Half A Rainbow (Part 2)

Finally got it!

(Pardon the crappy iMac photo)

Raglan = SUCCESS! V-neck = SUCCESS! Color stripes = more or less SUCCESS!

I only wish now that I'd started the round in the back or under the arms. Anywhere except for right smack in the middle of the sweater. Hopefully once I weave the color ends in, it won't look so...ladder-like.

Plus, a magic trick for anyone wanting to do stripes without jogging! Here!

Half A Rainbow (Part 1)

Knitters find inspiration in the strangest places. A while back, there was a cell phone commercial (and if I could find it, I would provide a link to it) where a family was sitting around and the youngest girl was wearing this white, v-neck, rainbow striped sweater. Kinda like this...but an actual sweater. Color me in love!

Ever since -- and who knows how long it's been, I've been wanting to knit the sweater forever -- I've been determined to make up a similar pattern and make a sweater for myself. Armed with KnitPicks superwash bare (in DK weight) and 4 colors (red, green, blue and a weird yellowy color) of KnitPicks superwash DK I've finally set out to knit this sweater!

Unfortunately, not everything can be so easy.

I like to think of myself as a fairly accomplished knitter. Unfortunately, I'm very bad at constructing patterns for myself. Great at following them; even modifying them if the modifications aren't too difficult. Not so good at bringing it to life. Failed math skills or something to that effect, I'm sure.

What to do? I love(d) this pattern and figured I'd follow that. Easy enough, except that pattern calls for worsted weight and doesn't give me the v-neck I want so badly. Oh well. I know my gauge and I've knit a raglan cardigan from the top down. How hard can it be?

4-5 cast-ons later, ask me that again.

I turn to the Ravelry techniques board after I realize my v-neck construction isn't working and a couple of lovely Ravelrers give me a couple more links to try out as well as construction techniques for a v-neck.

2 more cast-ons later...

This isn't working. I finally turn to the top-down raglan sweater generator and I get a good cast-on number and with the techniques given to me from friendly Ravelry users, I'm on my way!

We'll see how it goes from here. I still haven't connected the neckline yet and I'm ready to do so! I'm tired of knitting AND purling. The whole point of knitting a pullover (in my opinion) is to avoid the purling.

At least I think I'm on the right track now. Hopefully.

Scrappy Scarves

For quite a while, I've wanted a long, thin, multi-colored scarf. Easy enough to achieve with variegated yarn, but not quite what I wanted. I wanted it lengthwise! Columns of color! A couple months ago, I found it.

And I made it!

And it's everything that I could have hoped for.

I cast on 400 stitches on a 40" US 9 knitting needle and went at it.
Alternating columns of Fleece Artist Woolie Silk variegated yarn and various other "leftover" yarns (2 colors of Malabrigo, some handspun and some Lorna's Laces that I kind of wish I'd left out on account of an itchy halo), I think I made myself the perfect, colorful scarf.

Now Jordon wants one (probably in manlier colors). I don't know if I'm willing to sacrifice my poor little wrists to another. At least not yet. Maybe next time I'll knit it on larger needles.

Greetings from 2009!

Well, at the suggestion of Richard quite a while ago, I've finally decided to try and revive this little ol' blog of mine. We'll see how well this works out.

As of my last update, about a year and a half ago, I've done a lot of things. A lot of things.

***

In June of 2008, I left Michigan and moved to Chicago. Where I knit. A lot.

In July of 2008, I met a delightful young man and started working my first(!!) "real" full-time job in Chicago. I worked on Michigan Avenue and for those of you who may think, "Wow, that sounds so glamorous and posh!" it really wasn't.

I lived and worked in Chicago until September of 2009 and just those couple of months ago, I moved to Milwaukee, WI to live with aforementioned young man. ;)

***

Now that we're all caught up on my personal life, let's move on to knitted items, shall we? According to this post in February of 2008, I had some knitting goals set up for myself. I can say right now that all I actually made and finished on that list are: Hourglass Sweater and Endpaper Mitts. A couple of the items, I just haven't gotten around to knitting yet. Others...well, I guess I'd say they're not really worth my time.

So, in no particular order, here are the things that I have knitted since February 2008. Ready?

• Jacques Cousteau -- 3. One of them was nibbled on by dear little Toby.
• Bridie (note: Amazon link. Pattern is in book) -- once I finished, it didn't fit. None of the ends are woven in and it's been sitting in a bin ever since.
• Jaywalkers -- 2. I love this pattern. Seriously.
• Baby bolero (note: Amazon link. Pattern is in book) -- 2. Almost 3.
• Mittens (no/personal pattern) -- 1 regular, 1 flip-top
• Herringbone mittens -- 1
• Socks (no/personal pattern) -- 5, though it honestly seems like more.
• Sheldon -- 1 1/2
• Superman tube scarf -- 1
• Reversible Cabled Brioche stitch scarf -- 1
• Vagina Shawl -- 1
• Mrs. Saucy Apple -- 1
• Cat Fish (personal pattern) -- 3? Toby kept trying to eat them and/or dismember them.
• Buttony -- 1. And I love this sweater so, so, so much, but Toby chewed a hole in the sleeve and the only repair option I had was to rip out the sleeve, so I haven't gotten around to it yet. Such a pretty sweater.
• Revontuli-huivi -- 1. My favorite scarf/shawl.
• Brewers Blanket (personal pattern) -- 1.
• Rogue -- 1.
• Monkey socks -- 1.
• Pinwheel baby blanket -- 1.
• Nutkins -- 1.
• Totally Autumn -- 1.
• Henley Perfected -- 1. The lace still needs to be blocked and I haven't actually worn it "out" yet.
• Koolhaas -- 1. And I doubt I'll ever make this hat again it's incredibly tedious.
• Sesame -- 1. Re-knit from this sweater.

And that pretty much brings me up to my current projects and I have a lot on the needles on account of the quickly-approaching holiday season.

Normally, I would post pictures of all of my work but (obviously) there is so much that has been listed above there's really no point in it.

***

As for current works in progress:

• Secret holiday gifts (teehee)
• Garden Gate socks -- I have one done and I'll start the second when I'm good and ready to. Probably after Christmas when I start knitting another sweater.
  
• Regular socks -- Again, I have one done. Second to be cast on is on hold until I'm finished with scarf (below) and holiday gifts (above).
  
• Scrappy Lengthwise Scarf -- Really cool pattern and I'm totally in love with the way it's turning out so far. I'm hoping to be done with it by next week.
  

Favorite Socks, Indeed!

I've had Favorite Socks for a while now. I really do love most of the patterns in it -- it's just I don't make socks all that often and so many of the patterns in the book look much better in the solid sock yarns and...well...this blog's name is "Unafraid of Color" -- if you catch my drift. ;)
(If you don't -- it's nearly impossible for me to work with a solid colored sock yarn.)

A while back though -- I believe it was New Years to be exact -- I bought this gorgeous Araucania yarn. To quote Tracy Jordan from "30 Rock", I loved this yarn so much I wanted to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant. I had no idea what it would look like knitted up, all that I knew was that if I didn't buy it, I would sorely regret it later on.

Within the month, I had cast on for the Embossed Leaves socks -- a pattern that I felt could hold up to the many color changes in the sock yarn...and it seemed like it would be simple enough. I wanted to knit up a "complicated" sock since all the socks I've knit in the past are pretty much you're straightforward stockinette from top to bottom with a 2x2 rib at the top.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me just say that I have never knit a sock (nay, a pair of socks!) as fast as I knit these babies up. I was done with the first sock in under a week, I was done with the pair no more than a week or so after that. The actual hours put into creating these beauties? Well...I don't keep track of hours but it wasn't long!

I have never been more proud of a pair of socks than I am of these (they even won a spot in my Facebook's photo album of "Things I've Made That I'm Ridiculously Proud Of"). Simply put: the are fabulous. Utterly, utterly fabulous. Whenever I wear them, I get compliments -- and believe me, I am a compliment whore.
Since finishing these, I have bought several more skeins of sock yarn and have spent hours perusing sock patterns in the books that I own and on Ravelry. Unfortunately, I don't know if I'll be able to create another pair that I love as much as these. They've won a very special place in my heart. When I inevitably wear holes in them? I will buy them sock blockers and I will hang them on my wall (or...maybe not...).

I can tell you all. When Interweave said "Favorite"? Yeah, they weren't lying.

What Am I Up To?

Things I Will Be Making in the Upcoming Weeks and Months
(No particular order)

Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
This was probably actually the first sweater that I really wanted to knit. I don't know why I didn't do this one first. It's knit in the round and from everything that I can tell so far, it seems like it would be really simple. I just bought the yarn for it this evening. Cheap KnitPicks yarn = awesome. A handknit sweater under $50? Sweeeeet.

Endpaper Mitts by Eunny Jang
I wanted to knit these last year, but the colorwork and my dwindling interest in knitting around the time of spring kept me from actually following through. And I needed something to bring my KnitPicks order up over $50 so I could qualify for free shipping. 2 skeins of Palette and I'm set.

Two-Toned Ribbed Shrug from Fitted Knits
I'm not actually sure if I'm going to knit this quite yet. I have a feeling that the ribbed collar might irritate my neck. Maybe if I can find some cheap yarn at City Knitting, I'll go for it. Maybe I'll keep looking for a better pattern...something like Knitty's Blackberry (without the bobbles, of course). I want something to cover up my arms so I've been wearing a lot of hoodies and cardigans at work. Unfortunately, I really just want the arm coverage -- not the whole body.

Super-Easy Legwarmers from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Because who doesn't want some super-easy legwarmers?!? And I could probably wear them to work...probably. I have some Lorna's that I've been meaning to use up for forever. This could be the right project for it.

Millicent Sock by Cookie A
I need to figure out what color yarn I want for this. Then I need to buy it. Still, those are some really awesome knee socks. I must have them for myself. *covets*

Moderne Log Cabin Blanket from Mason Dixon Knits
I've wanted to knit another blanket since I finished up my mitered square blanket. I'm thinking I'll probably use Cotton Ease for such a blanket. I need to figure out an appealing colorway though, then make it happen. I'm having a hard time finding that inspiration. Soon. Hopefully.

And things that I'm already in the process of knitting (because one can never have too many of those):
Felted Cloche -- though I'm tempted to just give up already. I hate knitting it.
Frida Lights -- not really a satisfying knit. I've done 4 or 5 of them so far and they haven't been felted. I was going to make a set for my living room and bedroom, but I think I'm just going to stick with the living room for now.

Le Sesame...C'est Fini!

Ladies and gentlemen...it is a happy, happy day. I, Auna, have finished my very first sweater. YAY ME!
I ambitiously started working on it back in October and it really was a fast knit, which was fabulous, really. I finished the back piece in no time at all and I was certain that I would be done with the entire thing by Christmas. If I weren't so easily distracted by other things I probably would have been, too.
Being the lazy person that I am (with a very limited attention span, no less), I would knit a piece and put it aside for a week, two or month. As it began to slowly come together, I realized that this sweater was maybe a little larger than I had bargained for. I had decided to knit the XL size to accommodate the size of my chest. Looking back, I probably should have knit the L size instead. The body of the sweater actually fits pretty well, albeit, it's not really quite shaping in the way that the pattern indicated but that's mostly due to the sleeves.
OH the sleeves...
I have quite a bone to pick with the sleeves of this sweater. For one, they are LONG. Long, long, LONG! I realize that the pattern has you fold over the cuffs, but I'm not a big fan of that idea and I said "nay" to that notion. Now I'm starting to re-think it.
The other problem with the sleeves was the damn shoulder. *shudder* I initially seamed one of the arm holes and then almost all of the other. There was a slight problem with the pattern (for me at least) where the top of the shoulder just did not match up. At all. I ended up taking the almost finished thing to City Knitting to ask them what to do and they ended up telling me to just rip out the brown at the top of the sleeve and CO with the pink. Done and done. Worked much better without trying to match up the colors. When I did, I ended up with a bit of a pointy shoulder. As it is, the shoulders are a little large. I didn't want to look like a complete linebacker, haha. Still, I really have to pull up the shoulders to make it look like I'm not a pink and brown shapeless monster. :)

Now that I've done all of this complaining, I'm sure that you're wondering what is actually good about this sweater! Or...something like that. I made my own little adjustments here and there (where I felt safe making them, at least). Instead of 24 rows at the bottom of the body piece, I did 36. I have a long torso, and I didn't want this sweater ending at my waist or higher (as was the case with my poor Isabella which was indefinitely put on hold never to be attempted again). And because I was afraid of running out of yarn (which was not the case at all), I decided that I would make the collar shorter. I probably should have made that longer too, but oh well, what am I going to do now? (No, I am NOT going to frog that part!) I don't think that the buttonhole band is quite as long as the pattern called for. I didn't really measure it, but I didn't want it to be too wide, because I was already concerned about the body being too loose. Good thing I stuck to my gut on that one.

Yes, overall, I am quite happy with the sweater. It fits and it doesn't look too bad! Right there, I avoided complete catastrophe! And c'mon, how many people can claim that they've made a sweater for themselves? (Okay, okay, a lot of people can, but I don't personally know anyone else who has made one!!) Next time though, I'll be a little more daring. I'll be a little nicer to myself and my mantra will be "yes, the smaller size will fit you!" (though I will inevitably have to add length to it...unless it's a tunic or something). I won't be afraid of the math involved to make something fit a little bit better and I will pore over the adjustments others have made and articles about how to make something you knit fit you in the best way possible.

All in all? Good first attempt. :)

SWEATER DETAILS:
Pattern: Sesame Sweater from MagKnits
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash 7 skeins total
Colorways: 819 and 838 (4 skeins Brown and 3 skeins Pink)
Needles: Oh goodness. US Size 6 (3 different pairs! The first broke, the second were borrowed, the third were finally mine and didn't break)