Tradition Progress Report
Apr. 25th, 2005 02:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kniteracy[crossposted to my personal journal and advanced_knit]
Well, it's slow, but interesting, going. I knew when I decided to knit the Tradition jumper from Philosopher's Wool as a cardigan for the beloved,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
filceolaire, it would be challenging. I did not expect it to be as much fun as it has been already. Of course, I'm only halfway through one of the sleeves, but I'm really enjoying the patterning and I am feeling really confident that the Fair Isle-style work I've done before on smaller projects (a couple of samplers, a little drawstring bag) has prepared me for the knitting part of this project very well.
What scares me is the eventual assembly of the jumper, of course, since it'll be knit as three tubes, all the way up, with steeks. Steeks are knitted markers (usually marked with loose yarn or with one or more purl stitches in the middle of a knitted pattern) that show you where to cut the knitted fabric-- yes, I'll be cutting this incredible piece of work open when I'm done. You machine-sew a seam up the front of either side of the jumper, then cut the steek, sew it down and attach a button band for the cardigan's buttons. For this cardigan, the sleeves will also be set in from steeks, and the neck itself is cut and sewn in, too.
So I'm anticipating the finishing with some trepidation, but I'm loving the patterning. The bonus is that it's much less demanding of my focus and attention than I had anticipated it would be-- I can work with only one pattern line at a time and memorize it quickly, after which I'm good to converse with other people and even watch movies while working!
The stitch markers on the right show where the sleeve increases were made; I'm done with those now, so all I have to do now is knit it on up!
Well, it's slow, but interesting, going. I knew when I decided to knit the Tradition jumper from Philosopher's Wool as a cardigan for the beloved,
filceolaire, it would be challenging. I did not expect it to be as much fun as it has been already. Of course, I'm only halfway through one of the sleeves, but I'm really enjoying the patterning and I am feeling really confident that the Fair Isle-style work I've done before on smaller projects (a couple of samplers, a little drawstring bag) has prepared me for the knitting part of this project very well.What scares me is the eventual assembly of the jumper, of course, since it'll be knit as three tubes, all the way up, with steeks. Steeks are knitted markers (usually marked with loose yarn or with one or more purl stitches in the middle of a knitted pattern) that show you where to cut the knitted fabric-- yes, I'll be cutting this incredible piece of work open when I'm done. You machine-sew a seam up the front of either side of the jumper, then cut the steek, sew it down and attach a button band for the cardigan's buttons. For this cardigan, the sleeves will also be set in from steeks, and the neck itself is cut and sewn in, too.
So I'm anticipating the finishing with some trepidation, but I'm loving the patterning. The bonus is that it's much less demanding of my focus and attention than I had anticipated it would be-- I can work with only one pattern line at a time and memorize it quickly, after which I'm good to converse with other people and even watch movies while working!
The stitch markers on the right show where the sleeve increases were made; I'm done with those now, so all I have to do now is knit it on up!
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no subject
Date: 2005-04-25 02:17 pm (UTC)*hugs*
'berta
no subject
Date: 2005-04-25 09:42 pm (UTC)Aw, thanks. :)
One reason I'm so proud of everything I knit now is that I always wanted to learn to knit when I was a little girl, and nothing, I mean nothing, seemed to be able to teach me how to knit. I didn't have a convenient grandma to learn from; my grandmother was a crocheter.
Finally, when I was in my mid-twenties, I picked up a fantastic book by Maggie Righetti, called Knitting in Plain English, and suddenly I was able to understand it all. I became a knitter. Very little these days is more satisfying to me than watching my creations turn into practical, wearable, beautiful things.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-25 09:25 pm (UTC)You didn't mention what yarns you're using, and enquiring minds *would* like to know! :)
no subject
Date: 2005-04-25 09:39 pm (UTC)It's great 100% wool yarn, with the lanolin left in for softness, and when I buy from them, I feel like I'm supporting a great company.
I bought all the materials for this jumper as a kit before I left the US in September. I am knitting with the 2-ply (worsted weight) version of the wool and I absolutely love working with it. Philosopher's does sell individual skeins of yarn, of course, but the kits are the same price as buying the individual skeins, plus you get the pattern as well. I already had their book Fair Isle Sweaters Simplified, (I think that's the title; it's not handy atm), so I did investigate buying separately, but it was just as good a deal to buy together, and having a flat version of the pattern, with cutting instructions and a photograph to carry around, much easier than lugging a book, makes a big difference.
The colorway is called "Deep Sea" and has lots of great choices.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-26 05:52 pm (UTC)*stares*
Again I say ... wow.
That is absolutely gorgeous, hon. And I adore the combinations of colors. :)