Joining in the Banging
As a knitter, I'm not much of a joiner. I have belonged to knitting groups before, but don't do knitalongs (where everyone is knitting the same thing at the same time.) I mostly like the portable, solitary nature of knitting. I like to knit what I want to knit, out of whatever yarn I choose, at whatever (usually slow) pace it gets done.
But this year, when Mason-Dixon Knitting declared that Carbeth was their choice for their annual February "Bang Out a Sweater" knitalong, I jumped. Kind of at my own pace, but I jumped.
I think that the picture above, from Kate Davies's blog, was what posed the great temptation. I don't like my sweaters to be too warm these days (this one is sport weight, knit double, which translates to chunky weight yarn). I usually wear cardigans. This is a pullover. I don't wear turtlenecks anymore (this isn't, really, if it's properly blocked). And that cropped length -- can I wear it? So this shouldn't be my sweater. But those pictures. There's a swan. The interesting yoke. The quick knitting.
I ordered a kit from Kate Davies in a different color than she used for her sweater. Buachaille is a lovely Scottish wool, NOT superwash, smelling just the slightest bit sheepy (lanolin). I chose Between Weathers, a pretty sky blue, a little brighter than I'd usually wear.
The yarn arrived on February 13, just a few days before my husband was due to have ankle surgery in a city a few hours from home. So I was able to get a good start while he drove the car. That was the last car knitting I've done for a long while, as he's still not driving. This was a simple enough project, perfect for those hours in the waiting room.
And though I didn't hit the February 28 knitalong deadline, by March 5, I had myself a Carbeth.
(No swan photos for me; the photographer was pretty much confined to the couch.)
I wore my sweater for the first time on a road trip back to the doctor in Spokane. It turns out, a cropped, heavy pullover is great for a late winter road trip. I brought my coat, but didn't wear it. I put it on again the day we took these pictures, and now it's away till next winter.
I'm happy with it. I made it as specified in the pattern except that I made the sleeves shorter, to fit my arms, and there is half as much ribbing at my wrists as the pattern specifies. I kept the cropped length, though I think my gauge was just a little big, as it's not as short as I'd expected. Which also might be part of the reason I feel it's a little big from underarm to shoulder. Also, the neck is short a few rows, since I used nearly every inch of yarn. At least, I didn't have enough to go around the neck one more time.
Now Kate Davies has released the cardigan version of Carbeth. Maybe I'll make another in October.
#bangoutasweater #bangoutacarbeth
I think that the picture above, from Kate Davies's blog, was what posed the great temptation. I don't like my sweaters to be too warm these days (this one is sport weight, knit double, which translates to chunky weight yarn). I usually wear cardigans. This is a pullover. I don't wear turtlenecks anymore (this isn't, really, if it's properly blocked). And that cropped length -- can I wear it? So this shouldn't be my sweater. But those pictures. There's a swan. The interesting yoke. The quick knitting.
I ordered a kit from Kate Davies in a different color than she used for her sweater. Buachaille is a lovely Scottish wool, NOT superwash, smelling just the slightest bit sheepy (lanolin). I chose Between Weathers, a pretty sky blue, a little brighter than I'd usually wear.
The yarn arrived on February 13, just a few days before my husband was due to have ankle surgery in a city a few hours from home. So I was able to get a good start while he drove the car. That was the last car knitting I've done for a long while, as he's still not driving. This was a simple enough project, perfect for those hours in the waiting room.
And though I didn't hit the February 28 knitalong deadline, by March 5, I had myself a Carbeth.
(No swan photos for me; the photographer was pretty much confined to the couch.)
I wore my sweater for the first time on a road trip back to the doctor in Spokane. It turns out, a cropped, heavy pullover is great for a late winter road trip. I brought my coat, but didn't wear it. I put it on again the day we took these pictures, and now it's away till next winter.
I'm happy with it. I made it as specified in the pattern except that I made the sleeves shorter, to fit my arms, and there is half as much ribbing at my wrists as the pattern specifies. I kept the cropped length, though I think my gauge was just a little big, as it's not as short as I'd expected. Which also might be part of the reason I feel it's a little big from underarm to shoulder. Also, the neck is short a few rows, since I used nearly every inch of yarn. At least, I didn't have enough to go around the neck one more time.
Now Kate Davies has released the cardigan version of Carbeth. Maybe I'll make another in October.
Carbeth
- designed by Kate Davies
- 11 skeins Buachaille, 100% Scottish wool, 120 yards/50 grams, Between Weathers
- Size 43.5 inches (designed to be oversized)
- Size 10 needles for the body (9 and 7 for the ribbing)
- on Ravelry
#bangoutasweater #bangoutacarbeth
It turned out so nicely, Pam! I love the color. I'm so happy you're pleased with the end-product. (As you know, mine turned out to be a dud. I blame the superwash . . . but that's probably not the only issue.)
ReplyDelete