Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Ruffled Jacket

It's finally finished!

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I couldn't be happier with it! Everything turned out just the way I wanted it to.

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I can wear it with a pin (or a knitting needle if no pin is available...).

Or I can be really classy and wear it with a belt.

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Ruffled Jacket, James Coviello

Vogue Knitting, Fall 2007, #44

Yarn: Rowanspun Aran

Modifications: A million (sleeves in the round, knitted on borders, ruffles instead of "bells", modified size/needle size, etc.)

Friday, April 18, 2008

Daylight/Nightlight

Yesterday, a friend reminded me of why I can't wait for summer. The days are getting longer and longer now, and it doesn't get dark until around 9.

There is much more light to come, though. This photo was taken at our summer cottage, midsummer (June 23) 2006, 3 minutes to midnight. View from Iso-Lemuri towards Renö, Kelviå, Finland.

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Can't you just hear the wings of the seagulls and the waves slowly reaching the shore. The most peaceful place on earth. My piece of paradise.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Ruffles!

I'm in this strange knitting mode right now. I knit a lot, but there doesn't seem to be anything worth blogging about. I guess it's because I'm mainly working on sweaters, and there really isn't much point in taking photos every 10 cm... But I did make significant progress on my Ruffled Jacket. Look: Ruffles!

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I've made so many modifications on this jacket already, that I can't remember them all. Again, I'm avoidin sewing, so I'm knitting the ruffles onto the edge instead. The ruffles are supposed to be knit separately, casting on at the outer edge with k9p3 and then decreasing two stitches for every repeat every other row, ending with a few rows of k1p3. Then you're supposed to sew the bind off edge and the main edge together. Well, you all know I can't do that! I'm doing it the other way around. I picked up stitches around the edge, started with k3p3 instead of k1p3 because I wanted just ruffles instead of the "bells", then increased every other round until I had k9p3 and then did the bind off. I also much prefer the bind off edge to a cast on edge. I can't wait to finish this!

I got the latest issue of Rebecca in the mail yesterday, and I already have plans for some of the patterns. Not sure about the yarn though, it might be too heavy, but I know I want brown and beige.

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And then there is a veeery seeeecret project, that I can't really tell you anything about. These are the ingredients.

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Let's see what kind of soup comes out of it.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Avoid sewing at all costs!

Wow, I fell off the radar there for a while. Well, I'm back now, and I actually have something to show for.

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My Ruffled Jacket has sleeves now, and I finished sewing them on! But maaan, do I hate sewing! Don't you just find it to be the ultimate anticlimax to a knitting project? "Yay, I finished knitting! Oh crap, I still have a whole bunch of sewing left!"

I tried to minimize the sewing on this cardigan by knitting the sleeves in the round, and I thought I was safe. But then I read further on in the pattern, and I discovered the HORROR. According to the pattern, you're supposed to knit a 10 stitches wide, cabled strip that is long enough to go around the whole outer edge of the cardigan. And then SEW it onto the edge! I mean, come on! Who in their right mind would enjoy doing that? I wasn't having any of it. So I'm doing this instead.

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Picking up stitches around the edge of the cardigan and attaching the cabled strip as it progresses. Sooo much more fun than sewing!