Progress Update: Big Damn Sweater

We are at:

3.5 skeins of yarn.

Main Cable.  Please ignore the lifelines

1 Main Cable repeat

Entire Thing.

16 inches long

Not shown: the look on my face when I realized that I had screwed up 12 rows earlier, causing the entire cable to be lop-sided.  Nor the 2 pints it took to get me through ripping those stitches out and reknitting them (correctly) with grace.  I'm not allowed to work on this thing at Stitch and Bitch anymore.

I still haven't ordered more yarn.  I'm thinking after my next paycheck?

And I'm starting Baby S-H's blanket today.
(EDIT: no I'm not.  I failed to both grab the correct set of needles and stitch markers.)

General Update

In order of completion:

Sea Tide Socks: don't fit properly, and while I love the yarn, I hate the heel and how they fit.  Also, I cast off too tightly on one, so I have to work at it to make it onto my foot.  I need to find someone with long fat feet and skinny ankles.  I don't think this person exists.  So... I guess these will just kinda hang out.  Unless I decide to frog them entirely, which might happen, but is unlikely.

Fuzzy photo taking for the win!

Sweater update: am currently on skeins 2 and 3, and a little over half way through the first repeat of the main cable.  I might not need to do a full 3rd repeat, but we're not sure at the moment.  Also, the sleeves and armholes?  Still haven't worked that out.  I need to go the library and get some books.

I bought skeins 4-6 yesterday, completely emptying their stock.  And I need at least 10 more skeins I think.  The original pattern calls for about 1400 yards, at 217 yards/ skein= 7 skeins.  Double that since I have to hold the yarn double= 14.  Plus some extra because J is huge.  So I guess I'll have to do a special order.  Which is going to have to wait a paycheck, at least.

Pencil for scale again

Pirate Hat: someone gag me with a spoon.  It looks like a mini-skirt.  The pattern is overly fussy (yes, I realize the stupidity of the cosplay sweater being less of a pain than the soon to be felted hat).  Starting from the outside and working in may be the more logical way of doing this so it felts properly, but the decreases seem to be placed randomly and I'm currently at that awkward place where it's too small for the circular but too big for the dpns.  Also, that's not counting the pain finding size 13 dpns was.  And that's just borrowing them.  For a while, I was thinking I was going to need to sharpen a frickin dowel rod.  

Currently, this is on hold while I find the other ball of yarn that got moved somewhere over the weekend.  I currently don't even have enough to finish the row I'm now.  I'm pretty sure I saw it this morning, or at least the bag it should be in, but I was in a hurry and didn't have time to check.  I should be able to at least finish the knitting part of it this weekend, but probably not the felting.  I should probably go look up good instructions on how to felt.  Hrm.

Birthing Socks: These were originally supposed to be for me, in their toe and heel-less glory.  But those stupid stirrups at the dr's office get really cold.  And in summer, with it already being freezing inside due to the A/C? Screw that noise.  So these are now for Baby SH's mom.  Hopefully, she'll get more use out of them than just birthing, but, whatever.

Currently, there is no progress to speak of on these as I somehow dropped 7 stitches (or cast on the wrong number) while knitting from ball band to the heel, so when I went to increase for the almost gusset... bad things happened.  So it was promptly frogged.  I've about 3 more rows where I need to pay attention and then it drops into a much less attention needing rib.  Unless I decide to do the bottom in moss stitch for some extra cushioning?  Not sure yet.  This is definitely one of those pattern as a general guideline sort of deals.

Goals list:  I went through and pruned and updated it.  Every time I try to knit something for myself, it ends up getting turned into a gift anyway, so I just dropped most of the stuff I was doing for me.  I might add a second shawl in, as I found a couple patterns that are making me go all lustful and stuff, but that's still a maybe.  If I have time before Yule.  At this point, as long as I have a new pair of gloves/mittens and a hat by winter, I'll be happy.

Life in general: It's not looking particularly optimistic for getting a new job.  So I need to start looking for apartments.  And clearing out our crap.  If I get off early this afternoon, I should probably go find and apply for more jobs instead of playing with yarn.

Today is one of those days where you see why chemises, pettycoats and hairpins were invented.  At least then I'd be comfortable in my look like hell status.

Update: Big damn sweater

The continuing adventures of the big damn Washbourne.

After several days, I am one skein of yarn in.  And it only took casting on 3 times! So far, I have the bottom ribbing done and 5 rows of the pattern.  I might be able to elk out one more row with the amount of yarn I have left, but rather than have to stop mid-row, I'm stopping here for the rest of the work day.

Normal sized mechanical pencil for scale

There are definitely errors that knitters will be able to notice, and J said he could see where the pattern is different but not how I screwed up, but I decided it wasn't a big enough deal to have to rip back out.

The start of the central cable

Twisted rib?  Not my friend.  Since I finally got the gauge to work out, I'm not nearly as worried about this fitting properly (yarn held as double, size 10.5 needles) as I was, however I know the arm holes and sleeves are going to require some more editing to make work properly.  I've not even started thinking about the sleeves.  Oh darn, I'll have to spend large amounts of time watching Firefly when I get there.

I'm going to start stringing lifelines every 20 rows or so.  I've got the first one about 2 rows ago.  I'm thinking I'm going to leave them in place until everything is finished.

The longer cables for my circulars are making this much easier.  I went ahead and ordered the 60 inch length last week which is almost twice as long as what I was using.  I can now hold it up to J for sizing guess-timates without it being a huge ordeal.  Also, there's room for my backup row counter.

I'm mostly using "Knit Counter Lite" on my phone for this project.  And this might be enough to convince me to drop the $2.99 for the full version.  As I can link counters together so it keeps track of not only which row of the sweater I'm on, but also which row of the cable pattern.  The only real advantage of having the full version is the ability to have multiple projects going at once.  

Starting: J's Washbourne/ Big Damn Sweater

I love my husband.  I also have a feeling that this is going to become my mantra for the next several months.

J has wanted Wash's sweater from Firefly since he saw the show.  Long before he met me.  And now my knitting skills are finally where I'm comfortable making this sweater.

This is what he wants, only he wants it in green:

Because Cables are fun!!

Okay, good enough, I can do this.  Thank you Ravelry for useful things like more creative/talented people than me who have already figured out this pattern.

Pattern I am using is here.  This lovely thing is sized for a much smaller person than J.  42 inch chest would fit me nicely, but not him.  I need to add 12 inches around, a third repeat of the cable up and lengthen the arms as well.  It's hell knitting for an ogre.

Currently, I'm on gauge swatch number 5.  I've tried needle sizes 9 through 11, no dice.  Always too many stitches per inch.  I'm back on size 10.5 (the closest I've come) and doubling the yarn.  Hopefully, this will work.  It will make knitting it go slower, but at this point, it's more important that it fits right than he gets it soon.

It's a good thing he doesn't want this until fall.  Personally, my goal is for it to be done by Yule (Dec 21).

Yarn is Berroco Vintage.  I forget the colorway off hand, but dark heathered green.  Will ultimately need about 8 skeins I'm guessing.  Once I figure out the gauge, I'll get that part figured out.

And then, as an off project, I have a pirate hat to knit.  damnit.

Yule update 2

Yay, another finished project!  I knew this blog would be good for my productivity!

J's PSP Cozy.

Jayne's Hat in the form I could get it done by Yule

All done except the pompom and the ties on the ends of the "ear flaps".  Both of which I was planning on doing at work this afternoon, but forgot the yarn at home.  Based off this pattern I found on Ravelry.  I have to say that I'm not terribly entranced with this method of cast on (figure 8 ?) but it does create a seamless bottom, which is a plus I guess.  It's certainly better than having to seam the bottom closed myself.

Other new skill learned?  How to pick up stitches in the continuing quest to pick up basic skills in the order I need them.

And now the progress shot of the baby blanket:

Folded in half.  Only about 45 rows left.

I've just about filled the 40 inch circular needle I have it on currently.  Still waiting to hear from the shop that the 60 inch I ordered has come in.  

And off to make another coffee cozy, this one should be able to double as hand warmers.