Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Cowl Howl

After a long, long time, here's the St Blaise:

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Pattern: St Blaise (improvised)
Yarn: Handmaiden (from this kit) colourway: I think "Straw"

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This one has been on the needles for a record year and a half
(first blogged at the end of October, 2006!)
I love the yarn.
As always, Handmaiden proves itself to be beautiful to work with and wear.
I used the entire kit, with only very few scraps left over.

Cable Close-up
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I must admit, when I finished it late, late last Saturday night, I was overjoyed with the design.
Now, not so much.
At least, I'm feeling conflicted.
I had grandiose visions for the cowl, which didn't really materialize.
Half the time I wear it I feel rather fashionable.
The other half, I feel slightly like a silky Brahman cow with extra big cow-jowls.

I'm rather pleased with the sleeve caps, which actually fit in place! With no math!
(Take that, calculatrice!)

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I remain...
Undecided
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******* Tres Sketchy Pattern Notes *******
From what I can recall (being, as mentioned above, quite sketchy, seeing as how this sweater was left languishing as a UFO for over a year...)

Gauge = 6 sts / 1 inch
I cast on approx. 150 stitches on 4 mm circs.
1x1 ribbing for 3.5 inches.
Shaped waist by decreasing to 120 sts. (so, you would decrease 15 sts on each side of the sweater). Began waist decreases 3.5 inches from cast on – finished waist decreases 6 inches from cast on. Maintained these 120 until sweater measured 9.5 inches.
At end of 1x1 ribbing, I began the cables (and as you can see above, the waist decreases). The back and sides of the
sweater are in stockinette.
Note: Not sure about the copyright etc... regarding the posting of the
central, more intricate cable. Just found
that at my local library. The cables along the sides are just a pair of 4
st cables, one twisting to the left, one to the right.
Simple 4 st cable:
Left Leaning:
K 2 rows
Cable 4 forward
K 1 row

Right Leaning:
K 2 rows
Cable 4 back
K 1 row

When the sweater was 9 inches, I began to increase for the bust.

Bust-line (aka widest part of the sweater) is 14 inches from the cast on.

AT THE SAME TIME:
I inserted the huge u-neck for the cowl thusly:
At 13.5 inches up from the cast-on edge, I put 26 centre sts on a holder, and
continued to work the sweater on the circs (but of course now one would
have to remember you're working back and forth, not in the round).
I decreased 1 st each side of u-neck every right side row until I had approx. 16 sts on each side of the neck.

ARMHOLES AT THE SAME TIME!:
When piece measures 17 inches from cast on, begin armholes.
I did this by casting off 12 sts for each arm. Now you should have three
independent sections to your sweater: the back, the right front, and the
left front.
I decreased 1 st each side of each armhole every right side row 7 times.

I continued up the sweater front until it measured 7 inches from the
cast on. I then put the sts on a holder so that I could graft them to the
back when the time came. There should be 8 sts each side.

For the back, I continued until it was 23 inches from the cast on. Then
I placed the centre (approx.) 30 sts on a holder, and continued to knit for 3 rows. There should be 8 sts each side.

I then grafted the front and back together, then picked up the sts along
the neckline for the cowl. I didn't count how many I picked up. I just
picked up 3 out of every 4 sts. (this, in theory, makes the neckline less
pucker-y).

The cowl was fun, but a bit of a disaster. I just did a decreasing
succession of short-row shaping, which went something like this:
Picked up neckline stitches, placed marker at middle-back of neck.
Knit around twice in 1x1 ribbing. (Maintain this ribbing all around).

Then begin short-row-ing:

A tutorial on how to short-row can be found here.
Knit from marker to approx. 25 sts before marker. Wrap st. Work back across
all sts until 25 sts before marker. Wrap st.
*Work back across sts until 6 sts before last wrapped st. Wrap st. *
Repeat this until you've met at the front.
What I then did was the same thing, but backwards. As in:
Knit back across 6 sts, (don't forget to pick up all wraps along the way!)
wrap st, continue in this manner back and forth until you get back up to
that very first sts you wrapped up at the top.
Then I just did a couple rounds of straight ribbing, and cast off.

SLEEVES:

Cast on 50 sts.
1x1 ribbing for 3.5 inches.
Switch to stockinette, beginning increases up to arm pit, which should get
up to 60 sts.
Cast off 6 sts on each side.
Decrease 1 st each right side every right side row, until sleeve cap is 7
inches long (should be about 2 inches wide).
Cast off.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really like it! The color too. i couldn't find the pattern on Ravelry though?

Liz said...

I think it's beautiful! Go with fashionable and wear it with confidence.

Teresa said...

Thanks!

jenni I made the pattern up myself. If people really like it, I can always post pattern notes.
Sketchy, sketchy pattern notes.

Brendaknits said...

I agree. I would be undecided about the cowl too. The colour and the cables are great though. And you certainly can wear that cowl. It would overpower me, I think.

Alyssa said...

I really like it. The color is wonderful. I wish I could pull off a color like that

soknitpicky said...

I really like it! I particularly love your choice of cable patterns. You always look great in the warm yellows-oranges-reds that you gravitate towards anyway :-)

Kai said...

I like it too. It looks lovely on you. The cables are so darned crisp as well! :)

Hilary said...

I love it! The cables are amazing. And I think the cowl is neat -- not at all like a Brahman cow jowl (though the reference did make me laugh). I like how you're wearing it folded over in the second pic from the bottom.

Teresa said...

Thanks so much everyone!
It's nice to get input.

hilary Thanks for noticing my creative photoging!

Anonymous said...

I've thought about it. I like it. Rock the cowl with confidence, woman!

BTW, my word verifacation was "zrats"... I think I found a new swear word...

Teresa said...

Thanks mucho!

Ah, zrats. I dig that. It's almost as good as my current favourite, dickheadicus maximus.

Unraveling Sophia said...

I do like it and the honey colour is lovely on you! I like the collar best in the last picture, folded over like a mobius scarf - that is flattering on you.

You have a knack for these modern but vintage-looking styles!

Anonymous said...

What's there to be undecided about? It's SO cute, and it looks great on you! I'd love to see the pattern notes and try to make it myself. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I LOVE this sweater. I've been looking for a cowl pattern for a while now, and I swear, the first thing I said when I saw this was "OMG". I'm not really at the point where I can design my own stuff, so it would be very very cool if you were to post pattern notes (sketchy or otherwise) for this sweater!

Thanks :)
Sofia

Teresa said...

I certainly will get on posting the pattern notes, hopefully tonight!

Thanks all :)

Liz said...

Ooh Pattern notes would be awesome!