Yarn experimentation

Hi!

I am knitting “Bettna” for the 2nd time. I have worn version #1 over and over again. It’s the first cardigan I usually grab! I used the recommended yarn: NORO Silk Garden for version #1 shown below.

NORO Silk Garden self-stripes to its own liking and whim…and I just let it do what it wanted to do. I did nothing with manipulating the color sequencing.

Here I am…with DH…wearing it to a Bible Conference! I had a red Viking Knits pullover underneath!

For version #2…I am using CRYSTAL PALACE “Taos” in the color called “Chaco Canyon”. I like this warm colorway! See photo below:
This is a true representation of the colorway. My other photos were taken in weird light this afternoon.

I knit the LOWER BACK panel first, using a single skein across the rows. I think I started the 2nd skein when I said to myself: “UGH”. This is how Chaco Canyon was turning out:

Very non-distinct, very muddy…with a prevailing olive cast. NOT what I bargained for. So, what to do, what to do.

So I set aside BACK#1…and cast on for the BACK again. I knit the 14 garter stitch rows for the border using 1 skein across the rows. HOWEVER, when I commenced the st st…I divided the stitches into 5 sections…and knit each section with a different skein. Colorblock work, if you will.

This is the outcome, indoor lighting:

This is the outcome, outdoor lighting:

I love this! I repeated this process of knitting for the 2 LOWER FRONT panels as well, using just 3 skeins across the rows…and am now working on SLEEVE #1 using 3 skeins across the rows. The result is wonderful.

When the sleeves are 15" in length, then I must cast on 20 st at the beginning of the next two rows. This creates the vertical upper body for the fronts and the back. The upper body for the fronts and back the stitch is “elongated garter stitch” and then I will revert to using just one skein across the rows.

I will post photos of the sweater in Whatcha Knitting soon!

Here is the model sweater, on the cover of the book:

What a phenominal idea!! It looks so much better. I’ll have to remember that tip. I have some yarns that supposedly are self striping but have such short lengths of color that it seems like it would only work for a scarf. I’ll have to keep this in mind.:thumbsup:

Wow, that’s going to be so pretty!

The creative, mad scientist bug strikes again. :thumbsup: Can’t wait to see the finished coat.
Katrina

That is so cool ArtLady! I honestly think you should have a column in a knitting magazine with all the neat things you think of and all the tricks you have. Not to mention the gorgeous FOs you create. You should at least have a blog!

Ya know, I thought of that…but I know that a BLOG must be tended to every day. I read somewhere that a BLOG should be updated every day.

What with tending to my KH garden, and my Ravelry garden…I dunno if I could do justice to a personal BLOG.

But I will keep tinkering around with the idea.

I have read a bit in some knitter’s BLOGS…and I think the coolest ones are those that are tended to on a daily basis…kinda like a daily column. And those with good humour are especially standout, IMO!

Thanks your kind words, everyone! :aww:

Hugs,

Artlady

Wow, what a fabulous idea! :slight_smile:

It looks SO much better color blocked like that! Sheer brilliance, again.

Bambi

Great idea. Look forward to seeing the progress.

Well, I better get in there and finish that Right Sleeve and Right Front Upper Body! Ain’t getting nothin’ done, watching Knitting Guy sitting in his recliner smoking! He has a live streaming video! Have you seen it?? It is hilarious! You can find it in OFF TOPICS. The thread is called “If you get really really bored…”!

It’s like watching paint dry! :eyebrow:
Or, watching The Truman Show! :roflhard:

But before I close down…I’m gonna have a look-see…and see if he has moved! :teehee:

That is just amazing! You always come up with the neatest ideas. The yarn looks totally different. I think its going to be beautiful.

I have Bettna half finsihed, I set it aside in deference to BABY SWEATERS, need to pick it back up !!!

What a great idea, the pattern looks amazing!

So pretty! Bettna is on my list … I had forgotten about it … The Lotorp bag in that book is one of my favorite quick knits and project bag.

I absolutely love sweater #1, and I think #2 is going to be even more beautiful with the way you are blocking the colors. Can’t wait to see the FO!

What a wonderful idea to change skeins and therefore, change colors. I never would have thought of that. You are so clever.

What a wonderful idea to change skeins and therefore, change colors. I never would have thought of that. You are so clever

Couldn’t say it any better, another wonderful idea.

I need to go find that book!

What an interesting idea! I love the first one you did too, and the picture with your husband is so cute! :slight_smile:

It’s looking great! Do you mean you are doing like intarsia blocks?

Wow, the Noro worked beautifully with the different row lengths. Haven’t seen the pattern before, but it closely resembles Sally Melville’s Einstein Coat, which I am just finishing in solid color Lopi. Certainly makes me want to try this in Noro Kureyon…which I just happen to have a big bag of in stash. (Yeah, I love scratchy, hairy yarns.):slight_smile:

I love what’s happening with the second version. It’s very painterly.
Congratulations!

Yeah, like intarsia. I guess that’s what it’s called. As I knit across the row…and reach the next skein section…I wrap the two strands around each other to prevent a hole…to “connect” or intertwine the two skeins, and move along with the new skein across that section.

It was slow going, but I am all done with the FRONTS, BACK and both SLEEVES. Am finishing up the upper body that is knit vertically when the sleeve reaches 15".

The yarn isn’t NORO…it is Crystal Palace “TAOS”. Noro stripes much more readily. The TAOS wanted to tweed across the BACK…and prolly across the FRONTS, too.

TAOS would only ‘stripe’ across maybe 20 stitches at the most.

I am blocking the FRONTS and BACK. They should be dry by tomorrow. Then I’ll wash, rinse and block the two sleeves and upper body portions (eg: right sleeve is connected to the right upper body front/back) It is a weird pattern. Not hard, just weird.

And the finishing directions are crap. A total mystery. I dunno how in the world I ever got the first one seamed…but I trust it’ll come back to me when I start the seaming. :eyes: Numerous Ravelers who’ve knitted BETTNA all complain about the same thing: poorly written ‘finishing’ directions, or actually, ‘the lack of’ such.

That is one of the greatest features of Ravelry: for example…if you are knitting “BETTNA”…your project page will tell you exactly how many other Ravelers have knit, or are knitting, BETTNA. You can click on all of them one at a time and read the comments made by the other knitters. Very helpful. You could also send a specific knitter a PM and ask her how she resolved a certain issue. There are 55 knitters who have knitted BETTNA!