Out Of Space

Three weeks after casting on, the Bono Kimono was laying out on an old beach towel.  Friends are amazed and darn near astonished at the speed put into this project.   I don't know why they are so in awe.  Have we not, each one of us, at some point in our yarn history managed the impossible to meet a deadline?  This is/was one of those times.  

Goal + mind set + finish line = Done!

Well, that and two weekends of watching football from the comfy sofa in order to mentally survive the unending garter.  

You might not want to enlarge the photo as this one was taken early on in the smoothing and straightening process.  Many a wiggle is still in the stitching.  But, if you do happen to enlarge the photo, you will discover:

•  a bright green stitch marker indicating the possibility of a dropped stitch that needed a bit of weaving to make hold whilst disappearing into the garter ribs.
• ends that are not woven in due to wanting to have the cotton setting its mind to a comfortable gauge before weaving in the straggles.

I did not modify the patter....much.  I made it a length that barely skims the top of my hip line.  This resulted in sleeves that are definitely 3/4 length.  It is important to note that the design of this open front kimono is not meant to close.  No, it does not slip off the shoulders, but the front edges do not meet/touch.  It is a light cover up perfect for this in between season or  over air conditioned restaurants. 

Reminder:

Bono Kimono from Loops here.

Schaefer Yarn Laurel  which your LYS can order for you.

Soak

This past weekend, I listened to a shop owner wax poetic on the absolute superiority of steam blocking vs wet blocking of garments.  Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion.  Even when that opinion is that "if a garment is steam blocked the way I am telling you it will never, for the life of the garment, revert back to uneven stitches or to the preblocked stitch gauge." 

And I have an opinion as well.  Here is why I like to soak the daylights out of my stuff.

Because soaking the daylights out of the yarn also soaks the excess dye out of the garment!  Imagine, if you will, wearing the future kimono jacket over a lovely white shirt.  Guess where that excess dye is going to end up?   Yep, transferred to the white, that's where.

Look at what was left in the basin!  That is not egg dye waiting for a spring holiday.  This is photo evidence of why I wet block almost everything.  Steam is good for generating power and treating the very delicate yarns or for massaging a seam into releasing puckers, etc.  But, with so many indie yarn dying out there giving us the shade and colorways we demand, I feel that I should do my part and get the last of the color released from the fiber before my new white shirt is tainted by berry shades.

Thank you for listening.

Football Knitting

OK, this knitting project really is not football related.  No team colors are involved and it is not a scarf that can be waved maniacally about the head whilst screaming in a stadium.  The only reason this is football knitting is because it is a whole heap of mindless knitting that can easily be accomplished when kicking back on a Sunday afternoon to watch the Saints romp up and down the field.

Right now, it does not look like much and you are most assuredly underwhelmed.  If you've a mind to investigate:

Pattern is Bono Kimono which can be had here via Loops Knitting

Yarn is Laurel for Schaefer Yarns in the Sinrock Mary colorway.

Not much else can be said at this point.  Just a whole bunch of garter stitching that keeps growing and growing and growing, but still measures seventeen inches.   I hate when that happens.

Falling In Love

Last week, I finished another project.  Yeah for me!  The Lace Tunic is now ready for the color palette change that takes place at this time of year.

The thing about seaming lace is that great moments of concentration are required.  Here you see the front and back lining up side by side.  The markers are my attempt to perfectly match the rows of lace and ensure that the seam does not go askew.  It takes a bit of smoothing, even post blocking, to massage the lace into mirror image holes and stitches.

It is so worth the extra time it takes to slowly, stitch by stitch and row by row, sew up the seams.  For me, it works best to do this type of seaming with the project mostly flat and that usually involves the dining table.  A vital last step involves removing all remnants of wool dust before eating!

Here she is.  I am in love with the big shawl collar and how casual it looks.  Having studied the fashions currently being displayed about the mall stores, it is possible that I'll add a leather belt when wearing this one.    Yesterday afternoon, it was ninety-three degrees hot.  Thus, the tank top as an underpinning.

But when the temps drop, I'll gradually shift to 3/4 sleeves and then a turtleneck long sleeve top for underneath. 

It feels good to finish a "big" project rather and another scarf or gift bag.  A true sense of accomplishment and giddiness.   Too bad you missed the site of me patting my self on the back for a job well done.  I did my happy dance!

A Decision Is Possible

The Straw Girl scarf is completed, blocked and worn in public.  It is a fine accessory and not too strangling hot to wear in this late summer/early autumn weather.  Quite enjoyable in the evenings!

I like the length.  You will note in the photo that it wraps and dangles appropriately for my body length.  The ends are a bit fiddly when they encounter the seat belt.  Practically strangled myself the first time I buckled up!  But a mere flip of the trailing ends and I could breathe again.

So, what did I decide about the ends?

I decided that the squared-off ends were just not working.  The pretty graphic beads worked best, but the weight of them had me concerned.  So, and you may click the photo to see it larger and then return to finish reading, I crocheted flowers and used the beads as the centers.

The flowers have dimension with two levels of petals and I used two flowers on each end so that the whole scarf has no right or wrong side.  Before sewing on the flowers & bead centers, I gathered the scarf ends tightly and that gave a "mass" into which the stitching would hold firm.  All of the sewing ends were left long and knotted up under the flowers to be tendrils. 

All in all, this airplane knit has turned out well.  The random placement of the twisted drop stitches plays well with my asymmetrical leanings, no underside makes fussing with it unnecessary, and the beaded flower ends add just enough weight to help the ends hang perfectly.