Amanda Knits

Note to self: 8 cable crosses on a cuff plus 4 cable crosses at the top of a glove does not equal 12 cable crosses on a cuff.

Finding this out after you've done half the gussets on the second glove...ahhhh...

One glove is done!

I'm knitting a pair of fingerless gloves to match the hat I made for Sister. I'm almost done with the first glove but...

Three rows ago I miscrossed two cables. Two cables in two different sections! (There are three sections of cables, and each section has two cables.) To further be difficult, these cables include a purl st in them.

If these were for ME, I’d leave the error. But they’re a gift, so I dropped and re-crossed. A minor pain, but it looks pretty good.

I adore my not-yet Sister-in-Law. She's gorgeous in this very unknowing, quirky sort of way. She's smart and she puts up with my poor Korean. She's awesome.

She's a graphic designer and her favorite color is brown. I dug into my stash and found some merino wool I bought in Japan in a brick-red-brown color.

In a week's time, I knit her this hat.

I used the wool double stranded on US 6s. I knit the cable pattern (Loose Five-Rib Braid on p 169 in Walker's Second Treasury), then picked up stitches along the edge and turned in into a beret. I used just under two balls of wool.

I'm making matching fingerless gloves to go with it since I'm sure her employer--if my Korean employers were anything like other Korean employers--keeps the office cold.

I have been working on a mistake rib cotton sweater.

It is sooooo slow going.

I actually finished the pieces to this lace wrap months ago (May, I believe). I just didn't finish putting those pieces together until today.

Whew. One month start to finish in sport weight yarn and a yarn eating st (double seed). I think this may be a personal record.

These photos were taken at 2 am, that's why they're not that great. We don't have a lot of lightening in our home because we get so much natural light during the day...it makes photographing things at 2 am difficult.

This coat was knit to sort of serve as a prototype for future coats, and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. No, not pretty pleased, very pleased.

Not Scowling

I'm not scowling. I was trying to smile, but then my boyfriend was having issues with the camera and I looked confused and...well.

Swing Coat Style

I modified this from a box coat to a swing coat.

Adjusting

I am very pleased with how this has turned out. I ended up seaming the shoulders early on, to check size.

I knit the sleeves from the top down because I wasn't sure I was going to have enough yarn. I seamed the armholes into place, and continued knitting. After I'd finished the sleeves, I realized they were WAY too tight. So I ripped out 40 rows and added eight sts to each sleeve. (I was very happy I'd worked them top down at that point!)

Then I had to knit the cuffs and collars. I soon realized that I was going to run out of yarn. There was really no way to get this yarn... So I ended up knitting the cuff pieces on size 6 needles (same as the body), but I knit the cuffs on size 8s. I also made the cuffs 1/4" shorter each than the pattern called for.

I had to ease the collar into place three times before I got it right.

I ended up with about 6 feet of yarn left over, which meant that the single crochet trim around all of the edges was not going to happen.

My boyfriend was an extremely patient manikin, since I used him to tack the collar into place!

I had decided early on that I was not going to do covered buttons. Covered buttons running down a chest of my size...no.

I did think I was going to do a single snap at the neck, but the collar already adds so much weight and heft there that it looks better (and feels more comfortable!) open. Plus, there is enough fabric to pull the coat closed around me. I was shocked at how much WEIGHT the cuffs and collars added to the coat. Wow.

I do wish the sleeves were a bit wider. I knit using the pattern and Knit to Fit as guides. But I suspect that women in the 50s were supposed to have very slim arms. I am a muscular person and super slim sleeves won't work on me. Heck, even the thinnest models are wearing looser sleeves. The silhouette has changed.

Considering that this was my first time taking a retro pattern and reworking it myself, I'm pretty pleased. Actually, I'm very pleased.

I bought the yarn on sale from Elann more than 4 years ago. Accounting for a small discount and shipping, total cost of the yarn was under $50. $50 for a fall coat! I'm sold!

(My friend Milinda gave me a lot of advice and guidance on this coat. MANY thanks to her!)

Fashion Shot

I'm currently trying to knit something that looks like this.

This pattern is from the Winter 1952/53 issue of McCall's Needlework.

I have changed the style from a box coat to a swing coat. I've obviously had to change the yarn and the gauge and the size because I am not built like a woman from the 50s. This is my first time doing all of those things at once. The pattern and the book Knit to Fit are great help, but this is, in many ways, a leap of faith.

One other problem...the yarn.

I originally started by using Austermann Barkarole, this lovely 70 merino/20 silk/10 cashmere blend yarn in a gorgeous eggplant color. However, after I knit up two balls I realized I was never going to have enough to finish the coat. I used yarn estimate charts. I did some loosey-goose head estimates. I did some more complicated pen-and-paper estimates. I pulled out pen and paper, sketched, figured out necessary yardage... Still, no dice. I was definitely going to be short.

So I dug around in my stash. I should mention that in November it will have been two years since I've bought any new yarn. I have a ton of really nice stuff in my stash, and my experience living abroad made me realize that I don't need (and don't want) any more yarn than I have. So my entire goal was to knit with stashed yarn only.

I found some Ren Ny Ull Superwash Sport in red. I bought this on closeout from Elann in August. August 2004. I had 19-20 balls. This has been partially knit into a long ago discarded sweater, so I pulled it out. I consulted numerous "how much yarn do I need charts" and decided that I might have just enough to finish the coat. As a backup, I searched around for any other sites I could buy the yarn from and didn't find any.

I'm currently converting a box coat pattern from the 1952/1953 issue of McCall's Needlework into a swing coat. It's going well so far, but I'm knitting from stash and a bit concerned about running out of yarn...

The Stranded Treasure Bag is now available for download.

Stranded Treasure Bag is knit in Lang's BeBe superwash wool. You need 275 yards in the main color, 75 yards in accent #1 and 55 yards each in accents #2 and #3. Finished project measures 13" by 12 1/4".

The eight page .pdf pattern features color charts. There is one large chart or several smaller charts; directions for both styles are included.

This pattern will not teach you how to do stranded knitting. But my "let me kick off my heels" shoe bag is perfect to practice stranded knitting tension or as a quick knit gift. Please note that this bag is not felted and it's fairly delicate. It's meant to be used as a bag to store treasures in, not as a purse!

Click on the photo above or the Patterns tab to purchase. Instant gratification!

My students always ask me when they're going to use the things I'm teaching them. We're currently working on least common multiple and greatest common factor.

Since I've decided to knit a shoe bag, I've decided to do a stranded piece. I don't want to felt a bag and stranded it will help make it stronger. I'm going to strand a piece with sort floats so I don't have to worry about snagging.

I went through my books and chose some patterns. Then, I needed to find the small repeat.

I did the math.

And the smallest repeat number needed?

Ninety-two.

This is where you will use this, boys and girls.

"Hey, can you tell what this is?" I point to a stranded piece of color work, to a bluebell.

"A fish?" says my boyfriend.

I blame his color blindness.

Forty-four fish down!

I started April Broken's Fish Afghan years ago, when I still lived in Atlanta. I started making the fish to use up scrap bits of yarn, and as something mindless but quick to knit.

Well, I haven't been in the mood to knit for a very long time.

I picked up the needles this morning and knit eight fish.

I think now I'm ready to move on to a project that's percolating in my mind.

(I have no idea how many fish I'm going to need for a blanket big enough to cover two people. I can do the math, the math doesn't scare me. The answer is what scares me.)

OK.

When I leave work, I throw my heels in my car, slip on flip-flops, and go on my merry way.

However, this is causing my shoes to get scuffed, it's causing dirt to get in my car from my shoes, and it's causing me to say, "Are you sure my shoes are in the truck?" every time my boyfriend opens up the passenger door. In fact, a few days ago I nearly lost a shoe, and would have had one of my taekwondo mates not pounded on my window to tell me a shoe fell out.

This is not good.

I obviously need a shoe bag.

Have you ever priced shoe bags online? Some of the prices are insane (at least to my wallet).

I have yarn.

I have lots of yarn.

So I've decided to knit a shoe bag.

Today I accepted a new job. Only an hour before I got the call, I found out that there's a yarn store across the street from my new job.

Uh-oh...

Before I went to Korea, I left a few unfinished (and several finished!) projects in my bins.

I got back a few weeks ago.

Since then I've taken a good, hard look at finished sweaters and half-knit sweaters. Is it flattering and comfortable? Do I like it?

I've been doing a lot of ripping...

The Rainbow Bright Dog Leash and Collar pattern, which was formerly available at MagKnits it now available for download here. Enjoy!

(As always, if you have any problems with downloading the PDF, please contact me!)

When picking up 843 stitches using black lace-weight yarn, watching old The Twilight Zone episodes online can be a fun distraction.

Picking up 843 stitches using black lace-weight yarn, a knitter gets into their own sort of twilight zone, after all.

I hate it when I'm trucking on a project and life gets in the way and I stall out!

I'm currently working on a lace pattern. I need to decrease at each end every other row for about 80 rows. The only thing that has saved me is identifying the key stitches that should line up (one for the bottom half of the pattern, one for the top). If I didn't know those stitches, this whole endeavor would be a whole lot more difficult...

...that I can't count.

Hmm. I have black yarn from Japan. I want to make a sweater...which sweater shall I make? How about a wrap sweater? Yes, years behind the trend, like always. But lace, a lacy wrap sweater.

Pattern...Barbara Walker, ooooh, this Floral Mesh would be nice.

What needle size? The ball band calls for 2-3 mm (US 0-2), how about 3.25 mm (3) because it's lace and because I'm not sure I have enough yarn.

Swatchety swatchety...oooh, beautiful. Now, I have 6 and a quarter balls of yarn in black. Hmmm, even in lace that won't fly since it's a wrap sweater and I want the curve to start after several inches.

I know! I'll use some of that brown I have, too, since I have 8 balls of that.

[Several days pass...]

What! What's this? Another ball of yarn? Hmm. I have seven balls...and this yarn is going far and it does block large...maybe I can use seven balls and just have short sleeves. Hmmm...

And dammit, there's that yarn I needed for the Hermod hood! I didn't realize I had any more! Garg!

Lavold Hermod Sweater

I have been working on this sweater since October 2004. Do you know how many boyfriends, dates, moves, and passport pages I have gone through since then?

This is NOT a sweater that you wear to show off your curves. This is a bum-around-on-the-weekend sweater.

Detail

I used Elann's Naturelle 8/8 yarn. I had 2.09 lbs and I have some yarn left. I may or may not have enough yarn for the hood, I'm really not sure.

A few changes and comments... I added a few extra stitches to each size so it wouldn't be too tight at the hip. I changed the neckline slightly. I found it difficult to increase in pattern on the sleeve, and I think the sleeve should be wider. Were I to knit this again, I would make the sleeves more boxy, more square, to match the overall shape of the sweater.

I should note, all photos were taken before blocking.

I love Elann's Naturelle 8/8 cotton yarn. I truly do. But. It comes on cones. This leads to a few problems.

One, balling off yarn so I can knit two sleeves at the same time...only to come up 3 1/2 rows short for the sleeve. Darn it.

Two, biasing! I am knitting back and forth, which usually helps prevent biasing, and I very carefully set the drop shoulder seam in place. Yet when I seamed the sleeves, the yarn was off kilter and my seam has little...bubbles around the arm. Fantastic.

Three, it's hard to estimate yardage with coned yarn. Do I have enough for the hood?

After working 19 rounds even, knit 46 (48) stitches. First finger worked over 20 sts just worked plus 4 cast on, so move remaining to holder.

Middle finger 9 times 2 from holder, CO 4, PU 4.

Ring finger 9 times 2 from holder, CO 4, PU 4.

Pinky remaining, PU 4.

After moving the 21 thumb stitches to a holder, CO 3 and work 19 rounds plain.

Thumb: 28 stitches total.

After working plain rounds, work 35 sts, inc, work 1, inc. Next round, knit plain. Increase around this single stitch a total of ten times. Work one round plain. Next round, move those 21 stitches to a holder.

Notes for when I lose it again...

Cast on 52 stitches, join, knit 1 purl 1 rubbing in the round for 32 rounds. Next round switch to st st and increase to 71 sts. Knit 8 rounds plain.

I lost one of my photography gloves. So I have to reknit it. Do you think I kept the notes?

Nooooooooooooo.

So now I have to reverse engineer the remaining glove to get the first glove.

Reverse engineer a black, tiny stitches glove.

Bah.

I've finished the dobok sweater and am blocking it.

Oh, happy bleeding yarn.

(Unfortunately, the photo really doesn't do it justice. It was grape Kool-Aid purple through four rinses. I finally decided 4 was enough!)

Bleeding

Blocking

OK, so here's my knitting plan. I am knitting Hermod, that cabled Lavold sweater I've been working on since October 2004. This is apparently NOT a popular pattern since only two of us on Ravelry are doing it. :)

I am using that coned cotton from Elann. Problem is I'm trying to knit two pieces at once. I really HATE winding that cotton into a ball because it always just turns into a tangled mess. Well, first ball that I wound off just ran out, so I'm just going to work on ONE piece and leave the other on the needles. I'm going to do the back first, then decide what to do about the front.

I was going to modify this to make squared set in sleeves. However...I'm starting to think I won't.

Also...I don't know if I should knit this really big because eventually I will have a drier again and it will shrink, or if I should just knit it to pattern and let it go. I am seriously considering just knitting it to pattern and seeing what happens. If it's too big, it'll be too big for a while and then I'll shrink it when I get a drier again. If it fits, I'll just never drier dry it. Actually, I'm thinking in lieu of a drier I could just stick it on a towel in front of the super hot space heater fan I have.

Anyhow...

Do the back, then decide what to do about the front. I would like to make a split V-neck like on that seed stitch cotton sweater I did because I think it looks better than a high crew neck on my figure. BUT this sweater has cables and they're exactly where I'd need to do the neck, AND I would need some sort of flat border. So I'm not sure yet.

I HAVE decided I will NOT attach the detached hood because it will make it more versatile.

This sweater is sooooooo slow going though. God, it takes thirty minutes just to do 4 rows.

I pass this empty yarn store every day and my walk between work and the bus stop. I have worked at my school for 7 months and have only ever seen a woman in this store once!

It makes me sad because I want some yarn!

Currently (post photos) there are piles of seaweed (I think) drying on the floor of the store.

ㅠㅠ