The Sandcastle

Insanely Complicated Hebridean Knitting Nightmare v. Wicked Cool Elizabethan Tapestry Project

Howdy!

Depending on how it's going, the Glenesk is now known either as the Insanely Complicated Hebridean Knitting Nightmare (as in, when you do an entire row wrong by one stitch, which has happened once, but it was a miserable once) or as the Wicked Cool Elizabethan Tapestry Project. 

Here are a couple of in-progress photos to help you get through your Wednesdays...

Glenesk-in-progress

And, lest Trellis2 feel neglected:

Something there is in Pachuko organic cotton that doesn't love my camera...

A couple of thoughts on the Glenesk-in-progress...

1.  I was completely intimidated by it.

2.  I was pretty sure I'd ordered the kit for the wrong size, and although you receive the pattern for all sizes of the pullover, the insert for the cardigan option was only for one size.  I got cranky upon being informed that to receive the insert for the size I needed I had to post the insert for the wrong size back to Scotland to exchange it - I mean, check out the price of the kits, for the love of all that's holy, and then tell me that it's too much to ask to say "Oops, wrong size; could I have the insert for a different size, please?"  I understand that knitting kits are expensive, and the yarn is lovely, and the design is enthralling, and I am completely behind supporting artists in their work, but...people?  It's three pieces of paper.  It's not like I'm asking for the Book of Kells.

3.  So.  Add the intimidation factor of triangulating a pattern for a different size for a Starmore, and it sat in my study for months...and months...and months...

But it's an amazing pattern, and I'm really enjoying making it.  And reconfiguring the size, thus far, has not been too almighty difficult.   (Ask again when I get to the sleeves and you may find me shrieking, but I'll figure it out.  I'm glad I've made a few warm-up sweaters in the interim, though.)

Happy Wednesday, blog-0-sphere...

~ Sand

Startitis!

So naturally with Monet's Sweatshirt done, I had to start a couple of new projects:

Top row:  Embryonic Glenesk and swatch for same
Bottom row:  Trellis2, for Colleen's baby

Progress report:

Glenesk:  I finished the edging this evening and have a couple of the main pattern rows done.

Trellis2:  The back is finished and the left front is about 4" long.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! :)

*waves*

Monet's Sweatshirt - Finished Photo

*waves*  Hi...

I finally took Monet's sweatshirt off long enough to photograph it.  :)

Special thanks to my rake and shed for being such cooperative models...

Better detail:

(Yarn & pattern info in previous post)

To quote Jed Bartlet, what's next?   I just finished this swatch...

...(which is bleached out horribly here; the first row is dark navy) and am getting ready to cast on Glenesk. 

Of course it's going to take months, so I'll intersperse with a couple more Trellises and Catha's sweater, whatever that turns out to be.  Have yarn, but by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.  Trouble is, the something wicked pattern ain't arrived in my brain yet.

Adios for the nonce!

Monet's Sweatshirt - Teaser

*waves*  Hullo...

Yesterday evening brought a tremendous gift to LaCasa:  the completion, after long, long last, of Monet's sweatshirt.  *falls over from relief* 

No finished pics yet, but here's an in-progress photo from yesterday afternoon, showing the system I (finally - duh!) devised to make the process just a little bit less of a p.i.t.a.

Yarn:  (solids): from ebay seller sanfelipeysantiago (Malabrigo?); Tibet Silk.
Needles: U.S. 10.5.
Pattern:  Knitting Pure and Simple #996, for the technical bits; vastly modified (for stitch pattern, size & shape).
  Color design:  Traumatic, but priceless.

I felt like a loom.  Riley felt (accurately) like he was dodging trip-wires.  Pseudo felt entitled to sit on my lap for much of the process.  Four balls of yarn, five (and then four) needles, and one purring cat. 

The color design was traumatic for a few reasons.  Objective:  avoid to the extent possible all striping.  Objective:  even but random distribution of yarns.  Solution:  change yarn every row, never repeat order, occasionally do two color rows.  Oh, and try to keep those puppies from tangling.

Yeah.  It worked, I'm pleased as all get out, and it was totally hell.  I didn't figure out the bowls method until I was halfway done with sleeve #1 for the second time. 

But I love it.

Finished pic soon...

*waves*

Updates

Howdy y'all!

It's a Perfect October Day.  You know exactly the kind I'm talking about - that particular blue sky against those particular turning maple leaves.  Lovely.  I sat out on the porch swingset, talking to Ann and looking at the morning glories:

Anyone want seeds?  We have a few:

The bear hug blanket delivery is tomorrow - Richard will be very surprised, as his birthday isn't until November.  Richard and Marie are coming up to the third Sunday antiques market so we're going to go poke around with them.  Rho wanted to spend the day reading; she may just join us for lunch.  I'm going to tail Richard around the vendor stalls and spend as much time with him as I can.  I like the way his mind works.

Some site updates:

I've updated the links to some of the blogs and added Under the Stairs, my friend Jessica's blog.  (Hi Jess & Jeff!  Miss you!  Hug Thpentho for us!)  I also added the Balefire series to Bibliomancy, and updated Aural Retention.

Sleeve progress happeneth on Monet's sweatshirt.  I will finish that damned sleeve today, so stay tuned for some new pictures. 

In the news:  I've been invited to be a living breathing talking head on a cultural tour in Peru, along with Miriam (theoretical Mama) and El Jefe James (President of the Hemingway Society). 

I've spent part of the day researching Things Peruvian, and I hereby warn all of my friends that I will probably come back with a baby alpaca.  :)  Wonder how Rileydog would feel about that?

Off to be mundane (I have a load of laundry to fold) and harvesty (bread's in the oven). Then That Damned Sleeve on That Damned Sweater. *waves*

Bear Hug - Finished!

Salutations!

I finished the bear hug blanket yesterday:

And I did a couple of inches on Monet's sweatshirt sleeve.  It's no longer an inelegant lump; it's a neatly folded work-in-progress.  One reason it's taking me so long is that there are four different yarns, each row is a different yarn, and it's seed stitch.  I sort of lost where I was in the pattern there for a while, but I've refigured it and, after ripping back a bit, it's smooth sailing again.  It's still a p.i.t.a. to knit, but it's now do-able again. 

Onward...

*waves*

Bear Hug in Progress

Here's an in-progress picture of the mysterious "Bear Hug Blanket" I've been on about...  This is a throw for Richard (Rhonda's Dad), who's one of the coolest people ever.  He has a major soft spot for polar bears... 

Pattern:  Original; Yarn: Homespun & Fun Fur (it HAS to be soft); Needles: US 15

*waves*

Awww...

Live model shot today!

Here's the WeeBee in her Trellis:Somewhere in my email I have a photo of Susan (she of the Madame de Farge Society) in her finished sweater - I will endeavor to locate it and get it posted.

WIPs:

1.  Bear Hug blanket (just needs finishing work)

2.  Monet's sweatshirt (I plan to finish a sleeve this weekend)

3.  Blackberry Ridge socks (I am uninspired by these at the moment, being more interested in finishing that damned sweatshirt)

*waves*

~ Sand

Finished Trellis and a Bear Hug

Howdy!

Herewith is the finished Trellis sweater for ElizaB.  Mom spotted some pinecone buttons that are the perfect finishing touch - just enough "cute" to make it definitely a little girl's sweater, and not a little boy's.  I mean, yeah, ok, gender construction & all, but it will matter to her, and she's six. 

Front:

Back:

Yarn: Pakucho organic cotton (vainilla)
Needles: US 8
Pattern: Trellis

*****

Herewith is also an in-progress photo of the Bear Hug Blanket I'm making for Rho's dad:

This was a bit of a challenge since I'm not working from a pattern, just an image from which I made a chart.  It's sort of interesting, this knitting math.  It seems to be working...  (Still.  Intarsia.  *shudder*  At one point I had 7 balls of yarn attached to this thing, three of which were double-stranded.  I'm blessedly down to 2 now...)

That's it from La Casa for now!

*waves*

~ Sand