When in Doubt, Cast On
Friday, October 9th, 2009Today I had the blues until it was past dark. Dinner really helped a lot, actually… we found some frozen chicken leftovers, put it with some extra-special chicken broth, some frozen vegetables and spiral rice pasta. Comfort food for a rainy, blah sort of day.
Turning the Mood Around: Turquoise Yarn
I’ve been putzing around with the idea of knitting a replacement for my favorite sweater. It’s so worn, even the tush and shoulders (where I carry my purse) are worn out, not just elbows.
I wear it at home because it’s light and warm, and the color makes me happy. But I miss wearing it outside the house. (This is the only photo I can find of me wearing the sweater, taken back in 2006.)
I got some aqua mohair on clearance at Threadbear last year, the right color but a thicker yarn. I hoped to use that to replace the beloved sweater.
The Proper Tools
So I did a swatch and ended up with 7mm/10.75 needles to get a reasonably drapey fabric, at 11 stitches in 4 inches/10cm. Wowie, that’s seriously fat yarn!
Then I started up my wonderful computer program called KnitWare Sweaters 2.5. It lets me choose basic shapes of sweater, sleeve, and neckline. Then I measured the sweater I actually own, and was able to override the measurements the program gave me, with the measurements of my existing sweater.
The program has a feature where you actually swatch X number of yards of yarn on your needles at the gauge you intend for the sweater. It then tells you an estimate of how much yarn you will need for your design.
Whoops! I had 10 balls and needed something like 18. Next! It was clearly time for Plan B. That clearance yarn is long gone from the shop, I don’t know where else to find it, and even a search of folks’ stashes on Ravelry came up short.
This news was determined last night after midnight. I decided instead of problem-solving right then, I’d cast on something immediate and quick.
A Temporary Diversion
I started a hat I found on Ravelry. Of course, I tried to use different yarn than it had specified, and a different number of stitches.
It calls for sockyarn. I used worsted weight… Patons Classic in turquoise, and some leftover Noro Kureyon in blues/purples/greens.
For comparison, her hat has 11 “sections” in the pie, so to speak, and mine has only 6. The yarn is about twice as thick as specified, maybe more. The resulting knitted item looks warm, but not drapey.
The fabric is gorgeous, but it is not going to behave as I like my hats (yes, I’m picky). I think I’ll end up with a neck cowl… a very lovely one, but not a hat. I think it will be a success, but a different one than I intended when I started.
Back to the Sweater
Today, I went into deep stash. I knew I had what were intended as sweater-quantities of mohair in both turquoise and pink. The pink I have earmarked for a particular project. The turquoise was waiting for inspiration.
I got this yarn long ago, when I was still a computer consultant. I spent months on a particularly complex project, and bought mohair to reward myself when it was done. I’m grateful now for that stash.
This “new” yarn needed a new swatch. It’s thinner yarn, closer to the sweater I already own, and knit at 13 st/4″ (the existing sweater is 16 st/4 in.). The good news? I have 20 balls of yarn and KnitWare thinks I need maybe 12. SCORE!
So I printed out a pattern from my software. And I cast on.
The color I ended up with is very nice, but darker and bluer than I had in mind. I choose to go with what works, and what is already in this house, paid for. A turquoise sweater that fits like the one I love, in a different variation of turquoise, will work fine.
I’ve knit the ribbing of the back and a few rows of the flat stockinette. Knitting yarn this fluffy surely moves quickly! I’m so used to smaller gauges, that seeing nearly 2″ of fabric on my needle so soon is quite gratifying.
Stretching My Comfort Zone
Don’t faint, friends, but I decided to knit it in pieces and seam it. Yes, I normally knit in tubes/in the round.
However, I figure if my gauge changes as it sometimes can, I can adjust the size of the second piece (I’ve done this before, don’t laugh). That can make it still come out fine without reknitting a whole tube.
The truth is, I don’t mind sewing. The sleeves are modified drop so the sewing will be relatively simple. And I guess I’ve finally made peace with 80 purled stitches in a row. I think I couldn’t stand 200, but 80 is not making me crazy as it once would have.
Now, please excuse me while I go knit something lightweight and fuzzy. And turquoise!