600 Yards...

... is how much Manos wool I brought with me to a conference in Boston this weekend, and 600 yards is how much yarn I knit.  I was there from Thursday to Sunday, and started my new sweater on the train ride up.  It's my own design, kind of a cross between a top-down raglan and yoke sweater.  Here's what I got done over the weekend:

Aren't you proud of me for taking that picture in the mirror all by myself?  Here are a couple close ups (which you can click on for pop ups), one with flash and one without.  Someday I'll learn to Photoshop these things.. the real color is somewhere in between the two.

With the holiday off, a day all to myself, I actually finished the whole body, and am now about five inches into a sleeve.  But as usual I'm behind on taking pictures.  (I still owe my dear readers a photo of the completed Swan Sweater, which has grown on me since my initial disappointment.  But it hasn't really been cold enough to wear it.  I'm not complaining!)

Anyway, back to the Manos sweater.  I haven't made many sweaters from the top down before.  I like it, except that now that I'm knitting the sleeves down from the body, I have to keep flipping the whole thing over in my lap.  It is most definitely not portable.  But one great advantage is I can keep trying it on as I go. 

Of course, I'm already seeing things that I would do differently if I were to knit this again (or if I write up the pattern).  I would make the rate of increase in the yoke longer, because as it is it kind of puckers.  But it's not very noticable when I'm wearing it.  Also Manos has no dye lots, but the skeins certainly have variation since they are hand-dyed.  I didn't pay too much attention as I was choosing which skein to work next, and there's one band in the middle of the body that has more white in it than the others.  The first skein (that is the cabled neck) has a similar amount of white, and it would have looked better to put those two next to each other, and to work in the darker lot more gradually by alternating rows.  Scott assures me that the difference is only noticible if you're looking for it.  Perhaps I'll use the sweater in my classes to demonstrate the importance of checking dye lots.

In any case I'm very pleased with my new project, but sadly it will be over soon.  So I suppose I need a new project that's big, or complicated.  Something I can really sink my teeth into.  What will it be?

Comments

[Lauren]

after having the same frustrated flipping-the-sweater-around issues, I think knitting the sleeves wrist-up and then grafting is the way to go.

[michelle]

wow - that's gorgeous! and it's your own design . . . what a talent! woohoo!

[Alison]

Lauren - that's not a bad idea, but for this one I think it would get tricky grafting the cables.

Thanks Michelle!

[Wendy]

Your sweater looks beautiful. I hope that you write up the pattern. I have been knitting for 20 years but have never done a top down sweater. If you publish this one, I will try it. Very nice!

[Alison]

thanks Wendy! Stay tuned for updates about the pattern.

[c]

I love the neck and cables. I just ordered a bunch of Manos and have been looking for ideas. Your sweater is great!