SUMMER KNITTING UPDATE

Or, what I did while waiting

for my yarn for Sarah's, Lucy's Diamonds scarf, featured on  Southern Cross Knitting magazine! THIS IS A FREE DESIGN offered by Sarah Bradberry.  Check it out!

Lovely isn't it?  I discovered that Sarah bought the Rainbow colored roving from Oz Yarns and spun it herself.  Thus, I wasted a week trying to find the right yarn.  For my troubles, I have 3 batches of variegated yarn coming - all handpainted stuff.  I pray that the color runs are extrememly long ones. 

What I tried that didn't work for me:

I tried several colors of Zephyr and the scarf was BLAHHH!  I tried 3 colors of M. Stove's variegated merino lace yarn - that I have had since it cost $ 7.00 a hank, (it is now 16.00 I believe).  Goes to show how long that has been in stash. BLUSH!

Artisan yarn, while lovely, has very short color runs...it looked  like hell.  I have never had much luck with variegated yarns.  And I LOVE THEM.

Also, there was the ball of Helen's Lace - color, Black Pearl.  Lovely but again, short color runs and didn't do the design justice at all. The scarf looked as it if it had the BLACK DEATH!

We won't mention the lace weight alpaca that has been mouldering in the stash closet for 15 years. (Double blushing going on here)!

While I waited for all this yarn to arrive, I grabbed some Jaeger Trinity yarn I received from Jannette in the UK.  It was a really good buy.   Three (3) bags of 10 each for $100.00 shipped. (Jannette's web store URL is on this blog).

I am a terrible artist but I tried to sketch out a sweater -  And started knitting by the seat of my pants - once again.

Of course I screwed up a bit and have a rather strange looking shape here.  In the end, I thought WOW, I have a Sweater Wizard - I wonder if it  works?  I think I decided on Raglan Sleeves as the acid test of the Sweater Wizard.

I put in all the statistics - and chose raglan sleeves....and the decreases on the sides worked but - that isn't enough to convince me.  So I am going to knit up a sleeve so I can tell if it really works.

I would have/should have used it for the entire design - but I already had knitted most of the body up.  Right now, I can report that in IMHO, the SW is limited to a few basic designs.  Since I had already knit the shape of the body I wanted, all I needed was the decreases  and sleeve directions.  It works for me!

Yarn Report:  I had never used Trinity before.  It is much like Lavold's Silky Wool but not as DK weight and of course, there isn't any wool in it.  I am using 3.75 mm Aero's to knit this - and the yarn is extrodinarily 'drapey' is a nice word - wimpy is another.  I probably should have used a 3.25 for more body.  I am a newbie using cottons so I am hoping that I don't have another entry in CHICKEN FEATHERS when I am finished.                         

Onward - to the sleeve!  I can't wait to see the fit. I am going to lose the Peter Pan Collar.  It sucks.  Anyone out there have an idea how to finish out the neckline?                                          

                                                      

Comments

[dawn]

Hi Junieann
Trinity is a yarn that I don't like knitting with, but it makes comfortable garments, and the yardage is superb. It reminds me of Rowan's Summer Tweed, but a fine dk weight.

I've knitted Jill Vosberg's Lightning Lace Jacket in an orange-red trinity, and was really pleased with it. (No photos, it's packed away!), so if you don't like stocking stitch, consider some texture or lace

Love the variagated scarf, not that I need any new projects!

Dawn

[wendy]

No ideas for your sweater neck, but I really like what you have so far!

The scarf is lovely. And thanks for the yarn review.