Plodding slowly

We’re having a very out-of-routine few weeks at the moment, so very little is getting done on the knitting front.  As I’d already picked up the stitches for an armhole for the Virgo Vest one evening, I managed to knit the armhole band in the car yesterday. So, as you can see, I have the neck band and one armhole band completed.  Don’t hold your breath, but I’ll get there in the end.

Virgo Vest
Virgo Vest

I’m already thinking about what I’m going to design when this vest is completed.  The plan is for a small lace bag (what is it with me and lace?) worked in a cotton/linen blend.  When on a trip into town on Monday, I visited Clegs on the off chance that I’d find the sort of thing I was after.  Having failed in my search on their website, due no doubt to my lack of skills, while wandering the shelves I managed to find some Katia Linen.  “Ooooh!”, I exclaimed, and purchased it at once.  Stay tuned for further updates.

Alpaca Lace Vest nearly there

My alpaca lace vest is nearing completion.  The front an back are both finished and are currently blocking.  Here is a picture of the back before blocking.  It looks rather crumpled here, but the blocking is doing it wonders.

Virgo Vest
Virgo Vest

 

Tonight, I’ll be able to sew it together and measure up to calculate the required stitches for the neck band and armhole bands.  Now to see if I have the right sized circular needle for the bands! The yarn is a little fuzzy, so I wasn’t sure how well the pattern would be visible, but it looks fine in this photo.

It’s great that it’ll be ready for Southern Hemisphere Spring wear, and Northern Hemisphere Autumn/Fall wear.  A win for everybody!!

In The Sky With Diamonds Pullover pattern now available

The pattern for my new In The Sky With Diamonds Pullover is now available.
It’s a fitted, textured pullover with cabled and bobble sleeves and a Cowl collar, in alpaca and merino.
The length is to around the hip bone. The pullover is shaped from the waist to the bust.
The yarn used is Misti Alpaca Tonos Worsted.  The colour I’ve used here is Impossiblue – TW12.  It’s a gorgeous soft warm yarn.  I’m so looking forward to wearing this pullover.  My aim of designing a pullover with a cowl collar has been acheived.  I love collars.

In The Sky With Diamonds
In The Sky With Diamonds

In The Sky With Diamonds Pullover

Knitting Pattern

Yarn Suggested: Misti Alpaca Tonos Worsted or any other 10ply/Worsted yarn. 100gm balls, 199m (218 yds)
Gauge:22.5 stitches and 30.5 rows = 4 inches in Raspberry Stitch
Needle Size: 4.5mm
Meterage: 1367 – 3565 yards (1250 – 3260 m)
Sizes Available: 74 (84, 94, 104, 114)cm  29¼  (33, 37, 41, 45) in
This pattern is available to buy from Ravelry for $US 6.25

A new project

I have a new project underway.  The next step in trying different collars is the cowl collar.  The vehicle for this collar will be a pullover in Misti Alpaca Tonos Worsted using a relief stitch for the body and a cable for the sleeves.  My intention for the collar is to use a k2, p2 rib.  I’ll worry about that when I get to it.  Here are the swatches for this project.  The first swatch uses Raspberry stitch.

RIMG0145 RIMG0146

I’ve finished the back of the pullover now.  All the skeins are in the same dye lot, but a strange thing happened with the second skein.  It was the light and dark blue as shown above, then I came to a join in the yarn and it’s been predominantly dark blue since then.  This happened at the top of the back.  I’m continuing in this darker blue for the beginning of the front. Hopefully it will all look like it belongs together by the end.