Random updates

I'm subbing lots of links for the lack of photos. Sorry about that.

1. My Cobblestone sweater is near completion. I ran out of yarn two rounds + bind off away from finishing the neck. So, last night I undid the garter cuff on one sleeve and began reknitting after decreasing 10%. I plan to see how much yarn that gets me, and if it's half enough, do the second sleeve the same way. If it's not enough - and I just did a quick calc in my head and it's probably not going to be - then I'll have to frog the sleeves further and decrease more rapidly.

2. I have two blog posts on my Red Wings hat that are almost ready to go. I just want one more photo to accompany the FO post and I need to get the logo tutorial out of my head and into a post. I want to get the FO post up first, but with the weather we're expecting over the next few days, that may have to wait until the weekend. 

3. For a quick instant gratification project, I'm knitting a pair of bed socks for my future sister-in-law. Why is it that everything I've knit for the women I know is hot pink? They're also really tiny (compared to my socks) and I'm using Cascade 220, so they're going really quickly. Or at least they should. My sock mojo is not what it used to be.

4. After the success of the January Hat Trick with the Puck This! group on Ravelry, we've started another knit-a-long, The Great Hockey Sweater KAL. After I finish the socks mentioned above, I plan to pick up my Vintage Red Wings sweater again. The red yarn has been rinsed of extra dye and should be good to go now. All the same, I think I'll block it by spritzing rather than soaking.

5. I miss spinning. I was never into it hardcore, but I'm still excited to see what kind of yarn I can produce. It just seems I can't find the time or energy. That's kind of a different subject though. My other issue is that I really, really, really want to finish my Cobblestone. And then I know I'm going to feel the same way about my Wings sweater. I can't justify taking time to spin when I could be knitting. Right now spinning seems like more of a chore than knitting because I'm a long way off from a finished product.

6. Aside from the fact that it will allow me to wear my sweater when I finish it, I'm done with winter. I'm sick of the grey skies and cold temps. I'm sick of walking outside and thinking, "ugh, why am I alive," when the cold hits rather than, "I feel so alive!, " when the bright sun and warm temps hit you. I need a vacation.

7. And so as not to leave us all on a downer, I will say that I'm excited about the possibilities that my new stash enhancement presents. I want an all-purpose hoody/sweater/jacket, so I'm thinking of knitting a Adult Tomten. Although after reading Jared's detailed post about it, I'm feeling anxious. I've never knit a garment with that much construction. Maybe a child's version is in order first. I'm also thinking some cables are in order, which reminds me, I have a Christmas gift I never blogged. You might be interested in that :)

Check Out My Big Ten Inch...

... sweater for a man that's knit in blue ...

I've knit over half the length to the under arm, which is where you join the sleeves and things get exciting again. I'm really happy with the progess I'm making, I knit on this a little bit each day. Making hats in between has definitely helped with little bursts of instant gratification.

It's been tough working this 51" sweater on a 40" circular needle, but all is well now that I've gotten my new 47" cable from Knit Picks. Oddly enough, it came with 10 skeins of yarn as packing material. Weird.

My Second First Sweater

I've been jonesing to knit myself a sweater for a while and when I saw eight skeins of Bartlettyarns Fisherman 2-ply for $25 shipped on a Ravelry destash, I knew the time had finally come. I originally thought I would knit EZ's Aran Cardigan and set about knitting a swatch cap. Unfortunately, I misread her instructions and attempted to squeeze 5 stitches into one inch. Let me tell you, knitting cables with a true aran weight yarn on size 5 needles is no picnic. However, once I got straight with the gauge, I found that my cable patterns looked like crap. I thought to myself, "I can make this much nicer with Cascade" and promptly frogged.

After having knit several stockinette swatches with garter borders, I rather fell in love with the look. I laid in bed that night thinking, "Maybe I'll just knit a simple raglan sweater with garter borders. Oh, and I could even do a line of garter up the side for more interest." And then I realized what I was envisioning: Jared Flood's Cobblestone. Well then, aren't I a genius?

Next morning I cast on for a sleeve and was off to the races. The yarn is a bit stiff to work with, but I think I've gotten used to it. It definitely softens up after a good washing. The only troubles I've had so far are with the cable length on my circular needle (it's almost too short to knit the body comfortably) and knitting garter stitch in the round. It wasn't much of an issue with the sleeves, but switching from knit to purl and back at the end of the round on the body has created a weak spot where the fabric wants to fold. I'm hoping it will block out, but I'm planning to try the jogless garter stitch employed by Alice here for the yoke.

I'm now into the endless sea of stockinette that is the body of a man sized sweater. The garter panels at the side break things up enough to keep it interesting, but I don't really mind all the stockinette. I've been in the mood for something mindless for quite a while now.