I'm a productive little stinker!

Since my last post, I've:

- finished my L&L blanket, but not gotten around to weaving in the ends. The cat won't let me, anyway; I can't get her off of it long enough to accomplish anything!

- frogged (whee!!!) and completely redone my L&L dropstitch scarf. I did carry it with a ribbon yarn for two rounds of alternating repeats on either end (one carrying, one wihtout, a second carrying, a whole lot without, one carrying, one without, one carrying). I made it skinny (4"ish, needing only 8 stitches) and long. It wraps around my neck twice, and then does a half square knot (ascot-like), and still hangs down almost to my knees.




- made the Sitcom Chic cardigan from Knitty:
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring03/PATTsitcomchic.html
It took me TEN DAYS (one of which was a road trip, with a good 7 hours of knitting time) to complete. I probably should have made a larger size, but it still looks fab. Once I get it blocked and the button sewn on (and I find a camera), I'll post pictures (along with all the other ones I've been promising you.) The pattern just calls for a light pressing, but my work wasn't perfectly even, and I had a bit of laddering on one sleeve (I used the magic loop method, rather than double-points, since I didn't have dps in that size), so I'm going to try wet-blocking it to compensate.
In a rare bout of obeying instructions, I used Cotton Ease in turquoise. I really like this yarn. It took me a while to get used to knitting cotton, but once I did, it was very comfortable in my hands. It's also really cheap yarn: something like $3/ball.
I had a huge amount of yarn leftover, though! The size I planned to make called for 6 balls, so I bought 7 to be safe. Then I decided to make the next size down, which called for 5. When all was said and done, I only used 4! With three balls left over, I decided to make a tank, and do the twinset thing.

- made and ripped out (whee!!!) the front of The Shapley Tank from White Lies Designs:
http://www.whiteliesdesigns.com/patterns/lpullovers/fbc.html
using my leftover Cotton Ease. The style wasn't working for me, and the fit wasn't great, so I dropped the project. It was a great exercise in shortrows-shaping, though. I may try it again some other time, when I'm not as focused on producing an addition to my wardrobe.

- started working on the Honeymoon Cami from Knitty:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring04/PATThoneymoon.html
with the ripped-out Cotton Ease. The yarn is a little bit bulky for that pattern. I can get gauge, but the fabric is a little heavier than in the picture, and so I'm not sure it'll flatter. The eyelet rib didn't really show, so I ripped it out (whee!!!) and started again, edging it with a narrow k1p1 rib, as in the Sitcom Chic cardigan (which started this whole thing anyway). I've got it up to where the neckline splits, and have completed one of the V-points, and am almost done with the second. It actually knits up pretty quickly, but after the cardigan, half the shapely tank, and most of this one, I'm getting bored working with the same yarn, so I need to alternate frequently between that and my chemise

- started the Hush Hush Chemise (also from Knitty):
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer04/PATThush.html
The pearl cotton I bought looked pastel mint green online, but is actually quite brighter. I'd call it a pale aqua green. Still uber-flattering, though. I've finished the bottom lace section, and have a couple inches of the stockinette skirt section. It took a while to get used to the fine pearl cotton, and the first few rows of lace were really hard to control, but isn't that always the case? I absolutely love the fabric this is creating, though, and the yarn was CHEAP! I bought a cone of it, which should, in theory, be enough for the chemise, for $18. I bought a second just in case I wanted to make it longer (which I might) or make a lace bolero jacket to go with it (which I might), or in case I run out of yarn (which I might). My sister, however, has said that she'd like a tank top version of this, with the bottom lace edge coming in at the hipline, rather than the hem. She even picked out the same color pearl cotton as I did, totally on her own. With a sign like that, how can I not oblige?

*** Update: July 7th, 2005: PICTURES!!!***



Coming soon: an evening wrap:

I have 12 balls of GGH soft kid in white, which is one of the most beautiful yarns I've ever bought. It is light, but not overly fine, since it's core is not tightly-packed. Love love love. The only problem: I was going to make the wrap with sleeves from Rebecca #12:

http://www.rebecca-online.com/en/anleit/heft_12_anl_17.pdf

The problem is, I've just redesigned the dress I wanted to wear it with. Instead of 3/4 sleeves, I'm making it off-the-shoulder, with gently gathered sleeves that drape below the shoulder. I don't think they'd fit into the sleeves of the wrap. Hmm... I may make them cap sleeves, which I wear dropped, but could pull up when putting on my wrap. A standard wrap would probably take less yarn and time, though.

If anyone can recommend a nice wrap pattern (or a stitch pattern) for GGH soft kid, I'd love to know! I'd rather avoid anything too busy or old-fashioned-looking, though. The dress is black with white polka-dots and a wrap that's too busy (florals, complicated geometrics) would detract, I think. I'll post a picture of the dress-in-progress, so you can see what I mean?



So, my goals for the end of May:
- block the cardigan and add the button
- finish the tank
- finish Hush Hush
- make a wrap for my polka-dot dress
- finish my polka-dot dress!
- make a sundress (or maybe capri pants) out of this cute cotton seersucker that would go so preciously with the cardigan
- MAYBE make a beach coverup (nice white cotton mesh long-sleeved dress?)

AND I have to do this while planning my wedding! I am making most of these things for the honeymoon!

Oy.