Out of the Ashes

The Phoenix Sweater is done! Actually, it's been done for over a month, but I haven't gotten around to doing the picture thing until just this past week. So, without further ado--The Phoenix Sweater!






Oh, look at the contemplative gaze that our lovely model has...could she possibly be pondering her next sweater project? Or just basking in her sense of accomplishment?



For those of you who may not recall, this sweater was resurrected from the ashes of this post. I had spun the yarn with no specific intent and designed the sweater for the yarn. But, alas, my counting skills proved to be less than stellar and it was froggie time. There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth.



Then I got bit by the cable bug.






I stumbled across this cable and rib pattern in Nicky Epstein's Knitting on the Edge while looking for something else. After re-opening the book half a dozen times to stare at the pattern, I finally gave in and swatched up a sample. Within an hour, I had calculated and cast on for raglan tunic-style sweater.



All of this was going on during my busy summer, so there were great fits and starts of obsessive knitting, followed by long dormant periods. All in all, it took about three months from start to finish, but probably only about 60 actual hours of knitting.






I did have to stop and rip back a bit at the raglan shoulder because I wasn't too happy with the way things were going. The finished version makes me happy, though.

Then I fiddled around with the funnel collar a bit, too. Overall, it's a fabulous sweater!

For those who may be interested in the specs: the yarn was a handspun merino/silk blend. The fibre was originally purchased in 2005 from Silver Valley Fibres. I spun it as a 3-ply woollen at about 20 wpi/ 3 tpi on my Ashford Traveller. The knitting gauge is about 6 st/inch or 24 stitches over 4 inches/10 cm. It was knit in pieces and joined, the old-fashioned way. It measures about 42" at the bust and is about 28" long from shoulder to hem.

I am considering writing up the pattern, but I always get spooked by the sizing thing. I'm working my way through that phobia. When I am well enough to face multiple sizes, I may put out a call for test knitters...

So, now that that's out of the way, what next? Well, I appear to be off on a Halloween-inspired tangent. I have been spinning a couple of spooky yarns for seasonal projects that I intend to work on while we travel in October (yes, yet another trip!) and I have become addicted to crocheting these skulls from Lion Brand.

Okay, not too pretty so far...

...and there are seven of them waiting to have their ends sewn in before they go in the washer this afternoon. If these seven turn out, who knows how many other horrors await?