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February 07, 2005
Even more startitis...
Ah so last week I Cast On for Donegal designed by Alice Starmore using the Rowan Donegal Tweed as called for in Celtic Collection. I have had the yarn stashed away for this sweater for many, many years and admired the garment since I first saw it when the book came out. Yes I am known for my procrastination. I finished the ribbing and started the stranded color pattern this weekend. Now Sheila-mamam had inquired about how to fix a problem a few years ago while knitting so I immediately incorporated my suggested solution. I am not sure I am happy but its hard to tell after one piddly round. Here is a shot of the ribbing inside and out.... gotta get the yarn porn in sometimes:
Believe it or not I actually belong to a knit-along for this baby and am now officially several years behind.
Inquisitive readers may be interested in discovering what yarn I purchased last week. 10 hanks of Tahki Donegal Tweed in shade #845. It's a lovely deap purple most often called aubergine by me. I have been wanting to acquire 10 hanks of this yarn for quite a while to knit up Rogue. I even discussed knitting it last fall with a friend to wear to MS&W since it seems to be a blog thingie to have a festival sweater knit under the wire. Alas my printer is out of ink and every time I suggest my going out to purchase a new cartridge my husband says he has one already and will put it in poste haste. Poste Haste has lasted 2 years. So I swatched my yarn for several garments including Denmark Gefjon on pg 60+ of Knitters issue #53. This issue is particularly lovely if you are wondering which back issues are worth having btw. Here is a picture of the yarn and pattern for those who do not have the magazine:
Now there are a few problems with this pattern IMO. It comes in 2 sizes~38 and 49" and is long. 33" for the size 49" Now I am not particularly short. 5'4" is supposed to be avg but I have worn dresses shorter than that. I resigned myself to figuring out how many sts to cast on to achieve a normal length{the sweater is kinda A-line with regular decreases until yoke pattern is reached} and also closely eyed that deap V and wide collar treatment, which I am not sure I totally approve of. My swatch was beautiful. Hey I swatched!
And good thing too. I decided that Donegal Tweed was nowhere near as drapey as Lopi Lite[never have knitted it] and the whole A-line thing wasn't gonna work. Scratch Gefjon back to Rogue. Husband be damned I am sitting at the computer glued to the instructions and skipping from one page to another to another. I want my printer fixed. Oh and here is the sleeve so far:
I am starting to wonder if the yarn is too dark and flecky for the pattern. Not that I would ever do it in a pastel but I may be being impatient. Anybody feel up to saying Elka you can't begin to see the cabling?
Ok enough of my aimless knitting expose. Have a great yarny day and knitterly evening you alls!
Posted by Elka at February 7, 2005 11:42 AM
Comments
I made the Gefjon cardi a few years back and love it. I used Cleckheaton 8-ply in a plain gray which really shows off the cable work. Honestly, I think your beautiful tweedy purple yarn better suited to a different pattern. There are some (horrible, truly) pics of it in my Gallery.
Posted by: Toni at February 7, 2005 01:02 PM
I can see the cable, even on my craptastic monitor at work. But, I also knitted the Big Sack Sweater, which has a big cable down the front in a tweedy black, so maybe I'm just trying to get you to join me in tweedy dark evilness.
Posted by: Gail at February 7, 2005 02:12 PM
Your ribbing in the top pic is gorgeous. I'm excited to see your start of Rogue. A lot of people have knit it in tweed yarn, and the cables look great in them. And 49"? I'm not even 59" head to toe. That model must be a giant.
Posted by: Lauren at February 7, 2005 02:42 PM
Wow, that Gefjon sweater is gorgeous! I agree, your yarn is much better suited to Rogue. Looks lovely. So does the Fair Isle. And I'm glad other people have procrastination that goes on for years, not weeks. The blogs today are making me feel better about how crazy my life is. :) Most of the time it's the opposite--I'm like, how does everyone else do all their stuff and find time to knit and blog? In my saner moments I know it's because their houses are as nutsy as mine is and they all have tons of unfinished and unstarted projects too. :)
Posted by: mamacate at February 7, 2005 04:39 PM
You're not a procrastinator, you have timeless taste in knitwear. BTW, here's your payback: you envy the Norwester, I envy you Donegal! I had the yarn kitted and foolishly sold it off in a moment of stash purging. Never again will I sell the yarn for a classic design, I don't care how big the stash gets...
Go for the dark Rogue, the cables show up nicely.
Posted by: Anmiryam at February 8, 2005 08:54 AM
The aubergine with tweedy flecks is beautiful; I vote you go for the rogue with it too! The Donegal ribbing makes my fingers itch for colorwork :-)
Posted by: Lisa, Mike, Jack, Della at February 8, 2005 06:11 PM