Knitting Iris

Un de ces jours

I saw this sweater quite awhile ago on the Phildar site and thought it was interesting but figured that I'd never really order the pattern book.  Then recently, I was browsing through the 2005 Knitalongs site and found out there are not one, but two knitalongs, one in English and one in French (great finished pictures here) AND that the pattern is now posted free online.   This isn't a sweater I'd probably ever pick up off the rack to buy but it looks like an interesting pattern to knit up.   

I'll have to think about this one and would probably never get to it until after the knitalong is done.  I'm not sure if I'd do the thumb holes in the sleeves or not, and I'd probably use some sort of heathered grey yarn, preferably nice and soft. Extra bonus: it would be a chance to finally use at least one of my degrees, a B.A. in French, the other one being a B.B.A. in Business Administration.  Can't say that I've used either one for anything very useful, and I haven't even been to France because I was too busy trying to get two degrees in four years to actually go to school there.  Un de ces jours...

By the way, the person that started the French knitalong named this sweater Colchique after the fall-blooming Colchicum flower like the ones that were recently gifted to me.

Orange Cardigan

So, the sock-love is waning (temporarily, I'm sure) around here with the end of October.  It's not quite over, as you will soon see, but I'm needing something a bit more meaty but not too heavy.  Since I'm really good at beating a pattern into oblivion (baby cardigans) I thought I'd give the Retro Prep pattern another go.  Last spring, after making the pullover, I immediately ordered more of the Rowanspun DK in the orange color, Punch, on sale from jimmybeanswool with the no-shipping promotional code they had (have?) in their Interweave Knits advertisements.  So...$36 for an entire, basic sweater in a Rowan brand yarn.  Really, only around $30, as I didn't use the 6th skein.  When the yarn arrived, it was a bit more dingy of a color than I was expecting, but I can live with it.  After trying to photograph it, I understand why I didn't get what I thought I would.  4 pictures, 4 different camera settings, 4 different shades.  The bottom right is probably the closest to the true color, but not quite so dark.

This time I'll do the cardigan in solid orange, knitting the smallest size, lengthening the body a bit, and shortening the sleeves.  I have a few written notes and a finished sweater to go by this time around, but I can't remember if I went down one or two needles sizes last time, though.  Time to re-swatch.

p.s. The Retro Prep pattern is from the Interweave Knits, Fall 2002 issue.

Rowan Book Ten

I bought Rowan Book Ten probably 12-15 years ago, in hopes of making this sweater, as well as a couple others.  So far, I've not made any of them.  How typical is that? 

The yarn this pattern calls for is Rowan Wool/Cotton in 40 gram balls knit up at a gauge of 26 stitches x 34 rows over 10 cms using size US 3 needles.  Currently, Wool/Cotton comes in 50 gram balls with a recommended gauge of 22-24 stitches x 30-32 rows over a 10 cm swatch using US 5 or 6 needles.   I've tried getting the 26 stitch gauge with current Wool/Cotton but haven't been able to.  They must have changed it quite a bit.  I looked and looked for a suitable substitute.  4-ply yarns are too fine.  I've tried a couple of sportweight yarns, unsuccessfully. The best looking possiblity so far is Louet Gems Opal 100% superwash merino.  I just need to actually get a skein of it in my hands and give it a try.

The pattern only comes in one size and could probably use a little bit of adjusting, maybe a little bit of shaping, shortening, and skipping the pockets that show through the front so blatantly.

This is probably the first pattern book that I ever bought and it is still my favorite (it now goes for high prices on eBay).  I've leafed through it so many times it's starting to get worn.  There are quotes from the children's book series, Swallows and Amazons, by Arthur Ransome, and the models are portraying the children from the books.  I've been slowly collecting the series when I come across them for future reading with the boys.  The books were written in the 1930's.  It is the British series that came before the other British series and has its own following throughout the world, too, by children and adults alike.

So, now that I've got the orange scarf (Airy Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts in Rowan Kidsilk Haze, color #596Marmalade), I just need to make the sweater, maybe not even in brown, but probably.  Yes, I'm aware that even if I have the sweater and the scarf, it still won't make me into any Kate Moss.  Wouldn't want to be, anyways.  Maybe if I had the quiver full of arrows and a bow, too?  I'll need the orange toque soon for being in the woods during hunting season.

After so many years, there's obviously no rush to knit this.  I just would like to make sure I use the right yarn when I finally do.