Knitting Club

Pattern: February Lady Sweater

Yarn: Dream in Color Classy in Happy Forest, 3 skeins

Needles: US 6

Notes: I knit this while I was waiting on my yarn for love to come from England.  It was a real quick knit, though the garter yoke seemed eternal (especially since I started it 3 times!  My gauge was 20 st/4 inches rather than the 18 called for in the pattern.  Assuming that this yarn, which is superwash, would stretch, I put on for the smallest size.  I did 2 extra increases and knit about 6 garter ridges after the eyelet row, for a total raglan depth of 6″ preblocking, 7″ after blocking (measured on the slanting line.  I knit 22 repeats of the convention on both the trunk and the sleeves.

My buttonholes are 2 inches apart rather than 2.5″.  Plus - pirate buttons!  (As an aside, has anyone ever read The_Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists? I highly recommend it - very funny!)

The sweater was too small, especially in the armholes, when it was finished.  I was counting on blocking to fix that, and so it did - this sweater grew considerably.  It’s too much light and drapier now.  Total growth was 1.5″ in distance and 2″ in the bust.

I know the colour of this yarn, but I’m not sure I loved knitting with it.  Am I the sole one who feels that superwash wools have a strange plasticky feel to them?  I do not usually enjoy knitting with them, though they are lovely and easy when washed.  This yarn, due to its springiness, seemed especially tight to me.  The colors, though, are gorgeous, and because of that I would use it again.  I can conceive of naught that compares.  I didn’t even alternate skeins here, and you can’t tell a bit!

Now begins the hard job of choosing my next knit.  I’ve spent tonight on ravelry, considering my queue and my yarn stash.  There are a gazillion things I desire to work for fall, including a lot of Kim Hargreaves knits, the new Silken Scabbard pattern from Stitch Diva, the Lamour Slipover from the new Rowan mag, several knits from Custom Knits, the new volume by Wendy Bernard, Petersburg from last winter’s Rowan… well, you get the idea.  I am very indecisive.  This week we are also removing the paper in our bedroom (at last!  No more wallpaper! so I’m probably going to be pretty busy with that, as good as a ton of work related activities this week (I have been on vacation the final few weeks, working on my house.  We take a few falling leaves here already - it may be hot, but dusk is on its way!