Stuff: Finished and New

I finished my nephew's vest!

I love it! It's so soft, I love the color, and I know it will fit him (for a few months at least). To recap, I used The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd for the pattern, and Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran with US7 needles. I used about three and a half balls for the second smallest size. In the book, the vest pattern has a v-neck, and the sweater pattern has a crew. I prefer a crew neck, so I just followed the sweater pattern for the front, since the front and back of both patterns are identical.

I must confess that I started another sweater before I finished the vest, though. I had to! I had that cashhmere yarn sitting in my basket, taunting me. I'm not made of steel! Right now, it looks like a cashmere dishcloth, but it's going to grow up to be (I believe it's called) the Corset Waisted Pullover [EDIT: It's actually called the Cinched Waist Top!] from VogueKnitting Spring 2006. I couldn't find a photo of it, and I didn't think I'd need to take a photo of the magazine. I'll take one soon. The pattern calls for the waist to be knitted first, and then the bottom (which is a ruffle), and finally the top pieces. I'm going to knit the top pieces first, however, since I'm not sure exactly how much yarn I will use, and I would rather sacrifice length on the bottom than the top. So far I've used two full balls of yarn on the waist, and I believe I have less than ten inches to go. Thank goodness! The corset is knitted at a very tight gauge, which is hard on my hands. Once it's finished, the rest of the sweater will be a piece of cake!



See what I mean about the dishcloth? Plus, the fabric is very stiff, adding to the dishcloth vibe.

Lastly, for Pioggia, a picture of the rattie girls! Just because they are so freaking adorable and love yarn. Squirrel, as usual, refused to cooperate, but Rattie behinds are cute, too.



(In all fairness, I did wake them up for playtime when this photo was taken.)

The Gentle Sigh of Disappointment

So, remember how I said I was going to start the Lace Leaf Pullover when I finished my nephew's vest? Well, I'm almost finished with the vest, so I decided to swatch for the Pullover. Plus, my knitting basket was down to dregs, so it was time to fill it again.

(Sorry for the craptacular picture, I took it last night.) Despite the yarn label information on both yarns (the one I want to use and the one used in the pattern) being almost identical, I could not even come close to getting gauge for the Pullover without a fabric that looked like fishnet. So, I decided to find a fabric I like and then find a pattern to fit. I got a nice fabric at 16 stitches to four inches. I just spent over an hour going through back issues of Interweave Knits, Rebecca, some vintage books I have and a couple of leaflets, and I have come up dry. I really wanted to get started on my cashmere sweater this weekend, but that doesn't seem likely now. Sigh. I won't give up until I find the perfect pattern, though! I can't use this yarn on just anything, and I'm afraid if I let it sit too long, it'll become that part of the stash that never gets used because it's too good for everything. Leafing through my Interweaves made me wish that magazine sites gave readers the ability to search through the archives by gauge. It would take a lot less time.

As I said before, I am almost finished with my nephew's vest.



This morning, I picked up stitches for the armhole and did a ribbed edge for about an inch. Unfortunately, I picked up way too few stitches and had to rip it. Fortunately, the whole endeavor took only about a half an hour. I kind of felt like I hadn't picked up enough stitches, next time I'll listen to myself! I love this little vest. It's so soft and cuddley, and it's simple enough that he can wear it with most of his clothes. I only have maybe two hours worth of work left on this one. Maybe I can even finish it tonight!

I'm also still plugging away on Jaywalker number one.



This was the best picture of the sock, so please excuse the plain white socks in the background! When I finished the leg of this sock, I let it sit a couple of days before starting the heel. I'm so glad I did, because in the interim, I wore my first pair of Jaywalkers. Now, I adore my Jaywalkers. They hug my feet like none of my other socks, and never fall down or come off in my boots. I do have one beef with them, however, and it is this: the leg is so tight, I have a hard time getting my heel into the foot of the sock. Once my feet are in there, everything's great, but it's a tiny struggle to make it happen. On this pair, I switched to a US2 for the leg of the sock, but kept wondering how this new needle size would affect the fit on my feet. Then, I had a revelation. I am the boss of my knitting. I can do whatever I want. So I began the heel with a US1 needle, and have knit amost the entire foot on the new size. And you know what? The fit is awesome! I have no problem getting my foot into the sock, and once it hits the heel, it slides into place like a new ink catridge in an ink jet printer. I can practically feel the click. I can't wait until these are finished. I can tell already they will be in heavy rotation.

Wish me luck with finding the perfect pattern! If you happen to see anything for the right gauge, using about 820 yards of chunky weight yarn, perhaps calling for eyelets, give me a holler!