Artlady WIPS

#1

I’m cranking away at three patterns at the moment. I don’t know why I do this, because I used to have total tunnel vision! I wouldn’t cast on for a sweater til the other one was done! Or at least, blocking!

I’m seaming up [B]YANK [/B]tonight. All the pieces are finally blocked and totally dry. The coat fits like ‘double breasted’! I love it!

I cast on for the [B]Tweedy Aran Cardigan[/B] (by Norah Gaughan).
Also hosting a KAL for it over at Rav. Official Cast On Day: April 1st.
Most of the knitters are getting their yarn in the month of March, swatching,
and finishing up loose ends for other projects.

I just finished swatching (one for st st gauge, and one for pattern stitch called ‘double garter stitch’)
for the [B]Kerrera Cardigan.[/B] FINALLY figured out how to work’double garter stitch! (used as the hem, cuffs, pocket trim and all bands!)

May cast on for it tonight after YANK is seamed.

Frogged the [B]Alaska Cardigan[/B]and re-used the red tweed immediately (for YANK). It was ginormous on me. Nothing about the fit was acceptable. The red tweed was too precious to waste. I won’t re-knit the Alaska. I found a better design that isn’t raglan sleeves (which don’t have the support; they are more easily pulled south by the weight of the coat). The [B]Faery Ring Cardigan[/B] hoodie is a much better design! Ordered Black Water Abbey wool for it.

Frogged 80% of the[B]Kimono Cardigan[/B]cuz I ran out of yarn.
Will re-knit it for sure, and shorten the sleeves by 4" and that should get me the extra yardage needed to finish the Right Front. Oy. It’s knit all in one piece, so I had to yank out the two fronts and the sleeves. The yarn is discontinued. But, even if I could get the yarn, the sleeves were too long. It’s the design. It pulls on shoulders and ‘no seams’ allowed the sleeves to grow!

[B]So that’s what I’m doing. Three WIPS, one in hibernation, and one is a total [I]BUST. [/I][/B]

Next project: a KAL for the [B]Blackberry Cabled Cardigan![/B]
And the[B]Waterlily Sideways Cardigan [/B]by K. Zimmerman!

NOTE: all projects are in the Ravelry pattern database

#2

These are all very lovely projects.

I read in another of your post that you prefer to make the different pieces and seam them together instead of working all in one, like top down raglans. Could you answer a few questions for me?

When making the different pieces, what type of selvedge edge do you work? What type of seaming do you use or do you use different methods depending on the garment? Do you have any advice to share? Thank you.

#3

:noway::passedout:

#4

Oh how I wish I could knit like you!! Your work is amazing!

#5

I am with Starlight. I wish I had half of your skill! You knit the most beautiful things.

#6

I always use the[B] ‘garter stitch’ [/B]selvage edge. It’s worked as a “knit stitch” on both WS and RS.

I only use mattress seaming.

My only tidbit of advice for a knitter that is new to ‘garment’ knitting: follow the pattern. Don’t take short cuts. Don’t knit “in the round” to avoid seaming. Don’t knit the fronts and back as one piece to avoid seaming, if the pattern says to knit the Fronts and Back as separates. Follow directions.

Swatch. Don’t take short cuts in this department.

Block your pieces.

EG: I blocked the 7 pieces of my YANK Peacoat. Tonight, I seamed the shoulders, seamed the sides, and seamed the sleeves, cuz the pattern gave that sequence. But now, before I seam the sleeves into the coat, I’m once again blocking. I’ve laid out the coat (the Fronts and Back are seamed at the sides and shoulders) flat, and I’ve laid soppy wet terry cloths onto the side seams. This will flatten them more, and make a more professional ‘appearance’.

Anyway, if you are a Raveler, take a peek in at my KAL’s over at Ravelry. I’ve included dozens (maybe more) of garment knitting tips. True, some of them are specific to the project, but many of them are applicable to any knitted garment!

Twist KAL
Clasica Coat KAL
Tweedy Aran KAL

The Knitalongs are very well organized for each subject pertaining to the project, so if you are looking for (example) [I]seaming tips, [/I]click on the subject: [I]SEAMING.
[/I]
And thanks for the compliment, in asking my advice for anything! I appreciate your kind words, and your confidence in my knitting. :hug:

#7

Wow!! I know I sound like a broken record … but I really do wanna be you when I grow up!!! :slight_smile: You are amazing!

#8

Great stuff! I love the Blackberry Cabled Cardigan … I’ll be interested to take a look at your KAL on that one, as I’ve been wanting to knit this cardigan for myself. I’m a little concerned about the complexity though … I noticed there are short rows in the pattern, which i haven’t done before. We’ll see … maybe I’ll be able to do it with your KAL notes to follow! :slight_smile:

#9

([I][U]I always use the ‘garter stitch’ selvage edge. It’s worked as a “knit stitch” on both WS and RS.[/U][/I])

Above, are you referring to the selvedges along the garment pieces? I just want to be sure you aren’t talking about the front and left buttonbands.

Do you mean that you knit the first and last stitch in each row?

Thank you for your time and advice.

#10

Hear hear!!

#11

Yes, that’s what I mean: I knit the first and last stitch of each row for the sleeves and Back, but for the Fronts, only the edge that will fold into the side seam. The ‘edge stitch’ as it’s called makes it just a bit easier to ‘see’ where to plunge your yarn needle in and out during the mattress seaming.

The edge stitch isn’t absolutely necessary to have a nice mattress seam. It’s just a preference of mine, and many other knitters. I learned it from them, tried it, liked it and kept it!

I gotta learn how to spell selvedge. Is it selvedge? Salvedge? Selvage? Selvadge? The spell-corrector has red lines under all of them except “selvage”. But they all look right! Oy!

Yeah, just checked the google dictionary. It’s selvage. I coulda swore there was a “d” in it. :doh:
(self-finished edges of fabric)

#12

Count me in with this drooling bunch! LOL! You really ARE amazing!

#13

Yank is looking great! I love the look of the tweed, especially in that color. I can’t wait to see how your Kerrera Cardigan turns out – I plan to make one as soon as I finish my hubby’s Biker Boy. I don’t know how you keep up with so many WIP’s!

#14

Oooooooh! Such beautiful projects! :heart: :heart: :heart:

:cheering: :cheering: :cheering:

Judy

#15

Beauties, all of them!! You’re so talented.

#16

I agree with Jan. I am honored to see your project.

I am going to seriously look into Kerrera Cardigan, Waterlily Sideways Cardigan and Blackberry Cabled Caridigan. If you decide to do a KAL on any of these, let me know.

Thank you for sharing.

#17

Slim stated, I don’t know how you keep up with so many WIP’s!

I don’t know how she has the time to do all the knitting she does, keep up with the current KAL’s here and on ravelry, answer our questions, and do all the other things that a wife has to do in a 24 hour day. Maybe that’s it. Her days are longer than ours.:slight_smile:

However you do it Artlady, thank you for sharing and helping.

#18

Lindaand I are talking about hosting a KAL for the Blackberry Cabled Cardigan!

She is my knitting buddy over at Ravelry! We’ve hosted several KAL’s together, sometimes she’s the admin, sometimes I am…but we both Moderate and “guide” the group of knitters to a successful end! A beautiful sweater! Right now, our TWIST kal is on it’s 2nd life, as is our CLASICA COAT kal! Both have a brand new batch of 2010 knitters! But we never abandon a KAL even if we’ve been done with ours for a year!

We prolly won’t host a kal for the Kerrera Cardigan. It’s currently being knit by a whole gob of ladies in the Shetland Trader Groupover at Rav, and the designer (Gudrun Johnston) is right in the middle of it, too! She answers questions within 2 minutes after you post! Very attentive!

Norah Gaughan, the designer of the Tweedy Aran, joined our KAL for it! So far she hasn’t posted anything, prolly thinking it’s best to be a ‘silent partner’ with Linda and I! But we were honored that she accepted our invitation! Another thing designers do is ‘watch for’ copyright infractions. :wink:

[B]Would you like me to put you on my “list” of knitters[/B] [B]to contact [/B]when we get the Blackberry Cabled Cardigan KAL rollin’? That’s what I did with the Tweedy Aran. I had a list of 12 “for sures” before I even got the KAL up and running!

People kept messaging me: what are we going to knit next? what is your next KAL? what will it be? etc. These were knitters who had participated in either TWIST, CASSIDY, SYLVI, OR CLASICA COAT.

If so, send me a PM and I’ll for sure put your Ravelry name on my list, making it a hot link so that I can directly contact you with a timeline. Usually give knitters a 30-60 day advance notice so they can finish up loose ends and WIPS, and get their pattern and yarn in order!

#19

BTW Artlady, you are correct in your spelling of selvage. It can also be spelled selvedge. They both have the same meaning. I found them both in the dictionary that is in my Works Task program.

#20

Thanks! I tried to spell it selvedge, cuz that’s the way I always ‘saw it’ in my mind, and it looks right to me…but the KH spellchecker didn’t like it, so I went with their way!

I appreciate the info! Good! I wasn’t daft afterall! :thumbsup: