Thanks for all of your compliments on the stocking! I'm so happy to have it finished, but it's been fun working on it, and I'm glad all the hard work has paid off!
OK, now that it is time to start working on something else, I have the problem of two conflicting goals. One goal is to finish all of my unfinished projects and stop having so many things in process at the same time. My other goal was to knit one thing out of each issue of Interweave Knits this year, thus justifying keeping a subscription to a magazine which, up to this point, has been helping to hold down my coffee table.
Hmm, finish an old project, or start a new one? What to do?
What the heck...
Up next in the queue we have the Dollar and a Half Cardigan, designed by Véronik Avery, which seems to me basic enough that I might actually be able to finish it, and yet interesting enough that I won't be tempted to use it for kindling 30 rows in.
Here's the problem. Nowhere on the Internets could I find the JCA Soft Linen yarn called for by the pattern. Also, I am cheap, which is why I don't do sweaters. But Knit Picks Andean Silk seems to have similar yardage, and so maybe it will be similar gauge? Is that how this works? Help me? I hope so, because I've already ordered 14 skeins, which by my calculations should be hopefully arriving today.
One way or another, I do solemnly swear to knit a gauge swatch, and then to keep checking my gauge throughout the project so that this doesn't end up as another "Lucky," which, ahem, I am still avoiding. Still very, very bitter about the Lucky, yes I am.
In celebration of Project Spectrum 2.0, I decided to make a gray one. "Slate" technically, which looks something like this:
And which I invision will result in a cardigan something like this:
(Love Photoshop. Love it.)
For a fleeting moment, I considered making Ryan the Bauhaus Fair Isle, but then I remembered what a slow knitter I am and had a reality check. Rather than adding this one to the To-Knit list, we'll just be adding it to the "To Knit Someday When I Have Nothing To Do But Sit Around And Watch Soap Operas" List. Pretty though, yes?
Would make such a nice Valentine someday...
Valentine's Day is sortof stressing me out this year. We agreed to not buy each other gifts, and while I love the idea of this, I'm still trying to figure out something nice to do for Ryan that I wouldn't normally do anyway. I thought about making dessert, cleaning his office, planning a biking trip, but none of those things really seem right. Hmmm... I'm probably being too picky. I also have the preschool Valentine's Party to think about, and I'm hoping that I might have time to do cookies with Matthew again this year. Here are some ideas which I may steal:
(from Eleni's and Flour Pot Cookies, both of which are endless sources for cookie decorating ideas)
And I'm so wishing that I had time to put something like this bucket together. I think it is the cutest idea ever.
So little time! Maybe next year...
Also, Morgan posted a tutorial for her fabulous Valentine's Day Apron. Hooray!
That cardigan is going to be really lovely! I keep thinkng about getting a subscription to Interweave, but I keep putting it off. The hearts that look like the candies caught my eye, but now I'm trying to figure out how they maneged the super detailed work on the envelope cookies! Wow!
Posted by: scribblesnbits | February 13, 2007 at 09:23 AM
Kara and I both talked about knitting this cardigan and were talking about yarn substitutions but never got anywhere with it. I will be very interested to know if the Andean Silk works. I think it will be beautiful though.
Posted by: Erin | February 13, 2007 at 10:29 AM
I definitely want to do the Dollar and a Half Cardigan, but ran into the same trouble. Where is the yarn? It is no where to be found. I am interested to see how your Andean Silk works. In the meantime, I am still on the hunt...
I am dying, those cookies are amazing!
Posted by: Kara | February 13, 2007 at 10:30 AM
I definitely want to do the Dollar and a Half Cardigan, but ran into the same trouble. Where is the yarn? It is no where to be found. I am interested to see how your Andean Silk works. In the meantime, I am still on the hunt...
I am dying, those cookies are amazing!
Posted by: Kara | February 13, 2007 at 10:31 AM
Oooh, that sweater is lovely! Good luck with it. I'm still working on the crocheted blanked I started for Gavin. Someday...
We're at a loss for V-Day, too. We don't have a babysitter and haven't even discussed presents. It's such a made-up holiday anyway, but I still feel lame not doing anything at all. Let me know if you get any brilliant (shareable) ideas!
Posted by: sincityspuds | February 13, 2007 at 12:04 PM
Someone on the Knitty board found the linen yarn at Patternworks:
http://www.patternworks.com/PWShopping/partsvyarn.asp?action=lookup&partno=909&subject=&catpos=
But I love your idea of using Andean Silk--the Reynolds colors leave a lot to be desired, compared to Knitpicks. And despite them saying it's soft, I'd want to touch the linen yarn before getting a whole sweater's worth--linen just never seems soft to me. And I love the Andean Silk. I like your photoshopped grey sweater even better than the brown in the magazine! It shows off the pattern much much better. That sweater was also my favorite and most likely knit from this issue.
Posted by: Janelle | February 13, 2007 at 12:26 PM
Did you make the cookies? All those ideas look very pretty.
That sweater is superb! It is one of my choices too from the last IKs.
Posted by: Isela | February 19, 2007 at 12:14 AM
ooh! man, i will have to try that color-swap thing for my hue. that grey is really beautiful.
Posted by: al | February 22, 2007 at 01:53 PM