Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Erin progresses. It is difficult to photograph and is much more colorful than shown here. The darkest red is not that glazed looking and the blue/turquoises don't jump out at you in person. There are actually two orange/reds in the mythical beast's head area. The white line across the ribbing is a basting thread to hold the ribbing from rolling until the sweater is blocked.





I am truly enjoying this design of Alice Starmore's in "The Celtic Collection". That book is one of the few still in print and fairly easily available. Lots more in the book I'd like to eventually make. It (for me) is one of those have to own books.
Today we finished de-winterizing the truck camper and loading all the gear for this season's travels. Went through the canvas bag holding the "Sweaters from Camp" Shirt Tail Hemmed Fair Isle pullover and made sure the pattern, all balls of yarn, needles, notes, etc. were in there. That project and one pair of socks with Socketta yarn are what will be worked on in the camping evenings. This sweater is going to get finished!

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Erin progresses and probably will a lot more over the next two days if this huge Nor'easter storm is anything like it is predicted to be. All the storm supplies like candles, Coleman Lanterns, flush water buckets, generator etc. are all tested and ready. If we are lucky the storm will blow past us and out to sea. If we aren't lucky, we'll get slammed with 4-8" of snow with heavy rain on top of it. At least most of the ice is out of the rivers and streams so flooding might not be a problem. We live by a very pretty babbling brook but it would have to come up 12-15' to get anywhere near the house. Roof is clear of snow so no ice dam problems with edge of roof leaks.





I like the colors I'm using for Erin. Major blind trust to use the turquoise colors as they looked so bright in the skeins but they are really pretty knit up. Finally can see the mythical beast in the FI pattern. It is hard to spot on the chart but fairly easy to see in the colored knitting. I'll finish Chart C and then knit 2" on the Shirt Tail Hemmed Cardigan. Alternating is the only way to make myself finish the Shirt Tail Sleeves. I'm also actually reading the manual for the Stitch Motif software and will be working on charting out my own Aran design. I'd like an Aran in one color to knit while RVing this spring and summer - if those seasons ever show up!

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Chart A of "Erin" shown. I'm much happier with the slate blue background color than the teal blue originally chosen. This is a simple knit so far. Most of the Fair Isle work done to date had color changes about every two rows. This one is every 8-10 rows so a lot less spit splicing. There is probably too much contrast in the bottom red to the rust but I like the colors so will continue.

Saturday, April 07, 2007

My time with making Fair Isles isn't long enough to have stood the test of a lot of wearing and washing. So far so good with the steek stitches holding up crocheted. I never knot or tie on. Instead I spit splice so there are no ends hanging ever. The splice ends up being the yarn that is used up while knitting the steek. First steek I ever cut was on a sweater purchased at GoodWill and cut up for practice. Sure took some of the terror away over cutting a sweater you worked on for months.







Even better would be working a Russian Join. See http://www.knittinganyway.com/freethings/russianjoin.htm I haven't tried it yet but I wonder why you couldn't prepare the yarn for a Russian Join like you do for spit splice and then fold them back and spit splice instead of sewing with a needle. I'll have to try that.

I do nine stitch steeks with the colors arranged like this with 1 being the pattern and 2 being the background

First row - 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1

Second Row - 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 2

Third row - 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1

Fourth row - 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 2

See how the center three stitches always have the background on either side of the center patten color? When you crochet half of the 3rd stitch to half of the 4th stitch it is easy to see which stitch you are using because of the alternating colors. Same when you crochet half of the sixth stitch to half of the seventh. The middle fifth stitch is the guide line used to cut the steek after the crochet is done.
The photos show the steek I'm working with now and also a finished crocheted steek on the Marina sweater both on the front band and inside the armhole. I tacked down the front but not the armhole which lies flat.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

The joys of Maine in the spring!! Just when the iris start coming up on the south side of the house, we get a foot of snow. It's April 5th and we get a FOOT of heavy wet snow. Good day to stay in and knit.

Erin's ribbing is much better the second time around. Switched to a US #2 circular and also using a cinammon type brown that was a little bit warmer. Sure am hoping I like the main background color better this time.