Beatnik pullover sweater: casting on

Beatnik: back ribbing

So that bag of Berroco Remix I bought along with Wendy Bernard's book Custom Knits, to knit the Ingenue pullover sweater with, after multiple swatches and much Ravelry research, is now being knit into the Beatnik pullover sweater. All of my swatching was suggesting that this wasn't the yarn for an Ingenue; getting to gauge would have made a very stiff fabric and I didn't want to have to redesign the sweater to suit my gauge instead. Just going ahead and designing a sweater for myself gripped me for long enough to sit down with Sweater 101 and take notes, and then Beatnik popped up in Friends Favorites on Ravelry and I was smitten. Although I know swatches lie, my swatches suggest I knit this one size smaller (the 40" instead of the 44"), so that's what I'm doing...even though the sweater is knit flat, in pieces, so trying it on as I go won't be an easy option. I'm also using 4.5 mm needles to knit the twisted rib hems, because I couldn't find 4.25 mm needles. So far, those are the only changes I have made to the pattern; once I get to the armscyes and sleeves it may be a different story, as I have broad shoulders and big upper arms.

I will note that knitting twisted rib in a non-stretchy yarn is not the most fun thing, especially when the needles are heavy enough to slide right out of the stitches if I'm not careful. Added bonus for me preferring to knit "combination" style, which means that the standard instructions for how to knit a twisted rib does not result in a twisted rib when I do it. It's been a little slower for me because I had to pay attention to the stitches and make sure I was twisting them.

Pattern: Beatnik by Norah Gaughan, published in Knitty Deep Fall 2010
Yarn: Berroco Remix

Lava Flow Cowl #3, blocking

Lava Flow Cowl #3, blocking.

The Lana Grossa Alta Moda Cashmere was a good choice. It's pretty airy for a bulky yarn, it's next-to-the-skin soft, and it's got a little bit of halo that you can see close up:
Lava Flow Cowl, Alta Moda Cashmere

...and great stitch definition when you stand back:
Lava Flow Cowl, Alta Moda Cashmere

Now I just have to graft the ends.
Pattern: Lava Flow Cowl by Dixie Norton, available free at the Dixie Stix blog.
Yarn: Lana Grossa Alta Moda Cashmere, 80% merino, 20% cashmere. Bulky/12-ply chainette. (YarnDex link)

Lava Flow Cowl, take 3

Lava Flow Cowl, Alta Moda Cashmere

Lava Flow Cowl #1 is still in progress. I misread the instructions and cabled more frequently than the pattern called for - letting it marinate while I think about working that into the pattern or just starting over.

Lava Flow Cowl #2 - frogged, as posted earlier.

Lava Flow Cowl #3 has knit up quickly; what I need to do now is weave in the ends, wash it, block it, and see if it's the right length. This time I'm using Lana Grossa Alta Moda Cashmere on US #13 needles, and it is knitting up to be rather light and fluffy for something so bulky.

Lava Flow Cowl (Debbie Bliss Cashmerino)

Lava Flow Cowl, closeup

Lava Flow Cowl, free pattern from the DixieStix blog. I had two skeins of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky and a pair of US 10.5 knitting needles that I was okay with losing if airport security decided to confiscate them, so I took this on a very long airplane ride and it was great! Until I ran out of yarn.

Lava Flow Cowl in progress

It's not long enough to make a comfortable cowl, and this yarn has been discontinued, so I'm going to frog it and make something else. I'm okay with that; I cast on another one in a different yarn and this time I made sure I have enough!

Swatching

Swatching


Although I'm still knitting away at the Matilda & Tillie pattern revision samples, I do have a swatch going. It's nice to have something I can just pick up and knit away at without thinking too much! The yarn is Berroco Remix, which Mom used for a baby sweater (pattern: Arshile, color: Smoke - kits available through WEBS). I'm swatching for an Ingenue sweater (from Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits book). In the spirit of practicing what I preach, I bought the book from the same yarn shop I bought the yarn from (Webs - yarn.com), and while I went into the transaction willing to pay full price, I saved $5.50 off the MSRP because the Webs discount system now includes books! I would have purchased it from a bookstore here, but none had it in stock.

Remix is a worsted/10 ply yarn made of 100% recycled fibers, a mix of nylon, cotton, acrylic, and silk (you can read more about it on Berroco's info page for Remix). It is soft and pleasantly nubby and I'm enjoying knitting with it.