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.