Quick update

Hi y'all I haven't posted in awhile. Just a quick update. I finished the left side [no I haven't hemmed the curve]. I am just starting the circle part of the right side. This jacket knits up so cool, I too have to say I love watching the circle form. In fact sometimes it distracts me from knitting I enjoy looking at it so much [my husband even commented on it...my looking that is].

Hopefully this weekend I can get some pictures taken so that I can show off. But once again I have an overly booked weekend. Atleast I have gotten over the twisted stitch problems, lots of nice and straight columns of knitting.

At the beginning

Hi All, Just wanted to introduce myself. I have just started the back of the jacket in the Soft Tweed Red Shade. It's a great colour but I am already thinking that I've got my sizing wrong. I saw on the notes on sizing on this blog that perhaps starting by knitting the two front pieces may be better and then sizing the back to fit. I may try that. If you want to keep up with my progress you can check out my blog - clicketyknits.blogspot.com Sharon in Ireland

One side done

I finished the left side.


I like this pattern. I can knit at it without hurting my brain, yet it's not so boring I want to poke my eyes out.

Progress Stalled

Waaa! I got half way into my first sleeve and then the other night, accidentally smashed my pointer finger in a table. It's too sensitive to knit so I haven't made any more progress at all :(. I guess the silver lining is that it's also too sensitive to wash dishes, my least favorite activity of all time.

So I'll be living vicariously through you gals for a little while... keep the progress posts coming!

Am I the only one?

Well, I've done the back and one sleeve and sunrise. Whew! Am I the only one using the Orange Karabella Soft Tweed like in the IWK photo? I know I'm lacking in originality, but the orange ROCKS! It has great subtle brown, red and yellow flecks and is knitting up great. Normally I struggle with gauge, but amazingly I'm nearly right on with this one. I'm sure that means that some other rare knitting tragedy will befall this sweater. I haven't sewn down the rounded hem yet - surely that would be tempting fate! Light a candle for me that it doesn't mysteriously unravel while I'm at work or anything......Thanks for all the great advice you all have shared so far. It's been great!

Just about exactly halfway done

I finished and hemmed the left front of the SCJ, and am now just barely into the raglan decreases on the back. I could not figure out how to (neatly) knit down the curved hem, so I sewed it, but it went very well considering this was my first hem and I sort of made up the process and went with it. By made up I of course mean that I just didn't have instructions on how to do it, not that everyone else in the entire knitting culture hasn't probably already done it before, and isn't thinking, well, duh.





























Mmm, seaming.

The Sun Rises!

Why is it that simple sleeve, or back increases get me frogging, but the increases on the front of this jacket zip right along?
B-E-A-U-tiful! xoxoxo

I knitted the seam as I cast off, by running a “life-line” through stitches way back on row 84. This worked wonderfully, however I worry that the bind off appears a little too tight, On to second sleeve; and I still have to fix the neck on the back.

I found my buttons!!

My hubby took me to a somewhat local yarn store this weekend and they had a great selection of buttons. There were several different styles of toggle buttons, but I finally settled on these.

There were some pretty bamboo ones, but I thought they would be too light against the cranberry. I think these are really pretty and I like the darker color. They feel as if they are made of marble, but the canister said they were bone. Kinda gross, but I'll try not to think about it. That the left arm there, and the beginning of the front at the bottom. I know it's been said a bunch of times before, but it's really neat to watch the front beginning to grow and curve. Like magic!! I'm hoping to have this done in time to wear for Easter. I'm not sure I can, but maybe . . .

Whee!

And around the corner we go! Finally, I've made it onto my first front. Isn't that a lovely curve? Don't you just love the stripes? It makes me happy.

What doesn't make me happy is that Blogger won't let me post this image. Grr. Use your imagination.

2/3rds there!

hello,
just wanted to post a quick update on my sunrise circle jacket, since this weekend i finished the front left piece. that's the front and back complete!

(blogger's not doing photos AGAIN, so check my progress here instead)

my only concern is that it might be a little small, but all other issues with gauge and row count seem to be ok! phew... i haven't sewn up the hems yet either, and i wasn't smart enough to knit them in.

my target for completion is a trip to paris on 22 april... fingers crossed i make it! seeing the completed photos here is a real inspiration!

becks x

Why Me?

I've finally got the back done and somehow I've managed to knit a cat into it.
(I'm also using the Karabella Soft tweed in cranberry.) Off to cast on for first front piece, wish me luck!

Looking for Advice on Larger Sizes...

Hi All! Thanks for letting me join the knitalong...

I have my yarn (Black Water Abbey in rust) and my swatch (right on with stitch gauge, but a little off on row gauge) -- but am having trouble deciding on a size.

In particular, I'm worried about armhole depth... If I look at the schematic, the armhole depth for the largest size is 14.75". Even though the largest size looks like it would fit me by the bust and upper arm circumference, an armhole depth of 14.75" would put the armholes halfway down my back. I measured a bunch of my other cardigans and jackets and their armhole depths were more like 12" - 12.5". (Which would correspond to the middle size.) In other places on a sweater 2" isn't that big a deal, but I'm worried that it'll just look too sloppy if the underarms are too low.

Has anyone made one of the two larger sizes? Do the underarms end up in the right place? Am I misreading the schematic? Does part of that measurement end up in a collar or something?

I'm anxious to cast on, but am so enamored by this sweater that I really want it to fit!
Thanks.

new kid

Hi all, I've been over on the sidebar for a while now but just got around to actually casting on and, finally, posting.
















I'm doing my SCJ in Peruvian Collection Sierra Aran from elann, in the autumn maple color. I love the yarn and I am crazy about the color - it has bits of gold and pink in the right light, and it's soft but still firm. I'm just starting row 43 of the left front. I did the crochet cast-on knitted-in hem and it looks fantastic - thanks for the advice on that!

I ordered 11 balls for the size 35, but I think I might need one or two more - darn, more shipping costs!

I'm not sure how much I like the M1L increase, it leaves a little bump that is making the texture a little funny. I kind of wish I'd gone with my standard increase of knitting into the right loop of the stitch on the row below, it's pretty invisible.

Back to knitting - I love this pattern!

Progress report

Right and left sides done! Buttons purchased! Working on the back, almost up to hem.

Knitted In Hems

Has anyone knitted down the hem on the front of the jacket, on the curved edge? I'm getting close to the hem rows now and I noticed that the stitch numbers increase up to the turning row, then decrease again, so in theory, you should be able to lay the hem down flat and knit it down. If anyone has acheived it, can you let me know how it went?

Sleeve length

Where is the best place to measure your arm to decide if the given sleeve length is correct? I'm assuming it should stop around your underarm?

Gauge and measuring issues!

Okay, so when I started the back at the beginning of March, I did a guage swatch with this yarn from my stash that I thought would be perfect. I tried size 6 needles, not the guage, but I liked how it looked on 6's. I tried 7's, got gauge, or so I thought. So I started the back on 7's. I have the back done through part of the raglan decreases. I did some measuring this morning and the width is way off and I remember having some issues with my measurements and row counts not matching the pattern. So perhaps I did not have gauge. I so wanted this yarn to be this jacket. It may still happen. I was measuring this morning, so in my one-eyed bleariness I may be wrong. I will re-check gauage and measurements this evening when I get home from work. For my reason of one-eye ness you can check out my blog here http://astitchadane.blogspot.com.
Happy Knitting!

Button Button! Who's Got the Button?

Whenever I pick out buttons, I always think of my grandparents. When we were little, every Saturday, my mom would pack up my brother and I, and we would make the trek from the 'burbs to Northeast Philly to visit my grandparents. Back in those old days, my mother did not bring a trunkload of toys to entertain us with, nor was there a toy box waiting for us at the apartment. While my grandparents did have a t.v., they didn't really have any reception, and more often than not, my grandfather would be found in his rocking chair, listening to the ballgame on the radio. One source of amusement was playing barbershop, and "cutting" my bald grandfather's hair while we listened to Ritchie Ashburn call balls and strikes. Other times, I would play with the one doll I kept in the bottom drawer of my grandmother's dresser - whom I called Uncle Bessy. But, my favorite thing to do was play in the button drawer. Heaping with buttons - big buttons, little buttons, jewels, bakelite, pearls -- I don't know exactly what I did with the buttons - I certainly didn't sew, but I put them in groups, and I moved them around, and I traded them with my brother, and I played made-up games with them. I don't know what was a better treat - playing in the button drawer or the Stella Dora "S" cookie that was always on hand for a snack.

But, ya grow up, you move away, you forget about the buttons. My grandfather passed away, my grandmother eventually moved to a nursing home. In the craziness that accompanied the move to the "assisted living community," my mother gave away all of my grandmother's furniture to some Russian immigrants who came with their truck, and took it away. When she called to tell me that everything was cleaned out, I said, "Well, you saved the button drawer, right?" My memories of the buttons that were given away are probably more extravagant than the actual buttons, but to me, it was quite a loss.

Anyway, so it makes me happy to pick out buttons, and ladies and gents, it is time to pick buttons for the Sunrise - behind door No. 1 - we have long skinny pinkish buttons.






















Or, the ellipse-like wooden toggles,

















Or, the rather interesting shaped, I think plastic, toggles,




















Your basic toothy black -
















SO WHAT DO YOU THINK????
Cast your vote now! I already bought a set, but I think I've changed my mind.

Also, if you haven't noticed, I'll confess now - my hem is a little short - I completely misread the directions, so my hem is half the length it's supposed to be. Ah well, it's not coming out. But, in comparing it to Sherry W's started jacket in the recommended Karabella yarn, I think the correct size hem would be giving my garment more structure, and it wouldn't be quite so floppy (and thank you so much for everyone politely referring to my limpy wimpy front as "drape" issues!).

Left Sleeve/Front Finished!

I had my doubts - I thought I would have to frog...the sleeve looked way too long.

But I pinned the seam and pulled it on and surprisingly it is perfect! :)

Can you see the shaping on the front?



I didn't knit in the hems...I don't mind the sewing (I know - I'm a freak ;)) and certainly didn't want to mess with knitting the hem on the curve.

Casting on the Right Sleeve/Front tonight....

the hem

Sarah at Advancing the Plot asked for some finished object shots of the hem. I'm going to try to oblige! Here's the inside of one of the fronts:

Click on the picture; it will take you to the flickr page, in which I made some Notes that will hopefully help you dissect the shot. I didn't knit this hem down as I went--I followed the pattern, and cast off when I came to the end, then sewed it down. I knew that with the curved edge, I would find it tricky to get the placement exact when wrestling with two needles! So what I did was determine that I wanted the cast-off edge to sit exactly 11 rows from the turn. I counted purl bumps and marked the 11th bump all along the edge using some blue scrap cotton yarn. This gave me a clear path to follow. (You could probably use this method if you wanted to knit it down, too.)

Then I just went for it! I threaded a needle, caught it through one side of a cast-off stitch, and picked the purl bump up. Then into the next cast-off stitch, etc., on down the line. It wasn't the speediest work, but it got really easy as I went.

Here's a shot of the knitted-in hem at the bottom of the back.

I've mentioned in a few comments the way I went about this: I did a normal old long-tail cast-on, and on the 10th row (10th, right? Whichever is the knit row after matching the distance before the hem) I folded the hem up, stuck the needle through the live stitch and also through one side of the cast-on. I basically did a k2tog with these two "stitches." Simple, clean.

Hope this is helpful!

Sunset Circle Jacket Begins

First, I want to thank Orchid-Wish for selling her stash of Kaleidoscope, Ebay and the US Postal Service for holding and then delivering my mail so I had a nice package waiting for me after Spring Break.

I cast on for the back and then read everyone's posts. I hope I haven't made a mistake doing that--my gauge is coming in a little tighter than instructed, but the yarn is 80% cotton/20%wool so I'm factoring in the cotton's lack of memory to solve that. Hmmm, did I just hear a ribbit ribbit in the background? Another thing, I've been working on size 2 and 3 needles lately and the sevens seem huge. Funny, how I used to live on size 9 and 11s and would cringe at going to a smaller size.

I love the yarn and especially the color. The hot pink moves into purples and oranges with the odd bit of green cropping up. Perfect for jeans and my endless collection of t-shirts. It's knitting up well with no snags and I'm about 4 rows away from the big hem join. Luckily, I've done that before and should get through it ok. I keep reading about how everyone has had to rip multiple times. Forewarned is forearmed, so I'm prepared for some future teeth gnashing and head slaps. Fingers crossed, back to the needles!

Thrice Bitten, Twice Shy, Babe

The Sunrise and I are going through a rough patch.

First, I decided my size was too big, so I had to frog 8" of the first sleeve.

Second, I tried the crochet cast on with yarn that was too fuzzy and bombed. Started over.

Third, and finally, I tried the crochet cast on again, but when I tried to hem it in, it was a dust cloud of fingers and loose stitches and escaping needles with no discernable result. So guess what? I frogged it again :(.

During the third episode of knit to hem to frog, my cat Iggy serruptitiously bit through my yarn three times. (Sordid tale here.)

I'm back to empty needles and a thrice-rewound skein of yarn. I'm going to cast on again this morning, but may be in need of some moral support!

this sun also rises

I started last night!


sleeve 

I'm using the Soft Tweed in cranberry (like the other cool kids). This yarn is great, I will use it again.

I used the hem method as well. I don't mind seaming, but I won't do it when the three needle join works so nicely. Besides, I find the improved crochet cast on fun to do and rip out.

I started on the sleeve, since the size 37" just a bit small for my bust and I may have to play with the back modifications by an inch. Also, sleeves bore me to tears and I like to start them first while I'm still in the honeymoon period of a project.

Request to those who are finishing up

Can you post some pictures of the sewed hem?

I read the instructions on sewing the hem at the cuffs and around the edges of the front of the jacket, but I don't really get it.

Thanks!

Moon Over Buffalo

I'm not quite sure it's a sunrise - I kind of see an ocean, a cresting sun . . . are you with me??

So, it's pretty and all, but I'm not sure if it's going to work, it's um, a bit floppy. I'm not sure the fabric is stiff enough to be a jacket, exactly. It's more like, a baggy sweater??? Hopefully, that won't be the case. A toggle here, a toggle there - it will all work out. If not -- there's always another blanket . . .

New joiner to group

I was just invited to join. I started this jacket the beginning of March and then spent some time in the hospital unexpectedly - so tonight I am going to take a look at where I left off and re-check my gauge because I remember I thought I was having some row gauge issues. I may need to go down a needle size. I will post on my blog too. Thanks for inviting me to join!

Oh, grumblepfuss...

Last sleeve increase....done.

Let's see - should be at 64 stitches. Two, four, six...yep, 64.

15 and 1/2 inches long....oopsie. 19. That's nineteen, people, and I checked my row gauge - I really did!! Waaaaah...

Oh, well, the frogs come out of hibernation about now in this part of the world, so - rip it, rip it.

Start over, place sleeve increases every two inches, regardless of row number. Fine. I like knitting, right?

But that means the fronts need rethinking. Or I should knit a smaller size (but my stitches per inch is correct). Let's see - if the fronts are x inches from the armpit out to the edge, and y stitches along that edge, all I have to do is rework that in my row gauge, right? Simple...

Yeah, right. Stay tuned till I have the time to do this.

Isn't knitting supposed to be relaxing?

One Sleeve

I decided to cast-on for the sleeve--46 stitches as per the pattern. As I knitted, I thought about how wide it looked. Despite my rather endowed chest (the reason for making the size 41, along of course with my "curvey" hips--ugh), I am sort of small bones. The cuff at 48 seemed too big. Riiiiiiiiiiiiippppp: let's try 44 stitches. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip: 42 stitches, and re-write the increases on the pattern so that I end up with the right number of stitches for the circle part of the jacket. In between, haricuts for the kids, ballet and jazz class, roller hockey and entertaining our dear friends for the evening, I knitted, ripped and re-knitted this sleeve. On to the increases!

(Again, I ask, can you believe I had thought I would be wearing this to a dinner party this week? Good Grief.)

Roses and Thorns

Oh, the beauty and the confusion. I cast on and knit half of the left sleeve of my sunrise this weekend and am so thrilled to have started! The Karabella soft tweed is so lovely to look at and to work with! But alas, the sleeve, though it fits the measurements of the pattern, does seem super wide. So I've been waffling -- frog it, go smaller, risk a too-tight sweater? Or keep it, know the body will fit, and deal with wider sleeves?

I'm between sizes -- my favorite looser sweater is 45" at the chest, but my favorite more form-fitting one is 41" or 42". I still can't really envision how much ease would be best for the Sunrise, so I'm having a hard time choose whether to size down!

Any thoughts?

Cross posted here.

I turned the corner

The left front is almost done...I love the increases and seeing the front grow in a lovely curve.

Moonrise circle jacket

Hey all. I started my sunrise circle jacket a couple weeks ago. I've finished the back and started the left front today. I'm using Lipomo Lame in light blue with silver sparklies. It's much more like a moonrise than a sunrise. Anyway, the gauge is right on and I've not run into any problems so far. It's been fun seeing everyones results. I really like the looks of the silk garden one so far. Here's an obligatory picture...

it's really done!

I found buttons--after a long and arduous search (no one seems to have toggle buttons)--and got them sewn on, finally. I wish I could model it and show it off, but it's too small for me, and it looks well, silly on me. It's too short, just barely can be buttoned, etc. I think it will fit my mom--the intended recipient--well, and I look forward to giving it to her. I think I'll give it to her for Mother's Day!

Full details are on my blog.

saying hello...

Hello everyone.
I've just joined the knitalong (my first ever) and am cursing my luck that blogger isn't working properly and won't let me post photos... but you can check out what i'm making here at my blog. i'm chugging my way through the left side now using debbie bliss' tweed in a funky peacock blue colour. unfortunately i hadn't visited this blog before i cast on, so those handy hints about how to seam and how you should do the sides before the back were all a little lost on me... i've finished the back already and just can't think about how to seam it all! but hey, i love this pattern and am determined that i'm going to make a good sunrise circle jacket that i can wear wih pride!
there may be frogging ahead....!
great to see how everyone else's is going - and koko's finished jacket, what an inspiration!
good luck to all,
becks

We Have Stripes

Amazing how much one can accomplish, once something's started. I'm almost finished the left sleeve (the first part I started) since casting on Friday night. And yesterday I got to meet up with six other Knittyheads in Boston - see Stariel's blog - and of course we went to yarn shops. At Windsor Button, I bought these:
I'm not sure I like the bright stripes the Katia Mexico is knitting up into, but maybe I'm just a stodgy stick-in-the-mud, and this jacket will push me out of that. I'm thinking for the back of the jacket, I'll work with two balls in intarsia, so that one ball makes the right half and the second ball the left half. That way, the stripes won't be narrower than on the sleeves. What do you all think? I'll deal with the fronts when I get there - which, come to think of it, is pretty much now, since I just have one more sleeve increase and then the straight part. Stay tuned....

Row 61 and counting

I thought I would post some progress on the left sleeve. I was daunted by the pattern when I first looked at it, but it's really not that hard to follow. And every other row is a purl. I think following a pattern makes if go faster than say just straight stockinette. Maybe I will finish this tonight!

I also converted the PDF of the pattern into Word and was able to format line on the page so it is easier to read.

The back of my jacket!!!

Yesterday I finally finished the back of my jacket. It took me four tries to do a top hem I was happy with, but here it is!!!I even blocked it lightly so the edges would lay flat for a picture.

I'm very happy with how it came out. This is the Karabella Soft Tweed in Cranberry and the only thing I don't like about the yarn is that it picks up every little white fuzzy it can find. I'm afraid it will take a lot of defuzzing to keep the sweater looking good.

My gauge is a bit off because I'm a loose knitter - I'm knitting on size 6 needles and getting 17 sts and 26 rows per four inches. I did some math and it seemed that if I knit the smallest size, it would turn out to be the size I wanted. So far it's working out perfectly!! Every measurement falls between the 35 and 37 size . . . . and size 36 is what I was shooting for!!!

Here is a close up of the top hem that gave me so much trouble.I started by trying to knit it in, and it looked terrible. Then I decided to try basting the live stitches down, but I don't have my tapestry thread yet and the Soft Tweed wasn't working because it was so bumpy. (Don't ask what I was thinking on that one!!!) I tried to knit it in again . . . and it was looking so crooked. Finally, I did a little prep work (by adapting a suggestion from Wendy via e-mail . . . and also other tips I've read here) and wove a thin waste thread through the purl row I needed to pick up so I could easily see it. It worked like a charm. It was still somewhat difficult and time consuming, but really worth it!!

Now I'm ready to get started on the Left Sleeve!!

Making progress

After two nights of knitting, I have almost finished the Left Sleeve.

I should be able to start work on that lovely arc tonight :)

Coming Out of Lurkdom

I have been reading posts for a while but haven't had my act together enough to post. So--hi! I started this project as my Olympic Knitting Project, but failed miserably due to life circumstances and my unwillingness to give up sleep in addition to neglecting my job and family. (The housework, well, I gladlly neglected that.) Here is a picture from two weeks ago--I am now almost finished with the right front (in addition to the left) and the back is cast on.

The yarn is Paton's "au naturel", a blend of cotton, wool, and linen. It was discontinued several years ago and I got 20 balls of it for a song. I initially used ten balls of it to make a Really Boring Cardigan with sleeves that were too snug. So I abandoned the cardigan and the leftover yarn in the bottom of one of my stash bins. Lo and behold, it knit up at the right gauge for this project, and so far I'm liking how it is knitting up. Keep your fingers crossed that the jacket will actually fit me!

The Sun Riseth, Finally

We have a yarn, ladies and gentlemen. I spent several hours on-line last night, comparing prices and yardage and colors and sales and shipping costs, finally deciding I would go to WEBS on Saturday and invest in Tahki's Donegal Tweed, which is a yarn I just love. Plus, I'd have an excuse to visit WEBS, which is a vaguely-local yarn shop for me.

So Friday morning I got my oil changed and bought Bushmill's Irish Cream for my Celtic Sweetie and went to my really-LYS, Emily's Needlework, Athol, Massachusetts, and bought this:
For, oh, considerably more than what the Donegal Tweed would have cost. But I supported my lovely LYS and didn't waste time and gas driving an hour to WEBS and got to cast on tonight. It's Katia's Mexico, 50% wool, 50% ahem, acrylic, with lovely gradual color changes from turquoise to deep blue to yellowy-green and back again. Soft and with a very nice feel, considering the ahem, acrylic.

Life is good.

Finally started my Chocolate Sunrise

The yarn arrived from Knitpicks via my FIL from the states and I've cast on. I know it's a pathetic amount of progress but it's something right? Thanks Mintyfresh for the advice on gauge, everything seems OK so far.

Hello all! My Sunrise Circle has begun!

I have to say, I was very worried about the pattern. Line by line, inch by inch, there's an instruction. So many potholes, so many opportunities for things to go horrible awry. But, then I found you, and my concerns were alleviated when I saw several finished jackets, with very pleased, satisfied owners wearing them. The postings are curse-free, and everyone seems to be having a good knit. So, I cast on. And, where my friends, did things go awry for me? Of course - gauge.

Because I'm a remedial gaugist, I had a friend check my gauge for me - and, even though I'm a loose knitter, she had me go up 2 needle sizes, and said, you're good to go girlfriend. I trusted her, and cast on, in my favorite, Silk Garden, of course, and began to knit. The first time (oh, yes, ripping is coming) I didn't pay any attention to how I was going to hem the thing, I just followed along, creating a turning row for sewing later. Then, about 20 rows up the sleeve, I realized I was knitting not a sleeve, but a nose warmer for an elephant. It was huge! So, out it came, and I began to swatch on my lonesome.

Like my attempt at a Silk Garden Suit (which ended up becoming a Rambling Rows blanket because of my eternal hand cramp from being on an way too small needle), I ended up on 3's - my gauge was close, but not perfect. This time, before blindly casting on, I considered the hem, and I thought, hem, I do not want to sew thee. So, I did a crochet cast-on, and knitted up the hem:
and once again, I traveled up the sleeve, taking some time at some point to pin it out, and make sure I was getting the right measurement - across. When I finished the increasing on the sleeve the instructions said I should be at 13 inches - I was only at 9. Row gauge - ouch - so off! I continued knitting, thinking I would block out the problem, by then I got to the raglan, and I pondered. With my row gauge I would be lucky to have a trapezoid, let only a nice pie shape. So with a sigh, I ripped again (not the hem, though, no need to do that again, that can just be a tad smaller), and now I'm traveling along on 5's, and things, cross your fingers, seem to be ok!

Hopefully, I'll have more to show you soon. You may have noticed that my color choice doesn't really seem to be a sunrise - but, wait until you see how the colorway knits up - at some point, there's going to be a rusty pink like color followed by a vibrant mustard - voila - a sunrise!

My first post

This is my very first KAL. I have been a knitter for most of my life (I learned when I was about 5 years old - climbed on my mother's lap and asked her to teach me :)) and have made many knitted garments over that time.

I do like things with a challenge - and that's why this pattern jumped out at me.

To my surprise, I managed to find an Aussie online yarn store that had the exact yarn used in the pattern....and it was on sale - YIPPEE.

So I ordered a lovely shade of blue.This is where it started to get a little shaky. They only had limited stock of that shade - and not enough for me to make this jacket.

So I had to choose between Dark Grey and Cream - the only two shades they had enough of, in stock.

I decided Dark Grey would be better...mainly because I would never be able to keep a Cream jacket clean.

So we were off and flying again - YAY!

My order arrived in the mail today. The shade is gorgeous! Love it. I think it may even be better than the blue I originally chose.

BUT.......There's a problem. I only count 10x50g balls. I need 12!!!! ARGH!

So I have emailed the online store...and am waiting to hear back (I swear, I may just give up altogether if they can't send the other 2 balls I need...maybe)

So here's a pic of my yarn (it is beautiful yarn)

May I lodge a complaint . . .

About MYSELF????
First of all, each of your posts are so inspiring and beautiful and successful--and then there's my jacket. After frogging the back several times, I finally finished the collar, and attempted to bind off in a 3 needle technique to avoid the seaming, as I did ever so successfully at the bottom of the back. I kept checking my progress on the right side, and was quite pleased with myself (always a sign of ill things to come!) . . . When I finished, to my horror the seam wasn't straight. Hmmmmmmm: guess I will rip it out, and attempt it more carefully--well, let's just say that removing the bind-off isn't quite as easy as you may imagine: yarn frays and breaks, yarn knots up, yarn doesn't let the stitches give away . . . you get the picutre.. I was so frustrated, I decided to put it down, and attempt it over the weekend, when I would (hopefully) have more patience.

I decided to cast-on for the sleeve--46 stitches as per the pattern. As I knitted, I thought about how wide it looked. Despite my rather endowed chest (the reason for making the size 41, along of course with my "curvey" hips--ugh), I am sort of small bones. The cuff at 48 seemed too big. Riiiiiiiiiiiiippppp: let's try 44 stitches.

I have been working on this thing all night, and I feel like I haven't made a stitch of progress. I may go read . . . Then again, I may cast on for my sleeve. Would you believe I thought I might be wearing this to a dinner party next Thursday??!! mmmm . . . right.

Now What?

I swatched the Cherry Tree Hill wool boucle (Oceania, in the colorway Quarry Hill). Nice, makes gauge, but I think the fabric is a bit on the limp side for this jacket. Sigh.... What do you think, gang, do I need a fabric more on the sturdy side for this jacket?

And my Handmaiden Ottawa yarn in the color Dragonfly came today! Lovely ... but somehow I thought this was 18 stitches to 4 inches, but it's 22 stitches to 4 inches. I blame the sale sticker. [Sorry, no pic of yarn, I'm wiped out tonight.]

So, now what? Must I set out again along the Grand Yarn Crawl to find a yarn worthy of this pattern? Or shall I sensibly choose Elann's wool/llama aran-weight, the name of which escapes me, in the rich Mulberry color?

Ah, if I only had a brain...

Backward steps taken, now to go forward

Well I did it. It. Was. Hard. I ripped out the 109 rows that I already knitted [with those twisted stitches], wound the yarn up loosely, took a deep breath [yeah I had an Irish Coffee also]. This picture is how far I had gotten before ripping.











Then I began AGAIN. Acutally this time my knitted hem came out beautiful.....so I guess all this "practice" is going to serve me well. I was able to knit about 40 rows last night and EVERY THING IS NICE AND STRAIGHT -- HOORAY FOR ME.

I took pictures of my previous knitting, not sure how well you will be able to see the difference in twisted and not twisted. You are looking at the needle edge of my knitting. Last 1 1/2" of knitting is not-twisted all the rest is twisted. The twisted stitches have much more texture.

Onward tonight, hopefully it won't take me too long to get back to where I was before [just about to start the front & raglan sleeve increases].

Congrats!

Update: Minty's been removed (gasp!) from the list! She claims that without the buttons, it's not finished, and I'd say she's right. So Minty, get sewing!

Congrats to Koko and Mintyfresh on finishing their sweaters! They've been added to the Finished list in the sidebar.

Anyone else done already? Let me know and I'll add you to the list too!

1 Step Forward 3 Steps Back

O.K. my yarn for the Sunrise Circle Jacket came in last week. IT IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! The color is so rich looking, dark green with little specks of red -- looks just like a forest. I guess that is why the color name is Deep Forest Green.
As per the recommendation from you wonderful knitter working on the pattern I started the pattern on the left sleeve. I have also been reading up on turned and knitted hems [using crochet cast-on]. I decided to try this method.....o.k. I had to knit the beginning and hem 4 times before it worked out but I love the look. It is so finished and I do a horrid job of hemming or seaming. Got that step down pretty well.
At any rate I spent a VERY rainy [and snow...yeah snow in Southern California] weekend and got to the point of beginning the front panel. 107 rows - 17 1/2" of knitting -- pretty good huh.

But here is the step back story. You know there is a story to this don't you? Well yesterday while scanning the knitty coffeeshop I came across a posting from ENTRELAC with the most excellent pictures of twisted vs non-twisted stitches. I went home looked real hard at my sleeve and how I was knitting. Following ENTRELAC guidance I knit the next several rows. Guess what they are not twisted...Unfortunately the other 107 rows are! I have taken a DEEEEEEEEP breath and tonight I guess I rip it all out. Well at least I should be able to do the hem turn with out any problems.
I took pictures of the sleeve todate and tried to show the difference in the stitches. I will try to get them posted soon.

Yay! I finished the left side today. Those rows really get to be enormous by the time you're working on the hem. I forget who it was, but during the knit olympics, one of the big name bloggers complained about details... Spending 10 rows knitting a hem that no one else is ever going to see, for example. But I know it's there, and that makes all the difference, I suppose.

I got tired of looking at the sleeve and the back curling themselves into little knit sausages, so I spent some time (20 minutes at midnight, mind you!) steam blocking, and everything got nice and pretty. It may be a pain counting out the increases for the circle, but it does make a nicely arced line. I am pleased as punch, except for the fact that now I have to do it again. Right side... *sigh* FYI- the top picture is more accurate color-wise.

(I also hate weaving in ends. Does it show?) *grin*

all i need are buttons

Living just off Fabric Row in Philly is convenient, yes, but frustrating too--all the stores close at 5pm! Wednesdays they stay open later, but I have plans. This might have to wait until the weekend for its conclusion.

This is a very close approximation to the color.

Thanks for all the encouragement when I left off with just the left part sewn on last night; it helped me want to keep going tonight.

I put it on, and I like it a lot--but the piece is intended for my mother, a woman more petite than I. Once it's all done I'll try to model it, but I'm not sure how that's going to look, and I don't want anyone to be dismayed at an ill-fitting piece when it's because I'm too large for the size I made! I'm close to that size, so it's not awful, but just putting it on briefly tonight showed me that it came out really great--the Wool of the Andes feels sturdy enough, the piece hits just above my hips (a perfect length for this jacket, to my mind), and the half circles overlap just enough. All my previous concern is gone! Happiness.

seaming

MelissaJoon asked me how I did the seams, because she thought they looked very professional. First off, thanks for the compliment, and secondly, how can you even tell what the seams look like!?

In case you're talking about the sewing-down of the hem, I very carefully counted out 11 rows from the turning row and whip-stitched a piece of bright contrasting cotton thread through every 8 to 10 stitches, so I could see the line easily and know I was putting the hem in the exact same location with each stitch. Counting the rows was much easier while the work was flat, so it was worth the extra little bit of time.

As for the side seams, I have started wondering if I'm doing my seaming right at all! I use a technique that Debbie Bliss shows in her books--with wrong sides facing, you pick up the running thread between stitches on one side (about 1 stitch in from the edge) and then pick up the corresponding running thread from the other piece. Back and forth and back and forth, and you end up with what looks like a seamless seam. I'm not sure how to explain it any better . . .

What do other people do?

I knitted, and frogged and knitted and frogged . . . and now I am almost finished with the back. My gauge is dead-on with the pattern, but somehow I managed to knit a few extra rows somewhere, causing my back to be 2.5" L-o-n-g-e-r than it was supposed to be!!! I panicked, and the re-knit, and all is fine with the world. I hope to finish the back tonight, and post a photo tomorrow.
The rest of you are doing such a fabulous job---each jacket is so beautiful, I wan one in every color and yarn combination!!
Happy knitting!!!!

more progress!

I made more progress than I thought I would this evening: I'm half done! I've really got to go find some buttons, and soon.

Another jacket started

This is my first post, here’s the progress so far.

I am using Sierra Aran in Mulberry that I found on sale at elann.com for $3.00 a ball. The color is a little darker than I wanted but it is growing on me. And now that it is 70 degrees in D.C. I am also rethinking the wool.

Per usual, I am a little off in my rows already and I totally flubbed the seam on the cuff somehow. But no worries. It all ends up working in the end. So far the pattern is easy to follow.

Thanks for all the comments on the pattern. It has been really helpful.

all my pieces are done!

I finished knitting the back last night, and this afternoon I lightly steam-blocked all of them. There's no way I could sew down the hem on the circular pieces or even sew the parts together without getting them to sit flatter--the work was curling like crazy.

Because of the angle, the two front pieces don't look the same in this photo, but they really are identical. And the far piece (right front) is puckering up a bit because I tossed it over there just for the photo and didn't neaten it up. Everything is nice and smooth and flat. The M1s in the half circles definitely smoothed out upon steaming.

Next up: seaming!

I got the beautiful SUNRISE here!

I have done my jacket this weekend. I am so excited and happy to complete it as beautiful as I hoped to do.
Wow, I did it!
I can't describe my present feelings exactly. I have got beautiful sunrise circles on my jacket.

You see?

I took a few days to consider the best positions for toggles. I thought it was a bit considerable point.I didn't feel like putting on the jacket in too tight fitting. I needed slight room around my body but not too loose. I tried putting it, looking in a mirror over and over, where I should put them nicely in position.

Here in Sweden, It has been so cold and windy. I should wait some weeks more for spring comes here then I can put on this brand-new jacket to go out.

I turned sideways to show you the curve on the side and back. Is nothing wrong, no? This time for taking photos, I put on just T-shirts under the jacket in the same way as the picture on the pattern book does. I feel so comfortable with it. There is no need to fear of the jacket to be awfully tight or long.

This is the first time I have joined a KNIT-A-LONG. I have learnt a lot of things here. Working on the same project along with others is so fun, isn't it?

I really want to thank Jackie for every thing. She always trys to encourage all members and make us feel easy.

And I'm thankful to Kate for the wonderful pattern. I even now remember that how much I was excited with the jacket when I first see it on the web site.

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Yarn: Létt-Lopi, Alafoss Lopi Collection Istex Mills, #9434(Crimson)

Size; 33 1/2 in.

Balls: 8

Needles: 4.00 mm

Gauge: 18.5 sts x 24 rws

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i need some help!

ok yall, i need some advice. i've finished the front left and i'm working on the back right now, but i just wanted to know if you guys think i should block the pieces individually or after seaming. i've never blocked pieces before seaming, but the pattern says to do it afterwards. i just need some help! anyways, here are some pictures of my progress!


the increases look so pretty!



left front



thats the back. (i love the darts). i haven't hemmed it up so these pictures look kinda sloppy! anyways, this pattern is so fun to knit. i hope everyone's having fun with it!