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I finished my sweater! My cherie amour.



The back and the notes )
I can't quite believe I made this so quickly.  I am starting to feel like I can knit almost anything!

elizabeth_mn: (Default)

I finished one sleeve for my Cherie Amour and I've done about 20 rows on the second.



Not blocked, so it looks lumpy, but I like it.  I modified it to be narrower at the wrist with less of an increase between ribbing and sleeve.  I hate it when sleeves look poofy above the ribbing.

I think the sweater will be done by the end of this month or early next month.



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I used F's last unexpected marathon nap to put some serious time into this.



In the photo, left front is on the needle and right front and back are on holders, right after splittng for armholes.  Now both fronts are done and I am all set to continue the back.

This pattern is a bit fiddly.  I don't think I would reccomend it.  In order to continue in pattern after dividing the fronts and back, you just have to 'read' the knitting; the charts do not tell you what to do at all.  And I wonder what the point of a pattern is if you have to figure out a lot of it yourself.

But anyway, I like the way it looks.  I tried it on and it is fitting really well.  Both the ribbing and the lace are super-stretchy, so it clings just enough.  I hope it still fits well after blocking.


elizabeth_mn: (Default)
I finished the bottom lace section on my Cherie Amour and I've done about 10 rows of the ribbed waist section.  It's looking really good and so far I am staying on gauge.

I needed a new sz 10 needle for the waist section, so I picked up an Addi Natura, a needle I've never used before.  I thought it was wood, but when I got it home, I saw it is bamboo.  So much for my no-new-bamboo-needles resolution.  But it is slicker than Clover; more like the wood needles I've used.  I like it okay.

I also read ahead in the pattern for the umpteenth time, and the upper section is finally starting to make sense.  I am still kind of a newbie with chart reading.

Of course, I am already thinking about what to knit next.  First thing (and I might start this now) is a hat for my HB in dark brown wool with Noro Silk Garden stripes (Jared Flood/Brooklyn Tweed pattern).  Next thing is a light spring cardigan fo rme.

But for now, focus is needed!  Be here now!
elizabeth_mn: (Default)
I'm really excited about the projects which have finally made it to the top of my to do list!

I cast on my Cherie Amour for the third time and now it's going quite well.  I've got about 20 rows of the bottom lace section done.  After knitting Kernel, this lace pattern is a breeze.  I've pretty much memorized it by now.  And I am totally converted to knitting from charts.  I don't know what I was so afraid of before!

A couple new dresses are on the agenda.  I got a few yards of brown, paisley-printed cotton in the bargain section a couple years ago and I am going to make a shirtdress out of it with a gored skirt.  Maybe I will pipe the pockets to give it more of a cowgirl look.

I also have a lovely coordinating cotton print and solid which will become a dress; the solid as a bodice and the print as a skirt.  I want to put a tiny pocket on the bodice in the print fabric, and use buttons covered in the print as well.

For both dresses, I'll use my basic shirtdress bodice and pair it with skirt patterns I already have. 

I just need to wash some of the fabrics and then I can get sewing!  Yay!
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Yesterday I cast on for Cherie Amour, counted my stitches about 8 times, and began knitting.  When I got to the end of the first round, I was missing 3 stitches.  Either I mis-counted or I didn't follow the stitch pattern properly.

So I ripped out, somehow making a horrible tangle which had to be cut, and cast on again.  This time, I put ring markers every 10 sts to make sure I was counting properly.  As I knitted the first round, I moved the markers to every 12 sts - the length of the pattern repeat.

On the second round, I encountered a horrible ugly felted join in my yarn.  Ick!  Too yucky to knit in.  Cut yarn, scrap everything.

By that point, my day was over, and I did not have the time to start again.

Today hopefully I can cast on again and this time it will stick!
elizabeth_mn: (Default)

I showed my lace swatch to [livejournal.com profile] undycat  yesterday and she said she thought the yarn would work for Cherie Amour.  Yay!  It is nice sometimes to have a second opinion.  So I will cast on for this as soon as I can find a spare moment.



The swatch has shrunk a little since blocking, mostly from handling, but I don't think that should affect the knitting too much.  I don't want to go up another needle size because I like the way the swatch looks on this size.  And I have more often been disappointed by things growing than shrinking.

Maybe the color is too 70s and I will look like I am wearing a macrame plant hanger, but oh well.  I like this pattern , and I like the yarn, and I also like the idea of toning down the chunkiness with an open stitch pattern.  I think cables + chunky yarn would just have been too dense and heavy.
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