Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Killing the Blues

Blue Knitting - June 2009


Sometimes I get in the mood to start things (see blue lace above). Sometimes I get in the mood to finish things (see Cables, Baby! sweater). Sometimes, this all happens in the space of a few days--the scarf made a trip to the Mariner's game last Friday, and I finally finished the weaving in and button sewing on the sweater (which I started, no joke, last August).

Overall, I'm pleased with how the baby sweater came out. It was a giant pain to sew up, and the color of the yarn wasn't quite what I expected when I ordered it, but I really like the cable pattern and the off-centered buttons. Assuming that it fits the baby I'm giving it to (who is obviously not the baby I started this for a year ago), it will look really cute. The pattern is Baby Yours (Rav Link) by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, and the yarn is Socks That Rock mediumweight in the Nyame colorway. I knit the 6-month size, and have a little bit of yarn leftover from a single skein. Not so much that I feel like I've wasted anything, but not so little that I panicked while knitting.

On to the next blue item, one which may not be long for this world. It's the Lace Ribbon Scarf by Veronik Avery, in blue Handmaiden Seasilk. I've had the Seasilk in my stash for a really long time (at least 3 years), and I really like some of the scarves I've seen knit from this pattern (there are 3,600 on Ravelry), so I thought it would be a good match. After knitting about five inches, I'm not so sure. In the original version, the diagonal zig zag lines are very strong. I think that the key is the double yarnovers, which are flanked by single yarnovers on the outside edge of the lines. In the original, the single yarnovers are not very noticable, but in seasilk the drape of the yarn makes the singles look almost as big as the doubles. This assumes, of course, that I'm knitting things right. Here's a close-up version that may show better what the problem is:


P1040298


See? You can't really tell which YOs are wrapped once, and which are wrapped twice, and the zig zags are all jagged-y as a result. I'm taking this to knit night this week for further opinions / dissections. I may be making a mountain out of a molehill, but I'd hate to waste such beautiful yarn on a pattern that I'm not loving. And I'd love to knit this pattern out of something that will really show it off--it's super easy to memorize, but not so easy as to be totally dull (in the first five inches).

5 comments:

ruthee... said...

I love the cables - the blue yarn really shows them off. Great job! Let us know what you decide to do about the scarf. Would blocking help?

Therese said...

Hmmm, the YO's do look about the same size, but I am not sure that that is necessarily a bad thing. Did you block it? Wish I'd been there last night to see this in person! It looks okay to me in the pictures you posted...

Cactusneedles said...

I like all your blue knits!

French Connection (Ravelry) said...

I have yet to knit a lace scarf - I have the Ishbel pattern waiting. And was thinking of Handmaiden sea silk as well. So I have no experience but will follow with interest any comments you get so I can learn by them. And you!
The scarf is gorgeous even if your trained eye sees what I don't!

Lola and Ava said...

I was thinking of casting on for the Lace Ribbon Scarf with Kraemer's Sterling (long threads of sterling silver run throughout the ivory yarn). Have you decided if it is more the yarn or the pattern with the wonky zig-zags?