Grey-Lime Stripes

Pattern: self-drawn based on Elfe transition stripes
Yarn: YarnArt Jeans 55% cotton 45%acrylic
Needle: 3 mm

Notes to self: I experimented with the raglan yoke. Instead of four points of decrease, I decided to decrease 10 stitches, evenly distributed, on every fourth row, eight times, and then 12 stitches on every 3rd row twice. This method creates a round rather than an angular yoke, the issue here is the visibility of the decreases, especially with this unforgiving cotton yarn. However, because the sweater is intended entirely for domestic wear, I didn't mind that so much. I'm curious how this method would work with wool, probably better. Might try it some day :)

Though I've photographed it outside, in front of the local supermarket, I really mean to wear it a lot and strictly at home. One of the issues of every woman, who makes her own clothes and is a home-stay mother or is working from home (I work from my home office) is the fact, that she spends a greater part of her time at home and gets to wear her new and fancy clothes more rarely. So this autumn I've decided to make a few items specifically to be worn at home, which for me means soft and preferably wool-free yarns. And I'll try to de-stash a little bit.

It's FO Friday and lot's of people are showing their finished objects at
FO Friday and Creative Friday

Whimsical Knitting

Is your knitting logical? 'Cause mine sure isn't, especially of late :)

I've finally finished the Elfe-striped sweater, it's blocking now and I hope to be able to photo-shoot it for FO Friday. I started the grey-lime sweater as a stash-busting project, I had about 180  g of lime and 120 g of grey. I knew, that if I wanted long sleeves I could pull it off with lime at the bottom and grey at the top. However, I liked the color transition better from grey at the bottom to lime at the top. So, here I went, knowing that this should mean 3/4 sleeves max. And I did make one of the sleeves, in the round, on 5 needles, and 3/4 length, and I didn't like it at all, neither the length, nor the width (kind of roomy around my armpits). So-o-o, I unraveled it and this time decided to knit the sleeves flat - not only because it's much faster, but for structure too. And realizing that I definitely prefer the sleeves to be 7/8 in length, I went and bought another ball of grey yarn. So, if I had made the sweater lime-grey, I would have busted the whole lot of yarn, while now I still have about 100 g left. Do I regret it - NO! I like it as it is and I believe after all this is what really matters :)

And on my current knitting - it's Menemsha Pullover by Angela Hahn. Last month I bought this still unknown to me yarn - Alize Lino, 25% linen and 75% viscose in a natural color.

I have never knitted with yarn in the form of a knitted tube and I was hesitant about the final result, but I like it a lot and I think it's the perfect yarn for this sweater.

The only hitch - it's a short sleeved summer sweater, it's coming along very slowly, so I will be knitting it for at least two or even three more weeks and autumn is already settled in. I should be knitting hats, gloves and cardigans, and I do have the yarns already, why am I knitting a summer sweater, which I will not be able to wear until next May, earliest!?
Because I can, I suppose? :)


I've just finished the right sleeve and started the part of the yoke, forming the boat neckline.

Stripes

I can hardly believe I cast this sweater on yesterday morning on 3 mm (US 2 1/2) needles :)
I had a free day, we went to the park, rode water bicycles in the lake and then had a huge Avengers film marathon, during which I knit the greater part of this sweater. Stockinette stitch and film marathons go so well together :)
As it often happens, the night before yesterday I was searching through Ravelry for a lacy sweater pattern, when I accidentally came upon Elfe. I believe I've seen it before and I've always been keen to make similar striped sweater, I just love this gradual transition between the two contrasting colors.
On the other hand, frankly, I'm not quite thrilled with the construction of Elfe, so I decided to take the idea of the stripes and to construct my own sweater.
As I've knitted a lot with YarnArt Jeans, I didn't make a swatch, just measured a 10 x 10 square on one of the older sweaters. The colors are a bit off on the photos, they are actually lime and grey and I just love how they've worked together so far.
The lime yarn is leftovers from this project and the grey - from my mother's Grey Joy.

I've started the sweater from down to top, in the round, trying to keep my stripes joggless. I opted for the stationary method, combining the striping with the waist shaping on the sides. I'm taking notes and I might write them down, if the experiment comes out successfully.

It's a blue moon today, the skies are clear and it's very beautiful, though, of course, it's no less yellow than usual :)

A day later - I finished the body and started on the sleeves. The body took me only three days, but I'm knitting the sleeves also in the round on 5 needles (I tried again the magic loop method, but somehow it doesn't work for me) and it's taking me forever, so the two sleeves (it's always a nuisance that there are two of them :) will probably take more time than the body.