The start of a sweater

WIP - Dad's sweater
Originally uploaded by vildishknits

Here we go! I have about 3 inches done of the bottom of the sweater body, plus the bit of ribbing that will fold to the inside. So far I'm loving the pattern and the color combinations. What a fun project to be working on!

My latest revelation is that I can knit while I read. This is HUGE! I can knit and knit and knit while I read my endless pages of school work. Maybe I'll finish the sweater quicker than I'd expected!

Figure figure figure

Swatches are done - gauge is measured - I'm all ready to go. Now comes the number crunching phase! How many patterns can I fit into the space while centering my big motive and keeping a nice proportion of pattern to flea stitch? If I take out that pattern and shift the whole thing up ten rows, would the pattern look better? It goes on. But I'm about to commit to this pattern and I want it to look snappy when it's done!

I've knit the bit that folds under the bottom and knit the fold stitch row, so the very next stitch I knit will be part of the front of the sweater. Here we gooooo!

Slowly Sock

january 046, originally uploaded by dejarlids.

I'm almost to the point on Alex's socks where I start working the heel. I'm loving the yarn and enjoying watching the handpainted patterns develop.

Koolhaas #2

Finally, some pictures!

A chart for The Big One

big, originally uploaded by dejarlids.

Okay! I think the design phase of Dad's sweater is almost finished. That is at least the chart is. I need to work out a LOT of stuff for the actually shaping but hopefully that won't take too long.

This chart is fairly preliminary and a lot of the final design will depend on how my swatching turns out. I expect I'll be casting on my first swatch today! So exciting!!

Three small projects and One Big One

I've been churning through small projects lately, casting on like the wind and off like a turtle. I finished my second Koolhaas hat (photos to come soon) and cast on a pair of the famous fingerless mitts, Fetching, in a beautiful rose color of cashmerino aran. I also frogged my husband's socks back to the beginning to make them better. I have a few inches reknit and am happy with the progress so far. (and yes, I need to take pictures of this, too.)

The Big Project. It's a biggie! I am in the design stage of a sweater for my father's 65th birthday, which happens this June. The shaping is based on a number of different Dale of Norway patterns and I'm pulling the colorwork patterns from a number of different ski sweater sources. I am very very very excited about this project but also a bit nervouse since it is a big first for me: my first sweater design. Might as well start with a ski sweater, eh?

Oh and Dad: if you are reading this, stop right now and don't visit this blog again until July.

Koolhaas #1 complete!

blue koolhaas, originally uploaded by dejarlids.

I'm a bit late in reporting this, but I finished my first Koolhaas just in time for the gift exchange with my friend on Christmas. I'm very happy with how it turned out. The color is AMAZING and while the yarn is a bit on the fuzzy side it still shows the pattern quite well. It fit my friend perfectly and I think she'll wear it happily. Success!

Plus, it was such a quick and entertaining knit that I'm working on my second one right now. I switched to a crisper yarn (cashmerino aran) with the hope that it'll really, really show the brilliant pattern. This one I'm keeping for myself. YAY.