FO - A Tangled Ocean Tweed

On Saturday morning I completed my Tangled Ocean Tweed.......just had to weave in ends and sew on the buttons and I was done. Sooooooo happy with the finished result and the fit is perfect! Hugs my shape in just the right places. Very pleased I chose the 38" size.

As you can see it is longer than the pattern suggested by 5 inches, which was a great idea, I love the length, it hides a multitude of sins! Although the picture below looks wonky, the tangled yoke does measure up evenly with the other side. I was just in a hurry to get some photos as my son was trying to get in the pictures!

I adore the colour, it is a stunning green and I think this colour really suits me. I have realised recently that green is my favourite color.......purple has taken a step back. Although I still love purple, I'm finding myself drawn to all sorts of shades of green.

As you can tell by the above picture, by increasing the length and then following the waist shaping instructions (although switching to stockinette earlier on in the shaping) the cardigan has come out with a gorgeous silhouette, which is perfect for me. I hope to have photos of me wearing it eventually.

On another note, I have started a black and grey striped top-down raglan sweater for myself, all done with my own calculations. A bit of a headache considering I am making it a v-neck as well. Things are going well so far, hopefully some progress shots to come.

A Tangled Disaster!

I had my first real knitting disaster today, and I nearly cried! Last night as I was working on my tangled yoke, the tangled portion, I realised at the end of one row I had one extra stitch. I counted and recounted and searched and could not discover where this stitch had come from. So, as recommended by those who have experienced such strange phenomenon at night, I decided to put it down, go to sleep and look again in the morning.

So this morning I looked again. Still no luck. No idea where this mysterious stitch has come from and why it is here. So, in my wisdom, I decided one extra stitch was no problem, I would just k2tog and continue on with the pattern. But that didn't work. Well it did for the first side of the cardigan, all looked good and I was pleased with my progress. But when I reached the second half, where the pattern is reversed, I saw it - A DISASTER!

I had missed one stitch in the beginning of the previous round which meant that on this half the increases were 1 stitch off and didn't line up with the pattern. And of course, because I didn't realise this until after I had completed the row with the mammoth and multiple cable stitches. And while one side looked perfect, the other side looked odd, there was no cable twist where there was meant to be and instead of crossing, the stitchs sort of looped back so they were next to each other and not across each other. If that makes sense.

I thought "I can fix this" and endeavoured to drop the necessary stitches, retwist the cables and voila! problem solved! But no, this was not meant to be. I couldn't figure out how many stitches should be dropped, how to cable twist them considering each section involved numerous cable twists, and then I saw a few dropped stitches and I couldn't figure out where they belonged.

So I did it. I ripped it back to before I began the tangled yoke pattern. I nearly cried. I felt angry, sad, frustrated and exasperated. My picking up stitches skills lack too, so although I have got all the stitches back on the needle, a few have dropped a row or two, many (or most) will be twisted and I'm sure I have hours of frustration to fix it all and get it back to where I was.

Maybe I will try a lifeline this time. I don't think I could handle this again.

High Concentration

I have reached the celtic horizontal cables of the tangled toke cardigan, and especially as it is not something I have done before, I'm finding I need to maintain a high level of concentration. Last night when I began on the yoke pattern, I chose to go without tv, podcasts, audiobooks or company. I wanted peace and quiet so I could make sure that I was doing it all right as I do not want to rip back. So far I am pleased with how it is going, although each row is taking me 30minutes, so this yoke will be with me for a few days. I don't know if it is looking how it is meant to look, but I think it does. I have been following the directions carefully.

This is the first pattern I have come across that has so many different features, 2x1 cables, 2x2 cables, 2x3 cables, 5 into 1 increases and decreases. So many twists and turns that I followed the advice of others and colour coded my chart so it was easier to read. Once I have done the repeat a few times, I memorise it, but the need to make sure I do the right amount before I change to the next pattern repeat means I need to focus.

Ordinarily in my house, the ability or opportunity to focus and concentrate is almost impossible to find. Between the kids, my partner, phone calls and general noise, the only time I have to work on my yoke will be after 9.30pm when my 8 year old goes to sleep. Before that there is too many interruptions. As it is, I'm not guaranteed the nights either, lately my 4 year old son has been having bad dreams and waking up crying. By next year I hope to have more time to myself, but then again, that time is supposed to be for studying.

In conclusion I am having s much fun with the yoke, even though I have only done a few rows. I was stunned to find 2 hours had passed since I had sat down. I was totally immersed in the pattern, the yarn and the moment. I intend to do this more often.

Joining the Yoke

I finally got around to joing the sleeves to the body of my Tangled Yoke Cardigan. I must admit I hate this process. It is always awkward, at least until you have done quite a few rows, to knit around with there being no movement in the sleeve stitches. But I do love the no seaming effect!

I still have quite a long way to go until I reach the Celtic Horizontal Cables that comprise the tangled yoke design. Reading through the chart there are a few stitches that I need to review, for example creating multiple stitches out of one in the middle of the row. I need to check and see what is the recommended method of doing this. I'm sure this will be a challenge, but I'm still looking forward to it.

I'm loving the yarn more and more as I go on this project. The color is so deep and gorgeous, the little flecks of royal blue and jade green really give it life. I have always liked the color green, but now that I am using greens I wouldn't normally reach for, I'm realising my love runs deep. It is also a credit to the Bendigo Woollen Mills who make such gorgous wools. Their rustic range is my favourite, and this yarn being Colonial, I adore too.

I have also discovered that I like the fabric that is created using a 5ply on 3.75mm needles. At first I thought it would be too loose see-through, but now that I have so much of the cardigan knit, I can see that this is not the case. The fabric is light, but dense enough to be substantial. I'm sure I will knit many more garments in 5ply, I don't like the garments that are 10ply and heavy. I also think in our weather environment, there isn't much need for heavy woollen clothing anyway.

Wandering Aimlessly

I am having one of those days when you are bored, and don't feel like doing anything. I have found myself wandering aimlessly around the house, room to room, just feeling bored. I want to knit, but frankly, I'm bored with it. Both my ongoing projects are green, solid colours. Both are in a stockinette portion of the pattern, and I really want something a bit more exciting. I feel the need to knit a sock, but I want to knit something with a really interesting pattern. Because the sock yarns I have all itch my feet, I want to try the Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 4ply wool. That stuff is so soft it really shouldn't itch me. But I don't have any.

I have thought about casting on for a sock in one of the multi-colored sock yarns I have stashed, but I don't want to waste them if I can't wear them. Thinking they may be better suited to a shawlette.

I know that soon enough I will have challenging knitting, when I get to the yoke of my cardigan or the lace edging on the shawl, but for now I don't know what to do, I need colour and texture and a complicated pattern to challenge me. I get bored easy. I will most likely power through the second sleeve of the cardigan so I can get to the horizontal cables of the tangled yoke.....pretty sure that will keep me entertained!

New Fitness Goals

Now that I have definately booked my wedding, for real this time, and with summer around the corner, I feel a strong desire to get in shape......again. To be back where I was happiest I need to lose 15-20kgs, which is a big undertaking. But I will get there. Last time I lost 15kgs I did it using the exercise bike, but that has done nothing for me for the last couple of years. I have always exercised pretty much every day. So my new goal includes running.

As I have a treadmill, I have started jogging, tried running but not fit enough yet. Today was a breakthrough point, I actually enjoyed it and the time flew! Shocking! But I managed to do 7.63kms in 60mins. Very proud of myself. I do hope to one day be able to do 10kms in one go. At least that's my short term goal. So to hold myself accountable I plan to note down any kms I do and a total tally as well.

But other than running my ass off, I have finished the first sleeve for my tangled yoke and have cast on for the second sleeve. I have had no desire to work on the Wave Shawl, all I can think about is how I need another light-weight cardigan that can be worn with skirts. All my knitwear is more designed for jeans and cold weather, which is fine for today (cold and wet-record rainfalls over the last 2 days in glorious Melbourne but at least it looks like our drought has ended) but we have also had some lovely days with the sun shining, but the breeze requires light coverage.

Planning on making the Cece I think as my summer lace cardigan. I was going to make myself a Que Sera, (I loved that pattern) but I decided that there are so many patterns out there, I should try to do as many as I can! And I can always do the Que Sera whenever I want.

So now off to work on my second sleeve....can't wait to get to the tangled yoke, looks like fun!

Sweater Vest Finished

I finished the sweater vest almost a week ago, last Sunday to be exact. But it has taken me this long to take photos. I am extremely pleased with how it has turned out, not only the correct size, but lovely and thick and soft too. The cabling has made the fabric very stretchy with is another bonus. The ribbing at the neck and arm holes also turned out better than I expected. I chose not to count the stitches around the arm and decided to just pick up as many stitches as would look best, and I was all prepared to rip out if they looked too different. But they look fine. I can't wait til Christmas when my father-in-law gets to see it! I really hope it is what he wanted.

So now that the sweater vest is completed, I have cast on for my mother-in-law's wave shawl. The colour is pale eucalypt and it turns out I really like the colour, it is not as yellow based as I thought. I think I will have plenty of this yarn left over, I tend to overbuy ALL the time. But I think it may go well with the Oceania, (which is a dark green and the yarn I'm using for my tangled yoke) and I may make a Tempest cardigan. Although the wools are both 5ply (sport) I think they'll go with the pattern well. And it will mean I have enough yarn for another project without having to shop!

I hope to buy a second hand pot soon specifically for dying. Then I can get started on dying the cotton I have into colours I would like more. So this week has the tangled yoke flying along, I have finished the body to the arms and almost completed one arm, and have begun the wave shawl. Not much progress there because I really want a light weight cardigan now that the weather is heating up a bit. I should have no problem finishing the shawl for Christmas as we still have a couple of months to go. Thankfully!

Not Much Knitting

Over the last few days there has not been much knitting, housework, kids, visiting old friends, etc all seem to get in the way. Not that that is always a bad thing. Sometimes putting the projects down for a few days can reignite the passion felt before! The monotony of housework and the satisfaction of a job well done (especially if the house is neat and tidy) can be very rewarding. And catching up with friends is always great, especially when 5 hours fly by, absolutely fabulous!

I have almost finished the sweater vest, which is great because I am eager to start my Wave Shawl for my mother-in-law. I prefer to have minimal projects on the go, or I find I forget about them, lose my place or my momentum. I have almost finished the second side of the front, and once that is done, I will just need to sew the shoulder seams, then pick up stitches around each armhole and the neck, do some ribbing and Voila! Finito! 2 Chrissy presents down, more to go!

I am so anxious to finish my tangled yoke cardigan, as it is a lightweight cardigan, I have wished it was already done as the weather has been glorious lately, especially today with a forecast of 29C. In the sun it is hot and lovely, but I always get a bit too cool in the shade. Hopefully it will be completed in the next few weeks as I have only 23 or so rows until I have completed the body and need to start on the sleeves. Cannot wait until I reach the "tangled yoke" pattern itself, looks like so much fun! Last night I managed to get a fair few rows done at the drive-in when Brian and I went to see The Town. Excellent movie. Not something I woud normally see, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. We did go to see a double feature, the Expendables being the second film, but had to leave early as my sister was in a car accident and my dad, who was babysitting the kids, had to go get her. She is fine, car is dented, but nothing serious.

Today is set to be a quiet day at home, hopefully knitting and listening to podcasts. Although there are some serious dramas going on in my household (to do entirely with my sister who is living with us) I hope to tune them out and enjoy what should be a beautiful day.

Learning top down construction

Firstly I have been powering through my tangled yoke as I am in the stockinette portion and I felt like some simple knitting. As I said before, I actually knitted the garter rib for 5 1/4 inches then began the pattern in stockinette according to the rows of the pattern. This will make the cardigan nice and long which I will love. I also adore the drape and feel of the fabric, it is light and will definately be a warmer weather cardi, which was my goal. I think I prefer the slightly looser knit fabric as opposed to the tightly knit, but we'll see how well it sits when finished. Isn't the color gorgeous!

I spent last night reading the book "Knitting from the top down" by Cathy Carron. Not a fan of any of the projects, they are definately outdated, but I found that the information in the book on how top-down construction works, how to add shaping (which I already kinda knew), how to calculate sleeves and how to do various collars was fabulous. I had that 'light bulb' moment when all of a sudden the top-down method made perfect sense and seems quite simple.

I have knit top down before, but I could never figure out how the calculations worked, how to calculate the beginning stitches, how to seperate them for front, back and sleeves, or how to figure out the increases for the yoke. But now I get it! I'm hoping to use this method and calculations to amend patterns so that I can make the sweaters/ cardigans more simply, but also out of the yarn I want and the needles I want. Being in Australia (as opposed to USA where most patterns originate from) we mostly use 8ply (dk) yarn as opposed to 10ply (worsted). This means that many patterns I want to make need many alterations as not only do I not prefer thicker yarn, but it is harder to find, whereas 8ply is everywhere!

My first aim is to make myself a top-down jumper, long and fitted, with 8ply smoky gray and black stripes. I want it to be a perfect fit. Unfortunately the book didn't cover v-neck design, but I have located a few other sources which should help. Although, now that I understand the construction, I think I can figure it out on my own. I am going to have a think about how to do the increases for my bust though, I want it to fit well without the loose fabric under the bust, but I'm not sure I want to do short rows in the stripes. Thinking about just adding the increases on the front, so the back doesn't get baggy either, that happened last time. Too much fabric on the back so it didn't quite sit right. Maybe darts are the way to go. Oh well, more research!

A Tangled Yoke

Today, as i was waiting for the Que Sera to block and dry, I turned to my father-in-laws sweater vest. Basically a 2x4 rib, with the 4stitch panel doing a cable every 8 rows alternating so they are uneven. Although knit with a thick wool and on 4.5mm needles and knit in the round, it is kinda boring, working up the body. I'm in a place where I either want interesting wool, interesting pattern or a plain knit stitch I can completely zone out with. So I figured it was time to cast on a new project.

So now the Tangled Yoke Cardigan by Eunny Jang is officially on the needles, and I'm excited about it. It's going to be knit in a 5ply/sport weight so it should be a lighter cardigan for the warmer months. The yarn is 100% handwash wool, in Colonial Ocean Tweed. It is a gorgeous deep green with slight flecks of lighter and darker shades speckled through. I love it!

I'm not happy about the length of the cardigan though, definately too short for my liking. So I think i will knit the 5inches of garter rib, then 8 rows of stocking stitch before I begin the shaping. Hopefully this will keep the shaping in the right place, but add on the extra 5 inches in length I want. I love my long cardigans......obviously!

Tonight I am hoping to take Que Sera off the blocking boards, sew the shoulders together and pick up and knit the neck stitches. There aren't many rows so it shouldn't take too long. Then I'll sew in the sleeves, try it on (we are pretty much the same size) and then put it away in it's box, awaiting Christmas. After taking photos of course!

Love Danielle