It's a Block Party With Patrick!

aaahhhhh... soon it shall all be over!

I most certainly have a love/hate relationship with Patrick. I realize that it's mostly a superficial love. All based on his charming good looks. Those cables just sets this girl's heart all aflutter.

However, as you dig deeper into Patrick you discover that he's kinda dumb. Well, at least his pattern is. This is the worst written pattern I have ever used. However, I have been so swayed by Patrick's good looks that I was willing to give him an other try... but I pretty much ignored the pattern.

It was worth it. This Patrick is much improved over the Original Patrick. No leg of mutton sleeve (19" sleeves for the 40" chest... oh and the 52" chest? also 19"). The sleeves... omg, I don't even know where to start. For the smallest size, there are 2 increases Every right side row 13 times! Anyone who has made a shawl knows that's a good way to get 90 degrees (or is that 45 degrees. Hmmm, maybe I should've paid more attention in math class). However, not a good way to increase sleeves.

We'll see how this (hopefully) improved Patrick fits Matt. If it works well, I'll give some specific details on what I changed (tho' I will admit: I Do Not Recommend This Pattern... you may as well just write your own). Hmmmm... I must be feelin' pretty snarky today, eh?

The Oblivion of Second Sleeve Syndrome

Patrick the 2nd is on it's second sleeve. So... that means it's almost done... right?

Well....

I've been sucked back into playing Oblivion again (and even worse: Halo 3:ODST arrived. I haven't even put it into the console yet. I am well of the danger ahead on that one!).

Fortunely, Oblivion has fairly long (and often) load screens. Makes for good knitting time.

What do you mean there's only 2 days left in September? It's only one little sleeve after all!

5 days left in September

and I'm still working on the first sleeve of Patrick the 2nd. It's getting there, but I'm having issues staying focused (and this is just the first sleeve!)

Meanwhile, the Rendezvous Jacket has seen a little progress, but not much:


I'm very happy with it so far. The stitches are working up nicely with the super soft (read: poor stitch definition) yarn. The color is so me (ya, did you see the previous post with some of my green cardigans?). I've never been able to get a good color photograph of this yarn. Sage green... not too minty... with flecks of brown. Yum. This is currently my breakfast knitting project. As soon as Patrick the 2nd is done, it will be moved to top priority.

This weekend will be a major housekeeping project. Our living room remodel is basically done (well, this stage of it is). I've not done any cleaning in the dining room or the living room during that time period (combo of low energy... plus the mess of construction). So lots of dusting, mopping and purging. Cleaning does cut into one's knitting time... but even I have a tolerence level for dust.

Intervention

I think I might have issues with green cardigans.

The Weekend Update

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the body of Patrick the 2nd is done... just have the sleeves to go! Whoot!

I did a little more spinning, with some better results:

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I don't think spinning will ever dominate my crafting time, but I can see the appeal. I think part of my issue with it is what to do with the yarn. I knit sweaters. I've never been able to embrace sock knitting. Scarves and shawls are always an option. I enjoy knitting them... I just never wear them. I wear sweaters. Matt wears sweaters. That would be a lot of spinning (especially with a drop spindle). So it's an excuse for me to play with colors between knitting and playing video games.

Plus I cast on a new project (as per directed by Maria in my comments):

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That's the Rendezvous Jacket by GlennaC. After a considerable amount of time debating on yarn choice, I opted for some Kathmandu Aran in a lovely shade of green. (Ya, I know... shocking. Cindy decided to knit a green cardigan.) I thought about some Dream in Color in my stash... but after just finishing the Kool Kardi, I need a break from working with hand dyed yarns (sometimes ya just wanna knit with one ball at a time). I love this already. A favorite yarn, a great design. The pattern is simple, yet very much my style... cables/moss stitch. It does have subtle A line shaping... but after the sucess of the Mondo Cable Cardi, I feel more comfortable with the whole A line thing.

Gotta get lots done today... especially on Patrick the 2nd. Tomorrow is the release of Halo 3: ODST and I've pre-ordered it (by mail... so I probably won't get it til Friday). It will cut into my knitting time!

PPR

Finishing two projects back to back has it's drawbacks... it's a double case of PPR (Post Project Restlessness). I can't focus on anything. Including something new.

Part of that is that I really want to get Patrick the 2nd done this month. While it's moving along, it's slow going. I keep seeing other projects that I would love to start, yet I feel obligated to work on Patrick. So nothing is getting done.

I think I either need to just buckle down and work on Patrick or take an other WIP/UFO and concentrate on that for a bit? It's not like I don't have 6 more projects to finish this year....

Or maybe I simply have too many empty sets of needles and it's distracting me?

New Hobby... maybe.

I am totally entralled with colors. So much so that I bought some roving.

I don't spin. Never really was interested in spinning (seemed like a lot of work when I would rather be knitting). Then I got sucked into some beautiful roving from Fiber Optics. So I thought I better try spinning.

I think I've got it conceptually, but I need to practice, as my yarn is uneven and probably over twisted. Not sure I love the process. It might be 'cause I'm a newbie and it feels awkward (just like knitting did when I first started).

However, I think I still would rather knit...

Kool Kardi

(of course it's a krappy, cloudy day for a photoshoot)

I'm calling this done... even without buttons. Don't know when I'll trek up to Joann's, but I want the perfect buttons for this.

So overall, I'm giving it a thumbs up. It's a wee bit snugger around my bottom section than I want... but that's on me, not the sweater. Let's do some project stats, eh?



Pattern: Ribby Pulli by chicknits (are you seeing a theme here?)

Yarn: Knitpicks Bare worsted hand dyed with food grade dyes (ie: Kool Aid and Paaz)

Problems with the pattern: there's a reason I make so many Chicknits patterns. They are reliable (once I remember to shorten sleeves 4").

Changes to the pattern: well, obviously I changed it to a cardigan. All I did was not join it, worked the pattern back and forth. I added a 5" 2X2 ribbed collar and a 2X2 ribbed button band. As I knew that I would want the extra ease, I did no math change for the buttonband. So my front is 1-1/2" wider than the back.

Overall impressions: this will get a lot of wear. While it's a little snug over my back end, I simply won't button it for the time being. I might tack up the cuffed sleeves, as they want to fall down. I'm very pleased with how the yarn knit up... not only with my own dyeing, but as an actual yarn. The yarn is quite soft, yet it has lovely stitch definition. (I used Knitpicks Wool of the Andes before and loved it, so I'm not surprised that the Bare version of the yarn is quite lovely). Of course, I love the pattern. The side ribbing is just enough interest, not only in the knitting, but in the wearing. I love how the hand dyed yarn looks going from the solid st. st. to the side ribbing.

blah.

Well... the Kool Kardi is progressing along. I'm better than 3" on the collar (with the goal being 5").

Decided to slip it on... I made two HUGE mistakes on this. All body related... and I'm soooooo annoyed with myself.

While I love my Ribby Pulli (which this is a cardiganized version), I wanted this cardigan to be a little longer. I also didn't bother shortening the sleeves, as I wanted to cuff them.

Let's just say I over compensated on both. The 2x2 rib on the back section hits me at about the worst possible spot. Even with the sleeves cuffed, they're way too long.

It's purely a body issue. While I know that I can't make my arms longer, something must be done about the back end issues. I'm going to go ahead and finish my sweater at this point... but oh am I sad that this is not the perfect cardigan that I had hoped for. (It's going to look stunning on my dressform).

UPDATE: stay tuned. surgery will be preformed tomorrow to shorten the body at least 2" (might leave the sleeves alone... we'll see. I can do that at any point, but the body surgery needs to be done before buttonbands).

UPDATE part 2: Matt says it looks fine (and he has a better view than I do). So I'm going forward as is. Collar is done, just the buttonbands to go.

Killin' Time!

I'm waiting for the Kool Kardi to finish drying so I can get the collar and buttonbands on. I've resigned myself to not being able to work on it until tomorrow.

So, what's a girl to do? Well, apart from a little Halo on easy only using melee' attacks, of course (I mean, that sorta goes without saying, eh?)


I shall work on Patrick the 2nd. However, my attention span on it is a little short (hence the melee' on Halo). It's moving along, and I love working on it... but it's not what I want to be working on right now. That always makes it hard. I figure that each row I get done now, I'll have less to do when the Kool Kardi is done. As this will be done by the end of the month. Right?

Gettin' There!

The bulk of my Kool Kardi is done. I'm going to go ahead and weave in ends and seam up the underarm seam. Then block it. I just haven't decided how I want to do the closing and the neckline. As of right now I'm leaning towards a wide 2X2 collar and a 2X2 rib button closure. However, I'm leaving my options open until I HAVE to make the decision.

I have to say that I am shocked at how well this yarn turned out. I was really concerned about the colors pooling (since I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to dyeing). I did alternate 3 skeins at a time for the body, which may have help to prevent pooling (the sleeves just have two colors).


I also have to say that the Ribby is a perfect pattern for the hand dyed yarns... I think the side ribbing really looks cool with the multi colored yarn.

Might spend the rest of today with Patrick the 2nd while I enjoy a beautiful fall Sunday (football/baseball/knitting/YAY!)

Kool Kardi Kan-do!

Since the Mondo Cable Cardi is done (yay), I have plenty of time to get two more projects done this month.

First on the "let's get this baby finished" is the Kool Kardi:


Have you ever had a project that just simply working on it makes ya happy? This project makes me happy. I loooooves the colors. All my favorite shades of green in one yarn! It also makes me happy that I made those colors (with the help of Kool-Aid and Paaz). The Knitpicks Bare is a lovely yarn to work with. It's a good solid worsted weight yarn that has been a joy to knit with (and was easy to dye).

Even right now, where I'm on those never ending yoke rows, it makes me happy to knit on this project. However, I think wearing it is going to make me even happier this winter... so I'm trying to finish it up!

I'm still debating how I'm going to do the neck finishing. I might have enough yarn for a hood. Or I might just do a nice big collar. Or a personal favorite: the mock turtleneck. I also haven't decided if I'm doing buttonbands or a zipper...

The fun doesn't stop with this one... as I've already dyed the next Kool Kardi:


Reds with a touch of purple! (This is Kraemer's Judy, a superwash worsted weight wool... tho' I think it feels a bit light for worsted.) Already know this will be a simple cross over cardigan (Ravelry link: Knitting Pure and Simple's Wrap Cardigan Top Down perhaps?)

The other project that I really hope to finish this month is Patrick the 2nd. I've moved it to breakfast knitting, so some of it is getting done every day, but just a few rows. That way it's still progressing while I concentrated on my Kool Kardi. Then it'll be the main concentration project. I have the back done and the front is moving steadily with about 8" done.

At some point (in the very near future... like maybe this weekend), I need to do a project clean up. I literally have 22 projects sitting around my knitting knest (that is NOT a hyperbole, but an actual count). It's even starting to get on my nerves (thanks Matt for not being overly annoyed... I promise to do a pick up!)

Mondo Cable Cardi

I'm calling this done! Both sleeves have been shortened (photo shows only one sleeve done). While those sleeve sections will need to be re-blocked, everything else is done. I'll get a modeled photo on me after the sleeve blocking (I'm going to just try a steam to see if the re-knit yarn blocks out. If not... back into the bath it goes).

Let's do project stats so we can move on:

Pattern: Mondo Cabled Cardi by chicknits

Yarn: Moda Dea Silk n Wool in aquatic

Problems with the pattern: not that I remember. I find Bonne Marie patterns to be very reliable. Her patterns do have super long sleeves (I automatically shorten sleeves 4" on her patterns).

Changes to the pattern: well, I did shorten the sleeves 4" (but some yarn issues had me still have too long sleeves). I added buttonholes rather than do snaps. After completetion, I realized that my yarn wasn't going to handle the high neck, so I plan on wearing the collar laying down. I also changed the bottom ribbing and the sleeve ribbing to 2X2 (again, this was due to a yarn issue... this yarn is so soft, it wanted to curl up with the ribbing given in the pattern). While I prefer the look of the pattern's ribbing, this ribbing was more practical for the yarn.

Overall impressions: there are a lot of things I love about this cardi. I was concerned about the A line shaping on it... but in fact there's really not a huge increase. I used the wool and silk yarn to help with the drape, and it drapes beautifully. The yarn is so soft in fact, that the collar doesn't stand up. If I were to do it again in this yarn, I would make the collar less high. Actually I think no matter what yarn I would use, I would shorten the collar (FYI: I'm short). The sleeves grew considerably in blocking (and this is not the first time I've used this yarn, but it's the first time that has happened... maybe it's the st. st?). So overall, I'm very very pleased. This is exactly what I wanted: a stylish, comfortable, easy to throw on sweater. It's not the warmest, but a great layering piece that will get a lot of wear this winter. Oh ya, I'll be making more of this pattern (two weeks to knit is a super bonus!)


Stay tuned for more finished project photos!

News from The Shire

So... the Mondo Cable Cardi fix is a bit more work than originally anticipated... okay, I sorta knew that it wasn't going to be as simple as frogging the 4" then re-adding the cuff. I had hoped that if I did a round of decreases to make up for the frogged decreases, my cuff would work out.

Ya. That didn't work. Cuffs were so wide to be uncomfortable for me. So I've ripped the sleeve back to the elbow and will re-do the sleeve decreases. Sigh. I was soooo ready to move on. However, I'm so happy with this cardigan, that I want to be able to wear it.

Just because I'm not frustrated enough, I decided to finally upgrade my Photoshop. I hate doing these things. A: they're a PITA to download and B: now I have to get used to a new Photoshop (I haven't upgraded for a really really long time).

However, I'm thinking it was worth it. First, my old photoshop wasn't really fond of Vista and I lost the "save for web" option... making saving files a royal pain. Second, I'm finding the upgrade pretty user friendly:

color corrected with old Photoshop

color corrected with updated Photoshop

I'm going to try not to go back thru all my old projects and fix the photographs (or even start new?)... too much other stuff to do! Still tempting tho'

Mondo Cable Cardi Done.... sorta

While not quite dry yet... the Mondo Cable Cardi is on the dress form:


I'm very very happy with it... with one major problem.

The sleeves grew about 4" in the blocking. Ya, that's not going to work on my short little arms. So I'll rip back and re-do. Not excited about it, but this is going to get a lot of wear!

The yarn is so wonderful after blocking. It's soft and drapey. Actually, it's almost too soft and drapey, as the collar doesn't really stand up. However, both Matt and I sort of like the collar left open anyway (tho' I can button it if I want the extra warmth). If I make this again (and odds are good that I will), I'll make the neckband a little less high (FYI: I'm sorta short).

I'll also add that it does look very different on my body compared to the dressform (which is very different from my body). The fabric is soft and drapey enough (and I used a no ease sizing for me) that is drapes closer to my figure.

I will get modeled photos (after I fix the sleeves and sew on some buttons). I'll do complete project stats at that point.

Let's Do The Math!

The Mondo Cable Cardi will be completed today, as I have less than half a sleeve to go. Here's a photo of what she looks like with just one sleeve (unblocked):


Sweeeeeeeet
This will be my 17th finished project of 2009. We are a full week into September. Hmmm... that means I still have 7 more projects to finish by the end of the year to reach my goal of 24 finished project (yes, I am now counting the socks. sigh... but I've got to be realistic here, dudes. 24 sweaters in one year? who came up with that number anyway?)

I easily will have my Kool Kardi done this month... with hopes that I can also finish Matt's Patrick the 2nd! Giving me 3 months to complete 5 other projects... sure. I can do it. I just can't cast on anything new. Of course that will NEVER happen, right?

Mondo Collar

So... is everyone tired of daily updates on the Mondo Cable Cardi yet? Ya, me either... heehee!


The collar is done. I did add buttonholes (the pattern has you do snaps... and I'm not a huge fan of snaps. purely a taste thing).

As you can see, the bottom ribbing is now 2X2, and is not curling up. This baby needs some good blocking! However, I'll do it when the sleeves are done. I've got good feelings that this is going to be a winter favorite. The collar is super cozy (and the soft yarn is not irritating next to the skin... not that I don't wear white mock turtlenecks every single day in the winter). I think the drape is going to be a plus.

I think I might spend some time with an other project today... then tackle the sleeves for Mondo. Really need to get 3 projects done this month!

Mondo and Ribbing

I cast off the bottom of my Mondo Cable Cardi yesterday... and while there's a lot I love about it... there is one problem:


The bottom ribbing wants to curl up. The bottom uses a 5X1 ribbing, and I think my soft wool/silk yarn needs a little sturdier ribbing. I know even with blocking, it will be a constant fight (as I have the same probem with my Ribby done in the same yarn).

So I frogged back the 5X1 ribbing and did just a basic 2X2 for the same depth. I'm binding off right now, and I can already tell it's going to behave better. We'll see if it effects the drape when I get it back on the dress form. Last thing I want on an A line cardigan is for the ribbing to suck in (can you say "bell shaped"... ugh. NO ONE looks good in bell shaped garments!).

So I'll finish up the binding off then tackle the collar.. unless I decide to work on my Kool Kardi. I've got to get finishing stuff FAST... Sept 1, means only 4 months til the end of the year and I'm way behind my 24 projects finished goal! Less surfing Ravelry and more actually KNITTING!!!!