"Pacific" progress

WIP: Isager's "Pacific" sweater
Originally uploaded by Asplund

I'm knitting the second sleeve, shaping the cap with short rows and then knitting in the round.

In the instructions there is no shaping, but I like the way it removes excess fabric. Also, I decided to frame the cable with a white vertical row where I picked up stitches (see left sleeve). I did this with a crochet hook.

Another modification is the way I have changed the sleeve pattern. Instead of the original design's striped sleeves with two cables (which I thought would be too monotonous to knit) I have used the parallelograms from the body for the sleeves too; only two, though, and placed closer to each other.

Still, my sleeve does have a cable too: I picked up the stitches of the middle side cable to let it run from hip to wrist.

Last, I'm happy to be able to brag about getting the Beautiful blogger award a second time, now from Ann. Mange tak! I hope you don't mind my simply linking to the post about seven things about myself.

Before and after

Before and after blocking
Originally uploaded by Asplund

Same miraculous transformation every time one blocks a shawl! I finished the knitted-on edge late last night, and decided to wash and block it before going to bed. It was dry in the morning, so now it's just waiting to be wrapped around my friend Annika's shoulders.

This is a project I will associate with many pleasant things; to name just two:

1. The memorable afternoon I met up with fellow Raveler Ian to go yarn hunting in Stockholm. This yarn was my prey.

2. The company of my greatcolleagues. We started a knitting and sewing group a couple of months ago, and last night Mimmi invited us and our projects to her beautiful house outside Uppsala. After a long and unusually cold winter, being able to spend a warm and light evening in a garden felt almost surreal. We were quite spoiled too: home-made rhubarb pie and elderflower juice. Delicious!

Circular Cape no 2

WIP: Lady's Circular Cape
Originally uploaded by Asplund

One of my favourite yarns is Wetterhoff's Viva, a shimmering wool-silk blend - like knitting with champagne! I recently found three skeins in a colour I hadn't seen before and thought it was my duty to buy them, and it didn't take more than a couple of days to decide what to use them for.

I'm knitting "Lady's Circular Cape in Shell Pattern" by Jane Sowerby (Victorian Lace Today), a design I first knitted exactly a year ago and gave to my aunt ("Lady Caroline's Circular Cape"). This one will be "Lady Annika's Circular Cape", for a dear friend and shawl lover who's moving back to Sweden after quite a few years abroad. Hooray!

Some modifications:
1. Wedge-shaped repeats elongated with increase rows placed more regularly in the original pattern, where it grows very quickly towards the end.
2. 5 repeats instead of 12 to keep her extra warm in the winter.
3. Edging knitted with slightly thinner needles.

Feel like something new for your computer desktop? How about some elephants from Mattias Inks?

IRL

The Yarn Guide
Originally uploaded by Asplund

A few weeks ago a fellow Raveler living in Paris wrote to me to ask about yarn shops in Stockholm, since he was going to spend a few days there. Fortunately, it was possible for us to meet up there and go yarn hunting together. Here we are at our third stop, Maria's garn, in front of my favourite shelf (BC Shetlandsuld galore). It's such a treat getting to meet other Ravellers in real life!

I enjoy my "Pacific"sweater project very much, and it's time to decide how to shape the neck. Sometimes I don't do it low enough, so this time I'm going to take the time to figure out exactly how to shape it.

I discovered a split stitch the other day, but it wasn't very difficult to fix; it helps that the pattern practically consists of vertical stripes. After making a ladder with the help of a blunt needle, I used a crochet hook to make new stitches.

Returning to the subject of fellow knitters, xtine wrote something wonderful a few days ago that I want to quote: that a good knitted garment should feel like Sarah Vaughan sounds. I agree completely. (Although trying to make a garment of that kind would be aiming impossibly high - not that there's anything wrong with aiming that high, of course!) I first fell under Vaughan's spell some fifteen years ago, and the past few months I've been unusually addicted to her voice. Pure luxury. Last, I would also like to quote Caprifool's comment on a previous post, that knitting is like writing music for the eye.