Gold Medal!

The Olympic Ribwarmer is done, and is being worn as this is being typed. It fits and I am pleased.

I ended up adding i-cord around all edges and across the back (from one armhole to the other), using the same yarn as the ribwarmer, and am pleased with the result. I'm not sure I like it as much in the photos -- looks too wide at the shoulders and too narrow at the waist -- but am enjoying wearing it and that's all that counts, right???

After the i-cord was applied, I blocked the ribwarmer a second time. The corners and back vent weren't laying as flat as I would have liked, but blocking took care of that problem just fine.

If I make another ribwarmer (and that's a real possibility) I will reduce the number of stitches by up to 5 on the fronts and will make it several rows longer.

Other knitting news -- the Kai-Mei socks might be finished yet today. I have started decreasing for both toes so the end is in sight for this project. The Coco Panel cardigan, however, has taken a turn for the worse. Yesterday I finished the first front side panel and attached it to the corresponding back side panel via 3 needle bindoff. Looked great. Then I held the shoulders together, to get an idea of how that seam will look once sewn, and that's when I discovered that the back is one or two rows wider than the front, and my colors are wrong. I am going to have to rip out the entire side panel and start over. The reknitting won't be difficult, but I am not looking forward to picking up the 125 stitches a second time -- of course that was where the color mistake was made.

Finish Line In Sight

Ribwarmer knitting is done, loose ends woven in, and it's being blocked. Once it's dry I'll try an attached i-cord edging around the armholes. Maybe around the entire body too, just not sure about that yet. And not sure if I'll do i-cord in red or in charcoal. May try both and see which one I like better.

This was a fun project, and I could certainly see making another ribwarmer, though out of a different fiber. Unspun Icelandic is a bit scratchy for my taste, but it certainly was interesting to work with. Perhaps it will feel softer once it's been washed and dries.

Now I need to decide what UFO I want to try finishing before the Olympic flame is extinguished. My choices are:

(1) The JSS Coco Panel Cardigan -- body and sleeves have been knit. What's left are the 4 side panels and then sewing the entire sweater together. Side seams won't be too bad; I don't mind them. It's the set-in sleeves that I'm dreading. Can't imagine that I can get all of that done in a week, especially the finishing work.

(2) Kai-Mei Socks -- one sock done except for the toe, second sock done through the heel. This seems like a much more reasonable possibility, especially since I can take it with me and work on it on the bus, at concerts (of which there are at least two I am planning on attending before the closing ceremony), at the dentist next Thursday (while I get a new crown and expect to have lots of waiting time while it's being made on the spot).

(3) Jarek's chunky socks -- the first one has barely been started, and I'm not sure I'm up to figuring out what to do with them. He designed the color pattern, complete with a spiral that runs around the leg and foot.

Sure, there are other UFOs lying around, but they are mostly shawls in various stages of completion, none of which are far enough along to make completion in a week even remotely possible. None of them can be worked on away from home, either.

Looks like I've talked myself into working on Kai-Mei. Yeah.

Making Progress

Knitting on the Ribwarmer is going well, and I finally feel as if I know what I'm doing. The biggest decision I've had to make so far is the amount of curve to put into the corners. I decided to stop turning when there were 5 stitches left on the needle. According to Meg S., that produces a gentle curve. It was tempting to go for the more rounded corner, but I'm happy with the result.





Working with the unspun Icelandic is interesting. I've had one of the strands (I'm doubling, pulling strands from both the inside and outside of the wheel) break a couple of times, but it's easy to get going again. The knitted material feels a bit scratchy on my neck and I am wondering if it will soften up after wet blocking. And that raises the question -- should I wet block? Perhaps I should knit up a small square and see what happens when I block it.

Seems like I won't have trouble finishing the Ribwarmer before the end of the Olympics. Perhaps I can make progress on one of my other designated projects. Here's Kai-Mei, which I worked on while attending the Garden Expo on Sunday:



It's unlikely that I will be able to finish both socks, but the second one is done through the heel so I'm further than this photo might indicate.

Off and Knitting

Sure was hard waiting for the cauldron to get lit at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 winter olympics last night -- I had made the decision to wait for the lighting before casting on for my ribwarmer vest. I passed the time working on the first side panel of the coco panel cardigan. Seems to be a mistake in the pattern at this point and, after confirming this with Ruth C. who is also knitting this garment (thank the gods that she checks her email on a Friday night!), I ripped out 4 rows. Might be for the best -- I was supposed to bind off for the armhole when half the back measures 21cm, and I had gone past that point, accidentally of course. When I pick up this project once again, I'll be ready for the bind off.

So here is the extent of olympic knitting, Day 1:



I know, not much. But it was after 10pm before I can begin. I expect to get much more accomplished today; would like to get at least to the start of the front turn. Would getting through it be asking for too much?

Am I Crazy???

I promised myself that I would not get swept up in the excitement of the 2010 Winter Olympics and join any of the knitting olympics that I knew would be arranged. And then the Harlot had to go and start up hers. Like a fool I committed this morning to making an EZ Ribwarmer vest using sumac red unspun Icelandic that I had purchased at Knitting Camp in 2008. I just swatched, and it looks like I'll get gauge (4st/inch) using size 5 needles. I have The Knitting Workshop and Spun Out #42 (Ribwarmer Revisted) as my guides and am ready to go. I have read through the pattern a number of times in the past and have never quite understood how this pattern works out (sort of like the first Baby Surprise I ever made) but will take it on faith that it will work out in the end. Wish me luck!

This also means that I should try to do a better job of updating this blog. Time will tell...