cosmicpluto knits!

all-knit wardrobe

I’m way behind in my blogging! I’ve got so much stuff going on lately, it’s tough to get to it. But soldier on I shall.

In my quest for an all-knit wardrobe, here’s an undershirt. Out of Habu 2/26 cashmere. The yarn’s dang thin, so I’m knitting with it double-stranded on 4mm needles for a light, airy fabric.

I’m up to the straps, so theoretically there is very little knitting left – but it involves things like measuring and putting things on holders and stuff. So it’s been a bit neglected. Plus, it was really mild the last few days so a very warm undershirt is not really needed!

But it’s getting about that time – snow was forecast for today, and the temperature’s getting seasonal. And I really want to get this off the needles. I have way too many projects going. Let’s not even talk about the Xmas presents!

For those waiting for the Rayne (noro wrap) pattern, I’m doing photos today. No matter what. So the whole thing should be ready this weekend.

FP (finished pattern): Clara Tank

Here’s a little something I’ve been working up in lettuce knit’s own line of hand-dyed yarns – dyed by me! This one uses a light cotton tape that comes in huge skeins.

Clara Tank
This easy and fast-knitting tank is knit entirely in the round with no seams whatsoever! A fun lace edging lends impact to the simple and flattering shape, and frames the neck along front and back edges.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Bust: 30 [32, 34, 36, 38, 42, 46, 50] inches

MATERIALS
lettuce knit hand-dyed cotton tape [100% cotton, 475 yards/225 g]
1 [1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2] skeins
(approx. 370 [405, 470, 505, 575, 695, 760, 890] yards of heavy worsted weight yarn)
6.5 mm 24” or 36” circular needle
Spare needle for binding off
Stitch markers

GAUGE
16 sts and 21 rows = 4” square in stockinette stitch

Pattern available from lettuce knit via email to info@lettuceknit.com for $7 CDN (plus $3 shipping to the US and $2 to Canada), or give us a call at 416-203-9970 between 11-6 EDT.

Here’s a couple photos of the currently available colours.

l-r
Terracotta, blush, mango, fuschia (same colour as sample)

l-r
slate grey, purple, light olive

Each skein is 225 grams and 475 yards, and is $34 CDN.

It was a really fun knit, fast, and very satisfying. The upper body (ie. straps) is not really shaped, instead the straps are knit almost straight up to the shoulder, which gives a v-neck and a slight cap sleeve.

FO: Roundabout tank

Roundabout Leaf Tank
Pattern: Roundabout Leaf Tank from Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Nashua Ecologie Cotton, 6 skeins
Needles: Denise US 7

I knit pretty much this entire tank on my trip to Texas and the cruise in May, but held off just on sewing the straps down until just now! I had to do one of them twice, actually, because I’d knit one strap just slightly (about 3 rows?) longer than the other and it was noticable to me when it was all done. So I had to detach that strap, rip back a few rows, bind off again, and sew it back on.

The yarn is really nice stuff, naturally dyed and makes a fabulous fabric. A bit splitty, as with most multi-ply cottons, but nothing overly annoying. The slight variation in the colour really works with this design.

The pattern was really great fun. Easy to remember (although some of my leaves may be slightly larger than the pattern called for due to my inability to count rows), easy to just pick up and put down whenever. I knit quite a bit of it on the plane from Detroit to Houston, and a lot on the cruise, in the evenings in the room.

I did have some futzing to do with the decreases around the bust – I think I may have joined a little earlier than the pattern called for, and my row gauge was probably off (yes, I am being vague) so I ended up needing to do a lot more of the “work even” part once the decreases were actually done, to have it end in the right place. And even then, I don’t think it really did….but it all worked out.

Also, in the back, my straps don’t meet in the middle like is called for in the pattern. I’m not actually quite sure what happened there, but it looks fine.

Now the big question of course, why aren’t I modelling it myself? Well, firstly I wanted to take it to the store as a sample for the yarn, and didn’t have a chance to do the modelling thing at home before I did. And well, I’m not super thrilled with it – I really, really love the way it looks on the hanger, but I’m not that hot on how it looks on me.

I think the shorter portion of the body is a bit too short, so it shows a bit of belly which I’m not hot on. And I don’t know that I actually wear knit tanks, even with all my knitting of them! Maybe I’ll like it as more of a vest over another shirt, or something. Or maybe I just need to give it a little time to grow on me (also literally, perhaps it will lengthen slightly with hanging).

I’m just bursting with things to blog about! More soon!

one sexy knit

“Lace Nightie”

Pattern from Interweave Knits (web pattern), available here, size 29″. (yay negative ease)
Yarn: Alchemy Silken Straw in “Scarlett’s Dark Secret”, 2 skeins (with significant leftovers), 100% silk.
Needles: 3.5 mm

Finally done (okay, it was actually pretty fast). It is SO not a nightie, but I love it! It goes well over a cami for a bit of a dress up without heaviness – it only weighs maybe 60 grams. My row gauge must have been pretty off – I lengthened the body by another pattern repeat before the back bind offs, and it’s still not nearly so long as the one in Interweave’s photo.

On the Silken Straw: a wee bit tricky to knit with, because it is not a plied yarn. Instead, it’s just a bunch of threads held together with a sizing. It’s pretty easy to not catch all the threads, especially in the lace pattern, but once you get used to it, everything goes pretty smoothly. The skeins are quite large – I have maybe a little less than half a skein left!

Before blocking, the top was all scrunched up and also? tiny looking. But a good soak, a nice stretch out and although it still only measures 30″ at the bust (I’m 35″) it stretches nicely. The fact that it has such a low back probably contributes to that! The fabric is sooooo nice after blocking – crisp, but very smooth and drapey.

More, and flat, photos at my flickr. Did I mention I love it?

Happy Canada Day!

finally, a real update!

I finally put the finishing touches on Elspeth!

Sorry it’s kind of dark; that’s what happens with dark brown!

Elspeth
Pattern: by Laura Long, from Rowan 37
Yarn: Rowan Calmer, just over 3 skeins for size small, “Coffee Bean”
Needles: Denise US8
Started: August 2, 2005
Finished: August 22, 2005

Notes:
The knitting was fast, but boy was it confusing! I ended up writing out the fronts line-by-line, with where I needed to do increases and what pattern row I was on, although the actual lace pattern was pretty easy to memorize. I put off things like sewing up and the crochet edging, otherwise it would’ve been done faster! I made the 34″ even though I’m a 36″, because I wanted it to be fitted and the way the pattern is written gives an inch of ease – so for the 34″, it comes out 35″.

Hm, what else…oh, I ended up doing the crochet edging around the body THREE TIMES because it kept flaring out. Still flares slightly in the back neck, but since I can’t see it, it doesn’t bother me! The Calmer is just sooo soft and lovely, there’s definitely more of it in my knitting future.

Meanwhile, I’ve been chipping away at the deadline projects – I finished a scarf in Knitpicks Shine for my youngest sister yesterday (her birthday’s tomorrow). I just need to weave in the ends and wrap it up with the fingerless mitts and I’ll be all set.

I did take some time out of the knitting to make this, for Julie:

She gave me the jeans, I reconstructed. Came out well, and only took a little over an hour – although that was a somewhat aggravating hour.

Ah, and the problem with the Blueberry Jacke – here it is.

See the two markers (sorry for the blurriness!) in the middle there? They’re separated by p2, k2, p2. Now, the pattern calls for starting and ending the rib at the sides with p2, but I just thought psh, why would I want to seam reverse st st? So I started and ended with k2 instead…

…which lead to starting the diagonal pattern after a different number of stitches (to make it line up with the rib). That was fine. But what I forgot was that you’re supposed to do the diagonal pattern until there are two purl stitches left between them – and that isn’t going to happen with the way I’ve set it up (since in the middle there are 2 knit stitches instead).

I’ve decided to just stop the diagonal pattern at the marker, so the middle section will be wider. I think I’ll do it correctly on the front, though…I think.

One more thing – I went to Ikea today for some yarn storage solutions! Excellent.

osw

Modelled pic? Maybe another day.

One Skein Wonder, with sleeves
Pattern: by Glampyre, modified by me
Yarn: Knitpicks Shine, “Orchid”, 3 skeins
Needles: Denise US7
Started: July 28, 2005
Finished: August 14, 2005

So it took longer than I thought, but it was actually very quick knitting. The Shine is gorgeous, I love it! This should be just the thing for over-air-conditioned lecture rooms. Not that I’ll be in lecture for the next few weeks…I finally get a vacation after tonight’s exam! Woohoo!

Anyway, I finally finished up some spinning as well.

“Spruce”, 206 yards. It’s so lovely and soft! I wish I’d bought some more of this wool blend when I had the chance. Currently spinning up some blue/purple of the same wool; hopefully I’ll start a shawl like Adrian’s.

I also finished knitting Elspeth, although after this picture was taken I ripped back a bit on one of the fronts to fix it…as you can see, I didn’t do partial motifs, which resulted in some..funky spaces.

Now I just need to sew it up by Wednesday so Denny can do my crochet (right Denny?).