It’s been a really long time since I’ve done a knitting update on what I’m currently working on, so today I thought I’d share a bit of my knitting progress with you all.
I cast on the Sun Ray Jumper while I was on vacation in Florida:
Sun-Ray Ribbing Jumper via Ravelry
I know I should be focusing on my 40’s cardigan that I started forever ago (last seen in this tutorial), but I caaaaan’t help it. The weather is getting a bit warmer out and I can’t focus on a cardigan or any winter-weather knits for that matter. Unfortunately, this seems to happen to me quite a bit; more frequently with knitting projects than sewing projects. I’m thinking it’s due to the length of time it takes to knit a cardigan vs. sewing one up. I guess on the plus side, it keeps things interesting on this here blog. Yes?…. yes????….maybe? heh
As I was going through my stash of yarn looking for a suitable yarn, I pulled out some Rowan Cashsoft in Navy that would work well with my fall 2011 wardrobe palette as well as wearing it in the spring. This is when I realized that this is the same yarn that is used on this jumper! That never happens!!! I honestly don’t think I’ve ever used the same exact yarn that the pattern calls for on my own version. Craziness!
Anyhow, this is where I currently am on my jumper:
It doesn’t look like much yet… but it’s slowly getting there. I’m finding myself spending more and more time sewing in the evenings instead of knitting. I used to be able to count on my commute-time to and from work to get some knitting done. But during the cold season it’s quite difficult to knit while wearing a puffy coat and even a wool winter coat. I’m hoping that will change very soon as spring starts to break in and I can squeeze out a bit more time for my knitting.
So far the only changes I made to the pattern was to knit this in the round instead of knitting the front and back separately. For this pattern, I don’t see the need to knit each piece separately, and the ribbing is continuous instead of being broken up by the side seam. The gauge was a bit tricky to establish in this pattern since the gauge is measured over a ribbing pattern; measuring over both knit and purl stitches. As usual, I found that I had to go down 1 needle size to get the desired gauge as the pattern. But if I happened to measure slightly off on this one, it really won’t make too much of an impact. Ribbing is very forgiving and is meant to stretch; so if the jumper is a bit too big/small the ribbing will accommodate either situation with little ill effects. That being said, gauge is still important and I did 2 swatches to get it to match to the pattern.
I know I’ve mentioned Ravelry before, but I don’t think I’ve gone into any great detail about this site. If any of you are beginner/intermediate knitters and if you’re not currently a member on Ravelry, I highly suggest you join. It’s free and it has a wonderful community of knitters and reference materials.
Before I begin any new project whether it be a modern pattern or a vintage one, I always check on Ravelry to see if someone else has knit the piece before. You can search the project pages to see if anyone else had any issues with the pattern, you can see what their yarn they’ve used to see how it looks and behaves on someone else before purchasing it yourself, and you can find out what alterations were made and if there’s an errata. And if that wasn’t enough you can even ask people questions about their adjustments if you need to. It’s a wonderfully supportive community, many (if not all) people are always willing to help or can point you in the right direction. If I haven’t sold you yet… they have tons of free patterns on here for both knitters and crocheters. :)
For the record, I in no way am sponsored by Ravelry. I just think it’s an awesome website/forum community that if you’re knitting you should totally be a member!
In: Knitting
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