Archives for April 2019

Thank you for all the very nice comments about my Toorie Cardigan. In answer to a few questions, I have not yet worn it. Unless we have a cold day coming up in the next week or so, it will likely be put away until next Autumn/Winter.

My new project:

This is Hearten, a design by Kim Hargreaves from Capsule Coll. No. 03 CALM. I found a used copy of the booklet for sale via Amazon.

The pattern calls for Rowan Softyak DK, but I went with something else: I dipped into my precious stash of the now sadly discontinued Rowan Calmer. (I am still bitter about Rowan discontinuing Calmer.) I’m using color # 501 — Preen. The gauge is spot-on using the suggested needles for this project.

Here is Loki’s plan for the day:

Note the nicely crossed paws!

My Toorie Cardigan is done!

This is a Martin Storey design from Rowan 65, knit from Rowan Felted Tweed. I made no mods to the pattern — I even ordered the same buttons that were shown on the model (ordering info in Rowan 65).

In other news, I just got a Wyze camera for my home so I can spy on Loki when I am not at home. Here he is, gazing at the front door, waiting for Momma to come home.

In the comments for my last blog post, there were some questions about working fair isle on the purl side. It’s really not that bad — it just takes a bit of getting used to!

There is an excellent article about knitting fair isle flat on the Loveknitting blog, here. I like that color dominance and the proper way to strand colors on the purl side are addressed in detail.

I have both side fronts of my Toorie Cardi done.

I took a short break from knitting Toorie this week because a colleague just adopted two kitties and I needed to make these:

But I went back to Toorie and knit a sleeve.

And there were a couple of requests for a view of the wrong side:

Here is the best Loki picture of the week:

Here is what I’m working on right now:

This is “Toorie,” a design by Martin Storey that appears in Rowan 65. It’ worked from Rowan Felted Tweed in seven colors.

It is stranded colorwork and is worked in pieces and then seamed. While that is not the optimal way to do colorwork (because doing stranded colorwork on the purl side can be challenging) it is heavier than fingering weight, so I appreciate that it is worked and pieces and seamed. The resulting cardi will hang and fit much better.

I will spare you my rant about the plethora of seamless sweaters in ALL WEIGHTS of yarn that are popping up on Ravelry. In my opinion, designers are too concerned with ease of knitting versus look and fit of the garment. (Oh look, I ranted a little after all.)

Rowan 65 is full of beautiful sweaters that are for the most part knit in pieces and seamed and that makes me very happy. I have learned my lesson and will stay away from seamless sweaters (I’m looking at you, Comfort Fade Cardi) that are a big sloppy mess when I attempt to wear them. As far as I’m concerned, the only good reason to knit a sweater in the round is when you are working fingering weight stranded colorwork. My opinion. Your mileage may vary.

Anyway.

Here is the completed back:

And here is the left front:

I’m working on the right front right now.

And Loki is enjoying his little couch!