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My living room is smelling of lavender lately. I'm following in Grumperina's footsteps and washing/putting my sweaters away for summer. So there are about 5 sweaters rotating off and on from the drying towels smelling of lavender Eucalan. It's delightful!
Also drying with the sweaters are a couple of swatches for future projecting. The first is for Eunny's Deep V Argyle Vest. This is going to be gorgeous! I have never done any Fair Isle knitting before, so with the help of the Vogue Knitting Know it All book, I set to work with some DPNs to swatch. As I was going, I was getting all giddy. It feels so fabulous to be good enough at something to sit down to learn a new skill within the craft and get it quasi-right the first time!!! I did 4 pattern repeats wide and probably about 1.5 high. Now, using the DPNs, I got a bit of puckering. 
That shouldn't happen though when knitting on the larger circular needles though. I tried a couple of different techniques for carrying the strands over more than 3 stitches. The Big Book of Vogue offered two techniques: weaving and twisting. I prefer weaving actually. I'm sure there are other techniques out there too. Always something new to learn! This vest is going to be so warm...I don't know why it never occured to me that carrying the yarn behind the knitting really does create a whole second layer of sweater. Warmth. Good thing I live in Chicago! I'm using Knit Picks Merino DK in the white and black colors. Gauge was a wee bit off so I'm going down one needle size and will probably swatch again just to be on the safe side. I am very excited to get to work and learn steeking too!
I also swatched for a darling baby sweater for my cousin's little girl due in July. I'm using Knit Picks (gotta love the Knit Picks. It's amazingly cheap and really good stuff) Shine Sport in Orchid. I'm really loving the baby knits. The are SO cute and so fast. Plus this will be a fun lace pattern to work on.
I know I mentioned in my last post that I bought some Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora to use for the Phildar sweater. Don't think that's going to happen. I went to swatch and well, it's just not working for me. Have you ever done that? I really thought this yarn would be perfect but it's just not. I definitely don't want to go through knitting this whole thing to be unsatisfied. The gauge is not quite on and for this sweater the gauge is SUPERTIGHT. It looks a little odd with the slight fuzziness of the angora. So this yarn will be put aside to be used for something else. I found some Alpaca on Elann that I think might work really well. In that cocoa brown color. Apparently I'm into the brown lately because I just started Green Gable in Cascade Sierra. The color is a gorgeous chocolately brown. I'm really looking forward to this knit. I need something to wear in the warmer weather and almost everything I have on my needles right now are cold weather items. I'm hopefully going to be able to finish up Salina this weekend too. Although between mother's day and a bachelorette party to attend, that's a questionable goal. We shall see!
14:50 Posted in Baby Gift , Deep V | Permalink | Comments (3) | Email this
Comments
The swatches for both projects look great - can't wait to see the progress on both of them.
I saw some "interesting" progress on the Deep V here: http://girlwhoknits.blogspirit.com/archive/2006/04/11/argyle-deep-v-vest.html - might have some lessons learned for you as you get started.
Posted by: Amy Artisan | May 11, 2006
I love Knit Picks too! It's awesome! And don't you just love fairisle? I've haven't done any in awhile and I really am starting to miss it!
Posted by: Erin | May 12, 2006
Nice swatches! I've never done fairisle. Maybe someday!
Posted by: Stephanie | May 13, 2006