Textureweight Hybrid Cardigan

In the spirit of Masterchef, I performed a little invention test.

My friend DrK recently made a gorgeous clapotis from Malabrigo Silky Merino. When I saw it, I remembered a had a few skeins of it stashed, and I began to wonder what I might do with it.

So I turned to ravelry to look at shawls. Most popular shawl, with a heart rating of 4,643 was made by 83 people in silky merino and they all look good. So that was the starting point.

I'm still suffering from a bit of cardigan fever from autumn, and I'm still not over my love for the top down raglan cardigan.

So I did this:

Cast on for the smallest size of the featherweight cardigan.
Knit a few rows stocking stitch from the pattern.
Switched to the textured stitch pattern from the shawl (enter challenge 1) and kept that going through the increases to the split for the underarms. I tried it on to determine when to stop increasing, the pattern abandoned completely by this stage.

Continued in stocking stitch until it was long enough, finished in a few rows of the textured pattern again.

Picked up all around the collar and fronts in one piece, knit two bands and a collar using short rows and the textured stitch. The front bands are twice as wide as the back collar (enter challenge 2).

Went back and finished the sleeves with the remaining yarn.

Sewed on a little wooden heart button for a simple embellishment (embellishment. something I need to explore further I think, as I think embellishment is very underused in my knitting).

The result?

See for yourself!



Cute button.



Increases worked well incorporating the stitch pattern - I had to think about this as I was doing it.



Short rows even disappeared into the textured stitch pattern (I had to think about this also)


And it even fits!

Not all invention tests are a success of course, but this time I think it's a cracker of a dish! I'm calling it the textureweight cardigan recipe.

Now tell me what you want what you really really want

Why is it that the night before snb I always find myself with nothing on the needles?

I plan on finishing the final sleeve on my improvised whisper cardigan/textured shawl recipe hybrid in malabrigo silky merino in front of masterchef tonight - which will effectively leave me with nothing to take to snb tomorrow.

This happens to me a lot actually. I spend most of my time at snb casting on the wrong number of stitches twenty times, getting the setup row wrong, reading the wrong chart and frogging the whole thing when I get home.

It's the chatting, and I am very easily distracted.

I could look to the unfinished projects, of which there is this:



This is the beginnings of an Adrift cardigan by stolen stitches - in the nefariously delicious Tardwarncoort (have you ever heard of such an awkward sounding name?!) Polwarth Silk - I bought this as a treat to myself at the Canberra Wool Day.

The problem is: I can't find it. I've put it away somewhere and I can't find it.

But I'm not positive I really want to find it. With the acres of stocking stitch this cardigan entails, I'm going to really have to want a finished adrift cardigan something fierce before I can contemplate knitting much more of it. There's 280 stitches there already, and I haven't even started INCREASING for the fronts.

Really, I don't want to start thinking about how many there are before you finally split for the armholes. I'm not sure I can do it to be honest.

But you know what I want, what I really really want?

I really wanna build my own fair-isle pullover. From scratch.

There. I've said it.

Watch this space.

20% off everything at knitabulous yarn

After doing a proper stock take and a little extra dyeing of Ultimate Sock and some more FiftyFifty, I am going to have a clearance sale for the end of the financial year..

I've reduced the price of everything at knitabulous yarn by 20%.

And postage is still free for Australian destinations, and cheap for everyone else.

I can't wait to start fresh in July with some new yarns, hopefully a new website launch with fantastic prizes and giveaways.

Don't forget to join the mailing list (over there ----------------------> and up a bit) and also join the knitabulous ravelry group..

But enough of the promo - I hope to be able to show you my new finished project by the weekend, I knit a cardigan in malabrigo silky merino. It's as soft and warm as a feather quilt!

Gradient Dyeing a finished lace shawl

Today, I did a little experimental gradient dyeing with the WINGS shawl.



I used an asparagus steamer, which is a slimmish cylinder and nice and high, and also has a steaming basket which is handy for taking the item out of the dyebath to add more water. I used about half a teaspoon of dye and two cups of water to start with.

I wet the shawl and wrung out the excess moisture, and used a hair elastic to tie off the first section (the collar) that I wanted the darkest.

Then, I wrapped the rest of the shawl in cling wrap and twisted it around the handle of the steamer basket to keep it out of the dyebath.



I put the pot with the shawl on the stove, and simmered it for about five minutes.

Then I took it out, marked off another section with the elastic (by this stage I got rid of the cling wrap because it wasn't really achieving anything).

I added two cups of water to the dyebath, and immersed the shawl up to the new marker.



I did this twice more, taking it out, moving the elastic up the shawl a little, and then adding two cups of water. I also ditched the steamer basket and just draped it over the side of the pot once the length wasn't in danger of catching alight from the gas burner flame.



For the final section, I added another two cups of water and submerged the whole thing. At this stage I added a big splash of vinegar to fully exhaust the dye.

Then, I put it over the verandah railing and waited for a good looking person to
walk in my front door for a photoshoot!



Luckily, I didn't have to wait long, for my sister popped in at just the right time. Unfortunately, the shots I took didn't seem to show the graduation very well, so I took some more pictures in the bathroom.



All in all I was quite pleased with how it came out, except I accidentally had some of the folded shawl in the first dyebath so there's a bit of dark where it shouldn't be - but I learned from that and would be more careful next time.

Wings

For the past few months, I have been working on a very simple design for a laceweight stole for the final instalment of the Black Japan Club. And I finally finished knitting it just minutes before these pictures were taken.

It's called Wings.



It's based on the very popular Japanese Feather stitch motif, and has some shaping down the sides to give it a trapezium shape. A horizontal border is attached at the neck edge at the end, and this forms a collar like edging which is pretty near the face.

My very beautiful and very intelligent niece kindly modelled for me at the Botanic Gardens, and I can honestly say I'm completely delighted with how it came out.



For Black Japan members this pattern will be free with your final package this week, I'm not yet sure whether I'll make it available through ravelry.

And there ends a wonderful long weekend of knitting - I'll post about WWKIP during the week, it was amazing!

What are you doing this weekend?

I'm going through a stage where everything is insanely busy - I've got about four blog posts lined up that I'd love to share but there are all sorts of other distractions cropping up that I just haven't been able to get to them.

So, let's start with this weekend coming up. As you probably know, WWKIP runs for a week this year, and I'll be attending two KIP events.

The first one is in Sydney - hosted by the inimitable PomPom Sally who in spite of breaking her hip very recently has still managed to pull off a great event.

There are some fantastic door prizes and competitions - including some knitabulous yarn (and lots of other yummy yarns too).

Details here:

Location: Abraham Mott Hall, Argyle Place, Millers Point (The Rocks)
Time: 1.30 - 5.00pm
Date: June 12, 2010

How to get there:
About 10 minutes walk from Circular Quay. Bus Terminus outside Hall for Routes 431, 432, 433, 434 and 343.

Please bring:

Your knitting or crocheting, of course. Plus a few grams of 4-8ply if you'd like to enter a fun competition. You're welcome to bring food - hot and cold drinks will be available for a contribution to cost. Loads of competition and door prizes!

The backup plan is:
No backup plan necessary

This KIP is not knitting exclusive
There are free bathrooms available nearby

And then again on Monday June 14, some local Wollongong knitters are having a KIP event at Belmore Basin in Wollongong, across the road from the old Courthouse from about 10:00am. Food and drinks available from cafe's close by or bring your own, playground is right there for the kids - it's a family friendly event!

See you there!

And the shop has been updated with lots of yummy fiftyfifty - why don't you head on over and have a squizz?

And the Winner is..

Thank you guys so much for the great responses - it was genuinely a tough decision because they were all so good. It was a lot of fun reading your responses, comments are always great but the best ones are when you get some insight into the people behind the typeface, don't you think?

THE WINNER

25. Tokyo Rose - WINNER! - Charisse from knitting on the chaise lounge - come on down!! *


THE LONG SHORTLIST
1. Kamakaze *
2. Sakura * - winner of random number draw - Shelley
3. Daruma Doll *
4. Rising Sun *
5. Memoirs of a Geisha *
6. Geisha's Kiss *
7. Moshi Moshi *
8. Suikajusu *
9. Red Lantern *
10. Red Lacquer - winner of random number draw - betty *
11. Geisha's Pout *
12. Kimchi *
13. Rising Sun *
14. Ichigo *
15. Fuji *
16. Geisha Blush *

AND THE HONOURABLE MENTIONS

17. Berry Gin Sling
18. Umeboshi
19. Beni Shoga
20. Akajiso - winner of random number draw - Audrey
21. Hanami
22. Geisha Lips
23. Hello Kitty
24. Harajuku Girls
25. Summer Sunshine in Japan - winner of random number draw - Rosalia
26. Red Rain
27. Geisha
28. Akai
29. Momoiro
30. Aishiteru
31. Pomegranate Pearls
32. Crimson Queen
33. Red Embers
34. Aka-chouchin
29. Berry Hara-kiri - gang of dishonoured strawberries who 'jam' themselves in the samurai tradition - honourable mention for being hilarious and winner of BONUS random draw - Alrischa!
35. Gochujang
36. Sango-Shoku
37. Johanna
38. Japonica
39. Kurenai
40. Niiro
41. Manga Girl
42. Akashingou
43. Oriental Red
44. Dark kirsche
45. shanghai cerise
46. cinnabar coral
47. Ikura
48. (Blowing)Raspberries in Roppongi

Isn't that a great list!?

I'll be in touch with the winners via email (if you left one in the comment) to get your addresses for the sending of the prizes.

What great fun. I think I'll have to do more of these competition thingies.