theraineysisters knitting and so much more

Doing test knitting is a mixed blessing!  You get the pattern free, ahead of time.  That’s it.  People ask if you get free yarn.  NO.  This past June I wanted to test a summer tee (Anitra Vest) designed by Elenor Mortenson.  It was quite complex, so I opted out.  But I felt bad about it, so I signed up for another: Jul.  It will be out later in October.

It is also complicated, but I am now on to the plain knitting.  Here is the yoke:

This really pushed all my knitting skills!

I like it fine but for one problem that has ruined this for me.  There is a very obvious color break right under the yoke.  Yep.  The “hand-dyed yarn” problem!  I was already carrying three colors in the yoke, so I didn’t want to carry a 4th to alternate skeins.  I started doing that after the yoke.  The new skeins have an orange cast vs the gray cast of the yoke.  It’s hard to see it in the pictures but is quite obvious IRL.  I will finish it, but I am very disappointed.

I have decided to make it into a summer tee because of the lightweight fabric and my desire to minimize the effort invested.  ::le sigh::

It’s over.  All finished.  Right down to picking up my entries at the fair.  The weather brought high highs and low lows to fairgoers — there were some major storms with flooding and damage.  We went on the first day (record breaker) and the last Sunday (record breaker).  A true “sea of humanity!”

My knitting did okay this year.  Not great, but certainly not embarrassing.  I entered a couple of things at the last minute and they did well.  I’ll just recap a few.

I knit a Sophie Scarf using yarn I bought at Rhinebeck last fall held with KnitPicks Aloft from stash.  The fabric is absolutely scrumptious.  I knew a Sophie would never win a ribbon of any kind, so I decided to add embellishments.  I crocheted some pansies and embroidered some Queen Anne’s Lace onto the center of the scarf.  It won a blue ribbon!!

The way it was displayed was embarrassing!  It looks like a babushka.  Are we heading into a long, cold Russian winter??  Here is what the back looks like IRL:

The next sweater was a last-minute throw in: my Elton Cardigan.  Yep, the same mannequin.  Styled like you would find it on the floor of your closet!!

Here’s what it really looks like:

My other “throw in” was Broken Oath.  I love this sweater and its fall “pumpkin spice” vibe!  The color is even called Pumpkin Spice Heather.  And, it was displayed like a sweater!!!  The judges raved about this one.  I have never seen so many comments…so, why second place and not first??  Who knows?  I was expecting third place so I was happy!!

I was a little disappointed that Structure Loop didn’t do better.  I worked so hard on this one!!!  But, the comments did mention all the important elements, so it wasn’t that they didn’t “get it.”

I also entered Ris in the sleeveless/vest category, and it came in third:

That’s enough for now.  The Minnesota Knitters Guild hosts their September State Fair meeting on the Sunday of Yarnover weekend, so we will hear the comments and see many of the other entries.

PS to Chloe: I was super nervous to actually start the embroidery.  It sat for a week on my table, as the clock ticked away to the entry deadline.  There are infinite choices!  Full embroidery in one color, more than one color, appliqués, etc.  It finally got to crunch time and I just dove in.  The actual embroidery wasn’t that difficult.  All the decisions made it hard!

PS to Millie: I, too, hoped for better than 3rd place on my Ris.  It had 110 inches of steeks, colorwork short rows, buttonhole loops.  Oh, well!  Entries are anonymous, but a former judge, who attended Meg Swansen’s Knitting Camp with me, told me she read my blog!  That meant I could no longer post any knitting that I thought I would enter in the fair.  It also meant that my friend Kim and I could only “show and tell” the previous year’s knitting!