybrid rambling rose.

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous cardigan! Hope the lace goes more smoothly from now on...

Anonymous said...

I've just seen a page in Wired dedicated to a certain double helix scarf. Wired UK June 09 Page 78 if you've not seen it.

Darci said...

That is such a beautiful color for both projects.

Claudy said...

Your cardigan is my knitspiration!

Vonnie said...

That is absolutely stunning, I'm totally in awe!

Anonymous said...

keep with the pretty as a peacock shawl! i'm about halfway through one right now and it gets very easy to memorize and fun... i promise :) and i love your color choice for it.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous and decent. This is liked by all ladies.

RITA

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Rima said...

This is a beautiful cardigan! Great color too...

Rima
www.yarnydays.com

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Lorinda said...

This will not succeed in reality, that is what I think.

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