Swatch Out, Here She Comes Swatching. What a galloping pain in the ass. But if you don’t, Lana

Swatch Out, Here She Comes Swatching. What a galloping pain in the ass. But if you don’t, Lana, Our Lady of the Fleece will reach right down & jerk a knot in your project and your aforementioned derrière. Yea, verily, she has slapped me, lo, these many times. When I say, “Fuck it, I’ll just throw something together.”? That usually means I’ll cast on at least three times, change my mind five times, and the project yarn will lay down in a boneless cat-tantrum & do booshitdiddly, knit how I may. My tester swatch nowadays consists of; 48 stitches, with the cast on I’m going to use for the project, with a mirrored set of seed, reverse stockinette, 4 stitch cable and stockinette. I slip the first stitch of each row purl wise, I just like the way it looks. Sizing up on needles, another 2016 demi-semi-hemi New Yarns’ resolution of mine isn’t necessary in this instance. This yarn is gonna need 0s for any kind of structural integrity and warmth. Brown Sheep Nature Spun fingering. A nice yarn, of what I call a ‘workhorse’ variety. “Does what it says on the package”. Good solid yarn, holds up pretty well under a lot of frogging, as long as you’re not yarding it out like you’re hauling in the Lusitania. The colors I have from the sadly defunct Windsor Bead & Button are Butterscotch & some variation on a theme of oatmeal. I haven’t the faintest what the second one is named, but if you make anything butterscotch that’s the color of the yarn on the left, needs must I satisfy my sweet tooth elsewhere, kthx. Old brass would be a closer description, though it’s probably not considered twee enough a name. Whatevs. The ball bands says to use 3s, at which I scoff mightily. You want a cozy fishing net? Go for it, sez I, and more power to you. I, however will be working it on 0s, as the swatch sacrifice to Lana shows above. Best thing about swatches is once it’s blocked and measured, yard that shit out and use it, don’t even snip it from the ball. So I’m looking to make a capelet of this, two skeins of the butterscotch, three of the oatmeal. I will be using the butterscotch as my contrasting color, for the collar and trimmings I have in mind. The capelet will be subtly steampunk, with cabling & texture delineating wrenches and graceful cogs. Light enough not to put you into a sweat indoors at cons, heavy enough to be a nice addition for early spring/fall days. I’m contemplating a hood, but the crisp, military look I’m going for precludes that. I have a thing for hoods, I can indulge it in other projects. I’ll be using the capelet as a design tester for seaming as well. Where I am a fat woman, I do prefer to make accessories, not only for accentuating all figures gracefully, but sparing the pocketbook as well. Also, I can put in motifs and designs around open space that can be increased or decreased for each individual’s personal sizing. Enjoy bonus pic of my knitting supervisor, Lord His Grace, Tizwoz Calcedony Belvedere-Gordon. And stay tuned, next post I will probably be posting design sketches, and speaking of my pattern making process! -- source link

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