While I've been busy thinking about play area redesigns and diving into my Kindle, I've been getting a little bit of knitting in as well. John has been playing Mass Effect and I figured there was nothing more appropriate than working on a sweater for him, while he played a game that was entertaining me.
When last I talked about swatching for this project, I indicated that I was having problems getting gauge. In the end, I just decided that to get the row gauge required, the fabric would be too stiff and would likely consume way too much yarn. So I settled on the 4.00 mm needles that the designer suggested because even though I didn't get row gauge (fewer rows/inch than suggested), I had a fabric that I liked. And,all things considered, I decided that having the right fabric was more important than adhering to a strict gauge measurement, especially since the general instructions for the half brioche stitch section work out to "knit straight for a certain number of inches". I did end up knitting about a half an inch more to compensate for lost length when the fabric is stretched to gauge, but that was easy enough.
I enjoyed knitting the two color band a great deal. And it was even more rewarding for me when John took a look at it and said "hey, I like that" (translation: I might actually wear this sweater). I'm also very pleased with the way the colors work against the main colorway that I selected.
Clearly, it needs to be blocked out a little bit. Even once that happens, though, because the yarn is a a slubby yarn with a inconsistent "diameter" this pattern will still look a little more uneven than if I was working in a differently milled yarn. But I think that the rusticity of the yarn adds a bit to the masculinity of the garment, makes it a little more comfy and casual, which fits well with John's aesthetic.
The sweater is worked in the round up to where the sleeves are joined. Then the sleeves are worked and connected to the body to build the yoke of the sweater (it's kind of a bottom-up raglan construction). Last night I cast on for the first sleeve. Of course, even though I thought I had every size DP needle available, it turns out that I didn't have 4.00 mm needles. A quick trip to the yarn store solved that problem (if you got Vogue Knitting this month, you can see a little article on Nina's) and got me on my way. Of course, I didn't pay attention and the US 6 needles I bought were 4.25 mm instead of 4, but since it was only 2 inches worth of cuff knitting, I didn't see the point in worrying too much, especially since John likes looser cuffs anyway.
Beyond the status discussion, I am really enjoying working on this garment. The half brioche stitch is an easy stitch to work with, the yarn has wonderful hand, and the colors are rich and saturated and very nice color therapy for the Chicago winter. The fabric is soft and friendly and I can tell John will enjoy having this fabric against his skin. I have also been pleasantly surprised to find that the deep red yarn does not bleed... in the past, I've had yarns in this color range be a little leaky, so it's nice not to have this yarn rubbing off on my hands. It's also nice to be focused really on just one garment at the moment. I promised John that he was going to wear this sweater before it started getting too warm out!
When last I talked about swatching for this project, I indicated that I was having problems getting gauge. In the end, I just decided that to get the row gauge required, the fabric would be too stiff and would likely consume way too much yarn. So I settled on the 4.00 mm needles that the designer suggested because even though I didn't get row gauge (fewer rows/inch than suggested), I had a fabric that I liked. And,all things considered, I decided that having the right fabric was more important than adhering to a strict gauge measurement, especially since the general instructions for the half brioche stitch section work out to "knit straight for a certain number of inches". I did end up knitting about a half an inch more to compensate for lost length when the fabric is stretched to gauge, but that was easy enough.I enjoyed knitting the two color band a great deal. And it was even more rewarding for me when John took a look at it and said "hey, I like that" (translation: I might actually wear this sweater). I'm also very pleased with the way the colors work against the main colorway that I selected.
Clearly, it needs to be blocked out a little bit. Even once that happens, though, because the yarn is a a slubby yarn with a inconsistent "diameter" this pattern will still look a little more uneven than if I was working in a differently milled yarn. But I think that the rusticity of the yarn adds a bit to the masculinity of the garment, makes it a little more comfy and casual, which fits well with John's aesthetic.The sweater is worked in the round up to where the sleeves are joined. Then the sleeves are worked and connected to the body to build the yoke of the sweater (it's kind of a bottom-up raglan construction). Last night I cast on for the first sleeve. Of course, even though I thought I had every size DP needle available, it turns out that I didn't have 4.00 mm needles. A quick trip to the yarn store solved that problem (if you got Vogue Knitting this month, you can see a little article on Nina's) and got me on my way. Of course, I didn't pay attention and the US 6 needles I bought were 4.25 mm instead of 4, but since it was only 2 inches worth of cuff knitting, I didn't see the point in worrying too much, especially since John likes looser cuffs anyway.
Beyond the status discussion, I am really enjoying working on this garment. The half brioche stitch is an easy stitch to work with, the yarn has wonderful hand, and the colors are rich and saturated and very nice color therapy for the Chicago winter. The fabric is soft and friendly and I can tell John will enjoy having this fabric against his skin. I have also been pleasantly surprised to find that the deep red yarn does not bleed... in the past, I've had yarns in this color range be a little leaky, so it's nice not to have this yarn rubbing off on my hands. It's also nice to be focused really on just one garment at the moment. I promised John that he was going to wear this sweater before it started getting too warm out!
The sweater looks great so far, and I love the colors! I can never get row gauge, either. I stopped trying a loooong time ago. :-P
I love the colours and your knitting is superb but my main comment (hats off to you) is how do you find the time amongst all the other things in your life, to execute such an exquisite pattern?! Wonderful!
I think when it comes to time, its a matter of staying up late and multitasking... I've always been a night owl and I can never just sit in front of a TV and actually just watch it without my hands doing something...
Beautiful. I love the richness of the colors. The reds remind me of burgundy (which randomly reminds me that I have a project to swatch for).
Oh, it looks so nice! I am starting a sweater for my husband, too; my LYS is hosting a February EZ-along, so I think I'm going to do the hybrid yoke version with some cables somewhere. (on the front, I guess, because of the shoulder shaping?)
And, I keep meaning to tell you this: your photos don't show up in my Google Reader. Any idea why? I just get the little blue square question mark...
With regards to Google Reader, I am still puzzled as to how to fix it. I have the same problem when I use Google Reader to look at my website from work, but it works just fine when I am home. So I don't know if it is a problem with my feed or with some other strangeness in the internet universe.
Lovely! I'm a huge fan of more "rustic" yarn because of the interesting texture, and the picture at the top of your post just made my morning :)
I can hardly wait for the next installment of the project...