The most exciting undertaking to have begun in the last couple of weeks is the second project in the ongoing process of project provocation that Adrian and I seem to continually dish out, or as we officially call it, our 2-Person-Knit-a-long.
I think we've probably been waxing poetic about Alice Starmore's Na Craga [via Ravelry] pattern for well over a year. Armed with lots of wool (this thing is a beast) it's a wonder that we've finally taken the plunge and started the knitting. I can't tell you how good it feels to have tweedy cables back in my life.
We're both heavily modifying it from its sack-like origins. Since the fabric is thick like a jacket, and I'm pre-disposed to being warm, this is undergoing a full cardiganization. I also have hopes of making it hooded, the thought of which makes me positively giddy, but this of course all depends on how much yarn I have. Yarn which, as naturally happens, is discontinued.
I'm dipping into my last sweaters-worth of the lovely Skye Tweed from Classic Elite (may she rest in peace). This will be my third sweater with this yarn... wow, maybe it's good that I'm being forced to move on?
I'll be doing the standard seamless treatment on this one too, meaning lovely knitting done all in one piece, just the way I like it. Rather than steeking this time around, I'm knitting back and forth (all the cabling happens on even rows, so it's nice and clean) with a buttonband worked in as I go.
The cables in this thing are spectacular - those cheese-grater-like honeycombs not only run up the body, but also right up the center of the sleeves and flow into one of the best saddle-shoulders I think I've ever seen. The braided plait cables, while being the biggest hand-haters of any motif in the pattern, look so good I can't complain (that much). And how about that twisted ribbing?! It really makes it.
Knitting a sweater like this is always an up and down saga, but so far we haven't had any major snags, aside from sometimes being so brain dead at the end of the day that the thought of even looking at the thing sometimes seems outside of my human capacity. In these cases, it's good to have a back up. To that end, I'm still plugging away on my ginormous garter stitch afghan which I can now safely use to keep me warm whilst I work on it - a huge bonus in my book.
I'm getting out of the city for the week and couldn't be happier. For those of you who are lucky enough to get a break this week - I hope you enjoy! Tomorrow my knitting and I will be spending some quality time on a train speeding along the Hudson and away from Gotham. Have a great week!
