swallowtail'in

Yesterday was suddenly seized with the desire and motivation to finally knit the swallowtail shawl. I've got a deadline for it to be done though. I need to be done in the next six days. Done and blocked. Crazy? Maybe. I'm knitting it in black SIlky Wool (nothing says spring time like a black shawl, right?) Anyways, I know I said I didn't want to knit with the silky wool again but this was a sudden thing and my nearest yarn store (1/2 hour away) didn't have anything else I thought was suitable. I've just finished the 7the repeat of the budding lace 2 chart. I worked a little on it at work today (sshhh don't tell). I'd post a progress picture but no time... gotta keep knittin......

apricot in blue

Here is how far I am on my apricot jacket from Rebecca magazine issue 27.


I decided that I wasn't happy with the cashsoft for the Nantucket Jacket so I'm going to unravel the inch or so that I have done on it. I'll stash the cashsoft for some future knitting project to be determined. I had only started the Nantucket Jacket to use up that cashsoft yarn that I had originally gotten for the Peplum jacket that I later decided I didn't like that much after all. I had never really planned on knitting the Nantucket Jacket when I had first seen it in the magazine. And I've already had to unravel and start it twice. The thing is is that now that I have started knitting it, I've kind of gotten attached to the idea of it. So.....I'm going to break down and buy a bunch of expensive yarn (more yarn), the Karabella Aurora 8 that I've been wanting to try for so long now, and knit the Nantucket jacket .

But in the mean time, since I'll have to order the Aurora 8 and wait for it to arrive, I've started the Apricot Jacket. I actually had to start twice. The first time when I was about 11 rows in it looked like it was going to be too small. So I did a bunch of measuring, calculating and figuring and decided to start again only this time make the larger size. And yes, I know that right now it still looks like it would only fit a twig but I'm pretty sure that will fix itself during the assembly and blocking and all and end up ok somehow....at least I'm really hoping it will.

Also, the summer preview of Interweave Knits is up. The origami cardigan, another Norah Gaughan design, looks interesting. Maybe I'll make that with the cashsoft yarn. It reminds me of some of the recent Berrocco designs she has done where the geometry of the design is what makes it clever.

stalling

The knitting on Prosperous Plum is done and it is all blocked but I've stalled out at the last step. It needs the crochet crabstitch edging and I've been kind of avoiding it. I have also finished the knitting on mom's lace anthropologie inspired capelet. All it needs is a button and blocking. Knitting on my loon sweater is also complete (has been for quite a while now). It is just waiting for blocking and seaming. I'm so close to finishing all of these projects so what do I do? I start knitting another. I had been planning on knitting the Peplum Cardigan from the fall 2006 Knit It magazine. I bought 15 skeins of RYC Cashsoft Aran as a substitute from the pattern's Lion Brand Cashmere Blend and spent literally hours calculating sizes from my washed gauge swatch. I started knitting twice. The first time I was worried it was going to be too big. Then I decided that I wasn't really liking it. I wasn't liking the look of it. So I spent more time researching thru my magazines and patterns for something else I could knit with the Cashsoft. I finally decided on the Nantucket Jacket by Norah Gaughan from the winter 2006 Interweave Knits magazine (it's featured on the cover of that issue), mainly because the gauge is a match but also because I like cables. I started last night. I like knitting the pattern but worry the yarn will fuzz with time and I don't really like fuzzy yarns especially with cable designs. But, I tell myself its good to try new yarns and RYC is supposed to be a good yarn. It is machine washable but I don't think I'd have the nerve to ever really risk machine washing it after I've spent so much time in the knitting. I've read reviews of it where people generally like it and say it doesn't pill as much as the other merino cashmere blends out there. I'd really like to use Berroco Pure Merino or Karabella Auroura 8 but they are expensive and I already have the Cashsoft. I think I've thought too much about the planning of the abandoned Peplum Cardigan and now this yarn that I'm just done with thinking and just want to get to knitting.

I've also set up a flickr account. The link is on my side bar to the right. It will be for my knitting photos. There isn't much there yet though. I'm also planning on making a big yarn purchase (like I need more yarn) from Webs while they are having their big sale as soon as I decide on colors. I'd like to get some Cascade 220 for future projects including the Bell Sleeve Jacket from the Vogue Holiday 2006 issue. Besides, I'm telling myself it will be good to have extra project amounts of Cascade 220 on hand so I'm ready to go at a moments impulse.