Sunday, April 29, 2007

Shell Tank

Done! I am very pleased; it fits perfectly. I owe that fit to Anna, whose own shell tank (posted here last August, I think) was my inspiration, and who very kindly told me exactly how she sized hers down. Thank you Anna! The principal mods were lengthening it by two inches, and sizing it down to a 34. Size aside I loved this pattern; it is so beautifully thought-out, and the finishing details are so elegant. I used addi turbos in 8 and 6, and four balls of Rowan Calmer in Drift.

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basalt tank half way


Just a few more hexagons, some straps and some garter around the bottom and she's done! This project is coming along quickly and the hexagons are fun to knit. So far I haven't encountered any problems with the pattern and I anticipate finishing it up before too long. I'm a little nervous about the sizing / wearability of the finished garment, but with this odd construction it'll be hard to tell until it's completed... We'll see soon enough!

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Not-so-new member

I joined this knitalong last year, but have yet to actually make anything from the book! Well, that's going to change this summer. I've bought yarn to make the Basalt tank:



I'll be using Knit Picks Shine Sport in "grass," a wonderfully bright green. I know for sure I'll be modifying this sweater (a la Kelly's version from last year), so I'll be checkin' in more frequently to update on my progress.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

another new member!

Hi everyone!

I've had an eye on this KAL and have loved watching all of your projects come to their exciting conclusions. Some of the things I've seen posted here have inspired me or prompted me to reconsider knitting certain garments out of knitting nature - my most favorite knitting book ever... Norah Gaughan is a genius.

Anway, I was so eager to make something - anything - out of the book that I started small and immediately set to making the sunflower tam.


The lite lopi's a little scratchy for me, but what a fun knit - I loved seeing the pattern emerge. After that, I dove into bigger projects, like the Ram's horn jacket. Here's one of the fronts, with a contrasting blue wool hem that barely peeks out:

I've since finished both of the fronts and one sleeve but I've temporarily shelved this because it's getting a little too warm to work on it here.

Lastly, I've just started the basalt tank. See - my yarn for it (wool cotton in a chocolate color) just arrived from WEBS!! I'm making mine with half hexagons on the sides and I'm hoping it will turn out as beautiful as this one by kelp! knits. Truly an inspiration.


Sorry for the long post - more info on these and other projects at my blog here.

Hello

Hi, it's Ruth from 5elementknitr.blogspot.com. Happy to be here! For my next trick, I'll be swatching some lovely Drops Alpaca to make the Ogee Tunic (pg. 126). Wish me luck!

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Saturday, April 14, 2007

I think he likes it!

i think he likes it!


I gave my brother the Reflection Aran Pullover today. We had a short modeling stint:

my brother should be a model 2

my brother should be a model


I also gave him a book that has all my blog posts on the Reflection Aran Pullover, a set of rules that need to be obeyed (they're posted on my blog), a copy of the celebratory email I sent to my family and a ridiculous photo of the sweater on a body pillow I've got with his head photoshopped on. I hoped it would let him appreciate it more. Only time will tell...

Tales of a Hand-knit sweater

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Finished Reflection Aran Pullover!

So, there has been a lot of saga involved in doing this sweater. Mostly, I think I learned that if I start reading a chart and it doesn't make any sense at all, that I know cables well enough by now to fudge it. That's exactly what I did, and to be honest, i think the finished product looks just fine:

front

I started this project in November on size 4 Addi Turbos (i aparently knit really loosely!) with Knit Picks Swish Superwash in the Deep Ocean Colorway. The front is actually two different dye lots stranded together, but I think the varigated effect adds to the depth of the cables in the front, and it doesn't look crazy at all when you look at the whole thing. All in all, I liked that yarn quite a lot. I didn't think I was such a huge fan of Knit Picks, but it seems alright. The dye kept coming off on my hands as I was knitting with it and seaming the ends, so I'm hoping it doesn't turn my brother into Grover, but that's alright. Here's a close up of the front cables:

front detail

I don't have a picture of my brother wearing it yet (did you really think anyone that's not family could deserve a sweater like this!?), but I'll be giving it to him this Saturday, and when I get photos of him in it I'll post one here.

This is the first sweater that I've ever actually completed, so I'm rediculously proud of it! To be honest, I did like a full 5 minute raver happy dance after I'd complted it to the tune of "Feel So Fine" by Dhany. It's my second project from Knitting Nature. My first was the Roundabout Leaf Tank I completed in August.
I dip into the saga of it all on my blog if you're interested.

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Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Europe is in

Hi fellow knitters,
I am French & Swiss and just in love with Knitting Nature.
I feel very close to Norah Gaughan as I have the same profile: very much interested in arts and biology, I also eventually studied Biology. The difference is that knitting is my hobby and I live in the nature (remote area in the Jura mountains), and I use biology for a living.
As Norah says we don't like " do whatever you like or want"... it is not challenging enough, we prefer having some limitations so that it stimulates our imagination. I also can't stick with the directions of a knitwear, there is always something personal to add or change: as an example I wish to knit the Serpentine Coat...but shorter.
The yarn is ordered, by the time I get it, I will probably (as many other knitters) start something else from that gorgeous book.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Spiral Scarf complete


Here's my Spiral Scarf, complete. The multicoloured yarn is Koigu, and the darker blue is Claudia Handpainted; I thought the two really worked well together in this pattern. This pattern is great for handpainted and variegated yarns, which mimic it, spiralling towards the centre. I love the pattern itself; so simple but so beautiful!
I made some changes mainly in the arrangement of the hexagons, and details, with more pictures are on my blog.
Am looking forward to more projects from this book! I think the Ogee Tunic might be next.

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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Asymmetrical Cardigan


I finished the Asymmetrical Cardigan! It's knit out of Malabrigo Worsted instead of the bulky cashmere called for in the pattern. Because of the different gauge, I wound up knitting a larger pattern size, which worked out ok fit-wise. More photos and all of the gory details are on my blog.

This is the third pattern I've knit from Knitting Nature, and I'm planning on knitting the Phyllo Yoked Pullover, too!

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