I’m Knitting As Fast As I Can

Slinky Ribs is done! Well, it just needs to be blocked.

And I had 4 grams of yarn left. *Phew*

After continuing to fiddle with the neckband, I decided to just keep it simple. I picked up stitches around the neckline and then immediately cast them off in purl. That’s it. Clearly, I was overthinking it.

I vowed that I wouldn’t become equally obsessed with the bind off for the sleeves. But one of the main reasons I dislike top-down sweaters like Slinky Ribs is that the bottom edge of the sleeves and the body is bound off, instead of cast on. And bound-off edges tend to be inflexible and less attractive than cast-on edges. This is especially true for ribbing. It’s difficult to get a flexible edge and no flare.

My first attempt at binding off the sleeve was a miserable failure. It flared and basically looked like crap. I needed a bind off that was flexible, but firm.

I settled on a tubular bind off for 2×2 rib. I first tried following the instructions in Principles of Knitting but, between you and me, I got completely lost. So I turned to the instructions in the Fall 2008 issue of Interweave Knits. Excellent instructions! It worked like a dream.

I went back over the stitches and pulled them fairly tight after the bind off was completed and the sleeves don’t flare at all.

Now I’m just hoping this Felted Tweed yarn softens up in the wash.

And, look. I celebrated by casting on a new sweater.

*Apparently, I have a reputation for being somewhat inflexible. Who knew.

The return of Daylight Savings Time can mean only one thing. There’s enough light when I get home to take blog photos!

Progress toward completing my NaKniSweMoDo goal has been sporadic. When I finished the body of my Honeycomb Vest, I set the project aside. I guess I was getting a little sick of the unending cables.

I fully intend to finish it because I love the way it’s working up, but a new sweater project is getting all the love lately . . . Slinky Ribs from the book, Custom Knits.

Yeah, it’s top-down, but it has set-in sleeves that are picked up around the armholes. I’m using Rowan Felted Tweed and I only have 5 balls. So hopefully I won’t have to rip back the sleeve because I run out of yarn. We’ll see.

As for the Felted Tweed, I’m kinda on the fence about it.  I love the colors and it’s nice to knit with but the sweater seems really scratchy. The alpaca fibers look like nasty guard hairs instead of the softer, downier fibers. Am I the only one who thinks this???

Both sweaters temporarily took a back seat to two felted projects. I don’t know why, but I seem to worked felted projects in fits and starts. Both of these are shop samples for my LYS.

Nantasket Basket in Cascade 220

And a Basic Felted Bag with Homestead Heirloom leather handles in Debbie Bliss Donegal Chunky Tweed.

In addition to the knitting, there have been gifts and acquisitions.

Handmade, glass buttons from a friend:

A wonderful fabric project bag given to me by Margene (don’t forget that Margene’s birthday is Saturday!):

And Cheryl‘s gift of a seed stitcher has already been put to good use, picking up dropped stitches from the Slinky Ribs project:

I’ve showered myself with gifts, too.

A lovely batt from Yarn Pirate:

Some perfectly dyed roving from Lauren’s Etsy shop:

And a kick-ass fountain pen . . .

. . . that matches my infamous boots . . .

I know you want those boots, Shelley.

NaKniSweMoDo #4 is done.  Well, it’s actually #5, but the one I finished before this is still damp so there are no finished photos yet.

Pattern: Liesl by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: One strand of Handmaiden Silk Rumple held with one strand of Handmaiden Angel Hair – yum!! (This yarn was from a scarf kit that included 100g of Rumple and 50g of Angel Hair)

Ravelry: Linky

Mods: I knit the entire sweater in stockinette stitch, eliminating all the purl ridges.  I didn’t put in any buttonholes.  The piece has such a retro feel that I decided to make a faux sweater guard to close it.

Basically, I strung some freshwater pearls and crystal beads on a stretchy cord and then attached it to two buttons, securing the cord end behind the button with crimp beads.

A very satisfying knit and a great use of 48 hours.

The piece is light as a feather but warm and soft.  Sometimes unusual yarns can turn a basic knit into something a bit unique.