In the Yarn Bowl

I finished Chandler’s sweater last Saturday.  He is so excited about it.  I washed and blocked it and we both like the softness of it. The way it turned out makes me happy!  I even enjoyed *washing* it!  I learned so much doing this sweater, it was a real brain stretcher.

I strayed from the original pattern first by making it smaller than the smallest size on the pattern, and then ended up doing this fair isle wave and fish design from this pattern.  I did not do the raglan decreases in the fair isle, so I had to figure out a way to decrease fast in a way that still looks nice.  I found the centered double decrease stitch on You Tube, and I really like the staggered little nubs around the neck.  I did a rolled neck instead of a ribbed neck, since he is a little guy.  I used this stretchy bind off.

I’m posting the resources that I find helpful and my “learn to knit” progress on my Facebook page called “A Colorful Yarn.”

My elder son thinks it is not that soft, but he’s always been a sensory kid about clothes.   So when I got to go to the yarn store for another fix, I mean yarn, I was extra careful to pick something super, extra soft.  I got Cascade 128 Superwash color #1913  in this charcoal gray, almost black.

At first I thought it would be too bulky to knit with and wasn’t happy with it on size 8 needles.  I went to another yarn store looking for a pattern in a booklet that I saw on Ravelry but they did not carry it.  I was temped by some Tahki tweed yarn, also in charcoal per Hunter’s color request, and thought I’d take back the Cascade and get some store credit, woohoo!  But alas, knitting with it feels a bit like dryer lint, like the Noro yarn from last year.  It is really soft which is a real plus.  I might try a smaller needle with the tweed, or take it back.    Store credit is a good thing.  My husband might not agree with that.

In the photo are both swatches after washing.  I love the way the Cascade 128 Superwash fuzzed a bit with hand washing.  I’m in love with it now.  I might try tackling this Manti pattern on Ravelry, and do a staghorn cable instead of the diamonds per Hunter’s request.  It is my second sweater and I do feel a bit overwhelmed with the 9 pages of instructions on the pattern, not to mention changing it!   We both also like this Staghorn sweater but could not find the booklet it is published in at the yarn store.  I’ll see if my library has that issue of Knitting magazine.  If not, I think I can figure out the cable stitches.  I’ll use some regular yarn to swatch it.

I’ll be casting on soon.

Oh!  I’m reading Distant Shores, by Kristin Hannah.  I enjoyed one of Kristin Hannah’s other books, called “True Colors.”

Ginny’s Small Things Yarn Along

Here is what Ginny says about her Yarn Along.  Won’t you participate?

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~