Eyelet Cable Cardigan by Josh Bennett FO

Pattern: Eyelet Cable Cardigan by Josh Bennet Vogue Knitting Winter 2008/09

Yarn: Fisherman's Wool by Lion Brand

Colour:126 Lot:090401

Needles:7mm & 7.5mm Straights

Start: October 20 Finish: November 24, 2009

Modifications: (unfortunately) none

I am very proud this knit was done in just over a month - especially since there were issues encountered and with determination, overcome.

I am tickled that by using two skeins of the Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool I got on sale at Michael's, the cost of the sweater, including buttons and tax is about $25.00.

I'm shocked that changing to a rustic brown wool from the classic cream cashmere did yield a look that is quite pleasing.

I love, love, love the buttons!

I'm quite smug that at the last second I subbed in EZ's one row buttonholes for the "yarn over, knit two together" holes stipulated in the pattern and I got them to work the first time! (To be honest, the 5' long scarf "swatch" I knit that made working the eyelet cable effortless also yielded pretty significant smugness during knitting!)

I'm cozy as can be when wearing it. Wool is utterly magical at providing warmth isn't it?

I am bummed that now that its knit, assembled and blocked to the exact size I was aiming for - the one stipulated in the pattern - the large size of the sleeves is wrecking the fit across the back. See the hand fulls of excess material at either side of the sleeves across the back?

These sleeves perfectly demonstrate why I chose to make medium sleeves for a size large body when I made the Fair Isle Cardigan. As written the patterns yield sleeves that for my body are too big at the arm scythe, too wide all along the length and too long with huge sloppy cuffs. In the first shot below, modeled by Darling Daughter - the sleeves fit - in the second shot, the sweater is on me...the sleeves are huge....

Why, why, why oh WHY didn't I modify the size of the sleeves??? I just finished a sweater with modified sleeves that, as a result, fit perfectly - why did I then turn around, clearly forgetting or ignoring or just being blithely ignorant of that success and make unmodified and hence gigantic sleeves for this one?

I. Don't. Know.

I do know what I plan to do about it though. First I plan to re Soak the thing and then lay it out without pinning to see how narrow I can make it by taking advantage of the wool's tendency to shrink inward when wet and drying.

I guess I also have to be mature and try to learn from it. To my little data base of how to alter sizing through the bust and across the back, I'm going to add details on the fact that I need an arm scythe that is generally about 7" (this one was 8.5"). I'll also note maximum sleeve length and width.

I will also ask Darling Daughter if she'd like to wear it since its actually her size. Because she is very sweet and treats her mother very well she will thank me and tell me she'd love to wear it sometime and will definitely "keep it in mind" but that I should keep it in my closet and she will get it from there when she needs it. (Translation..."I love you but why do you knit such weird stuff? I would never wear something like that.")

I am a better knitter now than when I cast on for this sweater. That is more valuable than a great fit. (I'm going to keep saying that over and over to myself in the hopes that at some point I may come to believe it.)

On a more positive and frankly thilling note - I thought I'd share the contents of an email that was waiting for me when I got up this morning from My Beloved who's in Europe on business...

"Just got up. Heading out for breakfast and yarn.

I will call later today."

Is he a catch or what?

Thanks for dropping by!

Knitty Yarn Tasting

Last night I attended my third of these events and I would say it was my most coherent effort in terms of testing and rating the yarns up for consideration.

First of all, since my last two outings I've spent time swatching and just playing around with yarn. Considering properties and possibilities with full attention on doing just that. No frothing at the mouth, madly getting the swatching out of the way so I can cast on for some tantalizing new project. Just sitting, concentrating on nothing but swatching. So last night, having had some of this kind of experience, I was able to slip into that mindset as I worked with the yarn being tested.

Secondly, the group was a very serious, task oriented bunch. The Purple Purl was quite quiet considering it was filled with 30 odd knitters. So that aided in being able to focus on what I was doing.

Finally, I think the fact it was my third time going through the exercise meant I wasn't frantic keeping up with the process of choosing needles, casting on, knitting, trying NOT to talk about the yarn - much harder than you'd imagine - filling out the assessment form then every 20 minutes picking up hot beverage, coat, bag, swatch, both needles, form but NOT pen (they stay with the table)and moving to another while all 25 other knitters struggle among chairs and tables and each other to do the same.

The yarns we got to play with were...

Drops Silke Tweed - A nubby string like combination of silk and wool in what seemed to me to be fingering weight.

Tivoli - A mix of silk and mohair. The colourway we worked with made me think of Rapunzel spinning gold. Soft, smooth, rich. The sheen of the silk with a modest mohair halo. Very decadent! This was the only yarn of the evening I would be likely to ever buy.

Angel from Lorna's Laces (the variegated green centred in the swatch - see its fuzziness in relation to the others?)- Angora and Lambswool - soft and weightless - kind of surprising in that the colours were quite dramatic despite the demure texture of the yarn. Okay maybe I'd buy this one too!

Panguipulli from Araucania - In the skein it really looked like those "black magic" pictures we used to do in school where you coloured in a sheet of paper with crayons then painted over the whole sheet with black poster paint and then when it was dry, you scraped the paint away in a design of your choice to reveal the multiple colours beneath. Th effect was less noticeable once the yarn was knit up but still reminiscent to my eye at least.

Granite by Loop d Loop - This yarn is kind of like a puffy ribbon yarn in the skein but then the stitching or whatever it is that makes for the flat shape, acts like the spine of a book once you knit it, allowing the two distinct halves to fold over like a book closing. So the knitted result just looked like chunky yarn. My needles weren't big enough so maybe if I'd had the 9mm needles the yarn calls for and knit it carefully as you do with ribbon, it might have created a different effect.

There seemed to be lots of purchases made after the testing was done. Nice to see the gracious ladies of the Purple Purl get some business after being so wonderfully hospitable once again. Nothing came home in my bag though. I'm just not good with spur of the moment yarn decisions and I didn't plan to buy anything so empty handed I did leave.

BTW...If you're wondering what happened to my FO post on the Eyelet Cabled Cardi - its essentially done and ready to go (And I've been wearing and enjoying the warmth of the sweater itself this week) but I've been having trouble snagging a photographer in the these busy days as school terms wind down and My Beloved is off "across the pond" on another business jaunt. Hopefully tomorrow it'll go up!

Thanks for dropping by! And to all my American readers, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day yesterday and will have an enjoyable holiday weekend!

Blocking Board Deets

Well the buttons were bought and fastened onto the Eyelet Cabled Cardi, the soaking is done. Blocking is underway.

After my post about pinning the pieces of this knit out to better see and understand my pesky mistakes there were a couple of questions about the blocking board I was using. Its a board meant and generally sold for sewing - laying out and cutting/working with pattern pieces.

Its made of cardboard so pins go through it quite readily but then once there hold fast. Air flows all the way around blocking knits because of the board's paper construction. This cuts the drying time substantially - and I can't believe how fast things dry when you add a fan!

Because it folds up like an accordion it stores fairly easily but fully open its large size accommodates big or multiple pieces all at once.

I especially like the fact that once loaded up, it will lean against a wall without disturbing a well pinned garment - especially pinned with blocking wires! This frees up the floor for those picky non knitters who insist on needing to use floor space for walking and moving around a room. Sheesh!

The boards are available at sewing stores and I understand cost about the same as they did when I bought mine 20 years ago - $20.00 or so.

While I've always used the board for sewing I never thought to use it for blocking knits until last winter when I took a finishing course at a DKC winter workshop. I've used the tips and tricks Patrick Madden shared with us in that day long session many times since. The post about what I learned, if you're interested is here.

Thanks for dropping by today. 'Hope you have a good one!