Disentangled Yoke

I completed my version of the Tangled Yoke cardigan on my birthday weekend. In a genius stroke of rationalization, I decided I wasn't much of a cables girl anyway (wink, wink). So I opted for a simple lace panel--Eyelet V's.

For anyone interested, I only modified the cable section--all other  elements are true to the pattern instructions. From the words: "(WS) Set up Celtic pattern ...", do this instead.

(WS) Purl across. Next row: Start eyelet lace pattern, as follows:

(key: ssk - slip 2 knitwise, return both to left needle, then k2tog through back of both loops; all other abbrev. standard)

Row 1: k, k, k2tog, yo, k, k, k, k
Row 2 (and all even): p across
Row 3: k, k2tog, yo, k, yo, ssk, k, k
Row 5: k2tog, yo, k, k, k, yo, ssk, k
Row 7,9: k across

Repeat rows 1-9 once more, then continue on with the pattern as written from "Dec row: (RS) K14 (12,10, 8, 6) ..."

I'm so happy to be done!

Now I am moving on to the Sunrise Circle Jacket ... to be continued ...

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After much focused, earnest effort at knitting the cable section of the Tangled Yoke cardigan I took a hard look at what a mess the whole thing was becoming, then took a hard right & high-tailed it out of Dodge. Those cables can suck it, seriously.

I first discovered that I didn't know how to read a cable chart properly, and that helped enormously. However, even once I was following the chart as written, I kept screwing up. "Un"-knitting cables is a serious beating, and after you knit then un-knit/frog, whichever the case may be, the same 5-7 rows close to ten times you figure you may as well come up with a plan B. Plan A was a fool's errand. There is a reason those cables look like thorny brambles; they want blood. MAYBE I will attempt this sweater as written some other time, but for now I will be satisfied instead with a simple eyelet pattern to take the place of the cables.

Disentangled Yoke cardi

See that turquoise life line? I totally needed it. Precious arrows, no? So now I've only got the button band left to wrestle. I've already knit & frogged once, and now I'm thinking about doing it double knit, not 100% decided though. I'm really happy with the collar, and I finally got a nice photo of the true color of this lovely yarn ... see?

Disentangled Yoke cardi

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Quite negligent on the updates, but that's me. I am almost to the yoke of the Tangled Yoke cardigan. The sleeves have been dragging on forever especially after having taken a little baby blanket break:

Pinwheel baby blanket

The sleeves I am doing on two circulars, and I am so glad I did or I'd never finish this thing. I've got about 20 rows left on the sleeves at this point, and then it's time for tangles:

I'm itching to start about 5 different projects: more socks, a beret for myself (though cold weather is basically behind us for now), hand towels, more sweaters ..... and on, and on.

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I finished my first pair of socks, and so now I'm pretty much assured of success in all my knitting adventures. I wish I had the recipient's feet to model these. They'd look silly on me...

My first toe-up magic loop socks!

I think I may be confused about what constitutes a magic loop. I thought it was simply knitting on two circular needles, but Knit Picks' most recent email links to a tutorial where they are using only one circular needle folded in on itself. I thought I'd seen this trick once before, but then decided I must have made it up. Hmmm, so I'm not sure how I feel about magic loop -- this other approach is complicated looking enough to seem like magic, that's for sure.

At any rate, I'm so pleased to have finished the socks. Now I'm moving on to Eunny Jang's Tangled Yoke Cardigan ...

Tangled Yoke Cardigan

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But still no sweater in sight. It was a fruitful vacation, though in truth I took very little time off from work. I just spent the holidays sequestered with DVDs and various knitting projects, chief among them a pair of socks on a magic loop. Oh how exciting!

I'm up to the cuffs now, so I hope I don't lose steam. I also made myself a pair of furry slippers as a brief diversion. I used a pattern for Pocketbook Slippers--called that because off the foot each one looks like a little handbag.

Hairy slippers

As a gift for a friend I tried my hand at cables for the first time, and it's true -- cables are way easier than they look. I'm so glad I made this hat; it has completely obliterated my fear of cables and opened a door to loads of exciting projects. Finished cables are insanely satisfying stacked up against how easy they are to knit. I've been sitting on all this red Cascade 220 -- now I know what to do with it!

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I have attempted and not succeeded in knitting four (4!) sweaters in the past year. What I have finished is eight hats, two scarves, and a handful of dishcloths. Yay for me, but for all my ambition I am tiny bit down on my inability to see my big projects through to completion. I guess that's not entirely fair because I did finish one sweater that was too big after washing & blocking -- so it got frogged. I'm just trying to get right with reality in my knitting.

At any rate, I cannot fret over sweaters with the holidays upon us. I'm going to make some socks ... this is my hope anyway. Everyone on my list really deserves a nice pair of socks, but I will be thrilled if even one lucky person gets a pair handmade by me. I suppose I could give yarn with IOUs attached ... and then, you know, take it right back.

It's scary, this sock business!

There are so many knitting videos on you tube ... and even though I'll probably go toe-up, this is good viewing ...

Kitchener Stitch

While I'm at it ... check out what I had to drive through coming home from the Thanksgiving break ... yikes ...

More West Texas snow

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While I can't say that I've made much headway on this year's gifts, I certainly have been productive in the knitting sense. Four pieces of head wear (not all pictured), half a shrug and a sweater also half done just in the past couple of months--not bad. Basically all the little projects have been brief diversions--pick-me-ups!--from the lace cardigan that will likely drag on into the new year. Starting and finishing a project in a short amount of time is reeeeaaaaalllly satisfying, so it's easy to justify the knitterly tangent

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A baby hat ...

Baby beanie

... made from the same yarn as the ol' Calorimetry. Super soft! Knit in the round on size 8 DPNs, 2x2 rib. I cast on 64 stitches and knit rather loosely until it looked to be a good size for a little guy. I love this yarn -- it both hugs & gives.

And now, back to the cardigan.

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Making good progress on the cardigan, 7 inches or so into the back panel. I think I deserve some Americone Dream!

Lace cardigan in progress

I love the vertical eyelet lace. The stretch is awesome. I modified the stitch pattern (row 3) to make the eyelets perfectly shaped since the book's instructions weren't right. I'll share:

Cast on 12 stitches
1st row: k12
2nd row: p12
3rd row: k4, yo, sl1 p-wise, k1, psso, k1, sl1 k-wise, slip both stitches back to the left needle, pass slipped stitch over k stitch from left to right, slip k stitch p wise without twisting, yo, k4
4th row: p12
(repeat rows 3 & 4 ad infinitum)

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I haven't finished my pink raglan yet, but ever since I got the idea of making a lace cardigan in my head I can't stop thinking about it. So I figured it doesn't hurt to have two projects going at once. I can bounce back and forth between the easy worsted (chunkier yarn) and the slightly more laborious lace. I have a game plan!

So I cast on starting with the back using the tubular cast on. I've practiced it once before, and it wasn't too terrible to knit. This technique gives you a somewhat invisible edge. You begin using a single cast on with contrast yarn, you cast on half the number of stitches you expect to end up with. From there, you start the first row with your main yarn doing a combination of slipping, knitting, bringing the yarn from front to back and so on. It's not hard really.

Here's what it looks like several rows in:

Tubular cast on, pt. 1

At this point you can remove the contrast yarn, as everything is pretty well held in place. Once you do, you end up with ribs that have lots of stretch:

Tubular cast on, pt. 2

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