June 2011

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Arachne Cardi in Progress

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Earlier this month, after my failed Whisper Cardi, I started a different light-weight sweater, the Arachne Cardigan by Lien Ngo. I’m using Elann Sock it to Me in Grey Heather. Keeping with my trend, I bought this yarn with a completely different project in mind and changed my mind after it had been in the stash for a couple years.

Arachne Cardi in Progress
Arachne Cardi in Progress

I’m enjoying knitting this pattern. The lace at each edge keeps it interesting and a bit of a challenge. If I were to make it again I would not bother doing the provisional cast-on for the bottom edge and instead sew the hem to the body. A provisional cast on of around 200 stitches takes longer than sewing the hem would have and is more fiddly.

Arachne Cardi Lace Close-Up
Arachne Cardi Lace Close-Up

 

 

Mathew's Socks Laid Flat

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Mathew’s socks are completed, approved, and have been gifted to him.

Mathew's Socks Laid Flat
Mathew's Socks Laid Flat

They’re a little tight in the ankle, so if I make more socks for Mathew, I’ll use a different heel, probably a gusset heel.

Mathew's Socks Modelled
Mathew's Socks Modelled

 

Drops Cardi Blocking

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The Drops Cardi is finally complete! I started knitting this sweater last May hoping to have a great new cardi to wear in the Fall. The knitting has been done since sometime last Fall and it’s been seamed for months. All that it was waiting for was a good blocking and some buttons.

Drops Cardi Blocking
Drops Cardi Blocking

The blocking was done about a month ago and I sewed the buttons on last weekend. I guess it’s still a new Cardi for Fall, only a year later than I anticipated.

Drops Cardi Modelled
Drops Cardi Modelled

I knit the Drops Cardi using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky in the Blackberry colourway. It was one of those impulse projects where I found the pattern and then immediately ordered yarn for it, completely ignoring all the sweater sized amounts of stash I already had. You know, exactly the kind of thing I’m trying not to do this year. I knit the 38 1/2″ size knowing it would be a little bit small, and then knit the button bands wider than called for to make it my size.  That’s part of the reason getting the buttons on took so long, I wanted help from Mom in positioning them so that the were in the correct spot.

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The heels for the Tadpole Socks have not been going so well. First, I tried my standard short-row heel. It seemed okay when I first finished it, then I knit a few inches of leg and tried it on again. The length was good, but it was too tight around the ankle.

I consulted with my Mom and she suggested a gusset heel might work better because it has more height than the short-row heel.

On Sunday I sat down, pulled out my heel and started the gusset heel 2″ from the length I needed, as suggested in the instructions I was following in Socks from the Toe Up. It seems like a gusset heel takes longer to knit, but I finished it up. Then I tried it on, it fits great through the ankle, but it was about half an inch too short in the foot.

Third times a charm. I added to the foot of the sock and redid the heel yesterday. Now it seems to be the right length for my foot. I’ll know for sure after I knit a few more inches up the leg.