Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Yarn Along: Finishing up and Casting on

This is my first Yarn Along post in a few weeks, and it feels good to be back!  (And knitting again.)  After a brief hiatus to embroider and do some sewing machine research (and to learn to sew -- check out my post on my first and sentimental sewing lesson), I finished a little butternut squash and cast on a new sweater for Nathan.


You might think it's a little nuts that I cast on a sweater for my son during the same month Spring will begin, but I have two theories that support my decision:

1)  It'll still be sweater weather for a while yet, and he can wear it as a jacket as it gradually gets warmer out.

2)  He'll be able to wear it again next year.  The size says ages 2-4 and the finished garment has a 25-inch chest circumference -- so I think I'll be in good shape.

If he grows like a weed this year and it doesn't pan out, I'll have learned a lesson, and hopefully someone else will be able to wear the sweater someday.  I'm still enjoying knitting it, and after all, that's why I knit.  Don't you?

The pattern is Child's Placket-neck Pullover and I'm knitting it in Knit Picks DK City Tweed in colorway Jacquard.  I like the pattern and I love the yarn, but that pattern really needed something.  It's a simple knit, which I wanted, but it's pretty boring as written.  And simple doesn't equal boring in my universe.

I was itching to knit some cables, so I did a bold thing, and by bold I mean potentially stupid and/or risky.  I added a chain cable from the book Knitting Stitches, and at the moment there's no way to know how it'll work out out when I get to the placket.  I might not be able to pull off a smooth transition and it might look comlpetely stupid; or I might be able to forecast how long I can knit the body to get a smoother join.  Or no matter what I do it might not look right... but that's a risk I'm willing to take in order to use my brain a little while I knit.




I guess the good news is that I can always rip it out and start over.  The sweater is clearly boring simple enough for that.  I resisted the urge to put narrower cables on the plain sleeves -- phew!  Wish me luck!

P.S. At the moment I'm reading an array of sewing books.  In a sewing-related post I'll let you know which ones are good for learning to use a sewing machine.  It's still too soon to tell!
 

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7 comments:

  1. I am looking forward to seeing your finished sweater, it's looking lovely. Your sewing lesson sounds like you had an amazing time.
    Have a great day.
    xo
    Linda

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  2. Love the squash! I can't wait to hear about the sewing books - I keep my library busy, borrowing all their knitting and sewing books!

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  3. The yarn for the sweater looks lovely. and the butternut squash turned out great.

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  4. I think you are very smart to knit the sweater in a larger size so your wee one can get some use out of it! I hope the cable works as it looks really nice and if not, then it will still look nice.
    Happy yarn along.

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  5. There's at least 3 months of sweater weather up here in New England. Knitting sweaters now is a good idea!

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  6. The squash is adorable! We still have some weeks of sweater weather left so I don't think you are crazy! I love the cable! Good luck and can't wait to see it finished. :) Also, I look forward to your sewing book list. I'm a total sewing novice and am always wishing I could learn more.

    Happy Wednesday to you! :)

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  7. I'm curious to see how this sweater will turn out. It could be an epic win.

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