Saturday, February 17, 2007

What A Difference a Redo Makes
















Left: First Version I attempted
Right: Redone and at about the same point

What a difference a "redo" makes! I like the colors on the second version a lot better. The moon isn't as round and pretty, and the shaping isn't as even since I changed yarns a lot, but all in all, I like the second version better so far. I have knit 9" in length so far, and about 12" in width.

Last night I read somewhere in the directions that this is supposed to be 60" across before we stop increasing. I hope that isn't supposed to be at this point, because it's only a foot wide! I'm still a little unclear with many of the directions, but hopefully I'm at least sort of on the right track? Not sure. At least I like the way it looks better than before. If you want to join in this knitalong, you can go to Jane Thornley's website and click on "Knitalong." You'll have to go several pages back to find the beginning of this project. She started it sometime in mid-January, but I restarted this project on Valentine's Day, and I'm not too worried about falling behind. In fact, I like other voyagers being ahead of me to guide the way, because the sea is chopping doncha know!!

This is my first BIG dip into color knitting and Intarsia. I am taking a Sally Melville class in Lawrence at Yarn Barn on April 15th on Intarsia, but this project will be a good preface to it. I should get out my Sally Melville Knitting Experience (part III) where she talks about color so that I can figure out some of these color knitting bugaboos that I'm discovering here by trial and error.


Right now, I'm just using cheap yarns on this project in case it bombs - because I'm finding that when you're mixing all these yarns willy-nilly, and have bobbins of different yarns, you can't rip out like you can with regular straight knitting. Oh well, it's an experiment and a fun one!

Coming home to this creative outlet is my only sanity right now. Yes, I'm being melodramatic. That's me.

3 comments:

Elysbeth said...

Oh a Melville class. Sigh. You lucky lucky girl. Also, I noticed you were part of the August UFO group. You may enjoy our current UFO group, it's very small, and works on two levels. One you post all the dirty laundry (oops, I meant UFOs) and on the second you mention your progress and decisions. We have a very good time. Just click the want to believe button on my blog. Now I have to go sip tea and dream of a Melville class. The downside to travel is I miss alot of good opportunities. The upside is I see alot of yarn stores.

ChelleC said...

Yes, I have been thinking I should get back into the UFO thing. I don't have very many UFOs that I want to finish!!! (One of them was the freeform vest I just finished). But actually, I ripped out or got rid of many of the "unfinished projects" around the first of the year. Right now, I stil have a couple of unfinished scarves but other than that, not too much. Now I do have MANY already purchased projects with yarn etc that I never started. Hmmm.

Laura said...

I like the second attempt! There's more color variation, and that's NOT a bad thing at all. Very cool!

I'd be envious of the Melville class if I weren't already signed up for a fair isle class taught by a disciple of Alice Starmore's. :D