Knitting!
Christmas was awesome and whatnot.
But my entry is about knitting my first sweater! Huzzah!
I'm knitting a Swing Cardigan. I'm not sure why it's called that, because it's not really like a swing-coat shape, but it's cute. It also has built-in waist shaping (the 42" bust, as an example, goes down to a 34" waist), far more than I would expect for a standard pattern, so I don't even have to change that much.
That being said, I've started the neckline, but have stopped and did a dang swatch. I did some rough swatches but didn't wash them. Then I figured I needed to stop, do a swatch, wash and dry it so I can actually know what the finished gauge would be. I don't need to just rush ahead, guessing how much the yarn will bloom, and then be disappointed with a sweater that doesn't fit. That's a big reason I haven't knitted a sweater before in the first place!
The sweater calls for size 11 needles and bulky yarn*. I got a smidge bigger gauge (sans washing) with size 11, which made me suspicious, since I'm a loose knitter. I did a gauge swatch with 10.5s and will see the pre and post wash gauge. I might need to buy another skein of this damn yarn (Rowan Pure Wool in "Mid Brown Jacob") but we'll see.
Fingers crossed, everyone!
* I prefer finer yarn, but for a first sweater I'd rather do something that takes less time investment in case I do eff it up royally.
But my entry is about knitting my first sweater! Huzzah!
I'm knitting a Swing Cardigan. I'm not sure why it's called that, because it's not really like a swing-coat shape, but it's cute. It also has built-in waist shaping (the 42" bust, as an example, goes down to a 34" waist), far more than I would expect for a standard pattern, so I don't even have to change that much.
That being said, I've started the neckline, but have stopped and did a dang swatch. I did some rough swatches but didn't wash them. Then I figured I needed to stop, do a swatch, wash and dry it so I can actually know what the finished gauge would be. I don't need to just rush ahead, guessing how much the yarn will bloom, and then be disappointed with a sweater that doesn't fit. That's a big reason I haven't knitted a sweater before in the first place!
The sweater calls for size 11 needles and bulky yarn*. I got a smidge bigger gauge (sans washing) with size 11, which made me suspicious, since I'm a loose knitter. I did a gauge swatch with 10.5s and will see the pre and post wash gauge. I might need to buy another skein of this damn yarn (Rowan Pure Wool in "Mid Brown Jacob") but we'll see.
Fingers crossed, everyone!
* I prefer finer yarn, but for a first sweater I'd rather do something that takes less time investment in case I do eff it up royally.