Ankle Fun and Jacket Progress

Thanks to the sprained ankle that I acquired in step class on Monday, I was sidelined for the past 2 days. Not fun, but on the bright side, it gave me the chance to get a lot of work done on my jacket. The body is done, so I just need to work the sleeves and then get everything connected for the yoke. I am going to leave off the hood and attempt to add a collar of some sort in 4x4 rib, to match the bottom and sleeves. The pattern is relatively straightforward so far. I did end up changing the recommended cast off/cast on buttonhole method to a yo, k2tog, after my first 2 buttonholes looked mangled. Hopefully a little fiddling and some large buttons will hide the mess in the end. I also opted not to go down a needle size for the garter stitch part of the body. I would like this jacket to be form-fitting, but since I am making it from the Patons, which isn't the softest wool in the world, I want to make sure there is room for a shirt underneath.

Jacket Beginnings

In an effort to start knitting more projects for myself, I decided to break out some of the teal Patons Merino I bought on sale this summer, and cast on for this jacket.

The chart for the cable pattern is difficult to read. Leigh Radford's Cafe Bastille Cables Sweater, which I made for my DH a few years ago, uses the same cable, but the chart is much clearer, so I am using that instead. I also may add a ribbed collar instead of the hood. I generally like the look of hoods, but find that I don't actually use them that often, and that they weigh down the back of the sweater when not in use. I'd love to finish this in time for cooler weather.

Cobblestone for Abe

I have always liked the Cobblestone Pullover, and since I saw the pattern in Interweave I have thought about making it for my DH or my brother. But I never thought of making it for my boys until I saw earthchick's version. Since I just made the Purple Wonder for Bran, it was Abe's turn. His favorite color is yellow, but fortunately he thought the gold Cascade 220 that I had leftover from my FIL's 2007 Christmas vest was yellow enough.

Here is the very fidgety boy modeling his new sweater.









My gauge with the Cascade is 4 sts and 5 rows per inch on size 7 needles. I must be getting more relaxed as I get older because I could swear that I used to get 5 sts per inch with Cascade on 7's. Armed with that gauge, Abe's measurements, the Cobblestone pattern, EZ's EPS, kiwas instructions and earthchick's instructions, I came up with this.

BODY (for 26" chest circumference)

co 104 sts and join in the round

work in stockinette for 3 ridges

make side purl section 6 sts wide

work body for 9" - 44 rows of garter

place each section of 6 purl sts on a piece of yarn or holder

SLEEVES

co 30 sts and join in the round

work in stockinette for 3 ridges

knit 2 rounds

increase 2 sts in next row (I used EZ's backward loop method)

increase 2 sts every 10th round 4 times (40 sts)

work sleeve for 9" - 44 rows of garter

place 6 sts on a piece of yarn or holder

JOIN

purl across 23 back sts, pm, purl 34 sleeve sts, pm (short row marker), purl across 46 front sts, pm (short row marker), purl across 34 sleeve sts.pm, purl across 23 back sts, place marker for beg of round.

knit a round, purl a round

short row 1 - knit to short row marker, k6 sts. w/t and knit back to center. purl to short row marker. purl 6 sts. w/t and purl to center back. knit one round, purl one round, working wrapped sts with their wraps.

short row 2 - knit to short row marker, k3 sts. w/t and knit back to center. purl to short row marker. purl 3 sts. w/t and purl to center back. knit one round, purl one round, working wrapped sts with their wraps.

short row 3 - knit to short row marker. w/t and knit back to center. purl to short row marker. w/t and purl to center back. knit one round, purl one round, working wrapped sts with their wraps.



dec row - k3, k2 tog around (128 sts)

work until yoke front is 9 ridges

dec row - k2, k2 tog (96 sts)

work until yoke is 13 ridges

dec round - k2, k2 tog (72 sts)

work until yoke is 17 ridges

short row - work to marker

knit a round, purl a round

dec round - k4, k2tog (60 sts)

knit 4 rounds.

bind off (I used size 9 needles)



What a great pattern! I hope it will fit him for a while. It could easily be blocked a little bigger if necessary. After seeing Abe's Cobblestone, my DH wants one, and since I still need to make Bran a sweater that fits, there is a good chance I will end up making a Cobblestone for him as well.

Saddle Shoulder for a Giant Five-Year-Old

After much neglected housework and a few episodes of Eli Stone on iTunes, I managed to knit the saddles after two tries. The first time I did too many saddle decreases, and it didn't fit over Bran's head. Now it fits over my head. I originally planned to allow the edges to roll, but after the saddles were done, I thought the sweater would look better with a more finished edging. So, inspired by EZ's picked up hem idea, I worked an additional inch and a half of stockinette, purled a row to turn, worked another inch and a half of stockinette, and then sewed it down. I picked up stitches for the bottom hem since I no longer had live stitches to work with. I haven't sewed it down yet because I would like to add a message using duplicate stitch.

As you can see, I majorly overestimated the ease for this sweater. It is huge on Bran, and even though I measured the sleeves on his arms as I worked them, they are way too long. I am thinking of folding them an inch and a half to the inside and sewing it down, so they would be shorter. But even if that looks okay, it still won't make them short enough. I could also cut and rework the sleeves to be shorter. But for now, I'll probably leave them as is, and cuff them until he grows into it.


























At least he says that he likes it. I even asked if he wanted me to knit him a smaller one and give this one to his cousin (who is 8), but he said that he wanted this one. My heart is filled with smiles.