Saturday, February 16, 2008

Good progress yesterday. I took some pictures in the afternoon, while the sun shone, but I’ve done more knitting since then, and should manage still more today.



I like the way the reverse st st gusset looks, now that it’s finished. I like the way the whole thing looks. Famous last words.




I feel very slight tingles of anxiety about whether I have enough yarn. When the shoulders were joined, there were seven skeins left – three for each sleeve, I figured, and one for the neck ribbing. Although that won’t take a whole skein.

I’m now about to polish off the first of those seven skeins, and I am only about 5” along a 25” sleeve. The stitches, however, are decreasing at an orderly trot, and I’m probably going to be all right. I can re-group when the next skein is finished.

I did the sleeve-decrease-arithmetic last night, using Brown Reinsel’s formulas, and arrived at the conclusion that I need to decrease two stitches every 2.5 rounds. She doesn’t say what to do in a situation like that, where rounding either up or down doesn't appear to be an option. I am alternating the decreases every-three-rounds and every-two rounds and will continue like that until I collapse in confusion. When I stop to consider how far the yarn is going, I’ll re-count and re-calculate the stitches as well.

I went back to Ravelry yesterday and updated things. I found that Leigh Witchel had added me as a friend, and rapidly did the same for him. His is a Name from the early, great days of the Knitlist. His avatar Phyllis Stein is Dolores’ soul-sister. He is a choreographer and a knitter – I have actually knit his famous “puzzlebox Aran” from a long-ago Knitter’s (for Theo’s father Roger) and, indeed, actually met Leigh, on a long-ago trip to NY. I was glad to see that Dance as Ever and Leigh’s knitting career both appear to prosper.

The arrival of the new IK (Spring) was a pleasant surprise, but I don’t think there’s anything there for me, and I found the articles a disappointment. I wish they’d given Mar more space to write about Ravelry – she hardly had a chance to get started. I like the Chameleon Scarf but will never submit myself to the fiddliness of knitting it. I rather like Eunny’s Katharine Vest but it’s too ladylike for me.

On the other hand, the Minimalist Cardigan last fall completely passed me by, but now that people are finishing and wearing it, I’m thinking again. From a great distance – there’s too much to do at the moment.

Here is the latest Yarn Yard sock yarn. It’s time for me to renew my membership, and I think I’m going to have to do it, although there soon won’t be room here for living. My Beautiful Blue and Perthshire Berries from the same source haven’t arrived yet.

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:13 PM

    The sweater is beautiful and I really envy you. I am such a terrible purler (sp.???) that knitting such as the gansey becomes way too big. I have heard that the front and back of a sweater take 2/3 of the yarn and the sleeves together take 1/3. Would be interested to know if this is true.
    Ron in Mexico

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  2. Remember, back in the day, they often made fisherman's ganseys with 7/8 or even 3/4 length sleeves, to keep their cuffs out of the water and gunk. Don't be afraid to shorten them a bit. Tell the recipient it's traditional. ;)

    Beautiful pattern on the chest, I love how the light plays over it.

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  3. It's not fair that you got the Spring IK before I did. I'm much closer.

    I do want to make Anne's wrap. I think it's lovely.

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  4. oh leigh is back! can you share his ravelry id? would love to catch up!

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  5. Anonymous9:07 PM

    If you put the sleeve on hold and knit the neck now, you can then divide the leftovers and that third skein each in half and you'll know exactly how much yarn you have for each sleeve.

    I admire your ability to get things done. It takes me weeks to make a simple lined hat.

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  6. What a great gansey. Is it your pattern?

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  7. Definitely renew the subscription. How else am I to live my love of new yarn colourways vicariously? The gansey's going to be a thing of beauty and awe. I think this project is definitly a 'process knit'. Do you feel relief when they're received by the wearer or regret?

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