Sheep On My Stuff

There won't be an update Thursday, as SheepLad and I are going off to Las Vegas. I never seem to knit on vacation (and probably won't be bringing the computer), so no sheep for you!

However, today I've got the finished pictures of the Grey Lacework Sweater:

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Yarn used: Wool of the Andes Bulky Hand-Dyed in Storm, a little less than 5 skeins. Needles used: 7mm.

It fits like a charm, though I had some issues with the neckline. Necklines are still, apparently, my bane. This one is more or less square, but looks more like a scoop neck on me. I worked back and forth on the shoulder and back stitches for about 6 rows, continuing to decrease at the raglan points, then worked back and forth without shaping for another four or so rows. Then I picked up stitches around the gaps made by not knitting the front stitches (three per side was enough, and luckily, the lace pattern hides the holes neatly), knit one row around, and bound off. In the front, the bind-off was fine as-was, but in the back, I bound off and decreased 1/3 of the stitches as I did it (so the bind-off alternated k1 and k2tog in order to keep that neckline from being saggy in the back). Worked like a charm, though the neckline is no longer what I'd call "stretchy". OTOH, I'm not sure I wanted it stretchy.

Baabet is so enamored of this sweater she keeps trying to convince herself she can block it to her own measurements. I'm afraid that just isn't the case, Baabet! Sorry!

I'm down to just 10 projects on needles at this point, which of course means I'm starting up something new. I have several skeins of leftover Microspun, and I'm going to be putting them into a project here shortly. Just needed to swatch first. More and more lately, I'm finding that I'd rather swatch to a gauge that's appropriate for the yarn and needles (needles big enough to provide appropriate drape), and then adjust the pattern to fit the yarn rather than adjusting my yarn and needles to fit the pattern. It's working out well enough for me so far!

I'd queued Cherie Amour a while back, and had even ordered yarn for it, but after looking at a ton of pictures on Ravelry, I had to admit that I didn't think it would look very good on my body type. And so I began a small odyssey of modification!

Once you've thrown out the entire pattern and you're not even looking at its measurements anymore, you are not really knitting the same sweater. I borrowed the lace pattern. That was it. Here's how we're doing so far, with a bit of aid from Baabet:

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Yarn used: Wool of the Andes Bulky in Storm. Needle size: 7mm.

I'm getting 5.5" to one pattern repeat horizontally, and 1" to one pattern repeat vertically (more or less, with blocking taken into consideration). I might add that this is a wider gauge than the pattern calls for, on smaller needles. Yes, I am a Loose Knitter. ^_^

Introducing Baabet properly, she is a lovely pink sheep by Ty, part of the Ty "2.0" collection that, I gather, is out there to compete with Webkinz. Basically, you register your plushie online, and you can then play games (and the website stores your toys, too, so you have a "collection" online as well as off).

I would have bought all three if I had found them (there are purple and white ones, too), and I really didn't buy them for the online component. :D But the games are adorable. Because there are three sheep toys, there are also three sheep games! They're very, very cute.

But back to the sweater! I've got quite the curvy figure, so I need waist shaping. But how to accomplish waist shaping in lace? I had two options:

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Fill in the spots with stockinette, or fill them in with yarnovers? I finally decided that the yarnovers looked better. If only I'd decided that earlier. :) But this is knitting up so quickly I can't complain about much. My next big decision is going to be what the heck to do about sleeves!