Chunky Cabled Cardi

I keep telling myself that I will be a good blogger and post on a regular basis. Yeah, well, I guess I listen to myself as well as my kids did. :-/ I could also go on and on and tell you all about how totally yucky I've been lately, and give you some kind of reason for my lack of posting, but ya know what? I don't feel like it. Life is too short to waste mine (and yours) on stuff that doesn't matter, the only thing that does matter are the good days and how we choose to live. Nuff said. Time to catch up.

On the fiber front, not a tremendous amount of things done, but a few. I finally finished the first lace shawl of my life. Nothing to scream about, just a random lace pattern from some stitch dictionary. I still haven't blocked it so not much sense in taking a pic. I'm basically done with the 2nd pair of Coriolis socks, "basically" cuz I made them separately (not together on two circs) so I have to give them the once over to make sure they are the same length. Dang, if there's one thing I hate almost as much as seaming and that's counting rows....sigh Oh but just wait till you see the pic of the socks...I've got a surprise for you! :-)

The latest and greatest thing I finished is the title of this post. The Chunky Cabled Cardi, aka Drops pattern 83-7 Yep, lovin' this cardi.



Hmmm don't you just love it when you take a photo of something and it looks like there is a big frickin mistake in it!?! Don't know what's going on with those wonky cables, I can't find anything wrong with them when I inspected them post photo shoot.....sigh Is this the nature of big cables?? I've never done cables before, let alone cables in such a huge gauge, so I'm not sure.

Tech Stuff:
Yarns:
Brunswick Pomfret
100% wool Sport / 5 ply (12 wpi) 175 yards/1.75 oz
10 skeins

No-Name Mohair cobweb/carry along weight.

I used two strands each of the Pomfret and the Mohair throughout.

Pattern Gauge is 10st 14 rows = 10x10cm
My gauge was 11st 15 rows = 10x10cm (but it usually lies)

#11 and 13 needles.

Used the stitch count for medium size.

Pattern Mods: I worked the bodice in one pc bottom up, without the buttonbands. Picked up stitches along front edge and worked k1 p2 ribbing buttonbands. Picked up stitches around neck and top of button bands and worked same ribbing. Made the sleeves longer, cuz I like them that way. :o)

Pros and Cons:
Love the fit and the easy execution of this pattern. Not loving the yarn so much. Yes it is warm and comfortable, but it's too light weight. I think this pattern deserves a smooth heavier yarn, perhaps a cotton blend. I don't like the collar in the pattern at all, I'm OK with the collar I did, next one will prob'ly be a little different though. BTW this sweater is a VERY quick knit. I think it took about 3 days. yippee skippee!

Next up is a vintage sweater pattern. It's from a early 60's(?) Coats and Clarks booklet.



It's worked top down (my first top down can you believe it!?!) I really have no clue how it's coming along, I haven't bothered to try it on. Ha, isn't that one of the advantages of working something top down? I just started last night and I'm to the underarms. Might get it done tonight, tomorrow for sure. The yarn I'm using is this yarn. It's Botany (?) Bear Brand (?) twin pak stuff (I think. I'd have to go to the link myself to know for sure) It's the result of that koolaid dyeing mega quantity in the microwave day. I really do like the yarn, it came out all mottled and tweedy-like. The color has a lot of depth to it, if you know what I mean. BTW it's not really this orange, it more rusty red, with some orange flecks. Maybe tomorrow I'll do a sunlight photo and see if I can get the color right.


Those of you who know your stuff can prob'ly see the glaring mistake.....I was dumb. It didn't dawn on me until today, that I should have changed either the k2tog or the skp to the appropriate right/left leaning decrease cuz ...duh...they are the same thing when you knit like I do.....sigh. Oh well, this is just a prototype/try the pattern kind of thing anyway. If it doesn't fit I'm thinking of hand felting/fulling/whatever it anyway. Or maybe I'll frog it cuz I do like the yarn. :-) Oh yeah, I'm going to make it long sleeve.....did you really think I'd follow the pattern that faithfully???

Other stuff that's been going on.

A couple of days ago was the "Household Shuffle". For the enlightenment of those who don't understand the implications of those words, I'll fill you in. The Household Shuffle happens at the Hermitage, oh about 4 to 6 times a years. (What is the proper way to explain something that happens 4 to 6 times a year? Quadhexual??) It's a day when nothing in the house is safe in its placement. All manner of furniture, decor, knick knack, etc is fair game for movement, refashioning, and repurposing, (including rooms ie living room morphed into dining room, dining room into office etc) This latest shuffle was relatively minor. All rooms were spared the ego altering repurposing, although in the interest of full disclosure, in the week previous to the official Household Shuffle, Gillian's bedroom did fall to the oft done college student bedroom/sewing-room conversion. Sorry Silly but you had to see that coming.

Taking a quick inventory of all that has been moved or morphed, there are only two pieces of furniture in the living room that survived the shuffle (a large cabinet and IdaMae's fav chair). In the sitting room only the small table and lamp at the foot of the stairs survived. The sitting room has new curtains (made from fabric I got during my last Mouse excursion) and there is more "artwork" on the walls. A chair formerly in the sitting room has been reupholstered (again new Mouse fabric) and is in the living room. The china cabinet from the living room is now minus a door and is in the kitchen. Nothing got painted that day, but there are two pieces that have appointments with the paint brush very soon.

I've been enjoying myself going to fiber events of sorts. Of course the Bishop Hill Fiber Guild's Spin In is an event and I had a great time. Picked up a drop spindle and I've been itching to get my wheel out, but I need to get a few things either done or totally abandoned before I start spinning.

I've also attended a few knit nights. Funny how just a month or so ago I knew of no place to go, and now I've got 4 knit night/days that are easy enough for me to attend as well as a couple others that will be fun special occasion get-togethers, plus a couple more new groups in the making! WOW! Gotta be honest...Ravelry is the BEST!!!

I also scored some fabulous vintage dress patterns. Vintage as in 50's/40's..love the Lucy Ricardo/Rear Window Grace Kelly look. I splurged the other day and bought some fabric (at a real store not the Mouse!!) for 4 dresses. Not a big hurry to make them, other than desire, cuz both patterns are for summery dresses, but I couldn't resist the fabric that was perfect and on sale.

When I was digging around in the fabric stash I pulled out some marvelous wools I;e had for a while plus some new ones from...where else...the Mouse. Wondering if they'll become jackets/coats or skirts/dresses.

Enough already, you ought to get some kind of award for mucking your way through all this drivel. I'm off to go do something, even if it isn't right.