Milestone

Well, we've reached a major milestone, Autumn Rose and I.

We've reached the armholes.

Which means that this piece gets to rest for a while now while I start the sleeves.

Of course, I haven't printed out my revised-to-fit-my-row-gauge sleeve schematic yet, so that's just a little . . . tricky . . . at the moment.

But, no matter! It feels really good to have gotten her this far. There's still a lot of work to do, but the main part of the body is such a huge chunk of it, it's very satisfying to have it done.

And I'm looking forward to how fast it's going to feel that the sleeves are going, compared to this, too . . .

Going surprisingly swimmingly

I've had some mild fair isle experience before (a swatch, a mitten I never finished) but this sweater has surprised me with how well it's been going so far. I'm into waist increases and am really enjoying the process of this technique. The pattern rows are also relatively easy to memorize--didn't think this was something I'd be able to do on the subway on my way to work, and am glad to have been mistaken!

I gotta give a big thanks to Karen at Two Swans Yarns...she only had the old gold in the DK weight and suggested I might be able to get away with using it if I didn't feel like waiting for the Spindrift. It's been working out really well. I'll post a pic soon.

Stalking the postman

Hi everyone!
I can't wait for the mail to get here. I called a dozen places yesterday and was able to locate someone who had everything in stock! I ordered the kit immediately and I can't wait for the mail to get here :) Meanwhile, I'll just keep drooling over all of the lovely wip's. Knit on! And please post more pics. BTW...I've been checking out the cast on edges in the photos...does anyone have any suggestions for casting on for the corrugated ribbing? I have read that a firmer cast on is desired so as not to have the curling or "ruffly" look at the edge. Any ideas?

Flying Along

The body of my sweater is just flying off the needles. I was a bit worried that my tension would be off since I'm using slippery addis instead of sticky bamboo but I haven't had any problems yet. I've finished my waist decreases and I'm about to start my increases and I'm having so much fun.

Just starting

I cast on for my Autumn Rose last night and I'm working my way through the ribbing. This is my first colour-work sweater. I am so excited. I'm planning to change the neckline so it doesn't plunge quite so low. I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to do this but I still have time to work it out before I get there. I'll post a picture, hopefully some time tomorrow.

Jenny

How to Put Up a Button on Your Blog

Well, I certainly is no expert on software and websites, but I think I can help a little on the whole button thing. By all means this is not the only way to write the code, but it is the easiest for me. Also, as far as I know, this works for blogger only. I am not familiar at all with all the other blog sites out there, but I think the concept is the same. You can try using it as it is basic HTML, but I can't guarantee that it will work.

1. Go to your blog dashboard, and click on "Template".
2. Click on "Add a Page Element" and a window will pop-up, click on HTML/JavaScript.
3. Add a new title, and on the blank spot, copy and paste this code (Replace "#" with "<" and "*" with ">"): #center*#a href="The Link of the KAL"*
   #img border="0" src="The Picture Link"*#/a*#/center*#br/*
4. Viola! You now have a link with a button!
   

One thing to note on the images - if you load them to your blog, you can load it as a post in the "Compose" stage. Once the picture is loaded, you can click on the tab "Edit Html" to get the code for the picture. The code is usually a long string of letters begins with "http://". There will be two of them there, and be sure to read the whole code, and choose the one with "s400" in it, instead of "s1600-h". If you use the latter, you won't get an image. One way to check if the link works is to copy that link and paste it to a new browser, the picture should show if the link works. After you get the picture link, you can just delete the picture and post without losing the picture for the button.

Another way to load the pictures is to upload them via picasa, flickr or photobucket, basically a photo website. When you load the picture, they usually give you a link and all you have to do is to copy and paste the link into the above code where it says "The Picture Link".

I hope this helps! And if someone knows a better way to put the button on a blog's side bar, please feel free to post about it!

Silver Lining

Well, as usual, my gauge is completely bizarre, and true to form, my row-gauge is way, way off. I've got the ribbing and 47 rows done and the sweater is about 8.5" long . . . meaning I'm getting about 25 rows to 4" rather than the 32 called for in the pattern.

This isn't exactly a PROBLEM, per se, but it is definitely something that needs addressing. As in, obviously, I'm going to need to rework some thing. Like, say, the entire layout/chart of the sweater. And the sleeve, too.

On the plus side, it means the sweater's going to be done that much sooner, huh? I mean, a 23" sweater at 8 rows to an inch is 184 rows. But at only 6.25 rows to an inch, that's 144 rows, which means the whole thing will go faster.

Well, at least, it will once I've recalculated all the shaping on my handy-dandy excel chart....

And, no matter what the gauge, it sure is pretty . . .

Autumn Rose Buttons?

Hello - I have created a button for my blog to link to here, and figured if anyone else wanted to share it they are very welcome. Basically, as I am not technically minded all I can say is that you save the image to your PC and then upload it onto your blog and then create a link and er, do stuff. So anyway, please don't ask me how to do it - as I really am clueless and have the memory of a goldfish, but it beats winding the yarn into little balls this evening (I also procrastinate), my theory being that the yarn has just had a long journey from Shetland to Scotland and needs to rest first. So anyway, in case anyone is wanting a button, here are two possible images to save onto your PCs and then like I said "do stuff"...

One Band Done

Well, I've got the first band of color pattern done . . . slowly, slowly, I'm making progress. That's something, right? (grin)

And, wow, this throw pillow is exactly the right color for modelling this . . . especially with the red chair in the background!

--Deb
www.chappysmom.com

My colors

Since so many people have asked I took the time to make a little chart of the colors I'm using for my Autumn Rose. I used a mixture of Knit Picks Palette and Digit Yarn. They are marked on the picture below. Sorry to say that it's not all cheap KP yarn but it is almost half and the main color (which you need the most of) is KP yarn. I tried a few swatches with just KP yarn but none of them were exactly what I was looking for. Hope this helps someone!

This is how I replaced the colors:

Shetland black = KP Black
Old Gold = KP Bark
Sunrise = Digit Lapis
Madder = Digit Bayberry
Pine Forest = KP Navy
Bracken = Digit Walnut
Admiral Navy = KP Marine Heather
Pistachio = Digit Brindle
Peat = Digit Indigo
Yellow Ochre = Digit Hickory
Scotch Broom = Digit Sagebrush

Off like a turtle...

Hi, everyone! I am finally getting around to my first ever post on my first KAL. I have been waiting for this sweater ever since Eunnie showed a glimpse on her blog. Here's my yarn and a teeny-tiny beginning to a swatch. Thanks to chappysmom for sending me her fabu chart. I modified it a bit for Calc, an open source program. If you don't have Excel, I'd be happy to send you the edited chart if you provide me with the cast-on counts for each size.

I am mixing a couple different yarns to try to save a little cash. We'll see how the gauge comes out, but I am pleased that the other yarn seems just a bit softer.

I did the mental math yesterday and figured out that in the medallion portion of the sweater there are 4 ends to work in for every three rows. Ugh. It'll be worth it, right?

Gauging Issues

Gosh . . . something like 9 rows into the pattern now . . . hoo-boy, this is just zipping along! (grin).

I need to take a closer look at my gauge, though. It seems tighter than it was in my swatch, and that, um, could definitely make a difference in, you know, being able to wear this later on. (At this rate, it will be much later.) But of course, since I DO want to wear it, I'd better make sure now rather than later, right? If I have to tear back to the ribbing to switch up to a bigger needle now, it's the loss of about a week's worth of knitting, but that's still much, much better than having to rip later.

Of course, the swatch was washed, which might have affected the gauge. The only problem is that I didn't bother to measure it before I washed it, so I don't know if it "bloomed" or not . . . and therefore, don't know if the sweater itself will stretch slightly upon washing, or not.

Anybody out there know off-hand whether Jamieson's Spindrift tends to grow, shrink, or stay the same size once it's washed?

Edited to add: Good news! I tranferred half the stitches to another circular and then tried the whole thing on . (Right now, it makes a lovely belt.) Luckily, it fits, so . . . we're good to go!

Making progress...

So far I'm loving it, I can't even believe I'm the one making this! For my first color work I think I'm doing pretty good. I made some major mistakes in the beginning but they are on the back and I'm too lazy to start over. I'm pretty sure no one else will notice anyway. I also mixed up my colors this time round. I ended up putting each combo in it's own bag a al chappysmom. I haven't decided if I'll continue in the incorrect colors or consider all of this the border and change back to the order from my swatch on the next repeat. I'll have to see how it looks after it's been topped by the blue checked stripe.

Soon but Not Yet

I will admire your Roses for a few more weeks, my kit will not be shipped until then due to lack of a color. It is a major color, lol. But it is ok with me as I know AR would take precedent over all other WIPs so they at least stand a chnce for another few weeks, LOL. I love the color substitutions you are making, beautiful work ladies.

Black and White charts

Well, in the case of Autumn Rose, grey and white charts.....I'm with you Deb, I knit two handed fair isle (background with the right and pattern with the left hand) and I had trouble with this chart too when I started out.

I usually convert my charts into strictly black/white -- get rid of all of the symbols or the coloured charts that are hard to tell when a shade changes - and do exactly what you see in the SS4 book -- black and white chart with columns to the right and mark out which shade is used in which hand on each row.

Background yarn in the right (white boxes) and pattern yarn (grey boxes) in the left. Then it struck me -- the columns on this chart are reversed -- the white boxes are the left column and the grey boxes are the right column.....could it be something this simple that has our brains confused? It's early, maybe this is just too easy a solution, but if I had recognized this before I knit Autumn Rose, I would have changed this to make it more knitter friendly (for me).

I also did use markers to identify where each repeat was....and marked the chart accordingly - it made it much easier.

Don't put a marker before your side seam purl stitch, just put one after it -- you'll feel the marker, pull your yarn to the front, purl the stitch, put the yarn to the back, slip the marker and continue knitting.

Like anything else, it takes a while for your hands, eyes and brain to all get coordinated when starting a new project.

Now it really begins

I've knitted the first few rows of my Autumn Rose (beyond the ribbing, that is) and am going to have to put in some stitch markers. Every time I knit to the center point and then turn around and go back on the chart I get lost, reading the chart left to right. At least with stitch markers I'd be able to figure out where I am a little faster!

And yes, I'm well aware that I could take my excel sheet of the 1/4 and duplicate the other half . . . that, apparently, is too sensible. Although, speaking of my Excel chart--if you, like me, are having trouble with the dark squares being the light yarn and the light squares being the dark yarn, I've just changed it on the chart . . . It was driving me nuts.

Oh, and the "seam stitches" . . . The design has a faux seam stitch at the sides, which I think is a lovely touch, except they're made in the background color, which I carry in my right hand, and marked by stitch markers on either side . . . having to slip the stitch marker, pull my right-hand yarn into the front to be able to do a single purl stitch, wrangle the yarn to the back again and then slip the second stitch marker . . . this is driving me a bit crazy. I'm not sure what I want to do about it. I don't think it would look right in the foreground color. I don't want to just knit the stitch. I could certainly ditch one of the stitch markers, but . . . still, for me at least--a Continental-style knitter--two-handed color work with purl stitches from the right hand just does not work! I certainly do know how to purl with my right hand, but the juggling of both colors is frustrating. Not to mention throwing off my gauge and making the "seams" look sloppy. Clearly, I need to come up with a solution fast.... Suggestions? Commiserations?

Meanwhile, plugging onward...

--Deb in NJ
www.chappysmom.co

Hello from a Kiwi in Scotland

Hi, I'm smitten with Autumn Rose like the rest of you. Thank you to Bryna and Jenn for responding so nicely to my garbled email asking to join - I'd seen the adverts in IK, but only just got the book and seen Autumn Rose in full glory so was somewhat beyond speech and probably not making a lot of sense with all the excitement. I am now happily trying to choose colours as although Eunny chose some gorgeous hues they won't suit my colouring (I am aiming more for a Winter Rose I guess), now back to the yarn cards to do justice to this project - just wanted to say hello. Normally I live over at Knitonlybutalso .

Hello Peeps

I am so excited...I tried, honestly I tried to not fall in love with this sweater. I wouldn't look anytime the photo appeared, but in a moment of melancholy, DS2 went to college, I faltered and ordered the kit. woohoo! Once ordered I knew there would be a KAL somewhere. SO as soon as the kit arrives I will be co...limited time to devote due to other WIPs but they will all get their two days of time on a rotating basis...lol

Roses and Frog Ponds

I initially didn't follow the written instructions for the sleeve because I looked at the picture and didn't see a black/gold band at the bottom. Anne set me straight but it meant ripping back to the cuff. I'm now chugging along and I love the colour-play.

I wish I had more time to work on this! I do plan to weave in the ends as I go (every 5 inches or so) to avoid being overwhelmed with ends when I'm near completion.

I also charted the design on Stitch and Motif Maker. When I look at a chart and see a black square I automatically process it as the darker colour. For some reason here, the darker shades are represented by the lighter squares so I was not zipping along until I laid out the chart as I see it in my mind.

Details on my blog here.

Beginnings

I have officially begun my Autumn Rose pullover but I guess mine is more of a summer tide than and Autumn Rose, LOL! It took me two days to do the 15 rows of corrugated ribbing. I sure am glad that's over. I've started working on the pattern using two hands with one color to either side of myself. Seems to be going a lot faster. I think it was the purl stitch in the ribbing that was really slowing me down.

So far the tension on the ribbing is looking pretty good. I'm hoping to keep that up as I move on to the body. Wish me luck!

Cross posted to my blog.

ETA: Tension not going so well on the body stitches. For some reason I've gotten really loose. I'm going to put summer tide to the side for today while I look up some other two color knitting techniques. Maybe I should have chosen something a little less ambitious for my first time out *smile*