I am fluffa! (well, I wanna be)



striped sweater from Phildar magazine #366 in Rowan cotton glace

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In addition to Gina and Shannon's newly finished ChicKamis, there's been a lot of other action going on in the summer knitalongs of late. Both Bonne Marie and Steph just presented their finished Smooches today! Deb finally finished her Pagan tank after having so much trouble with it (hooray!) and Marrije finished hers (impeccable, like all of her knitting!). And there's more: Sandy has started her wannabe sweater and Clémence is kicking off the other Phildar knitalong. Woo hoo!

Can I just stop and say how much fun it has been this summer hosting these knitalongs and following everyone's progress. I've gotten to know so many new knitbloggers and blogs and it's been fascinating to see how so many people can work on the same project but have it turn out so differently each time. Thanks everyone for making it such a great time and keep on knittin' along!

My wannabe sweater is done! And I love it. Thanks so much to Carolyn for cooking up the knit-along idea and, of course, Becky for being the inspiration. I really pushed myself to improve my skills on this sweater (what a wannabe!). I finally figured out the tubular cast on and, let me tell you, there's no going back! I was very careful about watching my tension so I could produce those nice straight lines of stitches. And I really like the new little decreases I learned and used on the sleeves. Although I substituted a very different yarn, I think the cotton glace turned out quite well. I like the fit and feel of it and I certainly enjoyed working with it. I'm so happy that this old stash-dweller came to such a good end. Official verdict from my husband, "wow, you're really improving." Thanks hun (and thanks again Becky)!

And now the obligatory dancing photo.

My yarn for Smooch has arrived! I got all seasons cotton in one of the beautiful new melange colors, cookie. It's a really lovely and sophisticated looking sort of taupey color. The other melage colors are also gorgeous and I was so tempted to get the peachy color, but I decided that tank girl can be subtly sexy this time. The yarn came pretty fast, but now I feel like I've fallen behind having waited a couple of weeks to decide to rip and get the new yarn. So I'm anxious to be able to start again.

But I'm soooo close to finishing the wannabe sweater that I'm not sure I can put it down to start Smooch. I'll be starting the neck any minute now and then there's only the seaming left to do. This thing wants to be done! I feel like wearing the sleeves already, even as I finish knitting the front!

And then there's Becky's cool swatch project, which I'm really excited about. Can't quite say why, since it's making swatches, something I'm usually loath to do. But I think since these swatches are finished products and not preliminary exercises to knitting a sweater or something, I'm feeling differently about them. I've already pulled out several of my all seasons cotton leftovers and have a few planned. Be sure to check it out and then join in on the swatchy fun!

Now to decide which project gets my attention this weekend. Decisions, decisions.

Spent most of my free time yesterday making some little buttons for the current knit-alongs. Becky did such a good job on the Tank Girl button, I was a little intimidated to give it a try. But we can't have Becky making the Becky-wannabe button, now can we?!

In actual knitting news, I've cast on for the front of the wannabe sweater. Looks just like the cast on for the back (by George, I think she's got it!), so no new pictures today. Maybe when I separate for the neck!

First off today I thought I'd share a bit of what I saw and learned at the Granite State Knit-In on Saturday. I only took one picture (come on, you've seen ladies knit before!), which was from the Show and Tell portion of the afternoon. Several women came up and showed their fabulous lace and intarsia sweaters. Very impressive. But I got such a kick out of these women who all knitted the same hat and came up as a huge group that I had to take a picture. Funny!

Nancy Thomas, from Lion Brand, was the speaker. I wish I'd thought to tell her about how much we knitbloggers and Knitty readers are enjoying the Cotton Ease (and ask for a few more neutral, sophisticated colors, perhaps). She brought many examples of exquisite knitting from her trips to Bolivia and Peru and talked about her experiences in the professional knitting world. She also brought some free patterns for people to take home and I must say I am impressed at how Lion Brand is really trying to offer hip and young patterns and yarns. It's not just your grandma's yarn anymore!

I took a couple of brief classes and saw a demonstration of some cable techniques, like cabling without a needle (not so scary if you don't have too many stitches in the cable). In another class, I learned a new decrease (new to me, at least), which is the exact complement to a K2tog decrease. You have to try it, if you're looking for matching decreases for raglan shaping or something like that! What you do is slip the first stitch knitwise and the next purlwise. Then knit the two together, by inserting the left needle into the stitches from the right. I know, it seems weird, but here's the result (new decrease on the left and K2tog on the right). Cool, huh?

And at the very end of the day, I won some yarn in the big raffle: 10 balls of Classic Elite's Spotlight cotton in a sort of pale blue/green/gray color. It's very soft! I couldn't help pulling out one ball so I can start swatching. Like they always say - if life gives you yarn, make a sweater!

Finally, speaking of making sweaters, people are still joining the knitalongs. I'm really excited that so many of us are getting together to knit and share our progress. Everyone is still welcome, so if you're interested, just let me know. And speaking of Knitty, until I was perusing the new issue (and old archives) yesterday, I had totally forgotten that the cover pattern two issues ago is a sweater very similar to the Becky sweater. If there is anyone out there who wanted to join the wannabe knitalong but had trouble finding the old Phildar pattern, check out Marc. And be sure to check out the new Knitty anyway. 'Cause Knitty rules!

Stopped by Knitsmiths yesterday and got to see Johanna's finished Smooch. She looks great! Johanna managed to shorten the neck a bit so that it isn't too plunging. I think many of us will be asking her for the details on that so we can do the same. Still, I think there must be something about this top that gets you in the mood to make sexy poses. And have you seen Jen's? You MUST check it out! I've ordered new yarn for mine and will restart it as soon as it arrives.

I spent Saturday at the Granite State Knit in and in addition to learning a few things here and there, I got a lot of knitting done. In fact, I finished a whole sleeve of the Becky sweater!

I am officially not thinking about Smooch today. I thought through about 15 different possibilities yesterday and am going to let it sit. Except there is that sale still going on at my LYS.....

But I can't think about that now, because I am too excited about my Becky sweater. I finished the back!

I'm really liking the sweater now. I'm starting to remember how much I enjoyed knitting with a finer yarn. I love those neat little rows of stitches. This weekend I want to start a sleeve. I like doing the sleeves inbetween the big front and back pieces, so it's not so depressing when you've got the whole body done and want to start sewing and wearing the thing and you've still got two sleeves to knit!

Stripes!

I'm knitting right through this knitty malaise thing. The wannabe sweater isn't thrilling to knit, but I do like it. I'm having a similar experience knitting it that I did with the purple tank I finished earlier in the month. While knitting, I'm thinking, 'man this thing is purple, this is not going to look good, what a bad idea.' And then I hold it up and anxiously peek in the mirror and I love it! Start knitting again, and all doubts return. I have to keep getting up and going to the mirror to convince myself yet again that it does look good. I need that Big Red chewing gum guy in my bathroom to tell me, 'it looks goooood on 'ya.'

I made some good progress yesterday on the wannabe sweater. I'm almost up to the point where the stripes start. I've lengthened the sweater a little bit and am also doing a larger size, since I'm substituting regular old mercerized cotton for the strechy lycra cotton called for in the pattern. I was worried that at my regular size, instead of forming itself to my body like the lycra would, it would just look too small. I did add a couple of increases and decreases to make some very subtle waist shaping. It's not lycra, but I can try!

Although I got quite a bit done, I spent every second of it thinking about other projects. I'm really feeling at sea here about what I should work on. This sweater is just not inspiring me. I should be starting the boys' summer sweaters, but as I mentioned yesterday I can't get motivated for them either (they're at an even smaller gauge than the cotton glace for the wannabe sweater!). I could make the blanket coat I've been dreaming about, but that requires 22 balls of all seasons cotton (or more likely, 11 balls of Cotton Ease). Or I could try to make something of the lovely Pingouin yarn that Kerstin brought me, but what? And I should be sewing anyway, as I've got old projects there waiting to be finished. I fear I'm in some sort of knitting funk. All those tanks have either spoiled or exhausted me. Blah.

Hey Carolyn, Morgan, MKaye, AlisonG, Leigh, Anita, and Kim, did ya start yesterday? Okay, I know that Anita started already - any pics to share with us?

I started! Following Carolyn's suggestion to give that Becky fave, the tubular cast on, a try, I sat down during the boys' naptime in front of my little portable tv (vintage 1978!), turned on the French Open, opened up the Wiseman book (have you bought this book yet?) and went to it.

Check out those knobs on the tv - yes, folks that's a UHF dial! Uh, back to the knitting. So it took like forever, at least a set of the Agassi match (that's baseline tennis, people). But finally... voila, tubular cast on. Just like the picture too.

Oh yeah and then I went to knitting group and hung out with Kerstin and Sandy. And all the Smooch gals were there too, including our leader at the moment (wait, this wasn't a race, was it?) Johanna, who has completed the back (the top is on a stitch holder) and is just starting the eyelets around the neck on the front. Looks like we could have a finished Smooch next weekend! My Smooch is not so far along, only up to the armholes on the back, but I'm liking it a lot. I'm afraid to go too fast, since that will be the end of my all seasons cotton kick. Unless someone out there can give me permission to make this.

So, how are your knitalongs coming along?

Since all knitting was cancelled until this morning due to illness, I don't have too much knitting to report. Well, there is a little something...

Hey, I only had the borders left to do (plus I'm cheating here a bit as the ends from the neck border are still hanging around on the inside)! I'm so glad that Kerstin encouraged me to try the edgings as written. I do like how they look and they did a good job flattening out the top part of the tank so it's not too revealing in the bra area. I also cast off fairly snugly to take in more of the roominess there. Now it fits perfectly! The neck edging is indeed rolling (as others had reported) both in front and in back, which is why I haven't sewn the ends in yet. I'm considering reworking the picked up stitches somehow or maybe weaving in the ends such that they tack the edge down. I'm simultaneously trying to convince myself to just leave it, because I'm really very happy with the overall finished tank (can't you tell?!) and am especially pleased at how those stripes came out. And since I can't get enough of stripes....

Okay, Becky wannabes, get out those knitting needles and start your stripey Phildar sweaters!

I'm trying to make Monday evening my sewing night, since there's nothing on tv to knit by. Yesterday I was working on the huge stack of curtains I have to hem before we can hang them, but you know I had to start Smooch. I made it through the pretty little edging. Again thanks to Johanna for working that part of the directions out. Looking ahead at the pattern, I have a feeling that we'll be running across a couple more confusing parts. If we do I'll make a little page with tips/solutions that those of you starting later can refer to. And remember, this is NOT a race. The official date for Smooch is "whenever" and I mean it. No feeling pressured to start right away or finish fast. Just let me know when you start so I can send everyone your way for progress details.

Becky wannabe's: are you swatching? I am positively dreading giving up my 5mm needles to work on Becky's stripey sweater. I'm substituting Rowan cotton glace (from my stash - I'm being so good) for the Falaise. And you know what kind of needle that means - 3.5mm. If I'm lucky! I have been completely spoiled by the all seasons cotton. Pretty much everything else I have planned until deepest darkest winter is in a considerably smaller gauge. Perhaps I'll have to cast on for something big like this, so I can still have something on the needles to go back to for a little reprieve. They say it's good for your hands if you have different projects going at different gauges. Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!