SSKAL14 Summary

Foam sweater. Survived 2 weeks in Scotland.

Now that sskal14 is over, I might as well post what I've actually accomplished aside from my Wickerwork inspired pullover. I haven't just been acquiring a bunch more yarn - I've actually been using a bit of it, too! Not quite at the same rate as that of acquisition, but better than nothing. Pictured above is my foam sweater, which I finished the day before we set off for Scotland. So of course I brought it with me (in favour of the bulkier Wickerwork). It has lasted surprisingly well, considering it's knit from singles and I used one needle size larger than I should have. It gave me a nice gauge and I liked the feel of it, but going down to 2.5mm needles might have made it slightly more hard-wearing. Nonetheless, it's holding up and so incredibly comfortable! I might have to make myself another sometime in the foreseeable future. Those contiguous saddle shoulders are also quite nice, if I do say so myself. I think the slight puckering at the shoulder/chest area is probably due to the funnel neck, so I might make a crew neck next time.

Grace in Juniper Moon Farm's Findley

 And now here's another one that I started during the sskal14. Another improvised pattern - I should probably have ripped back and made the shoulders a little wider, but they're okay as is, too. Something to keep in mind for next time (though I've been through this before and I never seem to remember for next time). Terrified I might run out of yarn though! I haven't weighed it or anything, but it seems like I might either have just enough or might run out maybe 3/4 of the way down the next sleeve! We'll see what happens. The yarn is Juniper Moon Farm's Findley, which is a pleasure to work with! It's very silky smooth and amazingly soft both in the ball and when knitted up. I didn't have any troubles with it after blocking the swatches, and I tried to rub it between my hands a bit to see if anything would fuzz up: nothing did. I'm hoping that the full shirt will stay in that perfect condition too after lots of wear!

Sherwood hasn't budged an inch. Nope.

"Whatever happened to Sherwood (above) and that Sheep Sweater you've been working on for practically forever now?", you might ask. Well. About that. To tell the truth, they have moved not an inch! In fact, whereas before the sskal I had one sleeve for the sheep sweater halfway completed, I finally decided that because the ease was so different for the sleeve and the body, I would frog the sleeve and just make the sweater into a vest instead. So technically there is actually less of the sheep sweater now than there was before, but I'm more done than I was before, percentage-wise. Hurrah! As for Sherwood... I've got nothing. No excuses, nothing. I just didn't pick it up over that entire time. At all.

Still mostly in the same shape now as it was then.

I did have a great time looking at everyone's work, though I didn't really keep up with the conversations at all (which might have been the whole point of the KAL, but eh). Congratulations to the winners of the giveaway, and I look forward to next year, considering how much I did get done over this!

Honey Wickerwork

Honey marmalade sweater

More photos on my ravelry page.
I finished my first sskal14 sweater! Hurrah! I didn't follow the pattern at all, just took the stitch pattern and ran with it. The end result is nice and comfy (not yet blocked, so the body will probably be even comfier after blocking when there'll be a bit of positive ease), so I'm extremely pleased with it. All my other sweaters have been knit using zero ease calculations, so this is a nice deviation from all those, especially with autumn coming around soon. I believe it's my first time mattress stitching a sweater together (instead of backstitching) and I think I did a pretty fine job, if I do say so myself.

Detail of the side seam - can't even tell!

The side ribbing was a nice detail, I think, and I'm glad I deviated from the original design. For the sleevecap calculations, I used the formula from LeeWards Complete Library of Needlecraft since I just knitted the armhole for the body until it was about long enough. One thing I wish I did differently (not enough for me to rip it out and reknit it though) is that I knit the ssp incorrectly. I slipped them the wrong way before purling them through the back loops. Oh well.

SSKAL14

Sherwood. Since 2013.

I forgot to mention that I am participating in Very Shannon's Summer Sweater KAL this year! It's my first KAL, and I really hope that this will be the motivating factor for me to finish up a sweater or two (I'm looking at you two, sheep sweater and Sherwood). If I had to be honest with myself, I think the sheep sweater may never ever get finished. The body has zero ease whereas the sleeve I'm halfway done knitting has about 3~4" positive ease maybe? I haven't taken measurements of how big it is, but it's pretty roomy. So I might even just scrap the sleeves and make it a vest in the end. Not that I wear vests - ever - but as long as it's off the needles, I'd be chuffed. Sherwood stands a chance, since it knits up pretty quickly once I actually pick it up and start knitting. The problem is that before I start knitting, I have to spread out the chart so I can read it, which requires me to clear my little drawer-top. The little drawer-top that happens to have a bunch of little stuff on it that I use to make notes a I'm knitting other stuff or even just planning other stuff to knit in the future. Clearing that off - and keeping it cleared - will not be a fun task.

Sheep sweater. Since... 2012.

I don't have more recent photos of the main sweater I'm working on right now, which is a Wickerwork inspired sweater, but it's coming along quickly enough for me rethink knitting with fingering and lace-weight yarns all the time. I am one sleevecap and collar away from being completely done the knitting portion and starting on seaming, blocking, and weaving in ends, and I only started this in July! The colour reminds me of honey whenever I look at it - those dark honey biscuits shaped like a bear - and it's really a lovely yarn. A bit difficult once you poke through it and split it, but if you don't try to stab it in the back, it won't do the same to you, so I think that's fair. I got 12 balls of this yarn (Sublime Yarns Cashmere Merino Silk DK) at Loop last year, and while I was knitting up the body, I was afraid that maybe it wasn't enough, but the sleeves are eating up much less yarn than the body did (no duh. Stockinette vs. Cables), so I think there'll be just enough with one ball left over, even! Phew.

Honey marmalade sweater. Started July 2014. Almost done.