Diversions from Poppy

Oh how technology can divert us from things we might otherwise be getting accomplished...They can be a mixed blessing- these things called Flickr, Ravelry and FaceBook. Fun, yet we can get sidetracked. Between planning a wedding and being sidetracked by diversions, knitting has suffered a bit. However, back on the "Poppy" sweater happily this week. Using the Noro Silk Garden...Mixed in with some other Cascade 220 heathered brown and Berroco brown...This sweater is knit in a tube for the body, then seamed. Then stitches are picked up around the top for the back and front. Then sleeves are made and seamed in. Not a seamless sweater.
Very nice to use your creativity to pick and choose what colorways you want in this one and how you want the stripes to go. This one is called "Poppy"from the book "Yarn Play". I am using some poppy color in mine, but alot of browns too.

Rightside Up, Upside Down

Violette-le-duc , by Norah Gaughan from her Vol.3 book. (Click to go to hyperlink) Here it is shown upside down, though the sleeve positioning doesn't lend itself to wearing in this manner. This was how it was shown in the pattern book, however, and was intriguing to us.

Violette shown rightside up as I will wear it... Click on this hyperlink: Berroco Blog as it shows the model wearing it rightside up, which was very helpful for me to see.

Violette is Conquered!

I learned on this project, that if only a few people on Ravelry have done it, and you are one of the "first" to try it, that it can be challenging to not have others with which to compare notes. This project stretched me, perplexed me, challenged me, and blew me away! And after I was done with it, I felt kind of proud to have accomplished it! Better pics are posted on my Ravelry page of the finished Violette Le Duc. http://www.ravelry.com/projects/NeenerKnits/violetteleduc I seem to have lost the photo files on my archives. But this gives you a good idea of it worn right side up:

The sleeves aren't tiny like it looks in pic at this angle, but here it is done and blocking on the towel! We both tried it on and it fits! Will show rightside up and upside down shots later. Don't think it is going to work to wear it upside down as they showed in the pattern book. Doesn't jive with the sleeve positioning. Despite my finding of errors in pattern and my goof-ups and cover-ups...it came together. With each pattern you learn something new. I have conquered Violette!

This is one of those garments, however that was more of a fun challenge to complete, but that I don't see myself wearing as often as other sweaters.

Seams to Me

It seems to me there's a whole lot of seaming going on here. This looks kind of rough and not blocked here, but so far the little front pieces are seamed to the underarm and collar, the sleeves are seamed from the armpit to cuffs, and centered and sewn to the collars, the collars are seamed to the fronts and the back piece. Whew! The next step is picking up stitches on the back piece along the cast off edge and knitting the pattern rows.

Then picking up 199 st. (for my size pattern) along each collar piece for the pattern edging that will show in front and go the whole border of each collar and behind the neck. The markers just helped me divide the pick ups evenly. It takes a long time to pick up that many stitches. Like maybe two whole hour episodes of "Lost!"

Once this is complete for both sides, it will be time to sew the pattern edges together, sew in loose ends, then block and wear! Let's hope it fits! And it's supposed to fit my daughter too, which could be interesting. Nearing the finish line...

All A Knitter Wants For Christmas

Nothing can make a knitter more happy than a Vogue Cable Stitchionary book and "At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much," a humorous book by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Except for maybe 6 Noro Kureyon yarn skeins from your sister in a colorway you got to pick out yourself (early) for your own present and pretend you never saw it before on Christmas morning. Or maybe the Starbucks mug from oldest daughter and boyfriend that looks like it is "knit" on the outer design. Or maybe Smart Wool socks from REI that you already have a bazillion pairs of, but always ask for more because they are so smart and so wool! Granted, they aren't hand knit socks, but they are still my favorite! We are just so glad the snow has finally melted and we can get out of the house and get around. But of course everyone in the entire city decided it was time to go to Target and the mall today so that was interesting. I came home again where it is safe!
Violette- le -duc is coming along. I am now on the first sleeve and finished with the back and the two small front and back segments. To show you all the pieces would be confusing...believe me, it is getting to be a many-pieced thing which I must label in ziplocs. Shown here is the back and the sleeve and well...one of the little pieces in a ziploc. It will have to be blocked and layed out flat later to be able to seam it together. We are not at that stage yet, however. This one is going to be a mind-bending and amazing feat to put together! Hopefully worth it!

I do love this yarn, though. It's the Berroco Inca Gold-wool/silk blend.