sweater | PDXKnitterati

I finished my Luminos Tee. It looked great right off the needles, and even better after wet blocking. The size stayed the same, but the stitches and edges are smoother. I knew the size would be consistent, because I knit, washed, and blocked a swatch. That’s always good for a sweater that you want to fit!

A quick mirror selfie. Yarn is a kit from Knits All Done/Yarn Snob, merino/silk/cashmere. Luxurious!

Do I always knit, wash, and block swatches? Usually yes, for sweaters. But I’ve been eyeing the Ranunculus sweater, and I’m not sure it matters. The instructions are the same for all sizes through the yoke; the actual size is determined after knitting the yoke, when beginning the raglan shaping. You can use any weight yarn, and a size 10 needle is recommended. That’s all pretty loosey-goosey!

I wanted to play with some fingering weight linen that’s in my stash. Most of it is in an abandoned design project. There are 3 untouched skeins (50g/168 yards each), so I can play with what’s there without ripping the old project yet. This sweater takes 370 to 400 yards for the short sleeve version, so I’m covered!

It would make a very open and airy Ranunculus, to go over a tank top or sundress. I decided to jump in and start knitting; it’s just as easy as making a circular gauge swatch. I’ll have enough done when the yoke is finished to really figure out my gauge, and adjust accordingly. Because blocking is transformative for linen, I could put it on waste yarn and wash and block. Or not. The smallest size in this pattern gives me 10 inches of ease, so I’m not worried that it would be too small.

I took it to the Waterfront Blues Festival yesterday; it’s going pretty quickly. (Jenny Don’t and the Spurs on the screen.)

The weather was perfect for 3 days of music outdoors. Happy Fourth of July weekend! 250 years for this republic.

Time to knit…

I had forgotten how much fun it is to knit cables, especially with bulky yarn.

It’s mesmerizing to watch the cables develop. I just finished Row 50 of the back. Yes, there are two row counters because the center cable has a 32 row repeat, and the side cables have a 24 row repeat.

I put the charts inside a page protector to give it some body, and I’m using my ribbon covered magnets from a Slipped Stitch Studios pattern keeper to keep track of which row(s) I’m on. Why not just use the pattern keeper? Because the magnets only work if the chart is printed in portrait mode, and I can read them better printed in landscape mode!

The next step in the sweater process is deciding if I want to modify the drop shoulder for a better fit for DH. I modified this favorite sweater for him (Sky Lights from North Island Designs, not on Ravelry because it’s THAT old), so I put it on the floor to measure it.

I’ve measured all the important bits: Length to armhole, cut in at armhole, armhole depth, neck width, overall length of sweater and sleeve. Now to translate it to the current knit…

We’ve had an ice storm on top of a snowstorm, so we’ve been cooped up inside. Perfect weather for knitting, and for baking.

Calvin helped me make blueberry muffins. He can smell melted butter from the other room.

The birds are puffed up against the cold, and hungry, so I put out bird seed.

I’m ready for the ice to melt. And I need to start getting ready to go to VKLive NYC next week. Must. Stop. Knitting. Sweater. For now at least! How are things where you are?