theraineysisters knitting and so much more

July 31, 2009

From Sally — Christmas in July

Filed under: Vivian Cardigan — surly @ 3:31 pm

I’ve been suffering a bit from the knitting malaise mixed with indecision and confusion. Some days I can’t think of one thing I’d like to work on. Other days, I have so many projects I want to start that I can’t choose among them. So, I decided to work on some Christmas knitting. That gives me a deadline, but the deadline is so comfortably off in the distance that I won’t feel guilty putting it aside when true inspiration strikes.

First up? A sweater for my daughter (who has been temporarily banned from reading this blog so that I could have something to post about). Nora, if you are reading, stop. Now. Thank you.

The project I selected for Nora is Vivian designed by Ysolda Teague and available through the Twist Collective website. It’s a fitted, heavily cabled hoodie.

It looks like something she’d wear, although the sizing has been the big issue for me. She’s small and she likes her clothes to be fairly close fitting. Moreover, I was using a finer gauge yarn than the pattern called for. Therefore, I decreased the size of the peplum-type bottom by taking out a few strategic stitches and plan to knit the size 34 above the peplum. I want it to end up being closer to the size 32 (giving me some negative ease), and I think this will work with the gauge differential. Otherwise, blocking will be our friend.

Other than those size-related issues, the only changes I’m making is that I have reversed the twist on a few of the cables to make the knitting more mindless for me. I’ve seen a few Ravelry posts indicating that I might need to adjust the size of the hood, but that’s not something I am going to worry about yet. What I like about this design is that the waist shaping is integrated into the flow of the cables. I also like that the yoke is knit in one piece.

I am using Berocco’s Vintage Wool, which is a washable wool containing some acrylic. That is so atypical for me; I’m pretty much a natural fibers knitter. But this yarn is very soft against the skin and I loved the color. It knits like wool (except for the inability to splice the way I usually do), but she won’t have to be as careful with it in washing. I’m happy thus far with my choice. I haven’t made all that much progress, but then again — it’s only July.

7 Comments »

  1. What a beautiful sweater! I think it is a great idea to start on Christmas projects this early. I’ve done the same thing…..then, when the desire to pick up something new to knit hits, we won’t feel the guilt that settles in, right? LOL

    Comment by Rebecca in CO — July 31, 2009 @ 5:30 pm

  2. Sally – what a beautiful choice for your DD’s Xmas gift! I love the shaping of it and of course the cabling. The modern twist as a hoodie makes it especially appealing!
    Looking forward to seeing the end result!

    Comment by Susan — July 31, 2009 @ 5:43 pm

  3. From Susan — It is a really cool design that will look fantastic on Nora!

    Comment by lv2knit — July 31, 2009 @ 6:35 pm

  4. OMG! I wish my mind was able to calculate and adjust patterns the way you do. I am so hesitant to make any changes… I have such a hard time with those type judgments. The pattern and yarn you chose are beautiful! I can’t believe you got me thinking Christmas! but you are absolutely right; how nice to be ahead of the game!

    Comment by Michelle — July 31, 2009 @ 8:56 pm

  5. I’m looking forward to watching you knit this one up. The way the cables follow the fitting is lovely. And it is truly lovely to have a fitted but heavily cabled sweater, too!

    Comment by twinsetellen — August 1, 2009 @ 8:29 pm

  6. I am presently working on the same sweater and had a small issue when reading the pattern for the sleeve. I went to A Tangled Skein (lys) where they helped me through and recommended that I check out your site as you are working on the same pattern. Lucky me!! I love your color choice and look forward to following your progress.

    Comment by swank — August 2, 2009 @ 8:40 am

  7. Oh, that is going to be so gorgeous! My own daughter (she’s 20) has mentioned that she wouldn’t mind at all if I knit that cardigan for her! (Of course, she also wants socks, a wrap, and another sweater. . .) The color is wonderful.

    Comment by Kym — August 3, 2009 @ 6:09 pm

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Leave a comment

Powered by WordPress