Final Round

This past week has been quite hectic with my son starting new school and an unusual spur of social activity in the family. As a result, I am still wrestling with the lace cardigan. However the good news is that I have started the second sleeve. I was a little nervous about the armhole and sleeve shaping, but I tried on the first sleeve and the fit is good. Also I did the front band and sewed on the buttons, so the second sleeve is the last bit. I have also written the pattern, which I will post with the FO photos in the coming week, inshaAllah.

In the meantime, I could not resist casting on a simple pair os socks for my son, my first toe-up:

Still Wrestling!

Ravelympics ended today with the Olympics, but I have still to finish my WIP Wrestling project. I have only sleeves to knit but the days ahead are qiute busy as my son starts his new school tomorrow, my daughter has her birthday the next day and Ramadan starts in a week's time. However, I do hope to finish it by the start of Ramadan, InshaAllah. My fingers are itching to get started on a pair of socks for my hubby but these should better wait or the cardigan will be further delayed:(

Ravelympics Project # 3: Crocheted Yoke Cardigan

I finished this cardigan on Tuesday the 19th, but could not post about it due to computer/internet trouble. This is my own pattern. I started out by crocheting some flowers and arranging them in a yoke. Then I picked up stitches along one egde to knit the neck rib, and picked up stitches along the other wider end to knit a top-down cardigan. The yarn I used was again a local acrylic DK, Dolly (now discontinued). I had only two balls of this, so I added stripes of another blue-with -flecks yarn. Crochet hook size was 5mm and needles were 5.5mm. Here is the back:

Because of my loss of patterns, I have decided to drop my fourth project for ravelymics, as I was already undecided about it. I am now working on my final project in WIP wrestling category, that lilac cardigan for myself.

A Computer Tragedy

For more than a week, I had been experiencing difficulty with internet . The dial-up would disconnect or be too slow. Finally, early Tuesday morning, it finally gave up. I was able to connect but no pages would open. To say the least, it was such a shock.
We tried all possible solutions.... checked the phone line, changed the phone cable, checked the browser settings, to no avail. Finally, my husband tried to tweak our computer and that's when further disaster occured, it nearly broke down and we lost a major chunk of our files in the resusitation efforts that followed. That meant losing all my stored patterns, collected from all over. Thankfully, we were able to save our family photos.
Finally, a faulty modem turned out to be the cause and now that it is replaced, I am back. My Husband assures me that he had to work fast because I was starting to look like a depressed zombie.
Moral of the story:
1. "Backup" is the golden word in computer lingo, never to be skimmed over or taken lightly.sob!
2. Internet is addictive with severe withdrawal symptoms.

Ravelympics Project # 2: Striped Baby Surprise Jacket

I finally finished the baby surprise jacket, late Sunday evening. I knitted it in 18'' chest size. The pattern is not difficult but there is a lot of increasing and decresing involved. That, together with the number of colors I was using, made it a not so "mindless" a project.

I was a bit careless the first time and had to frog the whole thing. I used leftover yarns from other projects, all acrylic sporstweight. The needle size was 3.75 mm.
Though I admire how the sweater looks from the front, I don't really like its back. I suppose it will look ok on a baby. Anyway, it was different and unique from the usual cardigan patterns and here lies its appeal.

ETA Aug 22: The back has grown on me and I now seem to like it quite a lot.

I have made progress with project #3 as well, with only the sleeves left now.

Changed Game Plan

Ok, I'm feeling a lot better. Thank you to Shells and Stefaneener for their understanding words. Now that I have dropped the baby gift idea, there has been a change in my ravelympics peojects. My third project is now a cardigan for my daughter instead of the originally intended jumpsuit. I already started working on it yesterday.

Baby Surprise jacket is also coming along slowly. It is an interesting piece of knitting and not so complex after all.

Having Second Thoughts

Well, I did take things slow a bit today but decided to give BSJ a second shot. It's more than half done, but I have a problem.
The baby for which I am making this and two more of my ravelympics projects,I attended his aqeeqah today. This made me have second thoughts. Don't ask! I don't think gifting my cousins handmade knitted stuff is such a great idea. I will complete the Baby surprise Jacket but I don't feel like knitting for the gift anymore. But that means dropping two projects. Maybe I should make some things for my daughter instead.... I just don't know. I am feeling so low right now, it's nearly 2 a.m and I am sleepless.

A Stumble In My Pentathalon

I lost nearly a day's worth of knitting today.I cast on for my second ravelympics project, the baby surprise jacket last night. I worked on it this morning and was upto 40 rows (which is about 1/3rd of the piece), when I found I had messed up my increases. Unable to localize the error, I frogged the whole thing. Now I have recast and done 15 rows but I seem to have lost steam:(. I think I will go easy on knitting tomorrow, perhaps I should start the third project and knit it first.
But one thing for sure, I can not have the items done by Thursday evening in time for Aqeeqah. Still, the baby will not really be needing these knits for a few months yet as it is still the middle of summer here in Pakistan.

Ravelympics Project # 1: Baby's Sheep Yoke Cardigan

My first Baby Dressage project for the ravelympics is finally done. It took longer than I would have liked but it did require a lot of finishing e.g. weaving in ends, doing duplicate stitch sheep's heads and legs and buttons. This was my first top down cardigan.
The pattern was well written and fun. I did the sleeves in rounds to avoid seams. The yarn was all leftover acrylic DK, the main color being the same as my last project, Joined cable cardigan for my son. Using DK with 3.75 mm needles gave me a 2- years size, so it will nicely fit my daughter. She is having her nap right now so she could not model the sweater.
Now I have to rush with my next ravelympics projects as these are for my cousins' baby son, who is having his Aqeeqah on Thursday.(Aqeeqah is the tradtional Islamic way of celebrating a baby's arrival with the sacrifice of one or two goats/sheep and inviting the relatives and poor to dine on food made with the meat). I am hoping to have the projects finished by that time (though it is a long shot) so I can gift those to the new mom on the occassion.

First Ravelympics Project Underway

With the start of Ravelympics, I cast on for my first project, the Sheep Yoke Cardigan. I had checked the gauge and decided to go with one that got me a FO for size 1-1.5 years. However, as I knit, I realize that it fits my 2 year-old daughter. So I am a bit undecided at the moment if I should finish it off with some pink duplicate st flowers for my daughter or give it to my cousins' newborn who will have to grow up for two years before it can fit him. If I go with the first option, I might have to make Baby Surprise Jacket in the smaller size for the cousins' baby.
Regardless of this confusion, I am loving the way the sweater is knitting up. Here is how far along I have knit:

I am thinking of casting on my second project tonight, most probably the jumper..

Ravelympics Warm Up

With 3 days to go before the start of Ravelympics, I am starting my training. I had decided to take pat in two events, Baby Dressage and WIP Wrestling. Now I am also part of a team, thanks to my Ravelry friend Shells, who invited me to be part of her Team Sporum.

As for WIP Wrestling, I will try to finish my Lilac lace cardigan.

For baby dressage, I have decided to work on four projects. Three of these are to be for cousins' soon expected son. I have decide to knit Sheep Yoke Cardigan as well as a Jumpsuit and a hat. I have made my things ready for the cardigan. I did a swatch as well. I am aiming for a slightly larger size than the pattern.

I have yet to decide on patterns for jumpsuit and hat.
The fourth project to be (inshallah) is Baby surprise Jacket for my daughter. I did a swatch for that too, however I am a little nervous about this one because the original pattern is for much smaller size. Also I have read mixed reviews about the pattern. Also from what I understand, it's difficult to determine what is going on till the sweate is all done, so there can be no instant frogging back.

None of these on its own, is a big project but it sure will be a challenge to finish then all within 17 days.

On the fitness front, I strained some neck muscle yesterday and also have a bruised right elbow, (such a great athlete that I am, I strained the muscle during sleep and banged my elbow on a metal door, LOL). But hopefully all will be well in a few days, inshallah, in time for the ravelymics. Can't wait!

Joined Cables Boy's Cardigan

I finished this cardigan for my son today. It was a simply straightforward knit and turned out quite well. Plus my son seems to like it. The yarn I used is Bally DK, a local Pakistani acrylic brand. Needle sizes were 5 mm and 4.5 mm. The joined cable pattern is from a stitch dictionary. I have made it for size 5-6 years as my son will turn 5 this winter.
I spent the afternoon writing out the pattern. Although there is not much to it, but there seems to be a scarcity of sweater patterns for little guys and I also needed to practise my pattern writing skills. So here is the pattern. I have not mastered excel yet so there is no cable chart.
I could not think of a clever name for this one so it has to be joind cables boy's cardigan after the st pattern.

JOINED CABLES BOY’S CARDIGAN

Material:
- Bally DK (acrylic) grey 80 gm/ball (or any other that gets the correct gauge) ----- 4 balls.
- One pair each of straight needles size 5.00 mm and 4.50 mm and circular needles size 4.50 mm.
- Tapestry needle

Size:
3 years, 4-5 years, 5-6 years

Finished measurements:

3 years 4 years 5-6 years
Chest 13 inches 14 inches 15 inches
Length 16 inches 17.5 inches 19 inches
Sleeve length 11 inches 11.5 inches 12.5 inches

Tension: 8 sts x 12 rows = 2 inches in st st with larger needles.

Abbreviations:
C1(4- st right crossover): slip 2 sts to cable needle and hold in back, k 2, k2 from the cable needle.
C2 (4-st left crossover): slip 2 sts on cable needle and hold in front, k 2, k2 from the cable needle.
C3 (4-st right cross): slip 2 sts to cable needle and hold in back, k 2, p2 from the cable needle.
C4 (4-st right cross): slip 2 sts on cable needle and hold in front, p2, k2 from the cable needle.

Pattern st (Joined Cables):
Worked on 14 sts.
Row 1: K3, p2, k4, p2, k3.
Row 2 and all even numbered rows: Work each st as it appears on the needle.
Row 3: K3, p2, C2, p2, k3.
Row 5: Repeat row 1.
Row 7: Repeat row 3.
Row 9: K3, C3, C4, k3.
Row 11: K1, C3, p4, C4, k1.
Row 13: K1, C1, p4, C2, K1.
Row 15: k3,C4,C3,k3.
Row 16: work as set.
These 16 rows form the pattern.


BACK:
With 4.50 mm straight needles cast on 58 ,(62 , 66) sts. Work in k 2, p 2 rib for 10 rows.
Change to 5.00 mm needles and work in st st until the piece measures 15 (16.5, 18) inches from the beg.
Next row: K 27 sts, join another ball of yarn cast off the next 12 sts and knit to the end of the row.
Working both sides simultaneously with separate balls, work as follows:
Decrease 2,(2,3) sts at the neck edge over the next two rows, then dec 1(2, 2) sts at the next edge over the next 2 rows.[21(21,22) sts on each side}
Work 2 more rows in st st, cast off.


POCKETS (make 2):
With 5.00 mm needles, cast on 16 sts. Work in st st for 20 rows, leave sts on a spare needle.

RIGHT FRONT:
With 4.50mm straight needles, cast on 26,(28,30) sts. Work in k2, p2 rib for 10 rows, INCREASING 2 sts evenly distributed, in the last row.[28( 30, 32) sts]
Change to 5.00 mm needles,
Next row: Knit 6(8,8) sts, row 1 of the pattern over the next 14 sts, knit last 8(8,10) sts.
Next row (WS) : work as the sts appear on the needle.
Continue in this manner, working the 14 sts in cable pattern (6(8,8) sts in from the front edge) and the rest in st st., until the piece measures 5.5 inches from the beginning, ending with a WS row.
Pocket opening:
Next row (RS): knit the first 5(7,7) sts, place the next 16 sts on the needle holder, knit the 16 sts of one of the pockets which were being held on the spare needle, knit the remaining 7(7,9) sts. [28 (30,32) sts]
Continue in pattern as established, resuming the cable pattern from where it was left, until the piece measures 10 (11.5,13) inches from the beg, ending with a WS row.
Neck Shaping:
Dec 1 st at the neck margin in the next row and then in every 3rd row, a total of 9 (10, 10) times. [19(20,22) sts remain]
Continue in pattern until the front matches back in length, bind off.

LEFT FRONT:
Work as for right front, reversing the shaping. The cable pattern is worked on 14 sts, 8 sts in from the centre edge, similar to the right front.

SLEEVES (make 2):
Join the shoulder seams. Place Markers 6.5(7,7) inches down from the shoulder seam on the side edge both at front and back. Join yarn and with 5.oomm needle pick up and knit 52,(54,56) sts across the side edge between these markers. Work in st st decreasing 1 st at both ends of every 6th row, a total of 9(9,10) times [ 34(36,36)sts]
Change to 4.50 mm needles when the sleeves measure 9.5 (10,11) inches. Work in k2, p2 rib for 8 rows. Cast off loosely in rib.

FINISHING:
Pocket bands: Transfer the 16 sts at the pocket opening from the holding needle onto 4.50 mm needle and work in k2, p2 rib for 4 rows. Cast off loosely in rib.
Front band: Starting at the bottom of right front opening, join yarn and pick up and knit 42(48,54) sts cross the right front, 20(22,22) st along the right slope of the neck shaping, 20 sts across the back,20(22,22) sts along the left front slope of the neck and 42(48,54) sts across the left front. Work in k2, p2 rib for 2 rows.
Next row(WS) (Buttonholes): work 4 sts in rib, cast off next 2 sts, (work 8 sts in rib, cast off next 2 sts) 3(4,4) times, continue in rib to the end of the row.
Next row: Work in rib patt as established, on reaching the first buttonhole, cast on 2 sts, (work next 8 sts in rib, cast on 2 sts) 3(4,4) times, work last 4 sts in rib.
Work 2 more rows in rib, cast off (not loosely but rather firmly) in rib.
Sew together the sleeves and side seams. Weave in the loose ends.

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© copyright ummeyusuf , 2008 http://ummeyusuf.blogspot.com
This pattern is for personal, non-profit use only.