My Climbing Vines

I have a finished sweater, and it fits!

Pattern: Climbing Vines Pullover (Ravelry link) by Joelle Meier Rioux, Interweave Knits winter 2008
Yarn: Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran Tweed (85% merino, 10% silk, 5% cashmere), colorway 130/Lavender, approximately 8.75 skeins
Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) and US 5 (3.75 mm) Knit Picks Options
Started/Completed: February 7/February 27
Mods: added two extra inches in length to the sleeves to make them full length; added an extra inch of ribbing to the neck

This sweater was a true experiment. I went down a needle size and still didn't get gauge but determined that going down two needle sizes would have resulted in a stiff fabric. So I measured my swatch, did a few calculations, and figured out that knitting the 34 1/2" size should end up in a sweater to fit the measurements of the 38" size, which is what I wanted. As you can see, it did work out in the end, and the sweater fits just as I wanted it to, but I had to make a couple of adjustments.

Because I had fewer stitches per inch and fewer rows per inch, I ran into some difficulties when working the top part of the front. I had to work more rows to reach the desired length for the front, meaning I was further along in the lace panel than I would have been had I gotten gauge, so I had to fudge the neckline shaping. Then, the sections of the front on either side of the neck were narrower than they should have been -- the sweater was actually falling off my shoulders when I tried it on before picking up for the neckband -- so I added some more length to that ribbing to compensate.

I only realized midway through the sleeves that, as written, they would only be about 3/4 length. I didn't want shorter sleeves for this particular sweater, so I added an additional two inches or so of length to make them full length.

Finishing this sweater was much easier than I was expecting, and, in fact, I finished seaming everything in one evening. The sleeves in particular were the easiest I've ever set in. I picked up less stitches for the neckband than called for because of my gauge issues; I just made sure I had a multiple of four that filled the space adequately and went with it.

As to the yarn, I quite liked working with it, although I did encounter a fair amount of VM. I do love the rustic, nubby look it has, and after wearing this sweater all day on Saturday, I can attest to its warmth. My 10 skeins were enough to knit the entire sweater, including two gauge swatches, with enough left over for a hat or maybe a pair of fingerless mitts.

The Mister has declared this my Best Sweater Yet, and I'm inclined to agree with him. I got many compliments on it throughout the day from knitters and nonknitters alike, including one you might recognize:

Handspun and a Knitting Celebrity Encounter

First things first: It's Sunday, and I have new handspun to show you.

This is superwash merino (colorway Tabula Rosa) from Sakina Needles, purchased from the Loopy Ewe way back in my first big fiber order last year. I didn't spin it right away because the color was not what I expected; what looked pink and purple online was actually orange and purple in person. I finally decided to spin it up, figuring that if I didn't like the resulting yarn, I could knit it into a gift or find someone else who would love it.

I spun the entire 4 oz. onto one bobbin and then Navajo/chain plied it. I wound up with approximately 375 yards of sportweight-ish yarn. I had a lot of problems with the dye coming off on my hands while I spun, so I gave it a vinegar bath in the finishing process and had very little dye coming off when it was washed. I still don't know what I'll do with it, but the color is definitely growing on me.

Now, on to the celebrity. This weekend, Franklin Habit was in town doing a reading/booksigning and teaching a lace class at Natural Stitches.

An enthusiastic crowd was there Saturday afternoon for the reading and signing, which was quite entertaining, particularly when Franklin donned his nightcap while signing books.

The lace class was this morning, and it was also quite a bit of fun. In addition to teaching the basics of lace knitting (and yes, I know I already knew them), Franklin also had a lot to tell us about the lace knitting traditions of Orenburg, the Shetland Islands, and Estonia -- which is really why I took the class. He is a wonderful and very entertaining teacher, and I highly recommend taking a class with him if you have the chance.

I think I should add that Franklin also complimented me on my new sweater -- but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see that!