And we're back. Ready to knit along?
By Megan Goodacre
It's been quiet. A little too quiet. The mess in my office had to be faced. Shelves had to be built, anchored, moved, re-anchored. Deadlines had to be met. And two weeks later, success. The printer has a home, my yarn is sorted and labelled in clear plastic bins, and all the files are filed.
Cleaning is good therapy, and forces one to Make Decisions.
Decisions made:
1 When you have more than 1 full folder labelled "To File", it is time to file.
2 I will start tax returns sooner next year.
3 Yarn stash must get leaner. Have two very large boxes for trade-and-sell event at Ottawa Knitters' Guild.
4 I do not need to keep partial balls of yarn just because They Were Expensive.
5 I am going to knit at least two sweaters for myself before writing a new one.
6 No New Yarn Will Be Purchased until said sweaters are complete.
So, because of that last item, the next sweater will have to be striped. I can never decide what colour of yarn to get, so I get 3 of this, 2 of that, 1 of this. Looks very pretty on the shelf, but I never have enough for a sweater.
The punchline: I'm going to make a Hollywell Cardigan for me! It's one of my favourites, but I don't actually have one. And, since I have started a Tricksy Knitters group on Ravelry, I'm going to start a very informal KAL there for anyone else who wants to try a Hollywell.
And though it would be gourgeous in Andean Treasure like the original sample, I don't have enough of that and see Item Number 6.
Hollywell uses sport weight yarn, at a gauge of 24 stitches over 4 inches. It needs two main colours, plus one contrast colour.
Step the first: choose suitable yarn. I don't have a lot of sport weight, and was just about to order some (I had forgetten item 6 already), when I remembered my carefully labelled box of Americo Original. And in that box, I have 5 skeins of this beautiful pima cotton sport yarn. But only in two colours. Ah, I have some skeins of hand-dyed Lucy, Sweatermaker Yarns 100% silk, in exactly the same weight. That will do nicely as the contrast colour.
I don't usually wear pastels, but I like the ice-cream coloured Sweatermaker silk next to the saturated Americo cotton.
Or maybe the slightly more koolaid mix.
Or maybe the gold?
Step the second: test it out and measure gauge. The two yarns do play well together, very pleased.
But matching gauge on 4.0mm? Darn it, don't have it.
Next step, block swatch. Make new swatch on 3.75mm.
Next step: If can't match gauge, either abandon this yarn, or tweak pattern.
Further updates as events warrant.
Cleaning is good therapy, and forces one to Make Decisions.
Decisions made:
1 When you have more than 1 full folder labelled "To File", it is time to file.
2 I will start tax returns sooner next year.
3 Yarn stash must get leaner. Have two very large boxes for trade-and-sell event at Ottawa Knitters' Guild.
4 I do not need to keep partial balls of yarn just because They Were Expensive.
5 I am going to knit at least two sweaters for myself before writing a new one.
6 No New Yarn Will Be Purchased until said sweaters are complete.
So, because of that last item, the next sweater will have to be striped. I can never decide what colour of yarn to get, so I get 3 of this, 2 of that, 1 of this. Looks very pretty on the shelf, but I never have enough for a sweater.
The punchline: I'm going to make a Hollywell Cardigan for me! It's one of my favourites, but I don't actually have one. And, since I have started a Tricksy Knitters group on Ravelry, I'm going to start a very informal KAL there for anyone else who wants to try a Hollywell.
And though it would be gourgeous in Andean Treasure like the original sample, I don't have enough of that and see Item Number 6.
Hollywell uses sport weight yarn, at a gauge of 24 stitches over 4 inches. It needs two main colours, plus one contrast colour.
Step the first: choose suitable yarn. I don't have a lot of sport weight, and was just about to order some (I had forgetten item 6 already), when I remembered my carefully labelled box of Americo Original. And in that box, I have 5 skeins of this beautiful pima cotton sport yarn. But only in two colours. Ah, I have some skeins of hand-dyed Lucy, Sweatermaker Yarns 100% silk, in exactly the same weight. That will do nicely as the contrast colour.
I don't usually wear pastels, but I like the ice-cream coloured Sweatermaker silk next to the saturated Americo cotton.
Or maybe the slightly more koolaid mix.
Or maybe the gold?
Step the second: test it out and measure gauge. The two yarns do play well together, very pleased.
But matching gauge on 4.0mm? Darn it, don't have it.
Next step, block swatch. Make new swatch on 3.75mm.
Next step: If can't match gauge, either abandon this yarn, or tweak pattern.
Further updates as events warrant.