Samus Cardigan Knitalong

Please remove me ...

2006-12-03T11:16:00.000-05:00

HELP!!!

I need to update one of my blogs to beta blogger.
I can't update any of my blogs to beta blogger because I am a team member for this team blog and team blogs cannot yet be updated to beta blogger.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE remove me as a contributor to this blog.

I have sent several messages to the gmail account listed ... but it seems to be as abandoned as this blog.

Finished at Last

2006-03-15T17:26:00.000-05:00

Except for the zipper. I have to be in the mood to get that done. I knitted the body three times and sleeves twice. It does fit this time. The i-cord is all attached. There are some ends yet to weave in, and the grosgrain ribbon is sewn on. Just have to wait until it is cool enough to wear it. Maybe we will have that "one more cold snap before Easter."

Still knitting...but getting closer

2006-02-28T17:21:00.000-05:00

I hoped to finish Samus for the Knitting Olympics, but I am not on the podium. However, I did well: the body is finished, and I've cast on for the first sleeve. Unfortunately, I am worried that I may run out of yarn. I'm using Elann's Highland wool that I bought a few years ago, so there's no chance that they will have the same dye lot. I've got 3-4 skeins left.

Third time's the charm

2006-02-26T11:37:00.000-05:00

I have finished Samus once, sleeves, seaming and all. (See my January 1 post.) Then I ripped it out, as it was WAY too big. I knitted the body again, on smaller needles, using size small--it was too small. Now I am almost done with the third attempt on the body! I only re-did the sleeves twice. It seems to be just right this time. I will not think about the zipper yet, though I did get another, shorter one in a color closer to the yarn.

If Meghan's done, I'm done too

2006-02-23T16:08:00.000-05:00

Samus on
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I've bound off and declared victory, as a friend of mine would say.

I am still trying to find grosgrain to stablize the front edge, and although I rummaged through my zipper stash (I sew, too) I couldn't find one the right color or length that separated.

So here I am holding it closed :) More details are here.

I don't know why it took so long to knit this (I think I started in October), because I really enjoyed working on it everytime I picked it up. Maybe because it was a large-ish project that I only worked on while watching TV.

yes Meghan, I'd love to see a pic! Doesn't the front edge roll when you wear it without a zipper?

Samus done?

2006-02-22T00:18:00.000-05:00

I see I haven't posted in quite a while so it's time to confess that I finished my Samus and have worn it at least 5 times - in fact I'm wearing it now. However, I still haven't broken down and installed the zipper. So does it count as an FO if the plan is still to put the zipper in at some point? Does everyone just want pictures to jump start their engines for this project again? Let me know and I'll post them if you want.
Otherwise if there is someone who is willing to hold my hand through the zipper process that would be great. I inspired a lady from the local SnB group to want to make Samus now too, but she is even more apprehensive about the zipper part than I am. Any inspirational thoughts or pointers for me?

Meghan

2006-01-28T21:15:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately Samus has hit the "Frog pond" for me. I just wasn't happy with the way it was looking and I found the Wool of the Andes was a wee bit too itchy for me. Good luck to everyone else.

:-(

Progress is being made

2006-01-25T02:20:00.000-05:00

I recently picked Samus up again and decided that she had lingered long enough. Last night I knit up to the shaping and tonight I finished the right front and started on the back. Wish me luck fellow KAL-gers I'm going back in!

Blocking Samus

2006-01-01T17:17:00.000-05:00

Well, I finished the second sleeve of Samus a few minutes ago, and it is now blocking. This is the best of about 25 shots, in various contortions, such as holding the camera over my head. Most of it is here, anyway. Yeah, I am looking forward to the I-cord edging. Another learning experience. Still not sure about the zipper, as I don't have one yet.

Some progress

2006-01-01T14:12:00.000-05:00

Look Andrea! It's part of a Samus!
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I finally finished the body. I did add some waist shaping, taken from Knitty's Rosedale, which is looking a bit puckered right now. I hope it will block out. I really hate sewing seams, even short ones like the shoulder seams, so I had better do it right away, even before casting on for the sleeve braids. I'm looking forward to that - the cables are a lot of fun.

Finally Samus

2005-12-13T09:39:00.000-05:00

Samus has been finished for a week now. I am lacking in photography skills. It could be the color of this yarn. I gave up, toss and click.
I am really happy with this sweater. It is a very well written pattern. Thank you Brynne for sharing your design. I just love the cable detail. My sister will be the lucky recipient, she will love it. This pattern has found a home in my Favorite Binder waiting to be knit again. I want one too!
Thank you all for your input along the way. I was able to use many of the hints and suggestions.
Hope everyone else is pleased with their sweater also.

Almost Done....

2005-12-13T07:04:00.000-05:00

I'm in the home stretch!!! Forgive the bad lighting and photo in general, but here is actual proof I am down to the edging. It is slow going, each sleeve cuff took 30-45 minutes, and the sheer length of the edging on the rest of the body is multiplying that time by ALOT. But I have a lot of time On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights at work to hopefully finish up entirely so it can be worn at my family Christmas Saturday. Cross your fingers for me! Here are a couple more close-ups just to help fill out the sparse content around here lately.

Next up - the zipper. Heaven help me. lol

Finally getting back to it!

2005-12-12T11:44:00.000-05:00

I finally finished the never-ending-blanket for my parent's Christmas gift (12 months, 24 skeins, 359,000 stitches.....)
So, I had to fly to Long Island & back yesterday, about an hour flight, and I took the waistband braid that i'd done 2 repeats on. But I found a mistake, ripped back about 10 rows, then when I'd redone those, I realized I'd started on the wrong row! Another trip to the frog pond, much confusion and when we'd landed, all I'd done was get those 10 rows right, plus maybe 10 more!
Oh, well, at least I'm back to working on it!

First sleeve

2005-12-10T17:32:00.000-05:00

I finished the body of Samus last night, and went to a meeting of North GA Stitch and Bitch this morning, where I finished the braid section for the first sleeve. At least the stockinette is not as daunting now.

At last! it's done

2005-12-05T12:58:00.000-05:00

At last! it's done
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

Hi all! I am finally jumping in on the knitalong now that I have finished the waistband and am ready to pick up stitches. This is in Paton's Classic Merino, Rich Red. I've never used this yarn before, and so far it's OK, but it's not love at first knit. Still, I'm happy with the way it came out with the cables. It was also springy enough that cabling without cable needles was relatively easy. That said, I did have to work through some cable and gauge issues since the change in technique changed the gauge. All is well now - downsizing the needle to a 7 seemed to fix it.

Now to block and pick up stitches. This will be great TV knitting now that miles of stockinette lie before me :)

Machine or Hand Sew the Zipper?

2005-12-04T09:57:00.000-05:00

I finished the I cord. It took two attempts to find the correct method. The sleeves are calling me, I am ignoring them. Looking for input as to what you found worked best for the zipper. It would be faster to machine sew but curious as to what everyone else found for the best result. Thanks for your input.

I actually worked on Samus

2005-12-02T22:50:00.000-05:00

Well, after a long hiatus, I have made it to the right front shaping for Samus. Love those Clover extra large stitch holders. I thought I would never make it through all that stockinette, but it seemed to go faster than I thought it would.

Not Finished Yet

2005-12-01T08:38:00.000-05:00

I am finally working on the I Cord!!! I am avoiding inserting the sleeves which is my least favorite part of knitting a sweater. I should have forced myself to do that first.
I have been admiring all the wonderful finished and unfinished sweaters and feeling guilty mine is not done yet. I have finished other projects for Christmas presents while this one sits waiting patiently in my basket.
I have decided to give this sweater to my sister for Christmas. This way it will get finished in time.

ack!

2005-11-23T11:29:00.000-05:00

Ok so I forgot my camera cord at home so I'll have to post a pic later but...

I finished knitting the body!!!! I'm so happy! I might actually be able to get this done by Christmas.

Anyone else...

2005-11-20T09:33:00.000-05:00

have the Samus on hold? Maybe because of holiday presents? Or something else?

Mine is on hold because I need to finish a charity blanket that's due November 28th. I really want to finish it before Christmas so I can wear it on Christmas day.

As promised...here are pics of my finished Samus

2005-11-19T19:37:00.000-05:00

I sewed in the zipper last night. It really wasn't too hard...my sewing machine was acting up so only one side is sewn in by machine,the other side I sewed by hand, which wasn't as horrible as it sounds. In fact, when I am ready to put my zipper in Ribby, I will probably hand sew it in. The picture of the zipper looks a little wonky but it real life it fits together nicely. I think it was the way I was standing, because I don't notice the teeth of the zipper sticking out towards the bottom the way the picture shows it.

I am finished

2005-11-17T18:23:00.000-05:00

Well, 99% finished. I finished up the I cord and pinned in the zipper. Off to my LYS for a show and tell night and then I will sew the zipper in tomorrow night or Saturday. I will have pics for you all by the end of the weekend.

My zipper came in today from Zipperstop and it is a perfect match. Couldn't have gotten any closer if I had picked it out in person. I was worried about the colors on the monitor but I think I made a good choice.

Still Going

2005-11-17T11:41:00.000-05:00

So I’m into the miles and miles of endless stockinette. I went on a bit of a knitting hiatus because of having a murder mystery party (those things are a lot of work but so very much fun!) and now I’m back to it in force. Hopefully I can crank out the body, knit the cables for the arms, and be working on the arms during all of the Thanksgiving travel…. I can do it all in a week Right? Riiiiight.
Here’s where I’m at so far…

Second try at I cord is turning out better.

2005-11-15T20:36:00.000-05:00

I frogged the I cord I had done and started over. I had intentionally put it on the wrong side but it made the waist band flip up like a duck's tail! The second time, I only cast on 3 stitches and instead of S1, K1, psso, I am doing K2tog. And I went down 2 needle sizes. It is turing out much better:

One section around the color looks a little funky but I think some blocking or some creative duplicate stitching will take care of that.

Anybody like the wrong side of the I-Cord better?

2005-11-13T20:48:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of the right side of the applied I cord. It is OK, but I am not thrilled with it.

Here is a picture of the wrong side of the I cord (the side that is on the inside of the sweater)

I like the wrong side better, it just looks neater. I am considering taking it off and applying it with the WS facing. Any thoughts?? Would it be to big and bumpy on the inside??

One more waistband

2005-11-12T19:28:00.000-05:00

I love this cable ... it could be turning up as a headband in my future. But first, onto picking up all those stitches and the boring (but easy) stockinet stitch.

Sleeve trouble

2005-11-12T13:29:00.000-05:00

I have finished the body and one sleeve and have blocked both pieces. Last night I decided to sew the shoulder seams together and then put in the one sleeve that is finished. It fit together perfectly! And , if I do say so myself,it looks really good.

So you ask, what is the trouble? The sleeve is too long by at least 2 inches! I am going to take the sleeve off the body and then frog back to where the increases ended and begin my decreases for the sleeve cap there...do you think that will look ok? I am at the end of the increases on the second sleeve and am going to begin the decreases there and see what happens.

Also, I have been reading about the i cord issues and have been doing a little experimenting. I think I may go down 2 needles sizes to do the I cord edge and see how that look. Maybe it will look neater at a tighter gauge...

Finally Started

2005-11-09T20:27:00.000-05:00

I finally got started. Talk about holding up the rear! I joined back when it first started and finally got moving on some sleeves. My travel schedule has been taking me coast to coast lately and I am beat...but we do have some progress here. This is all I have done so far because I have spent time finishing my mom's Debbie Bliss Bolero for her birthday. Came out really cute.

another finished Samus

2005-11-09T12:12:00.000-05:00

I finished my Samus a couple of days ago, but forgot to post here. First, here are a couple of pictures:

The zipper isn't perfect, but I'm a wreck with sewing anything other than seams, so it's fine for now.

I used Elann's Peruvian Highland Wool, which worked very nicely. It expanded a tiny bit more than I expected when I washed it, but since the size I made would have only had 2" of ease, the sweater still fits just fine. (I think it ended up only being 1"-2" wider than I expected, based on my post-washing swatch. Not bad, over an entire sweater.)

I posted a few days ago about the alternate icord method I used. That method creates a rather wide ridge on the wrong side, making it hard to really sew a 7/8" ribbon in. I just left out the ribbon and sewed the zipper directly on to that ridge. Also, I left out the icord edging on the sleeves, because I didn't want the sleeves any longer. I think they look okay without any edging, but I may decide to add a crochet chain stitch edging at some point, if I change my mind about that.

Body is finished

2005-11-06T13:35:00.000-05:00

Not a very good picture (are they ever?). maybe I should learn how to use my digital camera instead of just pointing and shooting :-)

I have started on the cuffs and hope to finish them today. I really want to be able to wear this for Thanksgiving...

different icord method

2005-11-04T10:28:00.000-05:00

I'm up to the icord edging on my Samus. I decided to do it a little differently than the pattern says, and thought I'd share my changes, in case anybody else is interested.

I actually started with the method described in the pattern, but didn't like how it turned out. I don't know if it's the nature of that method or my technique, but it looked a bit sloppy. I've done attached icord before, and decided to look up that method, since I know I like how that one turned out.

I started the edging again yesterday, using the method described at this link. Here's a picture of my edging so far, from the inside of the work, as it was hard to get a good photo from the right side where the icord was really clear:

Waist Cable

2005-11-01T11:11:00.000-05:00

So I printed the pattern for Samus WAY back but then didn't get the chance to start until much more recently. Two days ago I took a look at the pattern to see how many repeats of the waist cable I needed and realized that according to the pattern I was done. I am making the second to largest size and had done 9 repeats. I did the final row and bound off before realizing that there was an error in the pattern that had been corrected since I had printed my version. I took out the bound off edge and started in on another repeat, but it was getting too late at night. I left Samus sitting on the couch so I could come back later to finish. When I came back to it later this is what I found.

sleeve and edging

2005-11-01T10:45:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd post a whimsical Samus picture here, since we all know what sleeves and fields of stockinette look like already, anyway.

That's the sleeve that hasn't yet been attached to the body. The rest of the seaming (including seaming that sleeve into a tube) is done. It went very smoothly. My yarn (Elann's Peruvian Highland Wool) expanded a little bit more than I expected when I washed it, but everything was still in proportion, so setting in the first sleeve was easy as pie.

Any thoughts on the icord edging? I've actually done it for a sweater before, but it was knit top-down, so I got to work with live stitches, instead of picking up stitches. I anticipate it will take a lot longer for Samus, since I have to pick up stitches, which for me means I need to use a crochet hook in addition to my DPNs. (I've just never been able to pick up stitches with just a knitting needle. A hook is a necessity for me.) I had plans to do all the edging tonight, but I don't think that's going to happen. :-/

This takes FOREVER!!!

2005-11-01T08:26:00.000-05:00

This is my Samus, my first sweater. I had fun doing the cable (you'll have to take my word that it's there), but this stockinette is for the birds. I would like it done for Christmas, but I'm not going to commit to a year.

Can I catch up?

2005-10-31T18:16:00.000-05:00

Here's what my sweater looks like so far:

Last week I became obsessed with doing something with this yarn. I was very happy when I swatched it, did the math to make sure I had enough and found that it could be a good fit for this pattern.

OK, so I probably won't catch up. But I am still inspired by all of the Samus cardigans that will come before mine, and like a couple of others here, I am motivated to get to the mindless stockinet knitting in time for flying and waiting in airports over Thanksgiving.

Samus and I fell out!

2005-10-31T12:11:00.000-05:00

I fell out with my knitting last week. I didn't get the Samus waistband done before I left so I pack it into my carryon bag to work on during the flight. I had 3 repeats left to do, but after teaching all day and driving an hour to the airport I did one before I feel asleep. That was fine, we were still on speaking terms.

Now Friday afternoon was a different story. We came back to the hotel to try to sleep since we pretty much hadn't the previous night. I decided to work on the cabled bit. I finished my second to last repeat and sat back to admire it. Hmmmm....it looked a little wonky. I thought about it and looked again and then realized that I had transposed a row pattern or two. I'm sure that the 2 margaritas had nothing to do with it! Next came the time to try to fix it. An hour later I just ripped back and tried to pick the stitches back up the right way. Try that on a Celtic cable why dontcha? That took as long as trying to fix it did. I was stressed out and ready to cry! I finally got the stitches back on the needle and threw the whole damned thing in a bag.

Guess what? I was so pissed that I didn't knit any more at all while I was in Seattle. I did pull Samus out of the bag last night at the airport and finished the last 2 repeats, picked up the stitches, and started the miles of stockinette stitch. Now we are up and running. Hopefully things will get better.

Body done!

2005-10-25T17:37:00.000-05:00

I finished it on Saturday. It was such a nasty day here that I told my husband I wasn't leaving the house until it was done. Here it is...

Then I started on the sleeves. I'm doing them both at the same time. It's been moving along at a snail's pace because I've been so sick. I'm only getting a few rows done a night.

2005-10-23T20:20:00.000-05:00

I finished the cable waist band and picked up 204(!) stitches for the body. This stockinette seems endless!

I am using a lamb's pride in tiger lily which is not as bright as Orange You Glad. It is more like a terracotta color.

I love the way stockinette looks when using Lamb's Pride. There is an article on Knitty that explains why it looks like this. I found it pretty interesting. I had noticed that different yarns produced stitches that looked different but didn't know why.
Hubby is taking me away this coming weekend. I will have at least a 2 hour ride on Friday night and another 2 hour ride on Saturday until we get to our destination. I plan to take Samus with me so I can work on the body.

Any Problems?

2005-10-22T15:14:00.000-05:00

I have not started one yet but I am wanting to make one for my grandaughter.. She can ear a ladies small or ex small.. Or a Girls 12...

Has anyone made the Small??? How is it in size????

Have there been any problems making the sweater that I can be aware of before I start??
Thanks for Any Help you can Give me..
penny
peneloercola@aol.com

http://pennyknits.blogspot.com/

Pressured Knitting (j/k)

2005-10-22T02:13:00.000-05:00

Under some serious pressure here. I got the 2nd Samus sleeve done, finally! Now I am working on the cabled band for the body of the sweater. My goal is to have it done before I leave for Seattle so that I have rows of mindless stockinette to knit on the flight out. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll only have to find someone to bribe into seaming this puppy up for me! I'll post pictures when there is progress that I am no longer ashamed of :-)

another finished hem

2005-10-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

I just finished the bottom hem, and thought I'd post a photo. Now to figure out how to pick up stitches so they look as neat as possible. Wish me luck! :-)

Almost ready to sew

2005-10-20T04:27:00.000-05:00

I just realized I never posted here! Totally forgot.
Well, I finished knitting the body and sleeves after some minor gauge problems.
And finally figured out the applied I-cord!
But I'm wondering if I need to block it. It has the right measurments without blocking and the stitches look fine. Plus I don't have the room to wet block it anyway and I guess it would take atleast two days to dry. Hints and tips appreciated!

Saxon Braid Decision

2005-10-19T22:15:00.000-05:00

I am almost there! I possibly am there. Anyone who is knitting the large if you could please tell me your measurment of the braid length for the bottom of the sweater. I am not a tight knitter so it could be my knitting. I am at 8 repeats and it fits perfectly around with some ease. I am afraid if I do 1 more repeat it will end up too big. I need the width for the top or it won't big enough, but I am lacking in the hip department. I am going to think about this so I am not unhappy with the end result. Thanks

So far so good

2005-10-19T15:56:00.000-05:00

My Samus seems to be turning out pretty well so far (knock on wood). I am relatively new to sweater knitting, as I have been afraid of it before, but this pattern is great. Very well laid out and explained in plenty of detail. Here is what my Samus looks like now, and I have started on the first sleeve. The yarn in the recommend one in Clematis.

Moving Along

2005-10-19T14:26:00.000-05:00

I have finished the lower body and have started the right shoulder. Excuse the yellow stitch, it's there so I can measure it easier.

I think I've decided that I'm going to work on both sleeves at once. My plan is to use 2 balls of yarn, 1 for each sleeve and knit them on the same cicular needles. That is possible, right? This is my first sweater so please ignore me if I sound stupid.

Some progress

2005-10-19T12:10:00.000-05:00

Hello All!

Here's my progress so far - 2 repeats of the body band. I'm painfully slow at cables but I'm learning. I ended up getting gage on size 8 Denise Interchangeable's and using Lamb's Pride in Medieval red.

A little progress

2005-10-18T20:49:00.000-05:00

I have finished 3.5 repeats of the waistband. I am making the large, so will need a total of 9 repeats. I made the Saxon Braid Scarf a few months ago so the pattern is very familiar.

I am using Lamb's Pride Worsted in tiger lily. It is no where near as bright as the picture. In real life, it is more like a terracotta color.

DONE!

2005-10-16T11:01:00.000-05:00

(okay, *almost*...)

All I have left to do is the zipper installation and some final blocking/shaping.

COOL!

Intro

2005-10-16T10:11:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,
I posted a really long intro over on the yahoo group so I will keep this one short and sweet. :-)
After much justification on my part. i picked up the yarn for Samus yesterday and I think I will swatch and start the cable today. I am using LP's Tiger Lily. It is a softer orange than the original pattern.

I will post pics when I have actually made some progress.

Samus Update

2005-10-14T09:27:00.000-05:00

Still chugging along on the body. I've finished the waist shaping I decided to add, and am just working till I get to 16" of sweater. I have a feeling that I am going to run out of yarn - I am hoping that I will have enough to finish the body (4 and a half skeins remain - about 427 yards - for reference, I've used 13 and a half skeins so far), and I've already done the sleeves, but I don't think I'll have enough for the i-cord trim. I know that the designer suggested in the pattern using different colors for the cables, sweater body, and trim - so if I run out (quite likely), I think I'll get a complimentary color to use for the trim. Any suggestions? I'm using Wedgewood, for reference. Also, how many balls do you think I should get for the i-cording? Do you think it is likely that I'll run out (I'm so bad at 'eyeing' stuff)? Should I pick up an extra skein of the MC, too?

Here's a slightly 'artsy' (read: dark) picture of my progress as of last night. I took it in the car on the way back home, where I knit and slept in the backseat.

yarn colors

2005-10-13T08:39:00.000-05:00

Ok so the lamb's pride color that I bought is this:

Which I like but think is a little too pinky/purpley for my mom.

and the color that I want to switch to (hopefully I'll go tonight) is this:

which I think would be a little more versatile - what do you think?
I'm hoping to get the dreaded swatch done tonight and be set to cable while "watching" football this weekend!

Hello!

2005-10-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

Hi All!

This will be my very first sweater and my very first knit along. I plan on making this sweater for my mom for Christmas so I'm going to have to be very hush-hush on my blog - I'll have to just post everything about it to here! I bought lamb's pride last night but when I started swatching the color I completely second guessed myself. I think it's too pinky/purple. So I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow to return it and get a more red color. I can't wait to get started, though and I love seeing all of your progress. I'll post pics once I actually have something knit!

Progress....

2005-10-11T06:32:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to show my progress. Finished one side of the front and working on about 7 inches of plain stockinette on the top of the back. So far this has been a really good experience. I have one problem that I haven't taken a picture of yet because I am hoping that it will just disappear someday all by itself. (I'm not holding my breath for that luckily.) In the middle of the back there is a dropped stitch that just flat-out refused to be picked up. I noticed it about an inch and a half later. Tried picking it up about 4 times with no success. At this point if it doesn't take pity on me and disappear I am either going to ignore it, or try using a duplicate stitch to cover it. Is that a totally stupid idea? Any other suggestions out there that don't involve ripping back to that spot? 'Cause my heart just wouldn't be able to take it.

How's everyone's Samus?

2005-10-10T10:47:00.000-05:00

Slow blog lately! I'm still truckin' along on my sleeves, I decided to knit both at once so I won't have to go back and work the same exact thing over again. Do they call that "second sleeve syndrome?" Anyway, for some reason, the sleeves seem to be taking even longer than the body did. *sigh* Ah well, I'm almost to the underarm area, just about a dozen rows of stockinette to go with no increases/decreases, then I'll shape the top of the sleeve area and be done with the bulk of the work. I can't WAIT to get this put together!

2005-10-03T18:57:00.000-05:00

So many of you are much further along than I am. But I'm getting there. Here's a picture of my saxon braid half way done. I hope to finish it before the weekend.

Sleeves X2

2005-10-03T08:50:00.000-05:00

There is a positive side to my computer being down. I spent my time knitting and my sleeves are now done. Now on to the Saxon Braid again. That will take most of this week as I have a busy week.
I am enjoying watching everyone's progress.

Pictures Finally!!!

2005-10-03T04:23:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to taking pictures of my Samus. So far I have about 8 inches done. The stockinette part is definitely not very exciting, but sometimes it is nice to not have to think about anything while knitting. I'm definitely not as close to done as some lucky people, but I am ecstatic that it is going so well anyway. The color in the picture is actually pretty close to real life, but maybe just a little lighter than it shows.

Major Milestone

2005-10-02T20:05:00.000-05:00

Well, the body is DONE! And, best of all, it fits exactly as I'd hoped!

I'm itching to get started on the sleeves, but I really should get something else accomplished around here, as I've been using every spare moment to knit. I think I might force myself to walk away for tonight, and start the sleeve Saxon braids tomorrow.

Samus-ing along

2005-09-30T17:47:00.000-05:00

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.

Shaping?

2005-09-30T16:37:00.000-05:00

I decided to do shaping on my Samus (I'm not quite there yet - I've finished with both sleeves, and I'm currently just starting the second repeat of the waist cable band). I adapted shaping from Knitty's Rosedale, because... well, because I love Rosedale something fierce, I've knit two, and I know how the waist shaping will come out. Plus it's a cardigan knit in the round. I wrote it all out for the XL, breaking up the left, back, and right. It'll be really simple AND will break up some of the monotony of the stockinette.

Is anyone else planning on doing any sort of shaping to the body of their Samuses?

Getting there!

2005-09-27T19:39:00.000-05:00

It's coming along quicker than I thought it would. My piece measures about 11" from the hem, so just a bit more before I split for front/back.

Still knitting the sleeves

2005-09-27T16:34:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-27T10:34:00.000-05:00

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?

2005-09-26T10:05:00.000-05:00

It's amazing what one weekend, a few episodes of Alias, and a lot of free time can to do a sweater.

My Samus went from one tiny cabled band on Friday to a complete sleeve, and a good start for the next one by Sunday night. The yarn is lovely - it does split a little too easily, but is easly fixed by pulling and prodding the yarn. The cables show up beautifully, the color is wonderful, the fabric it creates is nice and heavy, with a good drape, and it's so soft - so soft that I can't imagine it ever even dreamed of being itchy. Also it's superwash. I don't know how it will hold up to pilling, and wear, but right now I'm in love. If you're still trying to figure out a yarn to purchase for Samus, I would highly reccomend Elann's Laines du Nord Dolly Maxi.

I was a little worried about transitioning from the cabled cuff to the sleeve of the sweater - I'm really bad at eyeing measurements and picking up stitches, and often have to rip back because I've picked up too many stitches. By some stroke of luck, that didn't happen - I picked up exactly 54 stitches, nice and evenly spaced, the first time around. I love how easily the sleeve body blends into the cable pattern - it looks wonderful and seamless, and very neat. I like that a lot. It was a little awkward knitting the first few rows, becaue the cable band is so much bulkier than simple stockinette, but it manipualted easily, and after a few rows, it was fine.

It's been a relatively quick knit, once I sat down to it. I did the second sleeve band in an afternoon (OK, an afternoon that stretched into an evening), and picked up the stitches for it last night. I'm a little scared for the sheer number of repeats for the body cable band, but I'll bite that bullet when I get to it, I suppose!

Jumping in mid-stream

2005-09-25T16:37:00.000-05:00

Hi! I'm Amy, and I just found this blog this morning, when I gave my eyes a break after finishing the Saxon Braid for the waistband. (Why, oh why did I decide to make this for MYSELF, an XL on a good day!) 10 repeats made my eyes buggy, but now that it's done, I can chill out and knit the stockinette mindlessly for a while.

Anyway, I chose KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in "Grass," and I'm satisfied with it thus far. I have about 8-10 rows of stockinette done above the braid-band. (Please ignore the cheap circ's.... I only had 16" on hand and ran to the ONLY store nearby that's open on Sunday and all I could find there was this set of cheap 29's. I'm going to hit my LYS tomorrow and get bamboo 36" and just return
these....)

As promised...

2005-09-25T08:59:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-24T17:23:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-24T11:33:00.000-05:00

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!

2005-09-24T10:56:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-23T23:51:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-23T08:39:00.000-05:00

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.

The push is on

2005-09-23T05:16:00.000-05:00

No picture. If you want to see my Samus project, scroll down to my last post and add a few repeats to what you see. I am bound and determined to have the waistband done and the body stitches picked up by 3:30 today, so I can hang out and knit, chartless, during my daughter's dance class. Too bad I have a life that needs attention and I can't devote the whole day to knitting. I would have done more, but I was busy finishing my first Clapotis.

I've got two repeats left, and I have happily adopted the no-cable-needle approach to this project, which is working out wonderfully. The unknown quantity, however, is how many times I am going to have to pick up body stitches before I get it right. (I am a very intelligent person who scored 750 on her math SATs. I just can't count.)

Can it be done by this afternoon, given that I have to finish mowing the lawn; today is (according to my flylady schedule) vacuum and mop day; and I have a million other things to take care of? Yes, it can be done. I just have to get off the computer.

One sleeve down..

2005-09-20T16:34:00.000-05:00

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?

Hello everyone!

2005-09-20T00:38:00.000-05:00

I am a new knitter and this is my first sweater project so I am happy to know that I have a support system out there in this knitalong. I have been looking for a sweater to knit for a while now that would keep my interest and challenge my skills, but not be so hard that it would send me running for the hills. As soon as this pattern came out I knew it had to be the one! My experience with yarns is very limited as I have only done a couple of felted bags up to this point with Lamb's Pride, Noro Kureyon, and Cascade 220. (Although I have to confess that none of those have actually been felted yet - the process intimidates me.) Anyway, Cascade 220 was my choice for this project in a kid of heathery dark purple color and I am doing it on Addi Turbos, which I have fallen in love with. Since this is the first cabling I have ever done it was a slow start for me, but I am happy to say that I have done 7 and a half repeats on the bottom band and I think it will have a total of nine to make sure it is comfortably roomy. Hopefully pictures will be coming shortly, but there is a slight learning curve there that I have to overcome first. Any suggestions on the best way for a newbie to the blogging world to post photos?

Hello and My Yarn Choice

2005-09-19T18:35:00.000-05:00

Hi Everybody!

I'm new to this group and also new to blogging, and I'm excited about knitting this sweater. I've recently picked up my needles again, after not knitting for about fifteen years. I'm amazed by the wonderful yarn choices available now!

Well, I think that I've decided to make this sweater in the Lamb's Pride Worsted, in the color of clematis, which is a nice purple. I'm a litte concerned whether the cables will show up in this dark color, so I'm going to start with the cables and see how they look.

As soon as I get my swatch knit up, I'll try to post a photo, so far I'm having trouble getting a picture uploaded to the blog.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's progress here.

Claire in Colorado

Using the chart

2005-09-19T11:41:00.000-05:00

I have never really successfully knitted from a chart before. I decided to be ambitious and restrict myself to the chart for this sweater. But, the chart was so small and I kept losing my place so I used Jessie's idea of color coding the chart and I also enlarged it, cut it out and laminated it. I bought a small magnet board and line magnifier from Knit Picks when I bought my yarn and ta da!! I've had no problems at all following my new chart! I know this sounds like a lot of effort, and it is, but it's worth it.

Halfway along braid

2005-09-19T04:07:00.000-05:00

I just started knitting this project two days ago. I'm using Knit Picks "Wool of the Andes" in Pumpkin. It's much more of a subdued orange than it appears in this picture. On size 8, Denise Interchangeable needles. I'm also not using a cable needle for the first time. I feel like a dolt for not having tried it sooner, it's way easier! Okay, enough babbling. Here's how the Saxon braid looks so far.

Sleeve Saxon Braid

2005-09-18T09:17:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-18T08:58:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-17T21:00:00.000-05:00

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.

Making slow but steady progress

2005-09-17T15:16:00.000-05:00

I've just started my fourth repeat. It's not fast, but I don't spend that much time knitting, because it involves sitting down not being bothered every five minutes by every human and non-human mammal in my house. My modest goal is to finish the waistband by Friday and start picking up body stitches in the wee hours of Saturday morning, when I at least stand a fighting chance for some uninterruped time to swear (quietly, so as not to disturb the creatures) at my miscounting and bad measuring.

I think this photo gives a decent depiction of Tahiti Teal. I think the cables are showing up just fine, despite my feeling that I would have preferred a lighter color.

Good News!

2005-09-17T14:39:00.000-05:00

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!

2005-09-16T10:17:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-16T08:30:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-16T02:57:00.000-05:00

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?

Newly Started Samus

2005-09-15T16:19:00.000-05:00

Hi!

I'm making Samus in Laines du Nord Dolly Maxi, a merino yarn I got from Elann.com. It's wonderfully soft, superwash, and the color I'm using ('Wedgewood,' according to Elann) is just beautiful. I'm using the reccomended US8s, and everything seems to be going well in the gauge dept.

So last night, I was so excited to run home and cast on for Samus. I swatched first, trying it on 7s because I tend to think that everything should be knit rather tightly - I had to move to 8s and was swatching when I thought that I wouldn't like the fabric that I got if I went up any higher, and knowing that on US7s I was only off by a less than a stitch, I dug in with the US8s.

That cable nearly killed me. I had never really cabled before.

Let's start with the beginning: I can't really tell my right from my left. I mean, I can if I think about it, but I have to think about it - it's not something that comes to me naturally or quickly. I had also never read a chart before, so cabling from the chart was a bit of a challenge (I didn't like doing it from the written out pattern).
I kept on knitting when I should purl and twisting cables the wrong way because I was having so much trouble recognizing where each cable should be leaning in the pattern. So I grabbed some colored pens, and I color-coded my sheets.
I ripped out my first try at the cable, and CO again, this time with the cuff in mind - something small.

I was having at it, doing great, having no trouble knowing where each cable was supposed to go and what to do, but it was very slow. I kept on dropping the cable needle, and it was just unweildy to have all of these pointy things everywhere (says the knitter who loves DPNs!).

So I consulted some webpages, and learned to cable with a cable needle. That was the best idea ever!

I did run into one snag, as you can see in the picture (I will apologize for the poor quality - it's from my cell phone). I crossed a cable in the wrong direction, but didn't notice until much later, and I just didn't have the stamina to rip back. I don't mind too much - it's not overly noticable, it's only one mistake, and it's going to be the sleeve cuff, so it won't be seen a lot. I know it's silly to ask, but there is no way to fix it without ripping back, right?

I'm so excited to read about everyone's progress!

Jessie
http://gilneas.typepad.com

Joining the Group

2005-09-15T08:51:00.000-05:00

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

Intro

2005-09-14T07:48:00.000-05:00

Hi, I'm Linda and I love the Samus Cardigan! I ordered a color card from Knitpicks Yarn for the Wool of the Andes. I have no idea what color I'll choose though. Cables look best in a light to medium color, don't you think? I can't wait to get started, but the color selection process could be difficult.

2005-09-14T05:29:00.000-05:00

And so we begin. This Saxon braid thing is really working out for me. I am not very experienced wtih cables, so keeping the mental energy to one cable rather than a whole line of them is a bit easier to handle. The only problem for me with cables is that I am a leftie who knits left to right. (I should switch to continental but that's a whole other story.) So my LCs are actually RCs and vice versa. But it only took one full repeat to get the rhythm and not have to look at the cable instructions each time. (My daughter started gymnastics yesterday, which gave me 90 minutes to work. Not quite enough time to finish the first repeat, but I did more at home and it's getting faster.) I am totally hopeless when it comes to charts, which look like some twisted IQ test where all the shapes are similar but reversed or upside down. My head swims. So I'm loving the written directions. But one question: Why write out all the wrong-side directions instead of just saying, "Knit the knit stitches, purl the purls"?

My yarn is Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride worsted in Tahiti Teal. My first choice was actually a lighter gray-green, but they were one skein short and I wasn't going to gymnastics empty-handed. I spent some time drooling over some Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair but it wouldn't fit in my under-$100 price range. Nor would the Noro Silk Garden, which I think would really have made this sweater draw some attention. So in the end, I went with the basics, and I'm okay with that. Not ecstatic, but okay.

As long as I don't drop my cable needle under the bleachers.

Waiting for my yarn

2005-09-13T16:35:00.000-05:00

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.

Holy Poo, Batman!

2005-09-13T08:28:00.000-05:00

Oh, ladies. And gents, if there are gents. This cable is going to whup my fanny. I suppose it would help if I had more experience than making Coronet this past spring (which turned out really nicely in Kureyon). Seriously, though, after an hour or so of cursing and tinking and cabling and cursing and tinking and cursing some more, I finished 20 rows of the first repeat. Thank goodness it's so pretty, or I'd have set it on fire by now.

One Down, Nine to Go!

2005-09-12T02:08:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-11T19:01:00.000-05:00

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.

I'm In

2005-09-11T13:38:00.000-05:00

Not sure what I'm thinking, but I'm all over this cardigan. I was originally planning it for myself, but now I think my stepmother might like it. I don't see anyone using the Lamb's Pride as called for in the pattern but I'm going to go for it. It tends to be my worsted yarn of choice and I love the colors it comes in.

I am going to be a good girl and swatch this on some yarn in my stash before I spring for the new stuff. I tend to knit a bit loose so I'll use needles one size down and see what happens. This is my first knitalong, and I am hoping that everyone's progress keeps me motivated. But hopefully a few of you will drop the ball so I don't feel like the slowest on in the group.

I am just finishing up the flora neckwarmer, also from the latest knitty issue, and I have vowed not to start Samus until that's done. Excuse me while I go knit.

Wool of the Andes Gauge

2005-09-11T01:59:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

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.

2005-09-10T15:40:00.000-05:00

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?

Yesssssss!

2005-09-10T14:53:00.000-05:00

I got gauge with Cascade 220 on size 7 needles, which is a fantastic thing. I'm on the ol' yarn diet, and that's the only yarn I have enough of. It's all I can do to keep from abandoning every other project I have to work on this exclusively. Such an awesome sweater!

A start

2005-09-10T07:04:00.000-05:00

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!

2005-09-10T01:10:00.000-05:00

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!