You can truly make a girl feel good about her knits! Thank you thank you thank you! I think we broke my comment meter ;-) I know I'll be rocking Fifi a ton this fall and maybe cooler summer nights. There really is nothing better than wraping yourself up in Calmer!
Now is the fun, "what shall I knit next" part. I'm very picky about what I like to knit. It must be something that I get excited about - there's seriously nothing better than feeling so ensconsed in your knitting. Others might find you crazy and a loof but you and I all know how good it is to be making something you love.
I also can only knit things that I can see myself wearing. Often times that means some boring stocknette stitching but on other occations (hi Fifi!) it means a little bit more mindfulness. I also like to try knit things that I may need in my wardrobe. I found that I wore my CPH hoodie a ton and therefore realize that cardigans would do very well in the 'wearing' catergory. Here is the beginnings of Cherry by Anna Bell.
I'm using Elann Sonata and so far it's holding up well. It's a very inexpensive yarn and I was worried about the "pay for what you get" quality - but my blocked gauge swatch has a pretty sheen and drape to it so I think it's going to work out. I got a good start on the back last night and already loving how it's coming out.
I feel though I may have cast on Frenzy after this. On Saturday I picked up two new knitting books from B&N. I had a gift card and well what's we do when we get gift cards... buy knitting books.
The first book that I was on the hunt for was Fitted Knits by Stephanie Japel... there are just too many in that book that are screaming to be casted on. My favs were her Simple Rectangle Tunic and the lacy tube top.
The other book was a last minute spotted out of the corner of my eye impulse purchase - Twinkle's Big City Knits. After doing much research on the internets it seems that a lot of people were taken in by this great book and let down by it's pattern writting but happy with their FOs. What a knitty emotional roller coaster! I guess my Rowan Vintage Knits experience has been about the same... I have yet ripped up Cherie but she's soooo needs a full body tune up if I'm going to actually be able to wear her.
I loved 3 patterns out of the Twinkle book: Twiggy Tunic, Shopper Tunic and of course the Bestfriend Cardigan (the Balthazar Vest also got a double take too). If anything I will probably start with the Twiggy Tunic. The pattern says to use a DK weight held 4 strands together... but it also says that you can subsitute that with a yarn like Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, but single stranded. Now I'm still pretty suspect that 4 DK strands would equal one Cotton Fleece strand (and mind you on size 15 needles!). However, I'm willing to experiement - I just love the cables!! I would like to use a silk/cotton blend and have been searching the internets for something - any suggestions? I mean 14 balls of Twinkle Cruise seems a bit too much.
However, I may get a few balls to at least see what that yarn is all about. In my preperation for Italy I realized that I need to bring a shrug with me in order to wear my pretty thinly strapped dresses around and not worry about when we enter churches or the Vatican. I want to cover my shoulders in style so am contemplating a few shrug patterns. Of course I do have my fiery bolero, but I want something more airy and lacy. I'm eying right now the Little Lace Shrug which I actually think the Twinkle Cruise might go very well with (perhaps only double stranded... ha). I'm also going back to my collection of IKs which I'm sure will have a few options there.
If you got a favorite lacy shrug, let me know :-)
Maybe she meant Cotton Fleece held doubled? Otherwise it just doesn't make any sense.
As for silk/cotton, I knit Picovoli in Debbie Bliss Cathay and was very pleased with it. It's a DK weight though, so that would mean 4 strands... might get pretty pricey.
Posted by: Stella | June 05, 2007 at 06:27 PM
You're so good! That's going to look great!
Posted by: Cara | June 05, 2007 at 06:45 PM
I think Cherry is going to be lovely- it looks great so far in Sonata. I can't think of any lacey shrugs off the top of my head, but it seems like that Little Lace Shrug would be perfect for your trip! If I come across any others, I'll let you know! :)
Posted by: Nonnahs | June 05, 2007 at 09:01 PM
That is a great cardi - so pretty!!!! Fitted knits has so many great patterns in it - I flipped through it once and have it on loan at the library!
Posted by: stacey | June 06, 2007 at 08:27 AM
Ohh, I like how Cherrie is looking so far. I was planning on getting some Sonata for a summer project, but wasn't sure about it. So glad I read this.
Posted by: isel | June 08, 2007 at 10:17 PM
Hey - maybe you can help. I just started Cherry last night (in the third size in the brackets) and am stumped as to how to proceed with the cabling pattern. I have literally just started - finished the ribbing, and the first three rows of the cable pattern.
Then she says "Cont from row 4 of cable stitch
pattern as set for 3 more rows." - the problem with this is that, in the third size, I only have a total of 110 stitches on my needle. In order to complete the fourth row evenly, I would need 112. So what do I do - just go ahead and end a bit short or...?
I am new to knitting so sorry if this is a daft question!!
Posted by: Sangita | June 14, 2007 at 07:22 AM