Cast On, Cast off

It must be something in the weather? Knitted up some dish towels - because I needed dish towels and I wanted to get rid of all that leftover cotton ... The lilac one was much quicker to knit, as it was done on size 10 needles and didn't hurt as much as the green one. But I like the green fabric better ...

Cast on the pillow - but didn't get any further because Michael was busy watching a movie and the pattern was on the computer ... It is a pattern from knitpicks, practice before I cast on the Abalone.

So, of course I cast on a sock so I wouldn't get bored - it's the yarn from Knitpicks - Felici Cochineal. It feels weird, much thinner than Regia, and knits much faster and looser - doing a 3x1 rib, with 68 cast on ( did 68 because I wasn't sure of the gauge, and figured it was a compromise and would fit someone ...

Abalone, Swatched

Ok, all swatched, but I am still hesitant to proceed - the gauge is right on - row gauge may be a bit short, but that's ok ...

The colors in these pictures are too bright - crappy camera - they are much more rich and subtle, but it gives at least an impression of how it really looks. I think I'll do a pillow before I cast on - I need to get more fluid before I start. The tension seems to be all right, but I am very slow. You can see that the first rows are way too loose, and then in the middle I thought it was getting a bit tight, but overall it seems fine - at least to me ...

Abalone or Ahhh, Baloney!

My arms are killing me from winding all this wool! Starting the swatch for Abalone by Alice Starmore - I must be crazy to do this as my first fair isle type sweater...

But I love it! All these wonderful colors, with fantastic names like Bogbean, Calluna, Lapwing, Pebble Beach, and Wild orchid ... it even smells good! The swatch is coming along - my tension started out a bit loose - but has settled in to be right on. I need to decide a few things before starting -

Do a different cast on to prevent curling? Or do a couple rows of 1x1 ribbing? Do a cheap fair isle project to practice on? Or jump right in and do it?

Kittiwake 58 grams
Pebble Beach, 80 grams
Wild Orchid, 118 grams
Erica, 38 grams
Selkie, 124 grams
Lapwing, 100 grams
Bog Bean, 116 grams
Summertide, 102 grams
Driftwood, 122, grams
Clover, 116 grams
Calluna, 128 grams

37 squares for bedspread

FO - Back to Bedspread

Done with acrylic! It was hurting my fingers ...

I like the pattern, it was easy to knit, after all it is just a T shape. I should've done a 3 needle bind off, but I was being too lazy to stick in another circular needle - and I didn't have the right size dpns so I did the sleeves flat - two extra seams :(

I should've also decreased for the armholes - maybe about an inch. The neckline was too wide, I crocheted it into submission, though!

All in all, it turned out ok, I'll do the pattern again, maybe without the pattern, and with a few modifications, and in fingering wool, so it drapes better.

I'm back to the bedspread, while waiting for my Starmore kit - I've done a few more squares - it's going to be years ...