Rogue is DONE

DONE DONE DONE!
Rogue is done!
I was so frustrated by the cables on the hood I did my own variation on traveling Aran cables. I always was bad at grafting, I admit it. I attribute it to being left-handed and having to follow right-handed directions. But Daughter loves it, loves it sleeveless, and all I have left to do is to steam the hem and the armholes. I'm not even going to put ribbing at the armholes, just leave them as is. If they show wear, I'll blanket stitch them. For now, they'll be au naturel.

In going through the back of the cedar closet, I came across this top I made over 10 years ago: I designed it to wear to a friend's son's bar-mitzvah back when grey was the rage. It's charcoal Filatura de Crosa Sera, with center panels of FdC No Smoking in pewter. It fits me even better now.

Something else from the cedar closet: This vest was made years ago for 1 daughter, both deny it for some reason. The pattern is from a 1960's Spinnerin book and the yarn is Rowan Magpie. It doesn't fit me (too small); what shall I do with this lovely homeless vest?

Last bit of my older knitting for today: This lace shawl, done I think in Madil Kid Seta, is found in the 1996 Spring Knitter's issue #42 dedicated to lace and reprinted in The Best of Knitter's Magazine Scarves and Shawls. It's Eugen Beugler's Lace Dreams shawl. I made it according to directions, in 2 halves, with a provisional cast-on first, then picking up the sts for the second half. I used a size 4 needle. I normally don't like yellow, but this banana ice color is quite nice.

Progress

So this is where the Rugged vest is, a little more than halfway to the armhole. Maybe it will be a 2009 FO after all. We'll see.

And here's where I've left off on Rogue. Maybe about halfway up the hood (I didn't check what row I'm on). DD thinks she might like it as a hooded vest (I have to tell her it's an irreversible decision, since I know I won't want to do sleeves in the future).

Today is quite frigid, maybe about 15 degrees F out (and only second day of winter), with a foot of snow on the ground. Our younger collie decided cold weather is not for him.

Some Colorful Knitting and Marvelous Music

Is this blindingly-colorful and super-patriotic or what? The pattern can be found through the link on the Ships project site, it's the slip stitch pattern, and soo easy. The blue and cream are Rowan Magpie done with size 9 circs. (and yes, that's a Guernsey cast-on to start) while the red is Beaverslide Dry Goods wool and mohair on size 7 circs. I redid the red part but didn't photograph it, just did not like the dec instructions, so did my own to make a smoother finish. Also made the hat longer, more like 9"long. And not pointy at top anymore either. What was I thinking?

Last night DH and I went to this concert. The NY Philharmonic was in top form, as was Loren Maazel. The guest cellist was superb. Don't tell Glenn Dictorow, but I half-expected a clarinet to tune the orchestra! DH is not yet convinced that DD#2 deserves an upgraded clarinet, though she lobbies hard... she wants what Stan Drucker the Principal Clarinet for the NY Philharmonic plays (in case you are curious, that would be a Buffet et Crampon model R13, in grenadilla wood).
That would also be about $4800 list for the thing, not including mouthpiece,ligature, barrel, reeds, and other assorted parapharnalia. Hence DH's reluctance. Though he did say last night that he could see (and hear) DD#2 sitting in Stan Drucker's place, leading the Fifth Symphony......

Rogue is done with the entire back and the left front is nearly completed. This is going much faster than I ever dreamed. So satisfying to watch it grow and grow. Did I mention how much I love Magpie? I'm sure that's more than half of it.

Check my side-bar to see the new Trees hat pattern I put up for the Ships Project. Each pattern is only $3.25 and all proceeds go straight to the Ships Project to defray the cost of mailing items to our troops. Which comes to $2000 per month.

New Bernat Knitting Book and It's a Winner

I learned to knit from Bernat Handicrafter books; still have every one I ever bought. Some of the best vest patterns ever are in 1; my favorite cardi of all time is in another (must have made it 5 times for various folk). Even though the patterns aren't charted, I find them so well-written that as a novice knitter I was making the most complicated Bernat patterns (short rows before I knew they were called short rows). Substituting yarns was easy. Back then Bernat made a lovely wool called Sesame 4; it knitted to the same gauge as Berella 4 and had nearly the same luscious color palette. And Gloucester! Who could forget that cabled cotton, and the peach seashell pattern pull designed for it (I have that booklet still on my shelf)? That was when Emil and Eleanor Bernat owned the company, before it was sold to SpinRite in Canada. Now it is no longer the Bernat I knew and loved. Berella isn't as soft as other acrylics, and unless one is into the fun fur and eyelash scene (I decidedly am not), 'tain't much to get from Bernat.

So I happened upon an ad for Bernat Natural Blend yarns and thought, this deserves at least a brief look via Google. Forget the natural blends themselves (IMHO, bland colors, and the cashmere blend is only 5% cashmere)- take a peak at this book! OK, forget the lousy photography (pale neutral colors against pale neutral backdrops- what were they thinking?? And what happened to the cover model's left eye? It looks like it's nearly swollen shut. Someone get this gal eye drops!). Can you see the beautiful Aran sweater? With shaping yet. A dream of a sweater.


I can't wait to take a better look at this set. Not that I intend to make the mukluk socks, but the hat and scarf set could be tweaked for the Ships Project (they need gaiters and scarves too). And slippers, they need slippers. Maybe the mukluks could become slippers.


And this: Is it Rogue with a zipper or a cross between Rogue and Eris? Add pockets and undulating cable panels at the sides, edit the deep ribbing and I am totally enchanted by the possibilities. I can just see DD#2 in this number now, walking across college campus in a year (G-d willing). But tell me, if the model needs to wear the hood, why is she barefoot? Maybe she should have put on the mukluks.
Would you believe this book is scarce as hens' teeth? I don't know why it's out of stock everywhere I tried (American retailers must have order maybe 1 copy of it). I did find it on a Canadian site and so it's on its way to me (I hope; mail from Canada can be leisurely).

Ah Rogue! I am just a few rows away from joining the pocket front to the body. At this point, it is almost mindless knitting. Almost. I don't think I'll ever have the entire chart memorized; I'm lucky I can figure out the symbolcraft without resorting to spreading all 19 pages all over the place.

Rogue Hoodie Progress

So here's Rogue, in Morning Dew Rowan Magpie, good color to show off those Celtic cables. And the pocket front is done; yes that is a Guernsey cast-on I used (why, when it will be hidden in the hem? I dunno- easy, stretchy, didn't have to pre-measure yarn for cast-on, take yer pick). O! do I wish I had though of using a lifeline to mark the first row of the pocket front. O! did I wish it as I was picking up and repicking up stitches last night (until 2 pm, started right after breaking the Yom Kippur fast and decided I had to finish the pocket front, including pick-up stitches). O! why did I not Google for Rogue hoodie; I would have found THIS, in which much useful information is included. But most of it I already goofed up and learned from my mistakes (I hope). Seriously, the 19 page pattern could have used a few of the tips from this page (plus mine own sole tip). At least put this page up as a link on the mods or FAQ page! More thoughts: Instead of picking up a pocket (say that 5 times real fast, Peter Piper), what if one were to m2 out of every one of the 51 sts for the pocket front, threading alternate sts on a lifeline? One would then have sts ready to go for the body when the pocket front is completed. Hmmm, if I make this again, say for DD#2 who may start clamoring when she lays eyes on either the Ruby Magpie or the Burgundy or Mid-Blue Jaeger Shetland Aran I have stashed away (another discontinued, lamented yarn; indeed, all of Jaeger is slated to be but a memory ... but I digress). I am intrigued with making this into a cardi; I have the note on it, started it as a cardi, got frustrated when I got up to the pocket part, then DD#1 said she wants a pullover, not as cardi (whew!). Almost enough to make this steek virgin make a Rogue cardi- using a steek down the front. I'd baste down anyway, and sew the pocket edges; wonder if you can do a steek and create enough border to set a zipper in. After mastering socks and circular knitting, it seems I am ready for anything. Where're my Alice Starmore books? If I do make a cardi using a steek, I know I'll follow EZ's advice to lie down in a dark room with a cold cloth over the face after cutting the steek. I'll emend that to say: after imbibing a snifter of cognac, or 2, as needed! If you're a veteran steeker, would you mind telling me the best scissors to use? Veronika Avery, knitting designer, says big dressmaker shears, others say small pointy ones. And if you've a nice cognac to recommend, that would be fine, too.

A Rogue Post and a (Nearly) Reversible Guernsey Hat

Now I have nothing aqainst Gitta Schrade; she does marvelous designs, and DD#1 did say she yearned for a long cabled sweater with a belt, so way back when (April? May?), I started such a thing out of seafoam SheepsWool. And wasn't liking it, it was not a fun knit, easy but not fun. Then DD#1 flipped through the 25th anniversary VK Fall 2007 that just came, and sighed after the lacey hoodie. She is addicted to hoodies. I can't break her of it. Lace is not her thing or style (good, I don't want to knit a cardi from side to side; did one for her when she was young and the cardi was small). She did mention liking the Celtic cables on Rogue though. So I join the ranks of countless knitters who have made the Rogue sweater (get it here). And fortunately, I have amassed a little stash of Rowan Magpie (heh, heh), including 2 shades of green, one of which is sure to please DD#1. Indeed, DD#1 has been deciding on which green (Morning Dew or a blue-green that's not quite teal, nor turquoise) since Sunday. And yes, a pullover style will suit her, so no "cardiganizing." Whew.
Speaking of my small stash of Magpie, scroll down to my destashing post, which I've been updating. I have 20, yes, 20 skeins of Magpie available. 10 are Rose, a lovely color but no one else in the famiglia wants to wear it (OK, I do, but I already made myself something out of Rose Magpie). 10 are a light pearl grey. I would love to trade for Magpie in other colors like Ruby, Moss, Lagoon. E-mail me (button at left) and we can discuss.
Update: DD decided to go with the Morning Dew (it was tough, took her over 3 days to decide!).

As promised,a peek at the Guernsey hat featuring Channel Island cast-on that I modified:

The tree motif is mine, the cable is a 3-st mock cable, and the diagnoals are the familiar motif known as "marriage lines." This is the way I'm knitting it; Guernsey patterns being traditionally on a purl background. But just look at the reverse side: I like it better; certainly the marriage lines show up crisper. Dang! if I hadn't done a cable but stuck to a traditional ribbing pattern, I could finish this hat to the reverse-side out. I like the Channel island cast-on this way too, 'course if someone were to turn the brim up, this side would not show. Remember folks, this cast-on does look a bit different from either side. I recall EZ wrote an article on it for VK, and she said she couldn't decide which way she like it better (I think I recall that, or maybe Meg Swansen wrote it). I agree, both sides are too pretty to ignore. So what do you think? Which side looks better to you? I'd be interested to hear your opinions.

**Sigh** That Skye is definitely the problem child Dog in this household. See what he did? He flipped his dog bed onto Rocky- and is lying down on Rocky (Rocky is busy chewing a Nylabone toy). We have no idea what possessed Skye.....

I'll be offline until Sunday, Saturday being the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur); spent in synagogue in fasting, prayer, and repentance. To everyone fasting, have an easy fast, and for everyone, may you be sealed in the Book of Good Life for the coming year.