Persnickety

September 02, 2006

Deep V Argyle Vest

More pictures on Flickr.

I present to you, Eunny's Deep V Argyle Vest!

Project Details:

Design:Deep V Argyle Vest by Eunny Jang
Yarn: Knit Picks Merino Style in Vanilla and Coal
Needles: US 3s (really, I promise)
Begun: June 2, 2006
Finished: August 31, 2006
Skills learned: Fairisle colorwork, double handed knitting, steeking

Notes:

First of all, I am so very pleased with this vest. For my first effort at fairisle, Eunny's pattern was full of wonderful tips and instructions. She is an amazing designer and gives such detailed and beautifully illustrated instructions. It made my first fairisle/steeking adventure delightful and stress free! Steeking was make so easy with her instructions and I only felt nervous the very first time. Thanks Eunny!!!

The yarn I used ended up being ok for this pattern. I do like the yarn and really think so highly of knit picks, but probably one weight lighter would have been better. The steeking created a really thick armhole (which was mentioned to me but there wasn't much I could do halfway through already using this yarn!). Gauge was a big problem too (see below).

Steeking is so RAD! Every time I learn a new knitting skill I am totally jazzed. Crochet and knitting melded in a perfect combination to make a colorwork sweater in the round possible. I had to redo the first crochet I did as it was much too tight but after going up a hook size it became much easier.

Gauge. This was a huge issue for most knitting making this pattern with the knit picks merino style. I made several swatches and ended up using size 3 needles (I believe most others used size 6 or so) because that is what got row gauge. I saw that as the most important piece because of the deep V placement and length issues others were having. To compensate for the strange gauge, I used the charts for the L (38) size and redrew the lines to correspond to the descreasing/increasing/bind offs/etc... from the size S (34) chart. It took some mental gymnastics but after figuring that piece out, redrawing the lines was no big thing. It turned out perfect and exactly the right width/length.

As far as blocking, I soaked the vest in a Eucalan bath for about 30 minutes, then rinsed and pinned out on a towel with a fan blowing full speed. It took a couple of days to dry which was only obnoxious because I was so desparate to try it on!!

The only real issue I have with the vest is that the shoulders are a little too wide. After looking back over the Eunny's pattern notes, i think she had the same problem. I think it should be ok though with the collared shirt underneath.

Overall, I'd have to give this project a big thumbs up. I ADORE fairisle. I can't wait to do another project (another one with knit picks, but this time a knit picks design. I may just be knit picks #1 fan.) I think I posted everything about this vest I can think of, but if you have further questions about sizing/math/etc...please ask!

13:35 Posted in 2006 Finished , Deep V , Finished | Permalink | Comments (15) | Email this

August 31, 2006

Please, please dry!

The argyle vest is finished! Well, all except for a couple of stray ends and the fact that it's still pretty wet. It's times like these that I wish for central air. It's been raining and muggy here all week so the humidity is running rampant. Fro'd hair and wet wool abound!

I tried it on right before soaking and it seemed to fit ok but with blocking I think it will fit even better. I'm not totally thrilled with the width of the shoulders but with a proper shirt on underneath it will hopefully look better. Modeled shots to come soon (oh will you dry by tomorrow? Saturday? next week?)

Since I finished the ARGYLE, I've been working a bit more on Rusted Root. It doesn't look too difference from the last picture I posted, but trust me, it is. I had to rip back about 3 inches of work because I had a duh moment and started working the XS size. Not good.

I love the lace panel!

09:37 Posted in Deep V , Rusted Root | Permalink | Comments (7) | Email this

August 25, 2006

Sockity Socks.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful sock suggestions. I wish I could say that I've actually started knitting a sock...but I have been enthralled with some really beautiful sock yarn. And patterns too for that matter. The Anna socks from the new Rowan 40, the Baudelaire and Pomatomus socks from Knitty...I could go on and on. I'm so hopeless. Whenever I want to learn a new technique I always go straight for the most complicated manifestation of it. When I first began knitting, I knit 1 really terrible stockinette/garter stitch scarf and then headed directly for my LYS, bought some really expensive mohair (!!!) and started on a sweater. I'm crazy. So this time, I'm going to knit a pair of plain old socks to whet my appetite and master some skillz. Just in time for Socktoberfest (thanks for clueing me in Lolly!).

I can hardly stand being away from my knitting as I'm *this close* to finishing the Argyle vest. It is looking really fabulous. I have about 5 more rows of knitting and then it's steek time! Can't wait to share it with you.

I'm also working on Rusted Root and have finished about an inch south of the armholes. I had a doltish moment in pattern reading and made half the yoke for the size S and the other half for the XS. Yeah right.

All this to say, I will hopefully have a finished Argyle to share after the weekend and maybe even some sock work!

09:12 Posted in Deep V | Permalink | Comments (4) | Email this

August 11, 2006

Of Argyles and Roots

Oh, I can't compare this feeling to anything else! The feeling of a break from school. The feeling of 2 weeks off without a stitch of homework to stress about. The feeling that I can watch as much tv as I want and knit my heart out and not feel guilty!!

And with that said, I have much progress to show.

I'm still trying to figure out the whole 'throwing' of the yarn thing so progress hasn't been as fast as I'd like on the Argyle Vest as I'm doing it mostly one handed. However, it's coming along nicely. It's definitely going to be part of a sexy librarian type of outfit. I'm about 10 rows from armhole shaping and beginning the steeks. I am really looking forward to beginning/learning the steeks. Everything Fairisle has caught my heart and already I'm looking for other fairisle sweaters for fall/winter. Erin was just mentioning on her blog about how swayed she is by advertising. I fall right in there. That KnitPicks telemark 'ski' sweater makes me want to become a snow bunny asap. And thinking about being a snow bunny makes me want snow! I never seem to be satisfied with the weather as is. As soon as summer reaches Aug 1 I'm ready for fall and red leaves. Then I get a taste of the snappy weather and I'm aching for snow and Christmas. I'm constantly learning about being content. Being a Christian, that is a primary part of my spiritual walk!

Moving on, here's some more knitting progress, since this is, in fact, a knitting blog...

I started Rusted Root with some Lana Grossa Novella that was on super sale from Herrschners. Love that place! It's roughly the same consistency as the called for Brown Sheep cotton fleece but has, I think, a slightly nicer texture. And the color is just delightful as well. This is going fairly quick so far. After green gables, I think I have the hang of the top down raglan. And this one has the lace bit to break up the monotony once I get past the armholes. Stellar! I'm sure you're enjoying my make-shift stitch markers too :) I was away from home when I started this and realized that, oops!, I left my stitch markers at home. Why there are still no 'real' stitch markers on there, I couldn't tell you. Lazy I guess. But the paper clip works quite well!

Enjoy your weekends, I'll leave you with a bit of a laugh.

08:55 Posted in Deep V , Rusted Root | Permalink | Comments (7) | Email this

May 11, 2006

Swatcheroo

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!