Gift knitting? What's that?

Samus is getting close! The body & 1 sleeve are done, and at the bottom of the pic is the cable cuff for the other sleeve. I hear the applied I-cord is a bit tedious & time consuming, but I want to wear this soon. It looks so orange in the pic - it's really a darker red in person.

Is it wrong to be so focused on a sweater for ME, when I should really be working exclusively on Christmas gifts?

Anyone else already behind on those, even though it's not December yet?

STALLED

Waiting for more yarn - luckily I found some on eBay and it should be here soon - hopefully by the end of the week.

so while waiting - what to do , what to do - well, i guess i could do some finishing on some other sweaters (for nephews ) but they are all done except for sleeves - so i guess i will visit the Sleeve Island until my yarn comes in!

Red Bob

Hi,

I finally took a picture of myself in my red Bob (from Knitty) before putting that shortsleeved lovely in storage until spring. Unfortunatelly the pic is taken in a darkish bath room with a three part mirror while standing on my toes in the bathtub. But at least it will give you a (vague) idea of what is going on. I am really looking forward to wearing this in spring.

The Freya sweater

Chris wanted to see the cardigan (sans buttons) that matches the red Green Gables sweater that I just finished. Well, here it is, in all its wrinkled, never yet blocked, button-less glory. Yes, I wear it anyway. And clearly, I need to be more careful about folding it when I put it away. Wrinkles! Ick. Sigh. LOL


The pattern is Elsebeth Lavold's from her Viking Patterns for Knitting book. It's the Freya sweater. I have pewter buttons for it with little Viking ships on them. :-)

I think this'll make a nice sweater set with the Gables sweater... The open work at the top of the shell will show above the collar of the cardigan. Purty.

My husband keeps telling me that I need to set aside a "button" day, so I can sew buttons on my sweaters that have never had them, and re-attach buttons to sweaters (and some of his shirts) that have fallen off. I really should do that one of these days...

Front Shot

Thank you for all the kind comments on my sweater. I didn't put a front shot up because it shows how white my legs are (blush). But here it is. Also, Lyn the green sweater on my blog is from Rebecca 32.

On the Edge

I'm knitted down to the front flap of the red top-down raglan. I really should give this sweater a name. Oh well.

The garter stitch edging is flipping up a bit. I hope that it blocks flat and stays flat. I like the way the edging looks and will use this again in other projects. I can't wait to get the back flap done and try it on again. I really like the ability to try it on in a top-down design. Very cool. I'm now eyeing patterns and trying to figure out how to make them top-down in the round. Seaming? We don't need no stinkin' seaming!

Just Finished

Even though I have just joined the Red Sweater KAL I just finished a red sweater. It is a red peplum jacket from Rebecca 22 knit in GGH Cascade tape yarn. See more about this sweater on my blog.


Now I am trying to decide what red sweater to knit next. Since red is my favorite color I have no problem finding red yarn in my stash. I have some Lopi for a red sweater, and some hand-dyed red yarn I bought at the Maryland Sheep and Wool, but what is really calling to me is this. Its something a little bit different. Decisions, decisions.

My red (green) gable sweater is done!

I finished knitting up my wonderful little shell a couple weeks ago when we were in Las Vegas. I wove in the ends the other day while I was sitting here listening to Earin's most recent pod cast, and I begged the use of my next door neighbor's steamer yesterday to do a light blocking. The result? I love it! I can't wait to wear it and pair it with the cardigan (still button-less) I knit from the same yarn, oh, years ago now.

I loved knitting with this yarn (Beregere de France's Magic... sorry, long discontinued). It's actually a 5-ply wool. I found that interesting. I've seen a lot of 2- and 4-ply yarns, but this is the only 5-ply that I have seen, in my somewhat limited experience with yarns.

I have another photo and the sweater stats for this project in my blog.

Lest you think that I'm done knitting red, I am not. I still have this yummy cashmere-wool blend yarn that I got ages and ages ago. But it'll have to wait until the new year. I have too much obligation knitting to do between now and Christmas to even begin to think of possibilities for this yarn. And I want to see how Jo does with her red cashmere. I do have to admit to a certain reluctance to peruse any of my Starmore books when looking for a pattern for this yarn, thinking that her misfortune with her project may be a Starmore/cashmere thing. I so don't want to get involved in that.

Getting That Yarn Ready For A Lucky Winner!

I suddenly bethought myself today that December 1 wasn't too far away - Friday in fact. And that's the day one lucky member of the Red Sweater KAL gets to win a big skein of unique Celtic Memory hand-plied composed designer yarn.

I create these special yarns every month or so, reflecting in different ways the Irish countryside, Celtic festivals, legends and stories. The next one will be Midwinter, celebrating the great ancient festival when the sun finally turns back towards the dark and chilly North and brings promise of springtime to come. I'll have that one on eBay around the beginning of next week. But first comes the prize for the Red Sweater KAL and in honour of all you who have spent your spare time, your evenings, working late into the wee small hours, on your bright projects, I am creating Red Branch (K)Nights. This not only praises your efforts but also remembers those doughty warriors of ancient Ireland, who feasted in a mead hall with a branched tree outside the heavy oaken door. This tree was hung with bells, and whenever the bells rang, the warriors knew that a challenge was at hand and rushed out to defend their king, their land, their honour, and anything else they felt like defending.

Just the kind of lads you'd like to have around for a hen night really. And this composed yarn will be as lively and bright and dramatic as anything that the ladies of those ancient times would have trailed provocatively behind them as they made an entrance down the stone staircase.



And so, in the way I usually begin to plan a new composed yarn, I spread a clean bath sheet on the floor of my stash room and started to pull out all the cones and balls and bundles that seemed to reflect what I wanted for a special creation like this. The stash is a pretty enormous one by this time, built up over many years and many wanderings in different countries, but it's still not enough. Is it ever?

It will take until Friday and many swearings, going back and forth, lifting down mighty boxes and containers, pulling cones out, putting them back, searching hither, thither and yon for one elusive one that I knew I had somewhere, before I'm half satisfied. But in the end it will be a skein like you've never seen before.

Red Branch (K)Nights. Hope you win it!

Jo
Celtic Memory Yarns
http://celticmemoryyarns.blogspot.com

Calista Yoo's Aran Off-Shoulder Sweater

Hello everyone, this is the first time I have actually posted, but I joined this KAL earlier in the fall. This is the progress I have made so far on my sweater. I am working on this sweater for both the Fall '06 Cable KAL and the Red Sweater KAL. This is my first attempt at knitting a sweater and also knitting in the round. I only started knitting in June of this year. I taught myself using a kit from LionBrand. I learned to crochet at an early age, but no one I knew knit. I finally found some time this summer and taught myself. I have really enjoyed reading everyone elses posts. The sweaters and yarn are so pretty! Happy Knitting!

Happy Red Days

Thank you Anne for your wonderful Red Letter Day treat - perfect timing for boosting my spirits!

If anyone else hasn't spent lots of time looking at Anne's patterns do because they are gorgeous and I had a hard time choosing.

My red sweater is making very slow progress courtesy of holiday knitting and a challenge to make small knitted penguins over the weekend and my new NaNoSweMo challenge is to finish the back during November! More piccies will follow as soon as I have anything worth showing.
Carie

Progress on Samus

I've been whaling through the body, and am almost done! I did the right front (on the left of the pic) as the pattern is written, then did the left front with a V-neck, to compare. I also added a bit of shaping on the back neck, so it wouldn't ride up too high. I think I like the V-neck, but despite constant measuring, both armholes are too deep. So, off to fix that, then start on a sleeve!

Anyone else knitted this pattern?

Success!!!

Finally!! I was able to make it through call of the charts of the right neck side. I just finished picking up stitches for the left neck side. I hope the left side goes easier than the right side. I am still not sure if I am going to like this color. The sweater will work though for every day wear. We live in an old drafty house so the sweaters are coming in handy.

The Rogue sweater also from The Girl From Auntie was easier to do I think. The cabling was not as complicated. I just don't like have the edges finished on that sweater though. I think I will rib the cuffs and waist on the next one I make.

Am I Jinxed By Starmore?

How many days ago was it that I cheerfully and confidently wrote of being on the right path at last? Getting going properly on the Eriskay gansey from Alice Starmore, and really sure of myself this time?

Fool, fool that I was! You really don't want to know the awful details (well if you enjoy other people's pain and distress, you can check the whole sorry story out on my weblog), but suffice it to say that the Red Sweater and I are occupying different parts of the house at the moment. It's better like that. Otherwise there might be violence. Heaven forgive me, but I have even thought of leaving the door sneakily ajar so that Muffy the Destroyer, Muffy the Yarnslayer, could get in and show it who's boss...

Is there ever going to be an end to this? I know what I should do. I should find an entirely different pattern, one that has no link WHATSOEVER to the Hebrides and an island knitwear designer, a COMPLETELY different yarn, and start on something ELSE. But I'm getting bloody-minded now.

And seeing all your happy postings about completing this stage or that, getting to the finishing line, sewing up even - well, I HOPE YOU KNOW HOW UPSET YOU'RE MAKING ME!

Jo
http://celticmemoryyarns.blogspot.com

I finished!

I can't believe it, but I finished! I think the collar came out very cute. I usually mess stuff like that up. But I guess I had plenty of practice on this one (i.e. frog much?)

:-) G

The Intro and the Urban Aran

Hello everyone! I recently joined this KAL (I thought, "Where have you been all my life?" when I found it - the majority of my stash is various shades of red) and have spent the last several days trying to catch up on everyone's progress. Lots of loveliness here, everything looks fabulous!

I am working on Paton's Urban Aran from the Street Smart booklet, using mmmmmMalabrigo in burgandy. I started this sweater awhile ago, but a combination of being slow and easily distracted meant that I hadn't gotten very far. Well, I finished the back last night:



The last sweater I knit took nine months to finish. I'm hoping to have this done by the end of the year. Darn it, I want to wear it! The mmmmmMalabrigo is just too luscious to be laying around in my stash.

Happy knitting!
Wendie
http://www.fridaknits.com

today is a RED LETTER day!

today, to celebrrate six happy, happy years of marriage to my husband david, i am giving away a knitspot pattern of the winner's choice to


congratulations cariemay! please email me (using the link for anne in the sidebar) with your selection, and i will get that right out to you! if you are not familiar with my patterns, you may download a copy of my catalog by visiting my website, and clicking on the link in the sidebar over there.

Vogue Oversized Pullover Progress 2

I finished the sleeves and seams tonight while watching Rob Zombie's Cult Classics on AMC. Totally cheesy movie, glass of wine, and knitting. Tomorrow night I'll attempt to put the big collar on the neckline, it looks a little challenging!

Does anyone else get "tennis elbow" or tennis wrist from knitting too much??

:-) G

http://gelsominalucchesi.blogspot.com

maple leaf rag

i finally figured out a name for my red sweater, as i was working the mock turtle neck to finish it off last night. i was thinking about how brilliant the maple leaves were just a few weeks ago, and how they are all gone now. i realized i had started the sweater just at the peak of the foliage display, and ended it just after the last bits of red had been swept up off the lawn.

also, the pointy edges of the cables reminded me a little of the maple leaf shape. i love the back of the neck . . .

the way the pattern funnels right up to the top without missing a beat. the front neck is shaped, but i may take it out and reknit it to look liike the back—i might like the funnel neck better. i'm not sure yet!

one thing i AM sure of is that the malabrigo yarn (sealing wax colorway) is scrumptious, cozy, warm, soft—everything a nice winter sweater should be. this morning it was 24 degrees when i woke up and slipped it on, but i was snug as a bug inside it!

Vogue Oversized Pullover Progress

I typically go from zero to 60 when knitting. Yesterday I finally pulled out my red sweater project; a better alternative to overeating! I'm using Brown Sheep Burly Spun, and have finished the front and back of the raglan-style sweater. I'd like to finish the sleeves today. I bought an extra skein of yarn to ensure I don't run out of yarn. I've knit this pattern 5 times before and frogged! I broke down and bought the called-for yarn.

Progress!

Chugging right along here - I have just cast on for the left front. As this is my first design project, I was expecting much more angst, but so far the pattern (generated with the help of a wonderful freeware program that does most of the calculating for you), is coming out looking about the right size.

The one set-back I had was when I realized, after knitting the right front for the first time, that the program had adjusted the number of stitches to make the lace pattern fit exactly. The problem is that it had increased the back by three stitches, but decreased the width of each front by three stitches, meaning a nine-stitch discrepancy - almost a whole pattern repeat. Thinking of the disaster that lay in wait (blocking can only go so far!), I ripped out the front and adjusted all of the stitch counts back to their original numbers, and juggled the lace around a little bit to centre it before re-starting it. It just goes to show that common sense is usually better than a computer algorithm. Although I don't think I would have taken the time to tackle this is I had to do it all with pen and paper.

I'm still not sure if the yarn supply is going to hold out for 3/4 sleeves, so I think I will knit the neck and button bands first, and then see how it goes.

Feather and Fanning Myself

A shrug for the perimenopausal woman who likes to flirt nearly as much as she likes to dance:



With a close-up of the buttons I went back to JoAnn's to buy, grand-opening madness notwithstanding:



Me, laughing, with bad hair from post-turkey napping on the kids' living room floor while BittyBit tried to figure out if I was really asleep, or just playing.



And a back view. I know, I know, all these weeks with only verbiage from me, and now comes the deluge.

This Time I'm Really Getting Going

OK, I've sorted it and I'm back in the running again. You may recall the fiasco with the ultra-fine cashmere and the rambunctious Pekingese. Then the several attempts to work out something which didn't involve 'leventy million stitches and billions of rows. Then the frogging sessions, repeated three times. Then the two or three weeks of trying to ignore the pattern, the yarn, all of you out there happily knitting away on your red sweaters. Heck, how come you all got it right first time - loved your pattern, loved your yarn, loved the work? Am I the only one to change ships midstream several times?

But finally I've straightened things out. I've yielded to the stern calls of the Alice Starmore Eriskay yet again. You remember the one, don't you?



In the original design created by Ms. Starmore (probably by the smoky light of a peat fire in a blackhouse on Stornoway during a force ten gale, because that's the kind of person she comes across as), the number of stitches required was beyond belief, as was the incredibly infitesimal gauge demanded. Now, having gained sense and realised that life is short enough as it is (look away those of you who follow the rules), I'm working with quintupled yarn, a size 5.50mm circular, and a rough ratio of 5 stitches to every 8 the original pattern requires. It's too early to say if I will stay the course, but I feel that if I don't I'll have failed everyone else as well as myself. Damn it, I will do it.

Yes, the patterning will take some working out, but it's not that difficult. The main body has a repeat over 16 sts so I just make sure I have a number divisible by 16. When I get up to the really intricate yoke, I'll just leave out some of the outlying pattern areas, rather like ignoring small fields that are just too far away to reach on an easy walk.

Do you think Alice Starmore will come down and attack me here in West Cork?

Jo
http://celticmemoryyarns.blogspot.com

Finally on the needles!

After much angst and decision making I've started my Red Sweater! George decided he liked the cream colour in the pattern I showed him much more than he liked the cranberry I had, so I said to heck with him and am back to knitting a sweater for myself!! I've decided on Samus from Knitty.

I did my guage swatch and it worked out perfectly the first time. Is that weird? It's been slow going getting used to the cable pattern and I had to frog it back twice because I lost track of where I was. (I think I was tired last night!) In the end I got only to row six, but it's beautiful so far! I decided it was time to put it down while the going was good! Wish me luck! I really hope this one turns out!

Sweater is finito

Btw, we call them jumpers in Australia. I don't know where that comes from, but it kind of makes me feel quite energetic when I think about it.

I am wearing my red jumper today cos I think with this one, the real story will come out when it has been washed and worn a few times.

The verdict:

1. I'm liking the length. I am a bit, um well, short and the shorter length through the torso seems to make it look like I actually do have legs.

2. The sleeves are purty. Maybe a bit too loose.

3. The point of the v needs a bit of consideration. Ignoring the gentle, wise nudges of my comrades in the comments, I just went ahead and picked up stitches around the neck, pretty much evenly. At first, I was horrified.

A bit of a gaping mouth sort of effect, don't you think? Icky.

I gave it a "breath of steam" and put it on and it sort of eased and settled a bit. I'm gonna wear it and think about it. Because it's a stitched down hem under there (not a cast off edge), it wouldn't be too hard to undo and decrease four picots down to two. I'll see how it wears.

Yarn is Jo Sharp DK cotton in Carmen. Pattern based on this, with a little bit of twitching around the edges. Now I can start on my tweed...

I'm Waiting for Santa to bring my red yarn!

I read through the posts this week, and when I saw K post this pattern as one of her choices - amongst a few others - I knew I had found the sweater I wanted to knit! It is Bristow at www.knitty.com ISSUEwinter05/PATTbristow.html Sorry, but I could not make the link work. I have probably looked at this sweater before, but somehow when sweaters are sorted out from the crowd, they really call to me.

Here is another red sweater Cropped Cabled Cardigan at www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/PATTc3.html , known as C3 that is a beauty. I am liking cropped sweaters more and more.

Now Santa is off to the LYS in the next few days to pick the red by Debbie Bliss in Cashmerino Aran. I also joined the Debbie Bliss KAL - that will fill the needs of two KALs at once. Maybe getting older is not too bad - you try to save your back and hands by working smarter! Doesn't always work, believe me, but I think this is clever - no more snickering in the background.

Happy Thanksgiving to my neighbours in the USA!

Sonoma Red sweater slowly grows

The Sonoma sweater got off to a great start. Independence kicked in while deciphering the Knitting Pure and Simple pattern. This first foray into sweater making called for more than the pattern's stockinknit only. And, I wanted to do the whole thing neck down, none of this going back and picking up stitches to knit the neck band. What do I know about knitting sweaters? Forging blithely ahead I knit down the shoulders to the parting of ways between sleeves and body. Placing the stitches onto some weedeater and I eagerly tried it on. It slipped over my head no problem (I'd had foresight to adjust that part) but it looked too funky around the neck. sigh. I also wasn't thrilled with the design work I was doing down the raglan sleeves where wonky stitches sat in disarray.

Joining many other Red Sweater KALers at the frog swamp on Friday the 17th, I gulped and ripped. All the way. This time, now that I understand the principle of gradually increasing the neck line, I'm following instructions. Kind of - still must have some stitch design! There's about 3 inches of seed stitch on the front between the raglans, another cluster at the top of the raglans before taking up the Vines Rib pattern from the Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Bk One, and one small square of them center back right below the neck line, in a nod to Lene's clever embellishment.



The picture was taken on the eighteenth - I was determined to make up for lost stitches. I'll be slipping the arm stitches onto weedeater today. There should be plenty of knitting time today and tomorrow. (Though as chief driver I never get the luxury of knitting in the car on the journey to be with family.)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Grrr!!! Another restart

I am restarting this sweater for the 3rd time. I keep messing up the cable band. The first 2 times I was only into the band about 20 rows or so. This time I was into the 3rd chart. i am beginning to think that maybe this sweater was not meant to be. I hope to make some decent progress this long relaxing weekend. I can only hope that the weather will be nasty so I can stay inside to work on it, otherwise hubby will make me go out an work on the farm.

Progress - really!

This photo resembles quite a bit the photo that I originally posted... but there is a big difference! I have finished both the front and back (I think last time I was stuck around the arm holes), and I've even begun the first sleeve.

I love working with Dale of Norway Tiur, and I can't wait to wear it. But I didn't realize that I have finished with that nice cherry red, since the sleeves will be orange with colorwork. I also missed an inch or so before beginning the color work on the chest, so it will be slightly shorter than intended (waist rather than hip length), and I have a whole ball of red to use for something else.



Heather

What to do, what to do?

I have been lurking and enjoying a shot of red periodically, but so far haven't knit anything red.

But I am getting close to wrapping up my big Christmas projects and am feeling a red itch. Digging into my stash, I have some Karoke in Wild Cherry that I am thinking about - do y'all think it's red enough for a Red Sweater KAL? or too pink? http://www.soysilk.com/karaoke_pics/280%20Wild%20Cherry_thumb.jpg

And I was thinking either Bristow from knitty http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTbristow.html or the Shoal Water sweater from Needle Beetle http://www.needlebeetle.com/texture/sw.htm

Opinions are welcome!

It Fits!

I put my sweater on a longer cable needle and tried it on. It fits! I have knit about another inch on it since this picture, and I have three inches of the body to go. Soon I need to split the side seams and knit the front and back flaps back and forth.

You can see on the right side that my side shaping is working well. I added it to the pattern and this is the first time I've altered a pattern like this. I think I can call it a success!

The pattern is Knitting Pure and Simple's V-Necked Tunic, knit top down with Elann's Sierra Aran in Sangria. LOVE this wool. Love, love, love. I want more.

Almost finished

Nearing the finish line for the CHIC KNITS ARIANN.

Only problem - i am in the middle of the second to last skein - yikes! think i need to get a few more - classic elite inca alpaca Rio Red (1158).

The sweater grows...

Just a little over an inch and a half and I will be at the armholes on the back...I am thinking that this long week-end will be one where I can just relax, watch tv with the family, and knit...well, in addition to cooking a turkey and all the trimmings...

Look - actual progress!

Et voila:

Last time I posted I didn't add any pictures because all I had to show was about 2 inches of knitting with a spare needle stuck half way through to mark the line I had to rip back to.

Now I seem to have got to grips with the pattern (Aimee from Vintage Style - yes I'm another Vintage Style girl) and I've actually made some progress so I thought I'd show you all.

Unfortunately my photography isn't up to much so you can't really tell that it has nice waist shaping and it comes out as bright pink when in fac the colour is a deep raspberry red - maybe it's better on your computer!

This is also supposed to be my NaNoSweMo sweater and this is all I have done - hmmm - a tad overreaching I think to have this finished by November although now I can read the lace panels it is a little faster!

I hope everyone across the pond had a great holiday weekend and enjoy your red knitting

Carie

Advice, please

I picked up all 192 sts along the band, and there are a few little sections that look wonky, like this. It's a bit more noticeable in person. Will these even out in blocking if I work on them? I saw it happening as I picked them up, and re-did some, but couldn't seem to find a better way.
Lyn

Slow, but Steady Progress

My red sweater is coming along. I am working up to the last waist shaping row at the bottom. It's a long-ish sweater so I have about 4-5 more inches to go, I believe. I will be trying it on soon to judge just how much longer I want to knit.

I still love the wool, Elann's Sierra Aran in Sangria. I will be using this again. I want to see how it will cable...

I added waist shaping and I am contemplating a shawl collar for it. I'll figure it out when I get there.

today is a RED LETTER day!

another RED LETTER day is upon us—today is peg's 46th wedding anniversary, and she is celebrating by sending one lucky person a package of goodies. so let's get right to it—today's winner is . . .

congratulations oakleyoriginals! i will send peg your email and she will contact you about getting your package out.
the next RED LETTER day will be december 1st.

Woe is me...

I am sad. After putting all the time into doing guage swatches to find out what needle sizes to use for my sweater, and knitting a good couple of inches, I decided that I hated it. Absolutely hated it. So I'm back to the drawing board. My boyfriend (no worries about the curse... I knit him a sweater last spring and then we bought the house together in the summer so I think we'll be fine!) wants a sweater, and loves the cranberry Country Style DK that I was using for my ill-fated project. So now I'm on the hunt for a pattern for him that would be suitable. He's very slim (about 34" chest) and doesn't care for big and baggy sweaters. Something nicely fitted is what he's after. Anyone have any ideas?

Take 2....

Roving on order, had to choose other yarn!

It appears that the roving in that wonderful shade called Mojave is now on order until the end of December. Fortunately, I found this yarn to go with this pattern. It's Andean Treasure 'Embers' from Knitpicks. The sweater is Glee from Zephyrstyle.com. The sleeves seem a little short for me so I bought 2 extra balls incase I want to lengthen them. I should have this yarn on Wednesday. I 'll be able to make a good start on it as that's one of my Knitting nights at a local CupCake/Coffee house. This will be my first adult sized sweater too!

Rescued Red Sweater Project

My Red Letter Day was yesterday, and so I thought it was high time that I posted to this blog and introduced myself.

I notice that there are several knitters in this KAL who are making sweaters from the Vintage Style / Vintage Knits book -- and I'm another one. My choice is the Salina sweater. I had started this sweater in January of this year, but thought I had gauge issues and abandoned the project after knitting the back of the sweater and some of the front. When I found out about this KAL, I joined specifically to rescue this project. (And, like so many others of you, I have yarn enough in stash for several more red sweaters!)

I resolved the gauge issues -- you can read about it here and here on my blog -- and have resumed knitting. On the front piece, I've made progress up to the placket:



I think I'm going to be really happy with this red sweater.

Karen
ideaphoria.prettyposies.com - my blog

i'm a joiner

i got my sweater pieces joined the other day and last night i knit a few more inches of the yoke, just so i could start to see the cable take shape.

i'm so excited—this will be the first sweater i've finished in a long time—i've been knitting one shawl after another while my sweaters wear out . . .
it's beginning to have a life of its own, getting large enough to be unwieldy, yet too demanding for me to be able to ignore it any more. whenever i'm not working on it, it does this


jeesh.
it just has to be the center of attention. in fact, i AM a little concerned about how bright it is, though the variegation looks more busy in the photos than it does in person. still . . . i am gonna stand out like a stop sign whenever i wear this thing. something to think about next time i pick a red yarn . . .

Thank you Lynn!

The stitch markers are wonderful! The red ladybugs were a hit with my husband too! Thanks again!

Charity

I won!

I'm pretty excited to win the hat kit from Lillith - and on such an auspicious day for her, too!
I really needed a little boost - last night, my son, who's at UMD, nearby, but in an apt. off-campus, called to say he'd gotten home to find all his electronics - TV, PC, XBox, everything gone! He worked all summer, 2 jobs, to buy his plasma HD TV, and although we only lost things, I still feel so badly for him. It's such a violation, and, of course, now I can worry about his safety even more!
So, that has nothing to do with red sweaters, or knitting at all, but winning the prize did make me feel a little better, so thank you!
Lyn

today is a RED LETTER day!

today we have 2 RED LETTER winners!

the first drawing today is for a hat kit from tigerlillith—with her own handspun! and pattern included. and the strawberry beret kit goes to . . . lynrmc. congrats lyn!

the second drawing today is for the book, Simply Shetland 3 - at Galisteo, kindly offered by karen and the winner is . . . caroleknits! congratulations carole.

thank you to our contributors today! our next RED LETTER day will be on sunday—see sidebar for details.

My Red Sweater is finished!!!

Thanks for setting up this KAL!! It made all the difference; it kept me focused so that I would not forget to keep on plugging away. Go to Cindyknits if you'd like to see the finished garment.

Basically I'm happy with the sweater although I think the next time I make this sweater I will lengthen it. I love the collar and may use it on a future cardigan. Best of all I used my coned stash yarn!!!

Knit on!

Help!

Ok, so this is more than slightly embaressing. After about 27 years of knitting I've never bothered to do a guage swatch before (ever - I know, I know it's bad! Also kind of explains some weird shaped things I've made over the years), but for my red sweater, I really wanted to make sure it's a good fit etc. so I set to work doing my swatch. On 4mm needles I'm supposed to get 24 stitches x 30 rows = 4". Instead what I've got is a swatch that is 4 1/2". What do I do now? And once I determine what needles to go up to, how do I know what to use for the other size? The pattern called for 3.25mm and 4mm. Please help! (and be gentle with me... I feel silly enough about the no guage thing already!) Thanks, Sarah

whah!

my red yarn came in the mail from knitpicks. wool of the andes in firecracker. blech, didn't like the yarn or the color (funny yellow haze). back in the mail.

the search for the perfect red for the cardigan for arwen continues!