FO - Cable & Twisted Tree Sweater

Before our Chinese New Year, I decide to finish my long wish project - Cable & Twisted Tree Sweater. I always want a cable sweater and it is lucky that it can be finished on time and happy that all the yarns are used up. I show off my new sweater to my friend when we celebrate the CNY, they like it very much.








Spec :
Pattern : my own
Yarn : Alpaca Superfine - 100% Alpaca (bought from Japan)
Usage : 10 balls x 50g (100m each)
Needle : 3.5mm needle

It is no difficulty in knitting but :
1. quite hard to choose the combination of cable patterns. After many tests, this cable and twisted tree stitches pattern are chosen.
2. another difficulty is to test the tension of each stitches pattern : the cable, twisted tree and double moss stitches. Have to test them one by one, a lot of patient is required.
3. to calculate the measurement . I have done a lot of addition and subtraction to work out the correct inches. This really makes me faint.
4. afraid that not enough yarn for the sleeves. I use waste yarn to cast on the 2 sleeves and start to knit from the upper arm upward. After that, only one ball is left. I knit the 2 sleeves downward at the same time to the wrist from the cast on row using the two ends of the yarn ball, until the last ball is used up. So it is a 3/4 sleeves sweater.

I love cable crazy and am planning a open cardigan. But I am just start a new project - open cardigan with no sleeve using deep purple yarns. You can't believe, these 6 balls of purple yarns are found by my mother under the bed drawer and quite surprise that the purchase receipt is still here, the yarns are bought at the year 1986. Let's celebrate the 20 years old of the yarns.

A Pink Lady

My friend AM is wearing her pink A-line jacket. Is she beautiful ? When she looks at HS's (our other friend) a-line jacket, she yells she must have one and hope it can be worn during Chinese New Year (that is Feb 7, 2008) , so this pink one is knitted for her. It is lucky that it can be finished before time. She love it very much.









Pattern : just a simple a-line jacket pattern
Yarn : Nako - Bambu (from Turkey)
Material : 65% Cashmere, 35% Bamboo
Usage 12 balls x 50g(100m)
Needle : 4.2mm (Japanese size)

There is no special difficult in knitting this. This yarn is quite cheap to buy, the original cost is about USD6.15 per ball and after 25% discount off, it only costs USD4.60.

A-line Jacket Modelling

Dadadada.... It is finally finished. I like the colour very much that it has a strong winter feel.




Spec :
pattern : just take Kim Hargreaves's Wispy as reference and make some changes on it
yarn : Mondial's Delicata Baby (Italy)
material : 100% pure new wool merino
usage : 8 x 50g (each at 215m length)
needle : 3.5mm






I must tell you, this kind of a-line jacket is very popular at this winter at HK. When my friend first look at this, she said to me : " I want one, please knit one for me." Then we right away rush to my favour yarn shop to pick up yarn and discuss the design at a food court. This is how this jacket is produced.

I used 3.5mm needles, which is larger than the yarn label (suggested 2.5-3mm needle), to knit the seed stitches for my friend likes the soft feeling. I have first tried the 3mm needle, the outcome is a little bit tight between seed stitches that the back piece is ripped and reknit.

For the collar and the front border, reverse stockinette stitch is knitted. But it seems that there is no big difference from the body's seed stitches.

For the buttonhole, I take the "6 stitch One-Row Buttonhole" method as printed in IKwinter2006. This is my first time to make such a large buttonhole for an oversized button (the diameter is about 1-1.25 inch) is used.

All progress of this jacket, please tick here.

Modelling

Now, my friend HS is modelling her light yellow bolero. She is happy and likes it very much. Me too. How about you ?
You can click this for all the posts related to this bolero.






Yarn : Sea Queen Cotton Fine (Japanese yarn - lace weighting)
Quantity : 100% cotton
Usage : 7 x 25g/175m

This cotton yarn is very light, soft, very comfortable and suitable to wear under Hong Kong's Summer time.
As per her request, I add 5 buttons along the edge. And I crochet 2 transparency beads at each end of the string, hope you can see them in the picture.

Rainbow Cardigan

This rainbow cardigan has been finished for about 2 weeks ago and worn it, but no time to model and take photos. Why, many reasons, such as : lazy to go out, the weather is not up to my mood, no one take the photos for me, ..... So, just take some at home, hope you will enjoy them.





Detail :
Pattern : my own (just sit down and crochet and do not have any pattern in my mind along the crocheting)
yarn : all my stash
Usage : I don't know and haven't weight the cardigan

I love this cardigan because it is so colourful that I seldom wear the one with many bright colours. It make me feel happier and younger.

I love the buttons very much also. At one day when I am wandering around the street (without any purpose for buying) with many stalls, there is one stall come across my eye. That stall is selling some ribbons, lace edgings, other handicraft materials and buttons, buttons, buttons.... That is what I want for my rainbow. The buttons are packed having 5 or 6 buttons of each pack. I have to search,search, search.... among those buttons mountain. Suddenly, I find one pack with 6 different colours' flower shape button. Of course, I buy it immediately. Is it totally match with theme of my rainbow cardigan ??

Up to this moment, I can't think of anything to knit and I don't want to pick up my only one WIP - cable and twisted tree vest. Don't know why, just don't want to or may be don't want to knit in summer. May be I can buy some fabrics and sew some shirt for myself during this summer time.

My Sienna Cardigan

Re my last post, my Sienna Cardigan is finished for weeks, and good that my friend has time with me on this X'mas time to take the shot for me.

Detail :
yarn : Aarlan Royal - 40% wool, 40% acrylic & 20% mohair (made in Switzerland)
yardage : 40g/100m and 7.5 skeins are used
needle : 4mm
pattern : IKFall2006- Sienna Cardigan
Changes :
1. the collar - is changed to v-shape instead of the shawl collar
2. as the gauge is not the same, I need to re-calculate all the no. of stitches and the front's lace pattern is 7 repeat

It has the right time to wear this for the HK weather is getting cooler around X'mas season and it is so warm that I don't want to get change. Of course, it has mohair.

And, there are 2.5 skeins of yarn is left. My mother always has an intelligence to use up all my stash. She is asking a hat and likes the stitch pattern of my sock (re my last post). OK, Mon, I will knit you one and give me time, for I want to knit one more sock for myself. But, never mind, you are the first.

Now, it is my friend's turn.

1.5 skeins of yarn is left after my friend's v-lace and cable vest, a scarf is knitted for her too using a similar v-lace pattern (re last post). I make use every inch of the yarn to knit as long as possible, finally it is 6" x 54". When she has the first sight of this scarf, she said "Wa, it is so beautiful.... and thank you". This really encourage me to knit more, more, more .... and I am so excited that she likes it so much.

Oh, it is coincided that they are in purple colour.

Merry X'mas and Happy New Year to all of you.

Cotton Cardigan - let it says

Sleeveless Cotton Cardigan
Pattern : my own using the lace diamond stitch pattern
Yarn : Soft Feather - 100% Mercerized cotton
Yardage : 3 x 50g, 400m length each
needle : 4mm and knit at 2 string together

At last I can model my cotton cardigan. I love it very much and it fits me a lot. You will notice that I seldom model my knitting wear for it is very difficult to take a good shot of self-picture. As I just buy this cotton yarn by chance, always worrying whether yarn is enough along knitting. I keep on weighting the yarn when every part is finished - the back, the left front, the right front ..... Always do not have any idea what to knit when buying yarn which is so tempt to you. There are still some yarns in my drawer waiting for me.

Finished - Blue Cardigan

Finally, it is finished. It takes me one day to crochet the edging and flowers and sew the buttons. It looks nice and I love it. I am wondering whether I should use the pink or cream colour for the edging as suggested by the yarn shopowner. I think the cream colour is more appropriate for the adult and pink for the young girl. Therefore, I pick the cream one. But the light colour cannot resist the dirt, hope my friend won't mind and like it.

Choosing the button is another headache problem. My mother suggests to pick the simple one and don't make anything fussy. So the simple small and transparent button is picked. Once again, hope my friend like what I choose for her.

Finished

Finally, Ma's cardigan is finished. I have ripped the neck area twice for it is too loose for my mother. I will give it to her on today and she will put the buttons by herself. For she has a collection of buttons which are come from the torn clothing. She picks up the buttons before thrown the torn clothing away. So clever she is.

Now, Spring is coming, new knitting books are published. It is time for us to search and buy them. The new Rowan book #39 is very attractive. I have to find out which on-line shop can give a cheaper price to order.

Small sweater

I use my leftover of yarns to knit this sweater and now it is completed. It doesn't look so bad. But there is also some leftover of fine yarn, I have no plan what to knit. Any suggestion ?



This mohair is bought for knitting a half circle lace shawl. I always want to knit this type of shawl but worry that I don't have that level of knitting technique. On the yarn label, it suggests to use 4mm needle, I have tested this but a little bit cann't get the felling and image of the lace. I think I should try 4.5mm needle.