I’m joining Kat & the Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday!
KNITTING CROCHETING:
Phase 2 of sewing up commenced last night.
I don’t know if this is normal procedure, but I seamed it all “vertically,” and now I’m doing the horizontal seam. It’s just a little fiddly at the “intersections,” but not bad, and there are only five more to go. Then border.
It’s starting to get a little leaf-y outside.
KNITTING:
There is some actual knitting content! I’ve been a fan of Amy Christoffers’ 
wonderful “Pressed Flower” mosaic knitting patterns, but this or that has kept me from actually making any of them. The other day, she dropped a new mosaic design — the Farfalle Cardigan — and that one ticked some boxes: it’s worked bottom-up in pieces & seamed, which is my preferred method for knitting cardigans (or any garment), and it uses Aran-weight wool.
I have had a small stash of Rowan Magpie in the cupboard that was my sister Sharon’s. Her intended project was a “smoking jacket” using the Magpie & Chenille — she’d started it, but it was daunting, to say the least; it was a charted pattern, but there were no repeats… every single row was different. She didn’t have the head space for that, so it had been sitting for quite a while even before she died. (Almost 15 years ago, if you can believe that. I can’t.) I had no interest in continuing that project, but really needed a knit-worthy project. Whatever that is… I just need to honor my sister by making something that’s not ordinary. Her first knitting project was a Sasha Kagan cabled wool cardigan with intarsia chenille leaves… she never knit anything ordinary!
Other than the Donegal Tweed that I used to make Fib, the Magpie & Chenille were the only other yarns in substantive quantity that Sharon had in her stash. “Substantive” being a relative term… I used every single bit of those seven hanks of Donegal Tweed for Fib! There’s even less of the Magpie, since it was going to be combined with the Chenille, so not a sweater’s worth… but almost!
So, Farfalle has come along. I don’t have enough Magpie for my size, and the yarn was discontinued over 10 years ago, but I have found some of the same colorway on eBay — not the same dye lot, though. By nature of the design — the body & sleeves worked in mosaic with a color-changing Noro and a deep, ribbed front band, hem & cuffs — I think I can get away with two different dye lots. Unless they’re vastly different (which can happen), and then, well, I’ll have to recalibrate. heh.
All the yarn is on the way & I plan to start (swatching) when I return from Nashville. It’s been over six years since I knit a sweater for myself! I’m excited!
READING:
I’m reading a bit of World Travel: An Irreverent Guide (Anthony Bourdain) every night… it’s enjoyable. I keep hearing him in my head while I read.
Discover more from knitorious
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
That Farfale cardigan pattern is lovely. I also like the Pressed Flowers cardigan and hope to knit it one day.
The colour of the Rowan Magpie is beautiful. It’s going to be gorgeous knit up.
I checked out your Fib, again, lovely colours. I’m using up some chunky wool from Ireland in a striped jacket. The repeating stripe sequence was determined by weighing each colour and calculating how many rows I could do. Ended up with 6, 5, 3, 5, 3. I hope it works out – fingers crossed. Main reason for posting is to say that I am splicing the yarn to avoid the multiple ends to sew in.
Oh, Vicki! What a fabulous tribute to Sharon. (15 years??? How???) That Farfelle cardigan is so gorgeous — and it certainly does tick all the boxes. (Must. Look. Away.) My Pressed Flower cardigan is one of my favorite knits; I love it so. I think you’ll have fun knitting the Farfelle. As for the granny squares? I think crochet is very forgiving when you’re joining seams. I always found I could get away with quite a lot with crochet . . . just sayin. XO
Your granny squares are looking great and I’m looking forward to the next installment of the Farfalle story. The color of Sharon’s Magpie is beautiful and I do hope the ebay yarn is a close match. Farfalle would be a perfect tribute and I’m excited, too!
Oh my! Farfalle is gorgeous (and something I would never attempt). I can’t wait to see your version. I have granny squares piled up and can’t get excited about seaming them all together. LOL
The Farfalle Cardigan is beautiful and you have some equally lovely yarn. I love that you have been saving your sister’s yarn for something special. Best of luck on that blanket seaming project.
Your blanket seaming is coming along brilliantly! I think your plan was exactly right! And I really love Amy’s new sweater, Farfalle, it is perfection! And I think you are right that differing dye lots will work in the magic of mosaic! I have on my list for this fall her Waffle Pullover from the last MDK Field Guide. I love the warmth of mosaic stitches… and I saw someone do their pullover in scarlet and aubergine and it was just stunning! I was thinking green/pink… but that scarlet/aubergine is singing to me!
I saw that pattern and definitely stopped to look. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the additional yarn is a close-enough match to make it work!
A knitted tribute to your sister—what a gift and catharsis.
And I laughed a little—a funny thing to me that when I knitted my first top down, one piece sweater, I said I’d never knit a top garment any other way. Aren’t we fortunate to have options!? 🙂
I guess it’s what stitch you use to do the joining of squares that dictates the how. I’ve just completed my latest granny square blanket but I used trebles and did a square at a time.