I finished my Cocoon

After taking a knitting hiatus of almost 18 months...I finished Cocoon!!! I love the warmth of it and the colorway as I used Evergreen instead of Charcoal as the second color. Please click on the pictures to see the cocoon's detail.

However, I don't know if I like the front yet. I usually like the front of my sweaters to be able to button close and this garment doesn't allow for that.

I probably need to block it so it fits better.

I'm still knitting...

I've made it to the edging on my Twisted Float Shrug:

I'm going to start on that tonight. I was going to use some custom-dyed Silkwood mohair, but a plain edging would look much better. So I bought some chocolate Debbie Bliss Astrakhan this afternoon. And if that doesn't look right, then I think I'll stick to the Lorna's Laces that I'm using for the body - I just hope I have enough left!

30 June 2007- Garngamen finished

Swedish KAL-friends - I- Garngamen is finished. I started it fall-05, and then had to reknit one sleeve that I felt was a bit too loose. It has been an UFO for awhile, butI got my act togheter and Now Im officielly done! Im so happy. It was actually quite fun except those last rows in the big circle that just swallowed the balls like nothing. And reknitting is never fun. It looks much better from the back! When I now turn you see why it has not been a priority: Im not shaped well for this knit. You could also tell Im buttoning it a bit. Great with a stretchy fabric. Im thinking of adding shortrows and close that belly showing gap. It is not as nice when it sticks out. But it is looks great from the back! No comments on very temporary buttons, please. Anyhow, I was not fully true to pattern, since I thnk I accidently added some extra increases on last rounds. Also, being a bit too many X in the size, I automatically add a bit. That was the cause of sleeve re-knit, since I made them too big. They look better a bit tight, but not as comfortable as big. Im just going to walk you through the yarn used. Maya from Debbie Bliss (same as Manus del Uraguy wool yarn), and then Estonian two-threaded Kauni wool (in the double) turqoise, and purple (and also some hank of this in plain colour). White is Mojärv (Swedish). Edge is Mohair (Ombre?). Colour inspiration was a Greek sea holiday - with the salty water, sea and seaweed. Visit my blog at garngamen (which means yarnvulture). It is in English - even if Im Swedish. Im trying to have a lot of pictures! Thank yo all KAL-friends for great inspiration. I think this pattern is great to finish off yarn scraps, blends and such.

Finished!

Here it is:

Definately making the small size next time!

I feel I'm at risk of making this "all about me".........

.........and I apologise!

but here goes (again!)

Still no photos :( sorry - but no real progress this weekend as I am disturbed (for want of a better word) at just how big this thing is!

I picked up for the sleeves and I've done five pattern repeats and they come to my elbows, just about, so I'm going to start the decreases when I pick it up again, hopefully this week but my dismay at the size may prevent that! Once I'd done the sleeves I tried it on and the thing is huge!!

It comes to my knees in the back!!

Way, way longer than the photo in Vogue. I think I was so concerned about making sure it fit around my chest I didn't properly think of the consequences, it being a circle and all! My husband, bless him, says it looks fine to him, but I'm not convinced! To me it looks too much like a big blanket rather than designer knitwear!

Anyhow, I've been kind of musing on what to do about it and I think I will be unpicking a couple of pattern repeats between the arm-holes and the outside edge and reknitting the lapel rounds and edging - ugh!! Having written that thought down I will have to check and see just how many pattern repeats there are between the sleeves and the lapel round - it might not even be possible to do that.

I had at first thought I would try and graft two sections together after frogging a couple of repeats but quickly realized that won't work due to the increases each round and therefore mismatch in number of stitches and size of the rounds to be grafted together, so I'm facing reknitting the outer rounds and the edging :(

..............and that's what has caused me to set it aside.

Also musing on just how to frog it to ensure I am able to recover all the stitches!

I'm thinking of maybe trying to pick up the stitches at the point I want to start again from before actually unpicking anything and then using the fact that I've already cut the contrast float yarn as a dividing point to start unpicking - kind of like we did for the sleeves with the waste yarn, except there's no waste yarn row.

Of course I could always just finish it up and have it as a coat rather than a shrug, and then learn from my mistakes in the next version, but I'm not sure I would ever wear it, nor am I sure I would ever want to knit this thing again.......... I've never been much of one for repeating patterns!

Decisions, decisions!!
Any thoughts?

Finished and cast off the body

Well I finished the body - what a pain knitting with double threads at the edge - they kept getting split by the needles and I ended up throwing the yarn with my whole hand which was aching quite severely by the end. But it's done......... until I get to the sleeve edges!

I was somewhat dismayed by the size of it - it seems it will be more of a coat than a shrug, LOL.

But I was very cavalier in knitting it going by number of stitches rather than actual measurements so it's my own fault. I think it's approximately 44 inches in diameter rather than the 40 for the large size, which, of course, is already a full 10 inches bigger than the small that's pictured in Vogue.

So lesson learned - I will make a note to myself to knit at least one fewer pattern repeat and perhaps place the arm-holes slightly closer to the center on the next one (if there ever is a next one!) not sure about this until I actually make the arm-holes and test it out. And of course measure as I go! Actually I think it would have been a good idea to actually make the arm-holes earlier so it could've been fitted better.

I took a look at some of the finished shrugs posted here last year and was heartened to note that many look larger than the Vogue picture but all look fantastic! Well done everyone. So there's hope.

Moving on to the sleeves.

Wish me luck!

New Member!

Hi All:

Thanks Kim for adding me to the roster :)

I've been knitting the shrug for a couple of weeks and stumbled across this knit-along when I was looking for images to post on my blog.

Anyhow, I'm happy to have found you and am looking forward to joining in the fun!

I am up to about 64 stitches per section and have to say these are the longest rows I have ever knit!

I'm not a huge fan of circular needles but got an adjustable set (with extenders!!) for Christmas and so have to justify the acquisition! I'm not using the recommended yarns - too expensive - but hope it will turn out ok anyhow.

I'd really like some hints on the sleeves as I'll be getting to those hopefully this week.

I'm not sure I quite understand how it's going to work, picking up and then undoing the waste yarn. I'm assuming this is done with the wrong side facing as all the knitting has been this way although it's not specified in the pattern /instructions!

Also I noted the "upset" in posts here about the position of the "seam" on the sleeves and wondered if anyone has suggestions? I haven't been carrying the solid yarn between float sections but cut it and darned in the strings, so maybe it won't be such an issue?

I'm notoriously bad about posting photos on my blog of my projects so sorry, no photos yet but I promise that I will get some up, at least of the finished article --- after so much work, you can bet I'm showing it off!

I'm just hoping it's not too big - on the circulars it's now so bunched up I haven't been able to measure it. As I really didn't check my gauge I could wind up with a lot of work for nothing.

At least my kitty likes it - Sophie, the little Siamese we rescued from the forest preserve - sorry she's not yet been properly introduced on my blog, loves to try and snuggle right in the middle of it while I'm working on it!

Well enough about me - I'm looking forward to your suggestions on the sleeves and any other tips graduates of the shrug KAL can share!

Cheers for now - Janet

I'm a slow knitter

OK, so I got caught up with my Christmas knitting. Then in the new year, I started working on baby gifts and other stuff.... I have knitting-style ADD in that I cannot finish a project, but I am very good at starting 30 of them.

So, I am just going to stick with my usual excuse: I'm a slow knitter.

When I get this knitting bit onto a larger circ, I'll post another photo. Don't expect anything before July....

New Host

Hi, all!

I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Kim and I'm taking over hosting duties from Reb. I originally joined the KAL in May 2006 and completed my shrug in July.

If you'd like to join the KAL or have any feedback to give me on updates, just click on my name on the sidebar to e-mail me. Thanks, Reb, for your time hosting the KAL for this great project!

New Host?

Hi, everyone. I've been without my regular computer for a very long time now, resulting in some really delayed invitations. As for updating the sidebar with members, it's been forever. Would someone like to take over as host?

Hope your shrugs are shrugging along,
Reb