Though you probably wouldn't know it from reading this blog, I have been doing plenty of knitting lately. Here's what I'm working on:
The Great American Aran Afghan
Remember this project from Knitter's a fews years back? If you don't, it was an afghan project where readers submitted 12" Aran (or Aran-inspired) squares and they published 24 of of them over at least 6 issues of the magazine. Then they put them all together, 20 squares for the afghan and 4 for pillows, with a lovely twisted border around the afghan.
The squares are wonderfully varied, some in very traditional Aran styles, some using cables to make pictorial motifs like a spider & web, a tree, a church. Some are knit bottom-to-top, some are in the round from the edge to the center, at least one is knit side to side.
I started this project back when it was introduced, which was around the time I first got seriously into knitting, but stopped after a few squares. I decided to start over recently using a different yarn.
The yarn I'm using is KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in natural. I've used this for teaching - it's very inexpensive and a perfectly servicable worsted wool. I had some around left over from classes, and I've decided not to worry about dye lots. It goes pretty far - I get three squares out of of two balls, with some leftovers.
Aside: In fact, I've been quite pleased with a number of different KnitPicks yarns that I've tried recently. I bought several colors of Palette, and a color card, and thought I haven't knit much at all with it yet, it seems good and I'm planning on making some Latvian mittens with it. I also just bought Decadence, a bulky alpaca, which is wonderful. I am designing a long cutaway jacket, and I really wanted to use Debbie Bliss silk/alpaca, but can't afford it. I think this is a decent substitute and I'm enjoying working with it. I also tried Panache, which is incredibly soft. I'm going to make a scarf out of it. For such luxerious fiber, this price is hard to beat.
But back to the afghan - I've done three squares so far, and here they are:
Cool, no? These make great train knitting. Who will be the recipient of this large project? I don't know yet. I may keep it for myself, or I may give it to my sister as a wedding present. (Hopefully she's not reading this blog. I sort of doubt she does. If so, well, surprises are over-rated.)
Boudicca's Braid
What was I thinking making a multi-colored cable sweater on size 2's? Really, this is a bit ridiculous even for me, a knitter of great patience. It's so slow going, I haven't even finished the back yet, though I started it in August. Here's what it looks like so far:
It will be wonderful to wear it when I finally finish it, sometime around the time my yet-to-be-conceived children are going to college.
Other knitting:
And speaking of endless projects on tiny needles, I'm still making Scott's socks, in Trekking. I finished one, and the other is more than halfway there.
But it is SO BORING.
And there is the aforementioned cutaway jacket sweater. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time. When I got married, I really wanted Scott and the other men to wear a cutaway, also known as a morning coat. But for one thing, we weren't getting married in the morning, so it wasn't technically correct. Who cares, right? But also, his two best men both already owned tuxes, the regular kind, and it seemed wrong to make them rent when they already owned perfectly appropriate wedding attire. So they all wore regular tuxes. Sigh.
I love this shape, though, and think it would make a good sweater. I figured out how to make a cool pleat in the back (I probably saw it somewhere), and after a bunch of swatching with the aforementioned Decadence, started a sleeve while I'm waiting for the rest of my yarn to arrive. But bulky yarn goes so quickly and I'm almost done with the ball I have. Am I Goldilocks or what? This yarn goes too quickly. That yarn takes too long. Give me a worsted or DK any day... it's just right.
And that's just about all the knitting. Oh except for that wonderful hat that I'm designing at the store as sample in Frog Tree Merino.
Wow, my posts are getting long. Maybe I should try to post more than once a week, eh?
All your projects look lovely!
Posted by: Andrea | October 17, 2005 at 07:59 PM
OMG I adore the aran afghan blocks. lovelovelove.
Posted by: The Feminist Mafia | October 17, 2005 at 08:25 PM
really cool socks, I would like to make them for my Scott.
Posted by: michele | October 18, 2005 at 05:56 PM
The blocks look great, and it' nice to see Bodiccia in process: she's been missed. Your camera doesn't do it justice.
Posted by: julia fc | October 20, 2005 at 12:30 PM
Hi Alison,
have you been in side my head lately? first the blanket.. i also started it ages ago and just 2 weeks ago pulled it out again and got back to it.. i think i have 11 so far ... and the sock yarn you are using for Scott.. is the same as a pair that i made for myself last year and didn't have the label for.. it was from 321 Knitting on 75th street.. oh Ellen R is heading up north your way.. well actually further she leaves for Maine in just 10 days i think.. eeek.. all my friends are heading for the hills.. haha.. well i'm missing you but loving reading your blog.. i feel so close.. hugs to all .. love Karola
Posted by: Karola | October 21, 2005 at 11:17 AM
Wow, such a lot of knitting content!
I just wanted to egg you on to do the size2 cable sweater. That is going to be exQUIsite. It will be worth the long knitting, really. You don't see something like that every day.
I'm knitting Barbara Walker's sampler afghan. Smaller squares! Great little knitting 'snacks'. No deadline pressure. xoxo Kay
Posted by: Kay | October 26, 2005 at 11:39 AM