It's done, it's done, it's done!

Yes, I said that 3 times because it took 3 tries to get it done. But the Lorna's Laces Hand-to-Hand sweater is finally done. And I like it. I haven't worn it yet because it is still damp but it is looking good. The fabric is lovely and the colors are lovely!

See for yourself!

Here is a detail look at the body. There seems to be a slight delineation of where I started the last skein but since it goes all the way around the sweater, I don't mind. It is also not as visible in real life.

I can move on to other knitting now, I hope!

Slow progress

I know it doesn't look like much but I have been knitting away and am making slow progress. The only way I can gauge it is by how much yarn I've used up. All the ripped out yarn is knitted up and I'm about half way through the last skein that I hadn't used up until this point. I suppose the body is lengthening but it is really hard to see. I don't want to measure it yet because I'll feel discouraged. When it is about 12", I start measuring. But I really think this is going to be the right answer. The fabric feels nice and the colors are looking good.

Now I have a tip for those of you who would like to try Portuguese knitting but don't have a pin. The pin looks like this. You pin it to your shirt and use the hook to hold the yarn. It is quite convenient and I used it on the plane. It went through the metal detector without any problems.

But someone on Ravelry mentioned that she used a badge holder with a clip from a dog leash on it to hold the yarn. This avoid holes in one's shirts, although the pin doesn't make any more of a hole than a brooch. I thought I'd see if I could make one of these and try it. I have a lot of badge holders laying around from all the conferences I have attended. So I brought one home and attached a carabiner that I had from some other function. I think it was meant to hold keys that you could clip to your backpack. You can't see the badge holder too well as it is transparent but you can see the clip. In this case, the yarn goes permanently into the carabiner and you clip and un-clip the badge holder as you begin and end knitting.

I have pretty much given up on all other kinds of purling now. The Portuguese purl is quick and I can do it without looking. I tried the Norwegian purl but it is much looser and requires more movements. So I am sticking to this for the rest of this sweater. I think that I would use the combination purl for seed st and rib as it mixes better with the continental knit. I'd like to master the Norwegian purl but have to find the right knit gauge to go with it.

Three seems to be the charm

I like how this sweater is turning out this time. This is the sweater with 1 skein of yarn left to go + some odds and ends. I think it will be fine.

I am alternating a few rounds of Portugese purling with a few rounds of Eastern purling. I find the Portugese purling to be much easier on my hands but I like the mixing up of the two movements. I occasionally throw in a round or two of my regular flicking. I think it is changing the way the colors stack up because there are minute differences in the amount of yarn per round.

I am on a roll with the sweater and will try to finish it before I move back to the modular sweater. It will be nice to get this off the WIP list.

I hope next week will be close to the end for this.

Begin Revision three

This is revision three of the body of this sweater. The yarn is starting to look a bit worn so it will have to be the final revision. The knitting looks weird because the yarn is kinked from ripping. It will fix itself with blocking.

I like the look of the fabric. The yarn colors are spread out without much pooling. I am alternating two different methods of knitting - the Portugese purl that I linked to last time and the lazy purl with the yarn held in the left hand. I find the Portugese purl much easier and used that most of the time using the other to relieve my muscles from the unaccustomed movement. As my hands got used to the Portugese purl, I used it more and more. I tried to use my usual flicking method but the gauge is a bit looser on that so I stopped. I think learning new ways of knitting are good for avoiding repetitive stress injuries and also for making minute gauge changes which can affect pooling and striping effects in handpainted yarns.

It is slow going as I'm doing this on size 6 needles. But I think I'll be happy with the result so I am persevering.

Rip, rip, rip yet again

I am going to rip out the body of the Lorna's Laces sweater that is so intractable. I did the calculations and I think I can get the body done with the yarn I have in plain reverse stockinette. I will practice my Portuguese purling technique in the process as it is so easy to purl using this technique.

I finished the front of the modular sweater and started the back. Unfortunately the garter st is really boring but it does go fast once I get started. I didn't do much knitting on any of this during the week because I had to finish up a project for Interweave. That got sent out yesterday and so I am free to knit my own stuff again.

Short and sweet this week.

Modular focus

Happy Easter to all who celebrate!

I also want to acknowledge an anniversary of sorts. I've been baking bread for just over a year now. My first loaf was recorded on this blog on March 22, 2008. Now I am making all my own bread - I don't buy any bread for myself at home. I am quite proud of the progress I've made in a year.

Spring is here. The forsythia is blooming and there are buds on the crabapple outside my window. I am feeling more energized and am looking forward to the longer days and warmer weather.

I have been knitting and now I need to make progress on this tank. I have made some, the front is almost done. Here is a detail of the beaded yarn that will be part of the yoke. You can see the little beads here and there. They are threaded onto a thread that is twisted with the yarn. One has to be careful to catch both when knitting.
This is the front. There are a few more rows of the yoke and then I split for the shoulders and knit each separately. I am not happy with the big hole in the middle. Fortunately, there is extra yarn there that I will use to close it up. It is caused by the fact that you are knitting each side separately which stretches the sts in the middle. When I do the back, I am going to try and knit both sides together and see if it prevents the hole. Also, something to be careful on with garter st. Make sure all your ends are on the same side. See that big bit of yarn? That is an end and it is on the front because there is another end neatly woven in on the other side. So this one will have to be taken to the other side and woven in. Sigh! What do you think about my new backdrop for photographs? I bought some stretch velvet to use as a backdrop so the knitting is clearly visible. I like it on this because the silver was blending with the grey of my carpet and not standing out at all.

Here's to more knitting related posts!

Pick 3- Spend 50

A quick post discussing supporting local businesses. Giovanna pointed me at this Portland blog that proposes a focus on keeping local businesses healthy in this economy. I think this is a great idea.

The proposal is that we pick 3 local, individually owned businesses and commit to spending a total of $50 (not $50 individually but $50 in total across the 3) a month at those businesses. The tough part is picking three businesses but I think I will select

1. Yarn Central: my local yarn store
2. Merriweather's: I buy my soap from them
3. Longobardi's: I have been buy pizza weekly from them for so many years that they recognize our voices on the phone.

Lastly, my washer conked out this week and I bought a new one. I bought one from an appliance store that fits the bill too. At all these places, service is wonderful and I have never felt that I am paying more than I should just to support a local business. I get excellent value for my money.