working my way up the deep armholes.....

OK, some progress here. i've gotten past the divide, and i'm done one armhole, and have started the second. Note the lovely New England fall foliage in the background :)

i'm probably 75% through the second 1 pound cone of Peaches & Creme double-worsted.

Progress Photo

I was trying to wait for a nice sunny afternoon to take a picture, but with the days being so short now I just haven't gotten the chance.

Here's a photo under a lamp. I did do some shaping in the one shoulder, but I completely winged it, and it ended up being in the wrong place. So there is more ripping back to come!

I have decided I need to get to work on some knitted gifts, so I may not post again here for a while.

Finally Taking Shape.

I'll post a picture of my progress in a couple of days, but I did want to let you know about my progress.

I have to say I have, with out a doubt, spent more time ripping back and re-knitting on this project than any before it. Usually I find this incredibly frustrating, and would probably frog the whole thing, but somehow it's kind of fun with this. I'm really enjoying interpreting and translating the directions from different EZ books, and trying to make them all work together into a jacket I will actually want to wear.

I have finished the hood (twice, actually, but I'm keeping it as is now) I had thought I would line it and add a pull cord, but decided instead to make it snug, so I won't need a cord. I've started to knit into one of the arm holes, and it really seems to be taking shape now.

Also, now that it's at a point where I can slip it on and see how it fits it's much easier to figure out how/if I want to make modifications.

I hope everyone is doing well, and that you all have a Happy Thanksgiving. I will be at Gerry's house feasting (now that we finally found our tradtional vegetarian "roast") So, perhaps we will get to sit down after dinner and work on our Tomten's together.

Lots Of Ripping Back!

Well, since the last time I posted, I feel like I have spent as much time ripping back as I have spent knitting. I really have been going back and forth on the dimensions I want the arm-holes to be.

That's where the funny story Gerry alluded to comes from. Unfortunately, I think you had to be there to get the true effect of the humor.

Using the directions from Knitting Workshop I made the arm-opening panels twice as many rides high as the side panel is stitches wide. Well, when I was at Gerry's house on Saturday I finished the back panel, and decided to clip the back and one finished front panel together and slip them over my shoulder to get an idea of how the finished jacket would fit.

Do you remember in the 80's when body builders wore those T-shirts with the arms and neck cut out, so that it was no longer like a shirt at all, but more of a torso thong? That is exactly how my tomten looked!!! It was rediculous! I was laughing so hard my eyes were tearing. As soon as I composed my self the ripping back started. I took 8 ridges off of the top of both sections.

The next time I had a chance to sit down and knit I started the second from panel. When I was nearly done with that I realized I had started it from the wrong direction, which left a stripe of stockinette (in the front) at it's base. So, more ripping out.

Since then I really haven't had time to knit at all. Luckily I have had some fiber related fun. I traveled to Maine to take spinning lessons with a friend of mine, and went to a spinning guild with another friend. Hopefully today or tomorrow I will find the time to get back into the tomten!

a brief update

no new photos today, just a quick update on my progress. i'm inching along- wasn't feeling too well last week, so not as much progress made as i'd like. i am almost at the point where i divide for the back and 2 front sections, though, maybe another 3 or 4 ridges to go.

i have a few days off from work coming up later this week, so that should help get me back on track.

Brian and i spent some time Saturday evening chatting and working on our jackets together, and i think he may have a story or two to relate re: his progress. i'll let him tell it in his own words :)

Knitting without tears- at least for now

well, i must be making some headway- look! i finished my first entire cone of yarn!

that's already more yarn than i've ever used on a single project- well, by weight if not by yardage. i'm now at the one pound mark and have just joined in the second cone.

Marliah- there is a way to add i-cord trim directly to the jacket- i haven't done it yet, but i know it's in some of EZ's books (i think it's in Knitter's Almanac and maybe Knitting Around). i'll hunt up directions and get back to you.

The infant tomten so far

Finished up the hood and I started working on the sleeves today. I'm not too happy with the way the contrast yarn is lying. Its a lighter weight than the peace fleece I used on the rest. But I think once I finish and block it, it will be ok. I'm hoping I have enough to do a contrasting icord trim.

Anyway onto the pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15298794@N04/1891887877/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15298794@N04/1892722388/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15298794@N04/1891888267/

This is my first ever sweater and its for my newborn nephew. I made it gender neutral (I think anyway) so it can be used on future kiddos too. :)

While I'm posting here, could anyone clue me in on how the icord trim is done? Do I make the icord first then sew it together or is there some way to knit it right to the jacket?

Another Few Inches, and a Yarn Scare.

So, I have made some progress since Wenesday. I've also been comparing the directions in Knitting workshop to the ones in Knitting Without Tears. (Gerry I know you don't have KW, so you might be interested in this). KWT's directions give straight forward stitch and ridge counts, in KW it says that when making the first front panel (where you are making space for the arm holes) you should knit twice as many ridges as there are stitches in that section (which is 1/8 the total sts). So by those directions my arm holes should be 40 ridges high. Since I had been calculating the arm hole height as a ratio of the total it would have caused me to start them at a very different point. I like the KW directions better (seems to make more sense in retaining the jacket's proportions), and so I think I am ready to start the openings now.

As for my yarn scare, I dramatically under-estimated the amount of yarn that would be sucked up by garter stitch. And realized on Friday that I was definitly going to need more yarn. The store where I had originally purchased the yarn had no more of that particular colour. So icalled around, and couldn't find a store locally (with in an hour's drive) that carries the colour I'm using. I tried several large mail-order businesses. None of them had it. I was at the Cascade web-site looking up every retailer they listed in New England, now, and was having no luck. When I was about to resign myself to frogging and starting over in a new colour I got an e-mail from Sue at Lamb's Ear Yarns (where I bought the original yarn). She had found a bag of the yarn in the back of the store somewhere. It was the same lot and everything! Thank goodness! I don't think I could have handled having to frog it!

a few inches into things....

well, here it is so far!

garter a-plenty! not going as fast as i'd like, but this is at least partly an exercise in perseverance- it is my biggest project so far. i usually stick to little things- mittens, washcloths, baby booties and the like.

New to the group

Just wanted to say hello :) Just this morning I cast on a tomten for my newborn nephew. I am planning to make 4 tomtens back to back. This one for my nephew and one for each of my 3 sons. The newborn one I am making with peace fleece (yes I'm a wool junkie, even for baby stuff). I am using the Chickie Masla (light yellows) and plan to put a stripe in there somewhere and do the icord trim in a contrasting color as well. At this point I'm not sure what color that will be lol. I have cast on 72 stitches and my gauge is 13st/3inches. So I am hoping this will fit him right off and keep him warm and cozy this winter. So far I have knit about 2 inches. I am knitting on straights size 8.

I'll post pictures once I have something of substance to photograph ;)

Great to be knitting along with you all!