Something Old, Something New...

No, there's no wedding around here but I do have an (relatively) old project to show you as well as a new one started.

Which first?  Perhaps the old one...the CPH Sweater.  Progress, while not huge, is being made.  The fronts have been completed, the shoulders joined (three needle bind-off) and the sleeve is in progress from the top-down.  I put off the sleeve for a few days, as I do quite often.  I like to think things out, mull things over, rehearse in my mind, before actually doing.  Works for me!  Anyway, once I started I sat down with my knitting in front of the computer and turned to Paula Ward's YouTube clip on top-down sleeves.  I found this to be an excellent resource.  Very clear and easy to follow.  I made one change in that I wrapped every second stitch on my way around the sleeve, rather than every stitch.  I read on Ravelry, somewhere, that this makes for a better angle of the sleeve.

Once I finished picking up all the stitches and started working in the round, the sleeve looked really good; I was so pleased with myself!  Much better than struggling with trying to make a neat job of sewing a seam.  Time then to calculate the number and rate of decreases.  Then it hit me.  There was supposed to be a cable right down the centre of the sleeve!  Bother didn't quite hit the mark!  A decision needed to be made - did I really want a cable?  Yes.  Yes I did.  Ok, I had to bite the bullet.  (Fainthearted folk needn't worry, this part was not photographed!)   Ripping was involved but only the 18 stitches of the cable panel.  That was enough.  Right back to the pick up seam.  Sigh.  I then worked each row back in pattern until I had all 24 rows worked up complete with cables in their (hopefully) proper places.  time will only tell if my maths was correct on that one as well.  Cross my fingers that the cable ends in its proper place at the end of the sleeve!

All is well in the meantime, though.  I am now happily working my way down the sleeve cabling and decreasing when I should.  Stitch markers are in place to show when these were last done, in case my written records let me down.

Now for the new project!  Did you know that I could, barely, weave?  Did you even know that I owned a loom?  No?  Well, yes and yes!  You probably didn't know that, though, because weaving is not my most favourite pastime so doesn't feature highly in my life.  Now and then, though, it pops up and this is one of those times.

A couple of years ago I saw an advert for a small, 4 shaft collapsible table loom.  My table loom was larger and more awkward to take to spinning/weaving meetings and I had been looking for something which would be more suitable.  So I bought it.  This loom had belonged to Anne Field (a well-known fibre artist) who was trying to make room in her studio (even the professionals have that problem at times!).  She even sold it complete with a warp for a scarf on it.  However, once home, this poor little loom has sat around waiting for me to weave up the warp that was on it.  Finally, I have started on this scarf!

As the warp was a light yellow cotton, it seemed to me to be destined to be a summer scarf.  In my stash I found some multi-coloured cotton/linen boucle which I thought should look quite good with the yellow cotton warp.  I don't think it is too bad.  It is hard to see my beating in the photo - it looks a bit looser than it actually is.  I'm not sure what it really should be like for this type of yarn/project as I don't have a lot of experience with weaving but I think it is ok.  I know fibres like wool will full after they're off the loom but I don't think this fibre will.  Time will tell, but I'm having fun in the meantime and that is what it is all about. 

I hope that you're having fun today, too!

PS - Thank you for all your encouraging comments, last time, about knitting the cardigan!  The purchase of yarn is in hand and, provided the colour is suitable (hard to tell on the computer monitor) there may be yet another project underway chez RoseLea!