Studio Marlowe

After all the ripping, the new yoke is moving along:

I’m trying out some compound raglan shaping on this piece, since I used it on Lillian with great success–although it’s not *exactly* the same, moving things around does result in a piece that mimics the fit of set-in sleeves somewhat more closely than the usual straight raglan shaping. I did a quick preliminary try on this morning and although it was awkward (I probably should have moved a few stitches to a second needle, but as I am the personification of impatience sometimes…didn’t happen), the fit seems to be good. Hopefully I can finish it up in a few more days and at least get one of my ravelympics projects done!

So, I did a load of knitting this weekend but the net progress on anything was pretty much zip.  I had Deirdre all joined up and jumped right into the yoke, and I really should have saved myself some trouble and thought a few things over beforehand.  Anyway, the upshot is that I knit almost the entire yoke before caving to the inevitable and ripping it.  But, the re-knit is looking loads better and I’ve fixed a few other small construction aspects that were bothering me so I think overall it’s going to turn out for the best.  I hope!

This was supposed to be the beginning of my second ravelympics project:

Unfortunately, I realized after casting on 200+ stitches and purling one row, I was doing the wrong stitch pattern, so it’s all coming out and I’ll be starting over.

Last night I finished the second (fourth) sleeve on Deirdre and joined everything up:

Of course now it’s impossible to really lay it out properly since everything is so bunched up at the top.  I guess I’ll just have to remedy that by knitting more.

So, with the start of the real Olympics also comes the knitting Olympics over on Ravelry. I’m attempting two (!!) projects, finishing Deirdre and then a little Calmer cardigan. This weekend Deirdre (and another project that I really had to finish up) got all the attention, with good result:

I’m onto what will hopefully be the last sleeve! Then it’s just the yoke and finishing (no seams, so it should be a quick job). When I originally conceived this design I was thinking of doing some embroidery detail, but now I’m having second thoughts. I guess I’ll see what the whole thing looks like when it’s done before making a final decision.

So, it turns out there is a small error in the Beatrice gloves pattern.  Nothing huge, but the yarn called for is actually 115 yds/25g, not 50g!  If you purchased the pattern via Ravelry you should be getting a notification there.  And of course if you purchased via some other route and would like a corrected copy of the pattern, please feel free to email me (with the email you used to pay for the pattern) and I will get that to you!

I’ve been working away on the sleeve for Deirdre:

A couple more increases to go and then I’ll be onto sleeve #4. I was thinking maybe next thing I make should aim to do the next number up in the two to the x equals y sequence, so perhaps I’ll start scouting around for an octopus in need of a sweater.

There’s a pun up there, get it? Ha…haha. The latest cupcake installment:

Hazelnut cupcakes, with a chocolate hazelnut mocha mousse filling. I’m thinking maybe I’ll try the cashew cupcakes next and keep up the nut baking theme that’s now going with the cupcakes.

Anyway, back to the cupcakes at hand. These are del-i-cious!!! I hadn’t done cupcakes with a filling before but it’s really quite easy. It’s rather entertaining to watch the cupcakes puff out a bit as the mousse goes in.

So part of the problem with both of the tops I’ve been working on recently (Anne and the matchmaker) is that they are both kind of fiddly. In the case of Anne, I need to sit down and figure out the set in sleeve math. The fair isle just requires a lot of concentration. I need something quick and a little mindless.

Re-enter Deirdre:

This piece stalled after the sleeves were stolen from my car last summer. But, with the body all done and the plan calling for simple raglan sleeves, Deirdre is perfectly suited to my current summer knitting mood–simple, fast, with a distinct possibility of being finished *soon*. I’m knitting another project on a deadline (that I won’t be posting photos of for a while, sorry!) so Deirdre will be competing with the other project for a bit, but I’ve now joined a second Ravelympics team, so I’ve decided D will be my entry for that (now that there’s an event for finishing up a WIP/UFO–after over a year on the needles, I think this qualifies!)

…something else has been pulled out of hibernation!

One of these days I am actually going to finish one of these sweaters I keep putting in and out of rotation.