St. Brigid modifications

St. Brigid in progress: shoulder join, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

Never hesitating (anymore) to start yet another project, I cast on to knit Alice Starmore's design "St. Brigid" last month.

The original design has a shoulder strap, the middle braid on the sleeve continuing to the collar, but I decided to join the back and front without it simply to see how it would turn out.

Then I picked up stitches to knit the sleeves top-down instead of casting on to start at the wrist and having to sew the sleeves to the body. So far, so good. However, a modification that was not that successful was finishing the braid when it was about to be eaten up be the decreases (to the left in the picture below). I think it looks amputated. Therefore, I decided to test something else knitting the second sleeve and then rip and reknit one of them.

St. Brigid: two sleeve versions

Knitting the second sleeve I've made the braid slimmer as the sleeve decreases get nearer, and I think it looks a lot better. I don't mind having to do quite a lot of reknitting: I had almost forgotten how much I enjoy knitting cables, and Starmores infinite cable patterns are wonderful.

The yarn is Cascade 220 and I use 3½ mm needles (US 4).

Domino sweater: back

Domino sweater progress, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

This construction is quite unlike any sweater I've knitted before, and I'm in complete awe of Marianne Isager's skills as a designer.

I've knitted the shapes that make up the main part of the front (some of them halves to get straight sides and to shape the neck) and have started knitting the back. It's like the front: you start in an upper corner and add the shapes diagonally.

I spent Easter away from temperatures below zero and snow. No sign of yarn stores, but that doesn't really matter when you can bring your own yarn - even if it would have been nice to add some Maltese yarn to my stash. Instead I returned to Sweden with freckles, stronger legs from hours of walking instead and memories of new sights and new flavours. (When I'm abroad I always get interested in food in a way I never am at home and want to try things not likely to be found in Sweden. Sea urchin, for example, which was a treat.)

Valletta, Malta

Same but different

Domino sweater in progress, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

You get a different effect knitting Marianne Isager's design with a single colour. In her original sweater there is more focus on the shape of the individual mitred squares, while my version will emphasise the overall effect of the combination of them: panels rather than squares, since the vertical lines stand out.

I like both of them, so I might make another one similar to the sweater in the book some day. Isn't fascinating what a difference even a minor change of colour(s) can make?

Domino sweater in progress

Domino sweater in progress, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

There have been unusually many joys of knitting lately: all your comments on the Faroese sweaters make me very happy, I had a great weekend on the west coast as a workshop leader (twined knitting and lace patterns) and Marianne Isager's latest book arrived. She's one of my idols, so my expectations were high - and I was definitely not disappointed.

I've cast on to knit one of the sweaters, a design that consists of domino squares where you combine garter stitch and slipped stitches. The yarn is 2ply wool from Kampes, which I also use to knit the "spede" sweater I mentioned in my previous post.

Those sweaters are meant to be short and tight, and it's fun knitting a different sweater shape. The star pattern will cover the back and the sleeves, but not the front. Let's call it the bosom factor: the sweater is so tight that quite a few increases are necessary, and that would ruin the pattern. Therefore, the stars are in panels only with a stocking stitch area in the middle where all the increases are. This was not my own idea, but I got it from a 19th century sweater in a book I borrowed from Anna, who will get the sweater. Fortunately for me she will take care of the decorations once it's finished! Here is a beautiful example of a sweater made by Tålamodspåsen - who is more than capable of taking care of every single detail herself.

När bystfaktorn är hög gäller det att tänka efter innan man börjar med framstycket till en spedetröja. De ska ju vara korta och åtsittande, så det var nödvändigt att ha en hel del ökningar samtidigt som dessa skulle förstöra stjärnmönstret - och en slätstickad tröja är uteslutet. (Och då fuskar jag redan genom att ha alldeles för tjocka stickor för en riktig spedetröja. Hur tjocka? 2,25 mm.) I en bok jag har lånat finns det exempel på tröjor med ett slätstickat parti mitt fram där ökningarna ligger, så den lösningen knyckte jag med gott samvete.

Mitt andra (dvs senast tillagda) tröjprojekt är ett mönster ur Marianne Isagers senaste bok. Det är rätt roligt att lägga ruta till ruta, och jag tycker att effekten blir så fin med de vertikala linjerna som går mitt i rutorna. Till båda tröjorna har jag valt Kampes tvåtrådiga, och jag har skaffat det på Litet nystan i Stockholm. 

Faroese sweater finished

Faroese sweater, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

First of all, thanks for your kind words about the Faroese sweater I've been working on! It is finished and delivered (a birthday present) and the size was just right. It was a lot of fun to knit too, and the only negative thing about the project was the smell that spread through the rooms when I washed it - it was like living in an old barn. (I grew up in the country, so I'm familiar with the smell.)
Ron asked about the armhole, whether I bind off some stitches at the bottom and then more as I go up. Not quite, but almost: instead of binding them off I put them on a thread. That makes it easy to add them to the stitches I pick up to knit the sleeves - and it's more comfortable too as there's no ridge. On the following rows I did some more decreases, partly for comfort and partly to make it look nice, to avoid amputated repeats, so to speak.

To avoid jogs in the pattern I added narrow side panels: this way all rows start with the same colour, and it is possible to continue the pattern along the sleeve and place the sleeve decreases on each side of it.

Carolina asked if I calculate in detail beforehand to make sure the pattern comes out right. Not really - or not anymore, I should say. Too eager to start knitting I do a rough calculation and then trust a combination of luck and experience!

Jules asked if short-row armscyes would work for an Alice Starmore sweater. I'm sure it would! The tricky thing is doing short rows with two colours, finding the right places for the wraps. There's a risk that light-colour wraps around a dark stitch will show glaringly, so I make sure they're the same colour. It's a pity if the wraps draw attention to themselves instead of being as invisible as possible.

shoulder join and sleeve cap

I've cast on to make a traditional Swedish spedetröja. Traditional in the sense that I use the traditional shape and a common kind of star pattern from the period (late 1800s) but it's not a copy of an existing garment. This sweater is for Anna, who teaches dances from the 1700s. Next lesson is tonight - highlight of the week!

2ply wool from Kampes; 2.25 mm needles (US 1)

Sleeve caps and shoulder joins (a novel by Jane Austen?)

Faroese sweater progress, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

Some of you have commented on my speed when it comes to this sweater - well, I've had a few days off work, and as I mostly sit still knitting there's hardly anything to tidy up except stray bits of yarn on the floor around my chair, which rather makes the place look like a hairdresser's for sheep. (Fleecedresser?) And I don't spend waste much time cooking, an activity that leads to more things to clean. Also, this pattern was easy to learn but with enough variation to make it fun to knit and the yarn is fairly thick. At times it feels as if it's knitting itself!

Something I don't enjoy when knitting sweaters is the neck band. Therefore, I've started doing it before I knit the sleeves to have it over and done with as soon as possible. Another good thing about it is that it gives me a chance to see if it is big enough and comfortable enough before I pick up stitches to knit the sleeves.

shoulder join

I like the way the front and back patterns meet at the shoulder join. This is not very difficult: you centre the pattern on both back and front and end in the middle of a repeat. What I find tricky is getting the width right - I want both comfort and whole pattern repeats. In this case it worked, so I'm happy about the shoulder joins.

To avoid excess fabric under the arms I've shaped the sleeve caps. First, I pick up stitches for the sleeve but instead of knitting in the round straight away I start knitting back and forth with short rows adding a few stitches every row. There's a photo of a sleeve cap in progress in a post I wrote some three years ago here. It requires more work (and patience) with stranded colourwork but I think it's worth it.

In the first photo you can see a side pattern I added to the design and which continues on the sleeves.

Edited to add a photo: the sun came for an unexpected visit in the afternoon and brought out the beautiful natural browns.

Faroese sweater in progress

Faroese sweater in progress, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

Just wanted to show what the pattern looks like. D Louise: I was happy to read your comment as I was beginning to worry it might look like a brown peacock and had thoughts about redoing it. Your reassuring words helped me decide not to.

The wool is from Hälsingslands lammkvalité, which I use for the first but certainly not the last time. It's really lovely and it's nice to use yarn that is locally produced (locally meaning same country), that hasn't travelled here and there over the world before joining my stash. I use 3½ mm needles (US 4) for the stranded knitting, 3 mm (US 2½) for the ribbing.

Ulla V: I'm lucky to own my grandmother's copy of the book. As far as I know it won't be reprinted, but I hope you'll be able to find a second-hand copy. Speaking of books, last night I realised there's a new book by Marianne Isager, Strik à la carte 2, and ordered it at once. There's no way I'm waiting for it to be translated! Besides, it's more or less my duty to read it in Danish to study the language as I'm teaching twined knitting in Denmark in September, isn't it?

Actually, I borrowed a "Danish for beginners" audio book the other day and spent most of last night in my favourite chair knitting and repeating words in Danish. Lavinevarsel, for example, which I don't expect to hear or get an opportunity to say at Fanø - it means "danger of avalanche" :-)

There are lots of opportunities to say that at home, though: all it takes is opening the cupboard where I keep my stash.

Cocktail knitting

Faroese sweater in progress, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

Here's a concept I'd like to recommend: you invite some knitting friends ("bring your own knitting") to your place for drinks. You're guaranteed to have a great time! I can testify to that - and I think it's a safe bet to say that TB, En till, Stickigt and Born to knit will confirm it.

Some good advice: stainwise it is better to spill some gin and tonic than a Bloody Mary (neither of which happened) and you may not want to bring a complicated project (I myself decided to wind yarn and knit a swatch to test it).

Speaking of advice, I entertained my guests by telling them about the woman sitting opposite me on the train recently, who suddenly asked if she could give me some advice. Sure, I said, not knowing what to expect. Well, I certainly did not expect a complete stranger to grab hold of my hand, rearrange my fingers and the strand of wool instructing me to "hold the strand this way instead, that way you will knit really evenly and it will look great!" :-)

I've started knitting a Faroese design from "Fiskartröjor" by Uuve Snidare. The wool is wonderful: beautiful natural browns, and there is so much lanolin left in it it feels like knitting a big, soft bar of soap.

The original design calls for different proportions of the two lighter shades from what I had in my stash (bought this yarn about a year ago), so I've modified it by having seven rows of light brown and five of medium brown (instead of nine and three). Also, I've let them swap places, making the bigger round shapes lighter. Not sure it's an improvement, but I enjoy seeing what happens.

Cocktail-stickning är ett vinnande koncept, det kan jag intyga efter en helkväll med några stickvänner! För säkerhets skull inskränkte jag mig till att nysta garn - ett överflödigt råd kan nog i alla fall vara att inte kombinera drinkar med alltför invecklade mönster. 

Själv fick jag mig ett gott råd till livs på tåget häromsistens: damen mittemot böjde sig plötsligt fram och frågade om hon fick komma med ett tips. Visst, sade jag. Genast grep hon tag i min hand och började dra i både fingrar (motsträviga) och garn. "Håll garnet så här i stället, då blir det jättejämnt och fint!"

För något år sedan hittade jag vackert ofärgat ullgarn från Hälsingland i tre bruna nyanser. Det är som att arbeta med ett stor, mjuk, formbar tvål - härligt! Nu håller jag på med Färötröjan ur "Fiskartröjor" av Uuve Snidare. Eftersom angivelserna inte riktigt stämmer med mina garnmängder, har jag ändrat på så vis att jag har färre varv med den ljusaste nyansen. För att se hur vad som händer med mönstret har jag också låtit de två mönsterfärgerna byta plats.

1940s Fantasy jumper finished

1940s Fantasy jumper, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

Here it is resting in my favourite chair. Christine asked why I called it a fiancée in my previous post, which I understand was not very clear! What I had in mind was the cardigan I made a couple of months ago as they have a few things in common:

1. Wool from the same company (Kampes).

2. Both based on designs from a magazine from the 1940s that a friend's mother was kind enough to give me.

3. Both feature a combination of cable patterns and panels. The original jumper has reverse stockning stitch between the cable patterns, which I changed for two main reasons. First, I thought it would too boring to knit, even though I think the original design is lovely; also, it would make the jumper match the cardigan, which has stocking stitch interspersed with garter stitch. For the jumper I chose moss stitch instead; somehow I think it gives it a more feminine look. (I also used thinner needles, 2½ mm for the jumper and 3 mm for the cardigan - US 1½ and 2½.)

1940s cardigan (the fiancé)

Tenna Draper asked why I hadn't carried the body pattern onto the sleeve. Actually, by the time I posted the photo I had already ripped it out and started reknitting the sleeve with the same pattern. I was simply curious if it would work, but thought it looked too empty.

wrong side

1940s Fantasy

1940s Fantasy, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

Must have been bitten by the jitterbug or something - here's a fiancée in progress for the 1940s cardigan I made a couple of months ago. This too is 2ply wool from Kampes.

I found inspiration in knitting magazine from 1947.

Speaking of inspiration, have you seen Ylva's cuffs with carnations? Isn't she a bit like Midas, turning cuffs into gold by touching them with needle and thread?

Thanks for comments on my previous post!
Ann: yes, I will be teaching twined knitting at Fanø! Look forward to seeing you there - and thanks again for providing contact with the arrangers!

Twined mitten: glimpse of wrong side

Twined mitten: glimpse of wrong side, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

Here's a daylight photo of the twined mitten I'm knitting: it does far better justice to the beautiful grey of the wool than the lightbulb photo a couple of days ago.

There is also a glimpse of the wrong side, where you can see the effect of twining the strands between each stitch. It looks almost like cords and makes the fabric thick and not very elastic.

A funny thing about twined knitting with two colours is that all rows here are one grey, one white. (Look at the stitches on the needles!) Where there seem to be, for example, three white stitches they are actually one white, one grey with the white strand in front covering the grey stitch, one white.



Questions/comments on my previous post
Ron asked about combining twined and ordinary knitting. It is true twined knitting doesn't curl the same way that ordinary knitting does, especially not if you start with a purl row or something similar. I have combined the two techniques once, in a pair of mittens with twined cuffs (see photo below). I didn't change needles or increase the number of stitches, and it worked well, but I'm not sure I'd try it in a sweater: the gauge and thickness gets very different, possibly too different in a project that big.

twined cuffs/tvåändsstickade muddar

Ron also asked about the needles. They are my brand-new Knit-Pro Karbonz. Love them! Light but strong and perfect for twined knitting - I broke a wooden needle (again) recently, but I think these will cope a lot better.

Thanks for your kind words Ann - and for telling me about the Strikkefestival in Denmark. Perhaps I will see you there in September?



En rolig sak när man tvåändsstickar med två färger är att alla varv här är "en grå, en vit", till och med dem med horisontella linjer. Där det till exempel ser ut att vara tre grå maskor i bredd är det egentligen "en grå, en vit med den grå tråden på framsidan så att den täcker den vita (s.k. djupmaska), en grå".  Undantaget är ökningarna på tumkilen, där det ibland är två av samma färg i bredd.

thumb gusset/tumkil

Twined mitten in progress

Twined mitten in progress, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

Suddenly I had an urge to do some twined knitting with two colours - clearly, there is no such thing as too many works in progress. Or too much stash, for that matter. My favourite shawl yarn is on sale at my LYS. (I'm sure you can figure out the connection between those last two sentences...)

Twined knitting is so much fun, and I had almost forgotten how well it lends itself to geometric patterns. This is a pattern of my own, based on the number of stitches required for the width.

I added the year 2013 for fun and a row of blue instead of white to add some colour. Not very dramatic, I admit, but a lot better than my first choice of dark yellow turned out to be. The line of yellow dots made it look as if I had taken a dog for a walk! :-D

There's no photo of the "dog walk" version, unfortunately - didn't have my camera and was too eager to undo and redo.

Yarn: Kampes 2-ply wool; needles 2.25 and 2.5 mm (US 1 and 1½).

Om jag inte hade kommit på bättre tankar och hade jag fått kalla det här projektet "hundpromenadsvantar" eller något liknande. En rad med mörkgula prickar var en riktigt dålig idé, vilket jag väl borde ha kunnat räkna ut i förväg. En bild på den första versionen hade varit kul, förstås; jag funderade på att vänta med att repa upp och byta mot blått tills jag hade tillgång till min kamera, men var för otålig. Ni får använda er fantasi!

Det är verkligen roligt att tvåändssticka - och tacksamt för att sticka geometriska mönster. Mönstret är mitt eget, garnet är Kampes tvåtrådiga och stickorna 2,25 och 2,5.

Egentligen (ett av mina favoritord, vilket jag kan ha nämnt tidigare) skulle jag inte skaffa mer garn förrän jag har stickat av det jag redan har, men vad gör man när det är rea på ens favoritgarn till sjalar? Just det: man kommer hem och är med garn ;-)

Har nyligen blivit intervjuad om min stickning på Stickamera. Det var roliga frågor att fundera på!

And the winner of the calendar is...

"Sånga ärgad bård" sweater in progress, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

Tålamodspåsen (aka EvaL8), an equally prolific and talented knitter, crocheter etc etc, I'd like to add. Congratulations!

I have started several new projects since my last post; above you can see one of them. The pattern shapes and colour ideas are from "Maskor och Medeltid" but I use a thinner yarn (BC Shetlandsuld) and more colours. Here's a photo of the original design. Nothing wrong with it, on the contrary I think it's gorgeous - I just like to experiment a bit. My main change is the picot edge.

Questions/comments on my previous post 
I've been answering questions in different, not particularly organized ways: in new posts/as another comment/in a private message/perhaps not at all having forgotten about it. Doing it this way all the time will hopefully work better!

Carolina asked about the slanting effect: I'm not sure, but possibly it's because the stitches get pulled in the same direction every row - knitting back and forth would have a levelling effect in that case.

Ron asked about the button band on the cardigan.  I did not knit it separately but as part of the front. Well, when I got to the shoulders I kept knitting the bands only until they were long enough to meet in at the centre of the back and then sewed that part in place.

Sara: vilken trevlig överraskning - salve! Vi får se i vilket sammanhang vi träffas nästa gång.

Mingu, Annika, Zulka, Ing-Marie, maria e, Sel and Poivre, Kerry and Lynda: thanks for your comments and kind words!

Two finished objects and a calendar lottery

1940s cardigan: buttons, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

Axel Rydströms is a charming shop in Stockholm I recommend if you're looking for buttons. Someone had told me it was the right place to go to find suitable buttons for the 1940s style cardigan, which proved to be correct. Not only are these buttons from the right period, but I also think they look very nice against the shade of green.

It took some time for me to decide what kind of construction I wanted for the neckband. What I did after a couple of false starts was to continue knitting the two ribbed edges after I had reached the shoulder until they were long enough to meet at the centre of the back. Then I cast them off together before sewing (ugh) them in place.

Cardigan: back of neck

 The Estonian-Austrialian poncho is also finished, but unfortunately I have misplaced my pins, and therefore haven't been able to block it properly. Once they've turned up I'm going to block it again to make the scalloped borders pointier, but this will do for the time being.

As I mentioned in a previous post, there are both advantages and disadvantages knitting lace patterns and nupps in the round. Because of two major disadvantages I don't think I will knit lace in the round again: always facing the right side I mixed up rows now and then in a way I don't when every second row is on the wrong side; the lace patterns slant in ways they don't when I knit back and forth (looser in one direction and tighter in the other).

Poncho

I've noticed that my sweaters that are knitted in the round tend to slant as well, but not anywhere near as much with cables or fairisle patterns as it with lace. Still, I'm happy with how the poncho turned out - and I do prefer testing ideas to playing it safe.

That's one of main attractions of knitting to me: there are always new things to try. (Which surely goes for anything you're interested in, whether it's singing, cooking, gardening or whatever.) It used to stress me a bit, the fact that I will never knit all the things I want to test, but it has gradually become somthing to take comfort in it instead. Wouldn't it be far worse finding one day that there was nothing new to learn, no new idea to test?

I think I'll celebrate finishing two projects with a lottery! I won't give away yarn, but a copy of the calendar I mentioned in my previous post. You already have yarn, don't you? ;-) Selfish truth is that I want to keep everything in my stash! If you're interested in participating in the lottery, leave a comment that you do on this post before Sunday, 20 January. I should have had a lottery in December, of course, but at least it will be possible to use it for the remaining eleven months.

Två färdiga plagg bör firas med ett lotteri: lämna en kommentar att du är intresserad av att delta innan söndagen den 20 januari om du vill ha chans att vinna en ekivok 1700-talsdoftande kalender. Ni har väl redan garn, så det är ingen idé att lotta ut. (Vilket i ärlighetens namn egentligen betyder att jag vill behålla allt mitt garn själv.)

Knapparna till koftan hittade jag hos Axel Rydströms på Regeringsgatan i Stockholm. Jag tror inte att jag kunde ha gjort ett bättre fynd: de är från rätt tid, gjorda av horn och gör sig riktigt bra mot det gröna. Det tog ett par försök innan jag bestämde mig för hur jag skulle göra med koftkanten. Jag stickade kanterna separat efter att ha kommit till axlarna, tillräckligt långt för att de skulle mötas mitt bak, och sedan fogade jag ihop dem innan jag sydde fast kanten längs halslinningen.

Ponchon blev lite knasig men jag är nöjd ändå - det är också roligare att pröva infall och se hur det blir än att alltid ta det säkra före det osäkra. Jag kommer troligen inte att sticka spetsmönster runt igen. Det drar åt olika håll på ett sätt som det inte gör när jag stickar fram och tillbaka (har märkt en liknande tendens i tröjor jag gjort på rundsticka, men där är det försumbart) och så tyckte jag att det blev svårare att hålla reda på varven när jag har rätsidan mot mig hela tiden. För mig fungerar det bättre att alla hoptagningar och omslag är på rätsidan och så aviga maskor hela vägen tillbaka. 

  

Happy New Year

Poncho: casting off, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

The poncho I started in November is nearly finished: I'm casting off, quite excited about what it will look like washed and blocked! Once again, thanks Kerry for the lovely wool!

The cardigan inspired by a design from a 1940s magazine is finished. It took five skeins (500 gr) of Kampes 2-ply wool. (I've even sewn the buttons in place - the main reason I seldom make cardigans.) It's a difficult colour to capture, so I'm posting two "in progress" photos to show both the colour and the shape:

1940s cardigan: colour

1940s cardigan: shape

How about summing up some favourites of 2012, not in terms of knitting since that is what all my posts are about :)

1. Three new favourite movies: Take shelter, Tomboy and Amour. Superb acting and deeply moving stories. I recently saw Life of Pi, which wasn't my cup of tea, although I must say it was a feast for the eyes. Not that it's bad, it's simply a matter of personal taste. Even if it makes for an exciting movie, a young man fighting for survival trapped in a lifeboat simply doesn't move me the way an old woman trapped in her increasingly frail body (Amour) does - or a young girl trapped in other people's expectations of her (Tomboy) or a man trapped in his fears and delusions (Take Shelter).

2. Two new favourite writers: Jenny Diski (have read What I Don't Know about Animals and Stranger on a Train) and Richard Dawkins (The Ancestor's Tale, The Greatest Show on Earth etc.) Why hadn't I read their books before? On the other hand, it's nice to have this kind of catching up to do - and I had no idea I would find evolution this fascinating!

3. A new favourite skill - well, I wouldn't call it a skill, but learning some dances from the 1700s has been one of the true highlights of last year. On Friday I'm attending a Twelfth Night ball! I attended the one last year, and that was when I decided I must learn how to dance. (Have never been into dancing before, so I've really surprised myself.)


A new member of an 1700s society I was delighted to be asked if I wanted to pose for their 2013 calendar with photos echoing risqué pictures from the period.

It would have been rude not to!

Calendar boy