Emerges temporarily from knitting frenzy

[firecat]

Larger photos can be found on my flickr site
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cat-and-dragon/


Heartbeat Sweater panel

Pattern is based on the Heartbeat Sweater from Just One More Row
(http://www.justonemorerow.com/9/206.htm?620). I modified the bottom of the sweater to be wider. This produced an inverted V shape. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that; I guess I'll see how it looks once the rest of the sweater body is finished. There are side panels, so they can be adjusted to customize the fit.

The yarn is some slick mercerized cotton I got from a yarn swap.


The gauge is pretty loose and the sweater may stretch because the yarn is pretty heavy. I may end up either using this as the back panel instead of the front (because it's slightly see-through) or doing it over with a tighter gauge. I'm going to start the second panel using smaller needles and see what happens.


Heartbeat Sweater detail


Biohazard Hat

Pattern based on Berroco Newsboy Kap (http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/kap/kap.html). I added the second color. I haven't added the brim yet.
Main yarn is a ball of purple-with-flecks worsted-plus stuff I got from a yarn swap. Really nice to work with. Secondary yarn is Newton Yarn Country "Maine" worsted, two strands held together. I didn't realize that adding the second color at the point I did would make a biohazard symbol, but I'm dorky enough to kind of like the subtle punkiness of it.


My first real intarsia project. For the next one, I am SO going to get bobbins.


Angora Lace Hat

Pattern: Jan-Knit's Three Sisters Hat from jan-knitfreepatterns.blogspot.com/
Pattern modified because I thought the yarn was knitting to a smaller gauge than the DK weight called for. But it stretched while I was working with it, and ended up bigger than I expected. The hat fits more like a snood than a cap.
Yarn: Louisa Harding Kimono Angora
Someday I will figure out how to photograph knitting. You can't see the lace pattern from the photograph.



Angora Lace Hat detail

Mmmmm, soooooooooooooooooffft!

Comments

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

LOL! I love the biohazard hat! I have bobbins and although I bought them for crochet, I'm using them for beading recently. I use a really long thread (beaders die when they hear) and while I have no problem actually beading with it, if it's not coiled carefully when I put it away between workings, it'll tangle like crazy.

I like the colors in the heartbeat sweater. Maybe you could use elastic to pull up the edge of the angora hat? Or do a tighter border?

[firecat]

Thanks! Good to know that bobbins are also useful for beading. The elastic idea is interesting, and I just reclaimed a load of thin elastic from an old fitted sheet so I might experiment with that. Or I might knit another hat (I have two more balls of the stuff).

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

Wow! That's gorgeous yarn. And everything looks fabulous. :-)

[firecat]

Thanks!

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

All of that is so pretty. You have such a nice uniform tension. What fun!

[firecat]

Thanks!

[submarine-bells.livejournal.com]

Oo, pretties! I bet they'll look great on you. Do feel free to post pics of you modelling them, if you feel like it. :-)

[firecat]

Thanks! I may get around to that one of these days. :-)

[sev]

pretty!

I'm looking forward to hearing how the cotton wears. I've used mercerized cotton for a baby sweater & am working on a hat. am told that cotton behaves better knit tightly; haven't tested that.

suggestion for a too-large hat: pick up stitches around the brim. work decrease row. knit around for an inch or so in ribbing (perhaps in smaller needles). call it a tam-o-shanter. :)

photographing lace: stre-e-etch over something highly contrasting (in this case, perhaps a black bowl or bag?) but in general it's hard to photograph lace in variegated yarn.

[firecat]

Thanks!

I've also been told that about cotton.

Good ideas for the too-large hat and lace photography!

[usqueba.livejournal.com]

WOW check out that knitting! (I'm still in the scarf phase :/)

The bio hazard hat is GREAT! I also like the lace hat :)

[firecat]

Thanks! Scarves are fun too!

[suzimoses.livejournal.com]

ohhh, pretty.

[firecat]

Thanks!

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

Very yummy :-D !

[firecat]

Thanks!

[snippy]

Well done! Are you going to block the lace hat, or did you already?

[firecat]

I might try blocking it; based on the Knittersreview.com review of this yarn blocking doesn't change the gauge, but it's worth experimenting with.