November Update

I was updating my notebook in Ravelry and thought I should drop in here and update this as well. It's been a busy month -- but whose life isn't busy these days? And much as I might want to moan, I have managed to fit in some knitting time.

Adamas is growing, albeit slowly!

I've completed 8 repeats of the main design. The pattern calls for 14, but I have more than enough for that, and so, I might add more repeats. It will depend on my tolerance factor for the repeat aspect. It's been put to the side for a bit, and not for the first time, so perhaps the pattern will feel fresher when I pick it up again. And though I was worried that the yarn was a little busy for lace, I think that a good hard blocking will open it up enough that the two will work together! I'm much happier with it now that there's enough for me to stretch it out and see. And yes, I have it on a short cable for ease of knitting, and was too lazy to switch it to a larger cable for the photo session. Maybe next time!

I've also switched patterns for the Mo that I had. Instead of turning it into a garter stitch shawl, and I was almost halfway with that, I found a pattern in Ravelry called the 48 Hour Mohair Shawl that I thought would suit the yarn and the colourway better. I think it does, but it is taking me longer than 48 hours, at least in part because I have way more yarn then the pattern calls for, and then also because it is not the most stimulating pattern, so it travels to places where I can knit but not focus on a pattern. It's also been pushed aside by other patterns and projects that appealed more.
Mo got bumped by a vest project. My intention was to knit the Mistake Rib Vest out of one of those One Skein books. I bought some Manos Silk Blend in the Lava colourway to knit it. And I loved the combo -- but it looked as though I might need an additional skein or two -- and I didn't love the vest enough to invest that kind of money (I'd bought 4 skeins already!), so I went looking in Ravelry for an alternative. I came up with Shrug This, also found in a One Skein book, but also available free on the Internet. You can find it here

A word of warning! The pattern is very small. I found changes in Ravelry, in anxiousdog's projects. It meant casting on more stitches, and I followed her guidelines, making a few changes as well, and there are a few more I'd make if I knit it again. But it's an easy pattern. It was my first time knitting something from the top down, and I loved being able to verify that it would fit me, and make the little changes that made it suit me better. And I loved being able to knit until I was almost out of yarn, so I didn't waste any. And now sewing to be done at the end!!!! What a bonus. My only complaint: thought the yarn is heaven to knit with and to touch, there were joins in my skeins. One of the skeins had 2 joins in it. When the skein only has 150 yards that really ticks me. It would make me think twice about buying this yarn again. Doing Russian joins is not my idea of how I want to spend my knitting time. But it's blocked and ready to wear .... and the irony of it is, this yarn really stretches when it's wet, and I could probably have gotten the Mistake Rib Vest out of what I had, AND had it fit me the way I wanted (pattern is only 18" in length and I like my vests longer than that.)




Once I finished my Shrug This Vest, I started February Lady Sweater - another one that knits from the top down and has very little sewing involved. I'd decided that I wanted a slightly lacy cardigan, which is how the lace got pushed to the side. I've got a nice start and am now working on the lacy body. I'll get to come back and pick up the stitches which are presently resting on green yarn to do the sleeves. I bought extra yarn so that I can make both the body and the sleeves the length that suits me -- and being able to try it on as I go is a bonus!


Tomorrow I go to a play and wanted a small project to go along with me. I thought I'd do a mistake rib scarf and use up some of my sock yarn stash, especially since I am on hiatus from knitting socks. I pulled some Berroco Sox in colourway 1424 which looks very interesting on the ball. Seemed to me it would go with a lot of colours. I wanted a long slim scarf so I could double it and loop it around my neck ...

Mistake rib is simply a multiple of 4 plus 3, so I cast on 47 stitches. The pattern is K2, P2, ending with a P1. It's easy, pretty and cosy, and I loved how it felt -- and the number of stitches suited me exactly .... BUT the way the colourway worked - or should I say 'didn't work'. It is an UGH to me. Left it last night so I could see it in daylight, but that didn't make it much better. I suppose someone might like it -- but it's on the pile to be frogged now. Here you can see why:

In bright afternoon light it doesn't look quite so bad -- but it will be frogged anyway. I understand I have more than enough for a small baby surprise jacket -- I might see how it works up in that. But in the meantime, I need to go and find some sock yarn and try again!