ChicKnits' pattern for a comfy cardigan



ribby cardie pattern knit with Kilcarra Cottage tweed

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Yup, the ribby is slated for frogging. It makes me sad, but it just doesn't suit me, especially once it grew after blocking. I'm not a gal who needs ribbing wrapped all the way around her butt. So, it will have to go. It's funny to think that many of the ribby knit-alongers are still working on theirs while I'm getting ready to rip mine out. I'm either waaaay ahead or waaaay behind them now!

And what do I want to make? Something more my style. Something like this! Yes, knitty comes through again with a pattern I have to make. A hip, bulky sweater with ribbing around the waist. Yes, that's more like it. I'm learning!

Now that I know what I'll be making with the yarn and I've got a whole support group of rip-alongers, I'm actually getting excited about tearing the cardie apart. I know many of you also have unfortunate projects made with the best of intentions and the most fabulous of yarns. Next week we will reclaim those yarns, ladies! Be sure to take some pictures. This is going to be fun!

Happy New Year!

New Year's is a time for reflecting on the past and setting new goals for the future, right? Well, I've reflected on one of my recently completed projects and thought, I'm just not going to wear that, so why not rip it out and knit something else with the yarn? I've seen Linda do this several times - she's so brave! So what do you all say to a rip-along?

(I love making buttons!)

Got a completed or partially completed project that simply didn't work out that you need to frog? Want some company and support through the ripping process? How 'bout we start the year off right and make the week after next rip-along week? Let me know what you're ripping and be sure to post a picture (or send me one) if at all possible. The picture is the best part!

Larissa's already agreed to join the fun. Who else is in?

Fall has arrived and with it, a ribby.

My final ribby report: my zipper arrived on Friday; I immediately got to work shortening the two-way separating zipper down to size; sewed it in; did a few finishing fixes (see below); and ta-da! I love the color and am really pleased with how the contrasting zipper and bands came out. It's quite big and slouchy (not exactly the most flattering style for me), but as long as I always walk around with my hands on my hips like in the photo, it looks good!

The ribby does have some issues though. I made some mistakes and it always seemed way too late to fix them, so I applied some after-the-fact fixes and am living with the result (it's like therapy for the OCD knitter). My main problems all revolve around the neck. I redid the neck several times. My numbers were never correct, mostly because I noticed that the jacket was getting long and so started the neck early. Well, that left me with a large, low neck. It looked more like the band on the top of a sweater than a jacket collar. And while I was dealing with the number fudging, I apparently missed lining up the ribs with the sleeve on one side. So, in order to help the collar stand up and also minimize the ribbing mistake, I ran some elastic through the neck, cinching it in and up and pulling those ribs together more so the mistake is less obvious. Here's a close up of how the neck looks now: inside, and the off-set ribbing. Not a bad fix. I can live with it.

There you have it. A finished ribby. Did you see Claudia's? Go now! But be kind when you return ('cause hers is absolute ribby perfection). And be sure to keep your eyes peeled in the next few days for some more finished ribbys from Leigh, Greta and Melissa. It's ribby week in knitblogland. Let the fiesta begin, again!

The finishing basket isn't empty yet. But before the fiesta can continue, the remaining projects need some work!

While waiting for my zipper, I sewed in the bands on the front of the ribby. I'm all ready to add that zip, unfortunately it's arrival has been delayed due to a little online ordering form snafu. Next week, I hope!

And here's my progress on the ladybug sweater (The little spots on the bugs aren't so visible in the picture, but believe me they're there. Just feel the need after working three colors in each of those rows to be sure that you know: they ARE there!). One more set of bugs to do and then the steeking and sewing can begin. That last bug row is going to be a bitch though, as the neck shaping begins smack dab in the middle of it and I've got to figure out some neck steek solution to shape it properly and yet not have to knit back and forth (as called for in the pattern - I say "ha!" to that!).

And under these lovelies, at the very bottom of the basket, the second giranimals jacket waits, last touched some six months ago. I pulled the poor, neglected thing out yesterday to see how much needs to be done. Some of the parts are sewn together, but once I've gotten the seaming done, I've still got many hours of embroidery and darning work to do on that crazy giraffe pocket!

The boys were tumbling about on the sofa while I was inspecting the giranimals jacket, and I was amazed at how much they've grown since I knitted these up. When I finished the first giranimals jacket, it was huge on B, but now it'll fit perfectly. I'd better get this finished fast before they grow even more!

I guess it's only fitting. Blue blog, blue fingers. This is how my fingers looked after knitting up a couple of zipper facings for the ribby cardie (yes separate facings, I can't stand picking up stitches!). The blue dye in the Manos yarn really left its mark. I looked like one of my boys after eating a popsicle. Luckily Claudia (dye queen extraordinaire) was at Knitsmiths on Sunday when this happened to help. Apparently turquoise is hard to set. Who knew? And I need to give the yarn a little vinegar bath to set the color completely. Hmmm.

And since we're all about blue today, here's my latest kids chemo cap - a blue's clues joe hat!

I found these leftovers in my stash and the blues coordinated so well, it reminded me of the great colors in Joe's shirts. And I'm sure you remember what a kick I got out of the idea of making Joe sweaters for the boys some day. So, a Joe hat was born. I hope there's a little Joe fan at Children's Hospital who'll enjoy it.

One more reason to be blue today, this week is the one year anniversary of the blue blog. Wheee - what fun it's been! I'm proud to note that I finished the two major projects I was working on when I started blogging last year (native and elizabeth I). But I think I've most enjoyed the knit-alongs and getting to know so many others out there through knitting together with them.

I guess it's appropriate that the ribby will be my next finished project since it will be the blue blog's first blue sweater!

Anything blue to share?

Um, hit a little problem with the ribby cardie. It kinda grew during blocking and came out longer than I'd like. But, in the "two wrongs make a right" department, the neck ended up being too small (due to a minor calculation error on my part), so I needed to rip back and start the neck earlier anyway. Thus, ribby ripping and ribby (yoke) reknitting.

Here's the new version. I really like the length now and the collar is very comfy. I should be able to zip it all the way up.

But, in the" three wrongs make one wrong too many" department, I just noticed that the zipper I bought isn't a separating zipper. Doh! I guess I got carried away over finding a zipper in exactly the right color and forgot that there were some other important requirements to consider. Heh, heh. I'll have to go online and special order one to match the yarn for the button bands. Now, I'm thinking 2-way separating, so I can close it just in the middle, like in the picture. You like?

This is becoming a trend. I seem to have little odds and end to report each week. My little list for you this week.

I took a trip out the fabric store last week and picked up some snaps to put on the button bands of the sweet heart and little star sweaters. I decided to go with snaps after hearing the suggestion from Gina. It's a very functional way to close the neck and you can still attach decorative buttons on the outside of the button band if you want. How clever! I found some grosgrain ribbon to give the button bands a bit more hold so they can stand up to snapping and unsnapping.

I've spent the last few weeks at Knitsmiths seaming and weaving in all the ends on these sweaters, so now that I've got all the little finishing supplies, I'm ready to cross these babies off the list!

I also picked up a zipper for the ribby cardie. It should match the yarn (Manos!!) I'll be using for the button bands quite well. Makes me almost excited about picking up a few hundred stitches.

And in other little goings-on, I've been futzing around with my finished projects gallery. Check it out if you're bored!

Ribby r-anxiety was the name of the game last week. I was soooo running out of yarn on the yoke. I made it up to the beginning of the neck shaping just as I started my last skein. After double checking the pattern and seeing that I only I had eight more rows to go before the neck started, I thought I should just go for it and try to do the whole neck.

Whew! I have this much to spare. Now I can get to seaming up this big blue giant. I didn't want to seam anything before I knew that I had enough yarn. So now, it's green light for sewing.

Whoopee.

Finished up the two remaining pieces of the ribby cardie. I told you knit-along gals that I was all over this once I got native done! That means I'm ready to join them all together and start the yoke. Oh boy, oh boy. I'm really anxious to see how it all comes together.

Ribby reckoning:
completed: both sleeves, both front panels, and the back (all to armhole begin)
skeins used: 9
skeins remaining: 4

I need everyone to keep those fingers crossed for me on the yarn. I'm getting worried! Only a little under 4 skeins left and I'm just at the join. I've accepted that I'll have to use another yarn for the button bands and maybe the neck, but if I don't make it to the beginning of the neck, I'll have to rip back and shorten everything.

May the wise and powerful yarn-gods have mercy on this humble knitter.

And my reward for being so good: the back of the ribby cardie! You didn't think I'd forget about the ribby cardie, now did you? It goes so fast, it's the perfect break from all that crazy chart-reading and color-changing going on with native.

Ribby reckoning:
completed: one sleeve, one front panel, and the back (all to armhole begin)
skeins used: 5 1/2
skeins remaining: 7 1/2

This week the knitalong begins and the other ribby girls will be joining in I hope. Watch out, girls - as soon as native is finished, I'm all over that cardie!

Speaking of native:

I call this, self portrait in knitty tee weaving in ends.

Only had time this week to start the back of the ribby cardie. Thus, the ribby reckoning remains unchanged. Next week: the finished back, barring the discovery of other fabulous and irresistible tanks!

Speaking of irresistible tanks, I'm happy to announce that the back of the tiny tank has passed the stretch test and come out a perfect 41 body-hugging centimeters. I'm thinking I might like it a little longer though. I'm going to go ahead, make the front, sew it all up, slip it on, and if I still really think it's too short, I'll cut off the cast on edge and add an inch of ribbing at the bottom. 'Cause I can!

Meanwhile in other knitalong news, MKaye has sent along pictures of her finished projects. Here she is dancing in her ChicKami and posing in her sophisticated Smooch tank. Great job! And one of the original tank girls, Stonering, has finished her Pagan tank. Check it out here!

One front panel done and also looking very, very narrow. But the ribbing widens easily to the right size without looking too stretched out, so I'm still feeling like this will fit after washing and blocking. The pieces actually knit up really fast. I can see how you can get spoiled working at this gauge (3 1/2 st./in. - sweet!).

Ribby reckoning:
completed: one sleeve and one front panel (both to armhole begin)
skeins used: 3
skeins remaining: 10

Next week: the other front panel? the other sleeve? I'm undecided.

One sleeve down. Amazing the progress you can make when you give yourself permission to do something you really want to do. Doesn't it look narrow?! That ribbing is certainly doin' it's thang. But I'm not worried, 'cause I washed the part that I had already knit (the lower quarter of the sleeve) and the yarn softened up a lot, loosening the rib action as well. You can see that that lower section appears as wide as the middle, which actually has about 10 more stitches. I was worried at first that the sleeve might be tight, but the part that was washed drapes very nicely around my wrist and I expect that the whole cardigan will end up being very comfy.

I still have no idea if the yarn is going to last for the whole cardigan. The sleeve (up to the armhole where the yoke will begin) has taken just a smidge less than two skeins. Of thirteen. So that will be three skeins for each sleeve, but it's a raglan so I should need less on the body pieces above the yoke than usual. Right?

Ribby reckoning:
completed: one sleeve (to armhole begin)
skeins used: 1 9/10
skeins remaining: 11 1/10

Next week: one of the front panels.

Knitting group was lots of fun this week with visits from Sandy and her Smooch and Claudia with her tiny tank. Boston knitbloggers rule (make hang ten gesture here)! Since I don't have much of anything on my needles nowadays, I brought.... (drumroll, please) native for a little session of weaving in ends. I've still got a ways to go, but at least I've made another start on it.

So here comes the deal. While I continue plugging away at these ends on native, I get to start the ribby cardie. You see, Deborah wrote to join the knitalong and mentioned that she's already got the ribby on her needles. After some "why can't I" whimpering, I cooked up this plan. Now that I've got the yarn for the boys' pipsqueak sweaters, I'll focus most of my knitting on that, but I'm going to allow myself to knit one piece of the ribby cardie each week (a sleeve, one front panel, etc.) up to the point where the yoke should begin. So when the rest of the ribby cardie gals can join in in August, I'll still have the yoke and neck and front bands and zipper and other finishing to do. Still knitting along, just doing a little homework over the summer.

So for those of you wagering at home, that's #2, #3 and #7 from the to-do list moving to the active pile.

Every day it's another project that draws me in. After seeing Claudia and her sister (both of whom just finished ChicKnits Ribby Cardies) at Knitsmiths Sunday before last, I've been anxious to swatch up the yarn I had dog-eared for a Ribby Cardie of my own. I got this yarn back in January for free(!) in exchange for some acrylic yarns that I donated to a shelter in the area. My concern is the usual one that arises when using stash yarn: will I have enough? I knit up one skein (of thirteen) to see how far it got me. Result: I made it up to the elbow of a sleeve. Anyone out there have a feeling about how well this bodes?

ChicKami update: I'm almost done. After perusing the stash for the appropriate yarn, I decided that I should use a few balls of all seasons cotton I'd bought on sale and which didn't seem to go with anything but each other. Some math convinced me that there should be just enough to somehow mix the two colors and have it all come out alright. Then when considering how to redo the numbers for the larger gauge, I decided to cut out the waist shaping. Blame it on my first tank girl top, which I was wearing at the time and which I have fallen in love with all over again 'cause it is sooooo comfy. I was overcome by the need to have another top just like that one. So my chicKami will be more of a comfyKami. Should have pictures for you tomorrow!

In other chic-y news, Bonne Marie has started a gallery for the very chic garments created by her oh so chic readers. What a great idea! We'll have to send pics (or at least links) from the ChicKami knitalong over to her.

I got some more yarn. Okay, okay, I know. But...

First, fellow Knitsmith, Dava, gave me a big, beautiful skein of purple yarn to go with the green tweed I got at our yarn swap. They complement each other perfectly! I love it! In exchange I'll be giving her some leftover Lamb's Pride. She's going to make a real cool sweater out of scraps of different colored Lamb's Pride. I think it's gonna be sort of like the magic ball idea that I've heard Kaffe Fassett has used.

Then, a representative of Boston Healthcare for the Homeless stopped by at Knitsmiths on Sunday and offered us some wool yarn that had been donated to the shelter in exchange for acrylic yarn. Many of the women who come there crochet and the shelter offers them yarn to make themselves afghans and warm stuff. They can't really use genuine wool, since they need something which requires very little care. So I went to Michael's and picked up some nice looking Red Heart and Lion Brand to exchange for 10 balls of this Irish tweedy wool.

And as you know, I went to Wild & Wooly to check out their winter clearance sale. They had some wonderful yarn there, but I was good. I was sooooo tempted though. They had some beautiful Cash Iroha from Noro (25% off!!), but I rather reasonably explained to myself that a cashmere/silk blend is perhaps not ideal for a mother of two toddlers. Then there was the Sisik from Dale that I kept coming back to, but my conscience told me that I already have two projects worth of tweedy wool wedged under the bed as it is, so I resisted. There was also a little bag of Pinguoin yarn in assorted pale pinks and reds, just enough for to make a beautiful sweater for a little girl, which I don't have, so there was no justifying that. And when I found some boy colors I recalled that this year is already booked as far as sweaters for the boys is concerned. But as KnitDad so succinctly wrote in the comments yesterday, "like, what's the point" if you're not going to buy anything? Right on, Larry! So I bought this luscious all season's cotton to make this little number from the new Rebecca.

That's not too bad, right? It seems that I was just good enough that the server gods have forgiven me for whatever offence it was that caused them to shut me down for a day and I'm fully-operational here again. Whoopee!