Samus-ing along

Here is my progress on Samus. I hope the finished shot, in a few months, will show the cables better. It only took three attempts to pick up the stitches for the body. It was late at night, and I was glued to the Weather Channel. as we don't have cable at home...
The yarn is Tweed Cascade 220, color 7607. 90% Peruvian Highland Wool, 10% Donegal Tweed, according to the tag.

Still knitting the sleeves

It seems like it is taking forever. When they are finally done, both will be done.
I bought a pair of Clover bamboo flex needles today. What I really needed was a longer size 8 circular. I have every other size needle in longer lengths, not 8's. JoAnn's did not have the length either so I bought these to try. I could not leave the store without using my 40% coupon was what it was. Somehow I feel like I am missing out on something if I do not use it.
Hopefullly by the end of the week the sleeves will be done. I think that is a realistic goal. Let's see if I accomplish it.

Mistake

Last night I noticed a mistake in the saxon braid. I'm at work so I can't post a closeup picture. What it looks like I did was repeat a row, so it looks like there's a twist in it. I'm thinking about making this the right sleeve. The twist would be on the pinkie side of the arm. My other choice is to frog it and start over. I'm not very far into it, so frogging it wouldn't be so horrible. But who wants to frog something you worked so hard on. Any suggestions?

As promised...

Here is my picture of the saxon cable with the first set done...



Only 6 or 7 more to go. I still haven't decided what size I'm going to knit. I'm leaning more towards the large.

The promised picture

Here is a picture of sleeve one minus the cap shaping. I'll probably do that either tonight or tomorrow. I needed a sleeve break so I started a pair of felted slippers this afternoon :-) The color in the picture is more blue than the deep purple of the actual sleeve.

A poor me update

Poor me - I own a yarn shop, and have no time to knit! I've gotten 4 repeats into the body braid, because the only time I can knit on non-shop-knitting is at night when I'm home. So progress is slow, but it is happening! And to top it off, my camera lens broke, grrr! Hopefully I can borrow a camera soon to post an actual picture, until then, I'm plugging away :)

Greetings!

My name is Marla and this will be my first sweater project. Ever since the Fall Knitty came out, I knew I wanted to knit Samus. I started by teaching myself how to do cables, which were much easier than I thought. Last night I was able to purchase 8 skeins of Lamb's Pride in Forest Green. I'm not an orange person, but this green was screaming, knit me, I'm perfect! Also I did my gauge swatch last night. I'll be using size 8 Susan Bates Quicksilver ciculars. The were the only ones in 36 inches the store had. For the braid, I'm using size 8 straight Clovers because they are a little easier to work with.

If anyone is interested, I wrote out the Saxon braid pattern in a Word document. By that I mean a changed when the pattern says to 3PRC to have the actually directions written out (Slip next st to cable needle, hold to back of work, k2, p1 from cable needle). I found it easier to work with and right now I'm testing it to make sure it is correct.

When I finish my first section of braid, I'll post a picture of it.

Sleeve Update

I'm about 14" into the first sleeve. It looks like I will be just about done after I finish the second set of increase rows. At this rate I should be done with the sleeves by the end of next week. Now if I could just find a way to avoid working I could do a lot more knitting. I'll post a picture after I recharge my camera batteries. I thought I'd spare you the awful pictures from my phone :-)

Sleeve Update

I am working on both sleeves. For some reason I do not feel like I have made much progress this week. I guess my expectations were unreasonable. I like the way the cuff and the sleeve look. The stitches that were picked up blend very nicely. As an afterthought I possibly would have liked to add the I cord to the upper edge as well before I picked up the stitches for a different look. Hmmm, I could go back I have not knitted that much. I will have to think about it. We will see what I decide.
Anxious to see some other progress photos.

One sleeve down..

I finished a sleeve this morning, and now want to start the braid for the body, but promised I wouldn't until I made some progress on the never-ending blanket (a Christms gift for my parents) Now, if I can only get my digital camera program on the computer! I think the problem is I've been planning on doing it myself. What do I think those 4 kids are for, anyway! Besides, we all know they can do it faster than me...
How's everyone else coming?

Sleeve Saxon Braid

One more to knit then I can start the sleeves. My decision has been made to start with the sleeves. The knitting moves along fairly quickly. I do like the yarn choice (Lamb's Pride) although I wish the color Wild Oak was available. I am going to start thinking if I really want a zipper for the front or some type of button closure. I need to search through my patterns and books to see if I can come up with some ideas. I feel better now that I have made some progress.

Ready to start

I've decided to use the Patons Classic Merino in Rich Red - didn't I see someone else considering this same yarn & color? The cables show up beautifully! I'm going to start the body today, as I'm sick and can't keep up with the cables!

Yarn Arrived Today

That was a speedy delivery considering I ordered it Tuesday. My swatch came out perfect, right on gauge. I have now started the Saxon Braid. I have to catch up with all of you. Ok, time for choices also. Do I knit the sleeves first or body of the sweater? I decided there are too many cable crosses in this piece to practice the new cable technique. You are a brave girl, Jessie. I will save that for another project. I will take a photo tomorrow.

Good News!

My yarn came in today and while it is not the same dye lot as the skeins that I had in the stash the colors appear to be the same! I am still going to go with the original plan and do the cabled bits from one dye lot and knit the body from the other. That way if there is a negligible difference in the dying it will loot like a design element. I can now stop being so tentative and go full steam ahead!!

Happy to be here!

I'm looking forward to following everyone's progress, and benefiting form the input. I just washed a swatch of 50/50 silk/merino, and am waiting for it to dry. I think I might have to go to smaller needles, and find something other than Addi's, as it was a bit slippery., but it was my splurge at MDSWF, and I've been waiting for something special.
Is anyone modifying the pattern? I was thinking shorter zipper, ending in a v-neck would be better for me, but am not sure of how I'd do that.

my wool choice and swatch

I finished my swatch for Samus, and managed to find the right yarn/needle combo on the first try. Yay! I'm using Elann Peruvian Highand Wool, in a shade of purple whose name I don't remember. (I bought it a while ago.) I'm using size 8 Bernat bamboo needles, which are new to me, and very lovely to knit with.

The Elann wool is nice and soft, and has a lot of drape to it. It expanded a tiny bit when I washed it, but that put me right on gauge, so I'm not complaining. The fabric is actually a bit looser and drapier than I'd usually choose (I prefer bulletproof fabric ;), but it's quite lovely, and I think it will work great with this design.

I probably won't cast on for a while, since I have other projects to occupy me now, but I thought I'd share the info in case it's useful to anyone who is still looking for yarn recommendations. Here's a picture of the swatch, if you're curious:




- Rebekkah
http://bowerbirdknits.blogspot.com

An Executive Decision

Yep, I've made one. I have decided that in order to see that there is progress being made that I will knit the sleeve cuffs first and then the waist band. That way, not only can I see finished elements of the sweater, but I can also wear the cuff bands as wristlets while I work on the rest of the sweater :-) What ever it takes to get me through, right?

Joining the Group

Hi everyone,

I have itching to knit this one since I saw it last week. I have 14 skeins of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in a nice tan color. I have so many bright colored cardigans that it's time for something neutral for the Fall wardrobe! This is going to be a great Stash Buster for me. The DH will be proud since I am kind of on a self-inflicted yarn diet. lol. I hope to get started this weekend after I get back from my business trip tomorrow.

Sharon
aka Holy Knitballs!
http://stitchinwitch.blogspot.com

Waiting for my yarn

Hi Everyone,
I am so jealous you are all swatching and knitting and I am waiting. I ordered my yarn this morning. Looking forward to knitting Samus.

One Down, Nine to Go!

Here's the first repeat of the waist band. I love knitting cables, but I do it so slowly it must be painful to watch. I figured out yesterday that I didn't have enough yarn in this color to knit the whole sweater so I had to order more. Knowing that the dye lot number will most likely be different I decided to do all three cabled bits first and then the rest of the sweater just in case there was a bit of difference in the intensity of the color. At least then it will look like a design element :-) If the color is too terribly different then it looks like I'll be knitting the cabled bits twice! Here's a picture of my progress (excuse the Cat in the Hat pajamas :-) ).

Saxon Braid progress

So, OK, I stopped working on Eyelet Cardi, after I had to rip out some of the yoke again. This is Cascade 220 tweed on a size US 8 Susan Bates circ, one repeat of the braid. This is very nice yarn, and I am enjoying seeing the braid form.

Wool of the Andes Gauge

Wool of the Andes calls for 20st/4 in. on US 8s. I swatched tonight on 5-9 in order to see how the fabric turned out and what it took to get gauge. I had to go up to US 9 Denise needles in order to get gauge. Now I just need to decide how much ease I am going to need in the sweater. The finished measurments include ease eight? For example, if I have a 36 in. chest (I wish) and want an inch or two of ease I should knit the next size up rather than the 36" small, correct?

Decisions, decisons

Gee, I don't want to read about getting gauge with 7s and Cascade 220 when I bought a size 8 32" circ today specifically for this sweater. I was kind of trying to decide between a denim colored Mission Falls 1824 wool and the bright turquoise Cascade 220 tweed I decided to sell the day before the Samus pattern came out. Good thing nobody wanted to buy it. I am ALMOST finished with the cotton Eyelet Cardi. I have resolved not to start Samus until the other sweater is done, though I am sitting here thinking, "Hmmm, should I knit a swatch with the Cascade?" Only one hank is wound into a ball. It's still near 90 degrees here.

Choices. Choices.

Right. So I have some lovely misdyed Cascade wool that is sort of a rosy brown that I had bought thinking of doing Kepler. And I could use that. OR I could actually frog this old orange sweater that no one wears anymore and knit the thing of recycled wool... and have an orange sweater. I'm pretty sure I can make both of them fit the gauge eventually. What do you think? Rosy brown new wool? Or orange recycled wool?

A start

I got started Thursday night (Friday is the "drive the kids all over the place" day, so sadly, there is no further progress to report) I'm two repeats in, and as I know noone really wants to read when they can oogle pictures, here ya go :)

Arghh!

Ok, so I got gauge with the hemp/wool but it just didn't hold the cables in a crisp way. So tonight I decided to go ahead and swatch with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes. I think that Hyacinth is the color that is calling to me. I just finished doing a cardigan in Burly Spun (Orange You Glad) and I figure there are only so many sweaters of the exact same color that a person can have! So tomorrow we swatch for gauge and for cable detail. Pictures soon!

Got Gauge?

Yep, as a matter of fact I do! Tonight I swatched for Samus. Want proof?



From the bottom up. Knitting with Addis actually gave me loose fabric and 20-21 stitches/4 inches. Then I decided to try 8s in Ebony Lantern Moon straights because I find that Addis usually give me pretty true gauge but any wood needles give me gauge that is off by 1-3 needles sizes depending on the yarn because I knit insanely tight. The LMs gave me 19sts/4" gave me gauge on yarn that calls for US 7s. The next part of the swatch was knit on Denise circs because I can't knit the whole thing on straight needles. I got gauge on 8s there too. So it looks like I have needles selected as long as this yarn shows the cables well. If not it's back to the drawing board and probably a trip to River Knits for different yarn. Wish me luck! I'm on to the cabled waistband.

I couldn't wait!

I know I should have, but the lure was just too strong... I cast on tonight. I wanted to use Eco+ in a rusty orange, but didn't have enough, so I'm using a tweedy wine Jo Sharp. Had to drop my needles down to a 7 to get gauge, but I've done two repeats of the body cable, and I'm itching to do more! Pictures tomorrow night, I left my camera at work.

The Samus

OK.. Its Official.. I belong to the Samus Knit along.... :)
Tomorrow I will look thru my "stash" and see what lovely yarn I come up with for the sweater!!
I'm pretty sure it will be Pink Cotton Fleece.... Yummmmmmm

http://pennyknits.blogspot.com/

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It's a New Knitalong

I couldn't resist starting a knitalong for this one. As soon as the new Knitty came out folks all over the blogosphere blogged about wanting to start it right away. I was one of them! So here we are. I'll blog about yarn choice tomorrow after I swatch for this puppy!

Email me at samusknitalong(at)gmail(dot)com to join the knitalong blog! There is also a yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/samusalong/