It’s a bit late in the month for my monthly queue assessment, but it’s also crazy to me that in the weeks since my July Queue Check — in the midst of the move and all — I knitted a whole turtleneck sweater that wasn’t even really on my radar at that point. (Which I finally added to Ravelry, by the way.) As promised, I’m working on a second version, with not discontinued yarn, and will be publishing the pattern as soon as I can make that happen. I’m thinking of doing this one as a marl, as seen in that swatch up there. But I want to do one more swatch in another yarn (not marl) before I commit.
The marl swatch is Lark — two crows and an egret — and it seems like Lark might be all I’m knitting with for the foreseeable future. The colorwork swatch, also in Lark, is for this fall’s big Fringe and Friends Knitalong! (And yes, there is a mistake in my swatch.) I’m keeping that a secret a little bit longer, but will tell you for now that it is a bit of a weird choice — in a good way. It does involve OPTIONAL colorwork, is a fantastic first sweater if you’ve not knitted one before, and I have an amazing panel lined up. This one is a much quicker, simpler knit than last year’s Amanda cardigan, but offers lots of great meat for discussion and room for people to get creative and so on. It’s going to be a blast and I can’t wait to tell you more! Just be ready for a really fun knitalong announcement in mid-September. (Here’s one more hint, it has to do with that green sweater I knitted in the spring.) Meanwhile, I’m swatching and deciding about colors. I like this grey/black/ivory combo but what I really want the finished sweater to be is navy and black. I just fear for my eyesight and my sanity if I decide to do that!
I also think I’m giving up on the idea of having a Rhinebeck sweater in my queue. The colorwork sweater will have be my Rhinebeck sweater. And why shouldn’t it? It will be totally worthy.
In addition to the big turtleneck and preparations for the big knitalong, I’m still working on my Hermaness Worsted (in Shelter, which got neglected during the move — no brain for lace — but has progressed quite a bit since this photo) and about to cast on my Laurus (in Lark) (Marsh and Egret). Telling you: it’s a Lark-fest over here right now.
.
PREVIOUSLY in Queue Check: July 2015
Back to school week is a good time to assess your queue and ongoing projects, and I know I should do it too. Kids are off to school tomorrow and I will take some time to review what I’ve done and my goals for Fall, which might include your big KAL. In the meantime, I finished my Laurus and my son grabbed it, and I cast on for a matching cowl. Thanks again for the patterns provided on your Hat alongs, they are all beautiful and fun to knit.
Glad you’re enjoying them!
Oh, now I feel better about my Hermaness, which is in about the same stage of knitting as yours! I’ll admit to struggling with any lace, no matter how simple. :-( I think it has to do with my life-long fear of math and numbers! At any rate, I’m moving along with my Uniform (by Carrie Bostick Hoge) and foolishly have cast on the ribbing for a Louise cardigan (again CBH). I’m counting on one of them being my Rhinebeck sweater. (Glad to hear you are going. Maybe we’ll run into each other there!)
It’d be great to see you! Sorry to hear you’re struggling with Hermaness. Are you using stitch markers to divide the repeats? My only problem with lace is my mind wanders, so that helps me know right away if I’ve skipped a yo or a psso.
Your marl swatch reminds me of this Composition Cardigan that was just released! http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/composition-cardigan
I so want to make it but both my kids (at 8 and 6 the perfect ages!) are “meh” about it. I’m so bummed.
That’s funny!
Thanks for your inspiring posts. I’m wondering if you can talk about pilling. I knit a Honeymaker with Osprey last year and it was simply beautiful. The thrid time I wore it my husband said, “Didn’t you just knit that? It has pills all over!” I was devastated, to say the least, and it’s been stuffed in a drawer ever since. I haven’t used Lark so I don’t know if it will pill but I would feel negligent if I didn’t warn you. Now Shelter is the opposite story. My husband has worn a shelter sweater for two years several times a week and it has yet to pill, although I have had to patch both elbows. But that’s a wear and not a yarn issue I think.
I haven’t knitted with Osprey, and hilariously these are all my first time(s) with Lark. Pilling is a function of how short the fibers are, along with how the yarn is plied and how tightly it’s knitted. In other words, how many different ways can you get the fibers trapped in place. Some yarns will just always pill — merino fibers are quite short, for instance, so pilling is pretty much unavoidable when using merino yarns. But I don’t know specifically about Osprey.
Oooh I’m really looking forward to that KAL. I like what I see! (The swatch looks cowichan-esque to me… I hope I’m right!)
So, the KAL announcement is mid-september, but the KAL starts… when? October? I’m nearing the end of my current WIP and trying to decide if I should start another sweater or wait for this KAL.
My current plan is to announce the pattern pick on the 18th and run the Meet the Panel post on the 21st, so everyone will be encouraged to cast on anytime after that!
Pingback: Awards. | The Sock Monkey
Pingback: This fall on Fringe Association | Fringe Association
Karen, what did you decide to do with Jocelyn’s Army green colored yarn (O-Wool)? OR is those beautiful skeins sitting behind the Hermaness?!?!?! lol
I would love to do the KAL and wondered if you have a link setup in Ravelry yet?
Pingback: Road trip knitting | Fringe Association
Pingback: Cowichan-style Knitalong: Meet the Panel! | Fringe Association
Pingback: Queue Check — September 2015 | Fringe Association