At Loose Ends

Friday, July 11.

I don't know what I want to knit next.  I'm almost done with two sweaters. They just need finishing, sewing/weaving in ends.  Not surprisingly, I've been procrastinating finishing. 

My Stella Dolman top needs to be sewn/ends woven in. 

I've finished knitting Davis, but I'm not sure if I'm happy with the neck. The pattern called for picking up stitches and binding off.  Instead I knit a roll neck. Only problem is, it's not rolling in the back.

I finished my first Customfit sweater and absolutely loved the experience.  More on that another day.

Now I'm betwixt and between.  I started Open Waters, which is fine.  What a pleasure to be on #8 needles. I'm also using stash yarn from at least 5 years ago, Ellyn Cooper's Grand Crinkle (Worsted: 100% Rayon, 100 yards). This is a (mostly) mindless poncho pattern.

I just picked up Not Just Plain Jane's Super Crescent Renaissance Shawl pattern.

Store samples that need knitting.

Design ideas that need work.

There are three babies on the way (friends becoming Grandmothers).

Holidays need to be considered.

Ack!
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Monday, July 14

After overwhelming myself with my knitting "to do" list, I settled in to finish the two sweaters that were done. 

Here is the key to doing the tedious finishing work, phone a friend and pickup your sewing needle.  Time flies when your catching up and before I knew it, I was done sewing. 

In answer to my concerns about Davis, I tacked down the roll neck. The yarn is Elsbeth Lavold Hempathy (DK: 41% Cotton, 34% Hemp, 25% Rayon, 153 yards). I did a little modifying with the pattern.  I didn’t like how the fabric looked at 15 sts/4” stated gauge - it was very sloppy looking.  I’m knitting a bigger size at 19 sts/4” to achieve the smallest actual size. I’ve bought a couple of extra skeins to account for the change in gauge. It worked like a charm, I'm happy to say. 

I used a #8 needle on my knit row and #7 needle on my purl row.  I've learned that my purl stitches are looser and create random acts of sloppy big looking stitches.  This seems to mitigate that.  I've been doing this a lot lately with good results.  Interchangeable needles make this quite easy, #8 on one end and #7 on the other. When I knit in the round (to the armholes and the sleeves, I used #8's.

 My friend Cynthia taught me how to knit fair isle and I brought my #28 Mobius Cowl to show her my progress. Having brought that out of hibernation, I knit another motif. (No comment on the closed eyes, we are focusing in the knitting, remember.)

All that and I still didn't answer what's next.