The Isle of the Fairly Mad (Part the Second)

So, having gotten everyone caught up on where my knitting has been this semester, I think it’s fair time to tell you my plans for the next semester. Because that’s the unit my life exists is semesters. Not days, not months, not years: semesters. So be it.

One of the (many) things I could do next semester is a special project as an art class for knitting. Basically I’d keep notes for my knitting, which is something I currently do, I’d journal, which is basically ta:ks(s?) entries, and I would be making a few sweaters. Two. Possibly just a vest and something with sleeves. I’m going to write an email to the instructor, and see what kind of credit I could get for that. shrug

Anyway, the following is the foundation for that email.

Right now I’m in the progress of putting sleeves on my version of Alice Starmore’s Norway Sweater (from Fisherman’s Sweaters). I will very likely finish that one up by the middle of next week.

Then, I have a blue and white vest. My mom got this pattern, and the yarn to go with it. She even started on that sweater, except, that, well she doesn’t like to do big color work projects, which means I have the yarn for a vest with my name on it. Cool.

So here’s the plan for the Vest. I’m not a big fan of that pattern. I think it looks little too rug like, and single color ribbing next to color work I think is a bad idea (flexibility issues, and it’s just a bit… meh) So I’ll do some corrugated ribbing at the bottom, arm holes and collar. Stay tuned for my post next friday, about how much I hate corrugated ribbing. I’ve also lifted a pattern from the palm of an Estonian Mitten from Nancy Bush's _Folk Knitting in Estonia_, which I’ll use for the sweater. It’s actually the same size as the pattern I rejected from the original sweater. So some of the pattern can be used for some of the shaping (vest armsyes, and vee-necks).

Then I have yarn already for a sweater, using a sport/fingering yarn. Louet Sales, Gem’s. It’s about the same weight as Koigu KPPM, in fact they, both used to use the same mill until there was a falling out. I think Koigu switched. Whatever, it’s nice stuff, and I’ll make some sort of sweater, I’m liking the vertical pattern panels, but we’ll see what mood strikes me when I get there.

Those are the concrete projects, as I already have the yarn for them.

I thought that I would want to progress in to multi color, true “Fair Isle” style pullovers at this point, but alas the urge hasn’t struck me. the Norge Fantasia sweater I talked about in the last entry really drove me off horizontal pattern paneling. I think true Fair Isle is still really cool and it’s not something that I’d like to give up completely, but it’s not something I think would be wise to buy yarn for at this point. Other things which might find there way into the cue (no order) are:

• The Great Sweater Trade: More news on this coming soon, but I'm going to make a color work sweater for my mother in exchange for a cabled one.
• A Color-work Cardigan for Sam: Mom wants a cardigan, and seeing that I'm still antsy, a little bit, about cardigans, especially color-work ones, I'd like to make one for myself for practice. you know, with the hems and what not. And I'd like a cardigan/jacket for myself. I'm thinking it'll probably be out of Cascade 220, as I live in the frigid north, and I like Cascade, and it's about as bulky as I'd ever want my color work to get.
• A Pullover in Alpaca: I'm a huge fan of alpaca yarn and, the owner of my favorite yarn store is talking about making an order from Henry's Attic, and i've thought about getting in on that, because its amazing yarn, and the perfect weight for a sweater, and would be really fun to knit with.
• A lightweight sweater for Sam: Given the nature of color work, and the fact that I swear I haven't used anything smaller than size fives since may, most of my work has been somewhat thick, and I'd like to make a lighter sweater, because I don't really have any good fall/spring sweaters. I have my eyes on some merino lace weight, which would probably be pure insanity, but I'm up for it. I'm keeping my eyes on what this maker has, and when the right thing comes along I'm all over it, otherwise I'm thinking about 2/8 shetland, or something of that sort.
• Binary Patterning: I've always been intrigued by the prospect of using binary code for a sweater. I'm big on text, but the thing that makes color work so gripping is the way that the patterns build and the rhythm that that creates, and binary looses that, in all the ways I've thought of using it, so it needs a little thought before it's ready for prime time.

There you have it. Stay tuned for developments on all these projects.

Cheers, sam