Crafty Snargle

Gold!

Pattern: Twisted Cardigan by Sarah Montie HandKnits
Yarn: Rowan Cork, colorway “Bug”, overdyed with Berry Blue Kool-Aid
Needles: U.S. 13
Started: Feb. 12th, During the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics
Finished: knitting - 4 PM Feb. 28th on the airplane; sewing the front together - 8 PM Feb. 28th during the Closing Ceremonies

I did it! I finished my sweater during the Olympics, even though I spent the last day traveling on an airplane (hence the hotel bathroom FO shot). And… I’m not totally in love with it. Sigh. I think the problem is really that I should have made the Medium instead of the large. I just always assume that I need the bigger size, but in this case I really didn’t. I got gauge, and it’s to the measurements in the pattern, it’s just too big on me. I think I’m probably going to go in, take out the seams and take away a few inches from the shoulder area… that might make it fit better. Actually, I think I’ll try wearing it all day first just to make sure that my impression is correct. It’s supposed to be cold and windy tomorrow in southern California, so that will be a good test.

Otherwise, I thought it was a great pattern, I loved the yarn (especially in my new colorway), and it was a pretty quick knit with enough to keep it interesting. I’d recommend the pattern, just make sure of the fit!

So… I’ll take my gold medal, but I’m not 100% sure that this sweater is actually finished.

I’ve been training for about 7 years now… the road has been long and hard. There have been setbacks, momentary defeats, but I’ve perservered and I’m ready.

Four years ago, I tasted gold… two years later I did it again (a little less ambitious this time to be sure, but with a 5 month-old baby and packing and moving across the country, still impressive; didn’t manage to make it on the blog, but here’s the ravelry link).

Here’s where things stood on Feb. 12th at 5 PM:

Ready for Cast-On!

After browsing through about 30 pages of cardigans on ravelry (Love Ravelry! Love it!!!), I finally found the Twisted Cardigan, which involved cables (yay!), knit sideways (fun!), in bulky yarn on large needles (Huzzah! I’m ambitious but not stupid… I do have a toddler) and I knew that I had found my Knitting Olympics/Ravelympics project. For those not familiar, I have challenged myself to complete a knitted garmet during the 2010 Winter Olympics. I cast on with the Opening Ceremony, and my goal is to compete it before the Closing Ceremony. Here’s my progress so far:

A front and a half!

Of course, while working on the right front (the second piece), I realized that I missed a few increases on the left front (the first piece I did), so I’ll need to rip back a bit… to just before I bound off for the side seam. But I’m still making good progress!

Calling for a bulky-weight yarn, this project also helped me check off another criteria for a project, by knitting with yarn from my stash. A few years ago (three, to be exact), I purchased some Rowan Cork (back when it was being discontinued) from E-Bay. I haven’t done anything with it since. One of the reasons was the color. Although I do lie the brightness of “Bug” (OK, it’s closer to acid green), I wasn’t feeling it for this sweater. So I grabbed some Kool-Aid, and this is what I got:

Before & After

In Progress

Finished Product

Of course, my knitting progress might be set back a little bit because I need to finish dyeing… but Dan brought home the Kool-Aid I needed tonight, so I should be back on track. Wish me luck!

Pattern: Tubey from Knitty
Yarn: Maple Creek Farms Fine Wools 100% Alpaca in colorways Power and Strawberry Smoothie, purchased at Rhinebeck 2005 (knitting from stash!)
Needles: Denise 5’s and 6’s, Crystal Palace Bamboo dpns and circular size 6
Started: February 10, 2006 during the Opening Ceremonies
Finished: February 26, 2006 (down to the wire!)

Comments: Love the fit, love the neckline, love the yarn. More photos:

Front

and

Back.

I’m still having trouble believing that it’s done. I got off to a bit of a slow start, not finishing the sleeves/shrug until last Monday and knitting the entire body this week. I am a complete Olympics addict (thanks, Mom!), and spent a lot of time on the couch knitting both weeks. I also had my meetup group and another knitting nite party this week (at Fidget Ann’s) which helped tons.

Of course, I had tons of help while working on this sweater. The fur babies helped tons:

And Dan was a big help, too. He went to the grocery store by himself to buy me a dessert to take to an office party (because I couldn’t possibly spare the time), brought me Tylenol when my hands were hurting, and was a great cheerleader.

I had lots of other exciting, creative stuff to say about this sweater, but I’m kinda Tubey-ed out right now. In fact, I might be knitted out for a few days. I’m not sure what my next project will be either…

My mother is a knathlete, too. She’s quite computer savvy (AOL quilting forum guru), and very crafty, too (primarily quilt with some crochet thrown in). She (and my dad) both read the Yarn Harlot on a regular basis, and she threw her hat in the ring for the KO, making her third knitted project ever. After an initial setback (and some ripping:

She’s knitting the Lacy Ribbed Scarf from The Portable Crafter (Knitting), using size 6 needles and Lana Borgosesia Mohair yarn.

Go Mom!

No time to blog - too busy knitting!

This Tubey is going to be a nailbiter… Picked up stitches and started the body tonight. Details later (if I’m not too busy knitting!)…

Thanks to everyone for your input on the color choice - it was actually the opposite of what I was leaning towards! But I’ve decided that all of you can’t be wrong, and will proceed with the variegated shrug/sleeves and solid body - with a few stripes thrown in for fun.

I cast on at the beginning of the Arrested Development season finale (hopefully not series finale - c’mon ABC or Showtime!) - which was coincidentally also the beginning of the Opening Ceremony coverage. By the time the flame was lit around 11:30 I had made some progress:

On Saturday I got a bit distracted by a house project (getting our 2nd bedroom ready for a new coat of paint) but did manage to get a few more inches in - no picture though. I thought I’d done good work until I surfed around a few blogs and found some excellent progress (like Mac or Jennifer), so now I’m extra motivated!
[For those bloggers participating in the Knitting Olympics Drinking Game, this is Number 2 - although I don't like to think of myself as whining, but merely stating facts. Please drink now. You can thank me later - or just buy the next round.]

Here’s what we look like tonight:

Thanks to Cleo for being the model/reference for scale. Sidebar: the pink plaid blanket that she’s on was a Christmas gift and has proven to be the equivalent of Cleo crack. She’s on it at absolutely every possible opportunity.

And I am now a proud member of Team Knit in Public, after an unplanned vehicle malfunction led to an unplanned trip to Pep Boys, followed by an unplanned taxi ride. Anyway, here’s the photographic proof:

More progress updates to come! Bob Costa is standing by.

I’m back from my whirlwind trip! Everything went well, and I’ve even got photos and an FO to show for it - but more on that later. I need some time to put together the entry - let’s try for this weekend, shall we?

In the meantime, I’m very excited for the Opening Ceremonies and casting on my Tubey tomorrow! I’m planning to join the KnitAlong.

I’ve done the swatching, figured out the needle size and am almost ready to go. After a few measuring sessions yesterday, during which my cross-back width ranged from 14″ (making me the size of an 8-year-old) to 24″ (which correlates with the 54″ chest measurement, which is nowhere close), we finally settled on 20.5″. I’ll be making the Medium size, which is what I figured I’d be making before I started measuring!

There’s only one decision left to make. I’m using two yarns - 100% alpaca, bought at Rhinebeck from Maple Creek Farm.

One is for the body, the other for the shrug and sleeves, but I still haven’t quite decided which color will be which. I will have a stripe of the other color through the sleeves like in the original pattern.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Goal for the Olympics - frequent posting to document progress!

P.S. ETA - I just found out that the final four hours of Arrested Development will be shown tomorrow night from 8-10 as a 2-hour season finale. Opposite the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. Gee, you can tell that Fox really loves this show, can’t you? I’ll definitely be watching one and taping the other… not sure which!