my progress

I started on the left front on Saturday and finished it Sunday night; I'm making slower progress on the right front now that the week has started, but I'm done the increasing on the right arm. Here's where I was Sunday morning (the light is too bad to take a photo now).

Things are progressing just fine. The m1, k31 sequences were constantly tripping me up--I'd come to the end of the row and be off by a stitch, only to discover I'd only knit 30 stitches betwen making ones earlier in the row. Such a long repeat was too much for me! :)

In general, though, the knitting is going fine (and fast). I'm hoping that with blocking the M1s won't look quite so obvious--their scattered appearance seems a little . . . too random for me right now. I'm also a little concerned by what Kate posted earlier--I want the piece to hang the way it does on the model! We'll see how it all turns out. I'll continue to muse on it and post more updates on my blog.

(I'm making it out of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Fern; I'm making the 33.5 size on US 7s.)

i got a package!!!!!!

being a college student, its always great to look into your little mail box and see the slip that says "you have a package"... but it's even better when you know its your long-awaited yarn!



i only have a stupid camera so the color is alot brighter in real life. I also got that cute little tape measure from Lantern Moon where you pull the tail and the tape comes out of the sheep's butt. I got 10 skeins just to be sure, but i think i'm going to knit the 35'' size. I can't wait to get started!

toggles!

I went to a store to look for a nice toggle for my jacket yesterday. Luckily, I came across several ones and I finally picked up two different taste of toggles but I couldn't choose one at the time so, I bought both.

Are they beautiful, they are?

The smaller one is made of a plastic and about the size of 3.2 cms.The other is made from some kind of animal's horn and the size of 4.7 cms. The plastic one is washable but for the other, I need to be more careful to wash.

I haven't yet decided which.

Anyway I'm resuming working on the jacket--- I have left the 2nd front untouched.

And then if I need, I will add some stitched on the back. means I have to redo from beginning on the back body...

A note about sizing from the sizer

Hi all. Jackie emailed me saying that you would be having a knitalong and I thought I would just pop in to make a couple comments. I hope you don't feel like I'm crashing the party!

After the photo was shot for the Sunrise Circle Jacket, I spoke to Pam Allen on the phone and she told me how the shoot went. That day, there was only one model around and she was tall and thin, so having no choice, they had to shoot the jacket on the tall, thin model. Therefore, the jacket, on us more normal people, will be a bit tighter and longer. That was the original intention of the design - to be close-fitting. Here's a photo of my friend wearing it before it got sent off:

She is petite and would have needed the next size down for a better fit. I couldn't try it on myself because I was 9 months pregnant at the time.

If your row gauge is not matching up exactly, I would definitely knit a front first and then adjust the rows in the back to fit. Fortunately, the fit of this jacket is pretty forgiving as you can put the buttons where you like. If you prefer it to fit a bit more loosely, you could also add stitches in the middle of the back to give more ease - of course, in doing so, the fronts will overlap less.

I hope you all enjoy this project. I'm honored that you have chosen it. I hope you don't mind if I come back from time to time to see how things are going, but please don't feel like you can't complain if you want to! I'm happy to learn something with each project I design and knit and am open to comments.

Happy knitting,
Kate
www.kategilbert.com

Flying Fingers really does Fly

After great deliberation, and many consultations with my good friend, Sushpi, I called Flying Fingers to order the karabella soft tweed in purple heather yesterday morning. My box of purple heather was on my doorstep this afternoon, along with a nice note from Elise--but no mohair sample yarn--rats!!! And I wanted to order a set of those purple needles but forgot to--double rats!
However, the yarn is lovely: I am crazy about the color, and couldn't wait, so I cast on and knitted a mere 3 rows--gorgeous! While I may feel guilty about the expense (it WAS on sale), I don't feel guilty about the pleasure!

Flying Fingers was wonderful to work with--I live about 90 minutes from the store--I have to get there! But for now, it is back to my Lady Eleanor Shawl, and attempting to earn the medal in the Knitting Olympics! Looking forward to hearing about all your progress--happy knitting!

PS: sorry no photos, but my darling took the camera with him, and he's not returning to the States until Tuesday--look for pics then!

about the sizing

Have you already decided about which size are you having for your jacket? I think it's rather difficult to find out accurate size.
In my case, I'm now working in 33.5 inch. size and I have finished back and 1st front now. So, I tried seaming them together so that I make sure whether my jacket got accurate size and fitted me well.
Oh.. my goodness, the jacket seems to me to be slightly tight and the length is nearly one inch longer than I wanted. I need more room and to shorten it...

As you already know, it's almost impossible to change anything on the half circle formed front part. That means I have no choice but to choose the smallest size if I don't want. If we need roomy jacket, we have to get longer jacket. Does anyone have any idea about the size? I couldn't work on the jacket with some other yarn again unless I find out some solution now.

And one more..
I'm working with Lett-Lopi and my gauge of row is different from the instructions. If I ignored the pattern gauge, I might definitely get even longer jacket. I noticed it, and so I changed the instructions into my gauge.(I have posted about it on my blog on 14th February) Please keep the accurate gauge if you want your jacket to be more like the picture on IK.

Ohboyohboyohboy

Hi, I'm here, glad to meetcha, can't wait to get started. I'm in that wholly pleasureable stage of buying yarn - any of you know anything about Cherry Tree Hill's Oceania? Here's a link. I'm thinking this could be a good dress-up jacket - you know, for the once-a-year Midnight Madness sale at my LYS (40% off all yarn between 11 PM and midnight!) or WEBS' pre-Super Bowl knit-in, or... whatever non-knitters do for fun. Or I might go with Tahki's Donegal Tweed , which is just a great, great yarn. Or with Malabrigo, but I'm wondering if the soft merino would stand up to wear? Or... oh, I don't know, I haven't done all my research yet. Stay tuned!

buttons!

After looking for what seemed like forever... I found my perfect buttons for my jacket!




Its kind of hard to see, but they are a flat toggle with an engraved design. I found them at Jo Ann's craft store. I still haven't gotten my yarn =( but hopefully it will be here soon so i can cast on!

My yarn is here!!!!

Hi everyone!! I was really excited to find this KAL because the pattern caught my eye the first time I flipped through the new IK. And I have to share the great yarn ordering experience I had!!

As I began to research the Karabella Soft Tweed called for in this pattern, I found out it was ON SALE at Flying Fingers (as you know from Jackie's post, but a yarn sale is worth repeating!!). By 3:30 pm on Monday I had placed my order.

By Monday evening, I started to worry that perhaps I should have ordered one more ball. So I went back to the web-site, clicked the "contact us" button, and asked if it was too late to add one more ball to the order. First thing Tuesday morning I had an e-mail from Elise telling me that while they usually ship the same day (!!!), my order had not been shipped yet due to the holiday. She gave me instructions on how to add one more ball to my current order and promised she would make it happen.

Now mind you, this was YESTERDAY. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw a box on the front porch today with Flying Fingers tape on it

That's right, my Cranberry Karabella Soft Tweed arrived today!! Elise also included a nice postcard with a hand written thank you note and a sample ball of Hopyard Spinnery's Roxanne's Mohair, which they will be carrying soon. (I'm going to need to check that Mohair out!!)

The only problem now is that I have to fight the urge to put aside my tubes of torture Olympic Socks and swatch my new yarn!!! I know, be strong . . . wait until Monday . . . .

want to get together ...

I finished the back and 1st front(with a sleeve) yesterday. I'm blocking them now.
However, I think it's not good time to make advances in my jacket project now because most of you are currently working on your Olympic project. I want to wait for you coming here to start after an Olympic closing ceremony so that I can work with you together. It's just my feelings. I have got some technical question about knitting now so, some day I want to ask you or discuss how to.

You will come back to this KAL soon...

The No-Rush Knitalong

A few people have expressed concerns that they won't have even started by the time everyone else has finished their sunrise jackets.

To that I say (to quote my BF, who is not British, but likes to pretend he is): Poppycock! Rubbish!

Don't worry about timing -- it's an ongoing thing! A lot of us are holding off until after the Olympics to start the sweater, or still have to order yarn. I for one have got to get my Hourglass Sweater done and am still waiting for my yarn to come!

So kick back, enjoy other people's progress, and jump in when you're ready!

Greetings from the Olympic Village

Hello, Everyone, I am Melissa from Pennsylvania and while I admired the jacket in the magazine, it wasn't until I saw this kal that I decided to knit it! I am currently working on the Lady Eleanor Shawl for the Knitting Olympics--I am also trying to decide which yarn and color I want to order for this project. I have been looking at Flying Fingers sale--I thought maybe the cranberry or purple, my son (he's 8) says the powder blue, and my daughter (she's 11) says black. I don't know what I am doing!!! I think it would be a great help to be able to see the yarn in person! I am glad to be knitting with all of you! It's back to the Olympic Village for me!

Hi, wanted to introduce myself

Hi y'all. I'm looking forward to this KAL, it is the first I have ever tried. I have not selected my yarn yet [got to finish my Sideline Olympics Socks first]. Wonderful post listed earlier on alternative yarns to try. I hope to get to my local yarn shop in the next few days to fondle yarns and make my selection. I might be a bit behind the rest of you but I remind myself it is not a race.

I'll keep you posted.

Janette Mills

hi everyone!

hello! i'm so excited theres a knit-a-long for this jacket! I ordered my yarn yesterday, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Pumpkin. I can't wait to get started!

Karabella Soft Tweed on Sale!

Thanks you Jerry & Maxy for the great tip! Karabella Soft Tweed is 35% off at Flying Fingers! I'll race you there!

(Karabella Soft Tweed is the suggested yarn for the pattern...)

yarn ordered!

I'm very excited to make this jacket; I think my mom will really love it. I'm going to make it for her as a surprise gift--maybe Mother's Day (though it will probably count for her birthday, too). If I like it, I think I'll make one for myself.

I only purchased enough yarn to make one, however, to keep my costs down. I went with Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes in Fern. I bought a color card for the yarn, and I'm glad I did--I think the actual color of Fern is nicer than it appears online.

If Hootsister joins the KAL as well, I know there will be at least one other person using this yarn in Fern! Don't mix us up :)

What Yarn to Use?

Though the suggested yarn, Karabella Soft Tweed
, is lovely, its a bit on the pricey side. So I've been looking around for possible alternate tweed yarns to use for this sweater and so I've listed below some choices I've found, and what other people are using so far. I make no guarantees on these, but I can say for sure they have the gauges listed below!

An Additional Note
Kate Gilbert, the pattern author, wrote in to say the following about the yarn:

Go for something that will make a firmer fabric. The fabric needs to have enough body that the front holds its shape well and doesn't flop with the weight of the facing.

This means that something with a lower # of sts per inch will work better with this pattern.

On to the list!

What are you using? Leave a comment and let us know!

Tweeds with 16sts per 4" gauge:
(This is the same gauge as the suggested yarn.)
Harris Aran
Rowanspun Aran
Summer Tweed
Yorkshire Tweed Aran

Tweeds with 18sts per 4" gauge:
(These yarns have the suggested pattern gauge)
03 Tweed
Cascade 220 Tweed
Debbie Bliss Aran Tweed
Tahki Donegal Tweed
Skacel Irland
Maggi's Tweed Fleck Aran
Prairie Silks
Plymouth Stone Cotton
Sunbeam Aran Knit

Other Yarns People Have Chosen to Use:
Reynolds Lite Lopi (18sts/4")
Knitpicks Wool of the Andes (18-20sts/4")
Knitpicks Andean Silk (18-20sts/4")
Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran (18sts/4")
Brown Sheep Kaleidoscope
Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed (18sts/4")
Reynolds Dover (16sts/4")
Pervian Collection Sierra Aran (18sts/4")

Photo?

I seem to fail in loading up a photo on my last post...

I have to learn how to handle this blog. Hopefully, I can put up some photos as soon as I can.

a happy KNITALONG

I couldn't help myself thinking how lovely it would be to knit Sunrise Circle Jacket for a long time. I've longed it since I came across it on the IK's web site almost a month ago. At that time, it was just announcement that full instructions will be posted on web site. So I was waiting for, waiting, waiting... then finally I found it coming out on thier web site. It was really "Wow!"
The instructions didn't seem to me to be complicated, more than anything else, the curves in front make nicer and the side shapes form more feminine looking, aren't they? And I love toggles...

I rushed to look for some yarns on the web site impatiently day after day and to go to a yarn store here in Gothenburg(Sweden). Luckily, I found nice yarn there. I bought 8 balls for the smallest size. The yarn is from ISTEX(Icelandic Textiles Ltd.), Lett-Lopi, #9434 Crimson, 100% pure wool, 109 yd per 50 grams. Both the yardage and the yarn label gauge are almost the same to original yarn that the pattern shows.

The color, crimson, is definitely my personal color. I asked a shop assistant about an undertones of this red color. Her view was "yellow", "not any blue". This is just what I need!

The yarn label gauge is 18 sts. x 24 rows on 5 mm needles and the pattern gauge is 18.5 sts. x 28 rows on 4.5 mm needles. I first tried with 4.5 mm needles however, I usually tend to be a looser knitter, so I failed to adjust my gauge to the pattern gauge. I finally find 4 mm needles to adjust to the pattern gauge completely. But only stitches(18.5), the row's numbers are still big different...
The yarn itself is not stretchy and is very dry to grip. This is the first time I have worked with this kind of yarn. So I needed more time to get used to.

This is my story how much I love the Sunrise Circle Jacket.

I started my jacket on 9th February and I'm currently working on the back.
I have one front and sleeve completed except a hem now, 2nd front and sleeve to go, back almost done.. hopefully.

Here is what I have done..

LEAVE YOUR EMAIL to join!

Isn't Kate Gilbert's Sunrise Circle Jacket just lovely? And the pattern is free no less! I wanted to knit it the minute I saw it, and I thought it would be great to have friends to knitalong with!

LEAVE YOUR EMAIL below and I'll add you as a member.

Click here to download the pattern!