stash, knit, repeat

Squeaking in under the wire, I present the Phyllo Yoked Pullover.

Pattern: The Phyllo Yoked Pullover, from Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Rowan Caaaaaaaaalmer, 8 balls
Time: About 3 weeks? This was a very fast sweater to knit.
Modifications: Absolutely none
Other Thoughts: This was my last holiday gift, knit for my BFF in just the perfect blue for her skin/hair. She gave me Knitting Nature for my birthday this year, and pointed this sweater out as her favorite from the book.

The beginning of this sweater is pretty dull, so it’s a good thing the pattern calls for the most luscious yarn on the planet. It’s knit flat in 4 pieces until the yoke, then joined in the round for the lace bit.

For a sweater without waist shaping and *with* a fair amount of ease, it’s really surprisingly flattering. The bell sleeves help, for sure, as does the stretch of the lace over the bust. It’s a boat neck, so I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone broad-shouldered, but for just about anyone else I think it would be great.

And the best part, of course? Knowing that my BFF liked it!

*****

It’s wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to be home. I finished the first of the Friday Harbor socks before coming home, too, but they don’t count as an FO because I’m never going to knit the second. (Anyone want 67g of olive Regia Silk?) More detail on that and my holiday haul in a later post.

I have a lot of hopes for myself and my knitting in 2007. Like many others I don’t really buy into resolutions, per se, but I do always take a little time at the beginning of the year to check in on myself. Personally, I’m hoping to achieve a better balance between mom-Amy and individual-Amy this year than last. In 2006, I felt like I really bounced between extremes and it was very tiring. Since knitting is my primary hobby (and my local knitting group my only regularly-scheduled alone time), it isn’t all that surprising that I am trying to plan in lots of growth this year. In February, I’m attending Stitches West (my first such show!) and taking a class on short-row shaping for the bust in patterned sweaters. I will make it to Rhinebeck this year, damnit. I want my stash to shrink this year. And I want to achieve a better balance between me-knitting and gift-knitting, too.

What do you hope 2007 will have in store?

Seriously, I get bored on your behalf even thinking about an update entry. There’s the fir cone lace cardigan, which is now done but is still waiting for a proper photo shoot:

There’s the shoalwater shawl, which is another repeat closer to being finished but still, unblocked lace vomit:

And there’s the phyllo yoked pullover, which is currently still in the “miles of stockinette” stage.

Ugh.

There is one nail-biter issue with the shawl, actually. The pattern calls for “About 1200 yards lace-weight”. The Andrea silk has 1093. Now, in the pattern as written there’s an applied I-cord border at the top of the shawl, so I have an easy way to reduce my yarn requirements. The problem is, will it be enough? Anyone have any guesses?

I’ve been a busy little bee. The Fir Cone Lace Cardigan remains in the sidebar only because I haven’t gotten buttons yet. Everything else is done. Expect a FO report this week, but here’s a little preview.

Remember my lace query? It was for this:

That’s Andrea 100% laceweight silk from Schaefer Yarns. Hand-dyed, picked up at a Schaefer trunk show, in this most luscious colorway that reminds me of these wild roses that speckle Maine’s beaches. The perfect color for one of Jacob’s grandmothers, who just happens to need a fabulous shawl for Christmas this year. After all of your wonderful advice in comments and email, I decided to look for the simplest shawl pattern I could find (that wouldn’t drive me to tears with boredom). I chose The Shoalwater Shawl, which seems custom-made for busy variegated yarns.

The first repeat (of four) took me about three days. Unblocked-lace-looks-crappy photo:

Trying-to-stretch-it-out-on-a-throw-pillow-photo:

I’m really excited about it. Alas, it’s a terrible project for my spare moments during the day, because the rows are already taking forever, and it’s moderately fiddly. So, I cast on for another project. Well, honestly, I’ve only swatched so far. But rest assured, I will be well into the back before this weekend is out.

Because it’s knit in Calmer.

Now I know, various knitbloggers have been extolling Calmer’s virtues for awhile now, but until today I had managed to avoid the draw. I bought some for Knitting Nature’s Phyllo Yoked Pullover this summer, since my closest female friend covets the sweater, and it just sat in my yarn closet, waiting for me to get to it. It could afford to be patient, I suppose. Because now I may never go back.

I shall call him Mr. Swatchie. I will love him and pet him and hug him and squeeze him…