The Habu pullover is all dried up and ready to venture out in the world. So, some photos are in order.
Plain vanilla straight on shot:
(I promise I’m not really *quite* that pale, but I had to mess around with the contrast to get the pullover color reasonably accurate)
My attempt at a bored model pose:
I want to get some more shots but they’ll have to wait for a weekend when I have more time. Now I’m out to give this thing some use!
I guess technically that would be d’un chausette noir, as I’m not yet onto the second sock:
The green is just a bit of scrap yarn to mark where the afterthought heel will be going in. I’m hoping to be done and onto the second one soon as there’s only a week left until l’anniversaire de papa.
In other news, the Habu pullover is still damply blocking, so no modelled shots. But, here’s a peek at the finished collar:
The Habu pullover is quietly blocking in the corner:
I’ll post a picture of the full piece when it’s dried–I am really happy with how it’s turned out. The color, the weight, the collar, the sleeve length (anyone want to guess if it’s short or 3/4 length?) While it’s drying, I’ll be working on translating that enormous spreadsheet I mentioned a few weeks back into a “real” pattern.
I’m pretty excited about the way this Habu pullover is developing:
Pretty cool, right? I really wanted to keep this piece simple and streamlined, with just the one dramatic detail of a large shawl collar (still in progress).
After the collar, the final decision is how long to make the sleeves. I had originally planned 3/4 length, but now that I’ve tried it on I’m really liking the idea of keeping the sleeves on the short side. Of course, it’s possible the decision will be made for me–since the collar is such a yarn eater I may be forced to go with short sleeves in the interest of economy. Either way, I should have some new clothes soon!
I’m now a solid few inches past the underarm join on my Habu pullover (which needs a better name. Thoughts?):
This “set-in” sleeve is working out pretty much just like I’d wanted it to.
I’ve been finding the Tsumugi silk really lovely to work with, it’s very soft and the tweedy nature of the yarn makes it visually very appealing as well. The strand of merino is a good addition to the mix also, it’s resulting in a subtle mottled look in the knit fabric (I know “mottled” doesn’t always sound like the best adjective but in this instance I really do mean it in a positive context!).
The Habu pullover is coming along:
Earlier I had blogged that this time I was crunching all the numbers (for all the sizes) before casting on. Now I’m knitting strictly according to the “pattern” for my size and so far…it’s working! Which on the one hand was not that surprising, and on the other hand is kind of magical. I especially like how my sleeve set is working out, although the final verdict on that is going to have to wait until I hit the underarms.
Since my Habu pullover is officially ripped (yes, I bit the bullet and did it. Also, yes, I am going to have to buy more yarn), I’ve decided to test a new design process that’s been bumping around in my head:
Writing the pattern BEFORE knitting the piece. Or at least, crunching the majority of the numbers pre-starting (thus the laptop with spreadsheet open in the background). The major advantages I’m hoping to get out of this method are:
1. Most of the hard work is done up front, so writing the final pattern post-knitting is less of a daunting task.
2. Designs will be better planned to work for a range of sizes.
#1 is really the big motivator for me. I have a tendency to just jump in and start knitting. And although I *do* take notes of everything I do, getting that into a pattern and then multi-sizing….yech. It’s tedious and I just want to get onto knitting the next thing! This way I get that out of the way and then get onto the fun part. I think I’ll probably also finish more things this way, since one of my frequent problems is that I get hung up on details at the end. More forward planning ought to fix that, no?
I am kind of sort of maybe (okay, definitely) rethinking my Habu project
It’s not that I don’t like the yarn, BUT, the knit up fabric is very thin. Which is also not in and of itself problematic. However, the more I think about it, the more and more I realize the project I originally envisioned with this yarn somehow had it a bit thicker, and that extra thickness really is integral to that particular vision. In other words: This Thing Is Not Really Working Out, But It’s Not You, It’s Me. So now I have two options (that I’ve thought of so far).
1. Double strand the silk yarn and go on with the originally planned project. I’ve made a swatch to that end:
Pros: I’ll get the piece I originally envisioned. Cons: I’ll have to buy quite a bit more silk.
2. Double strand the yarn but make a new, less yarn intensive project. Pros: Don’t have to buy as much new yarn, also will not be knitting piece forever as is likely to occur at current gauge. Cons: Good chance I’ll still have to buy some more yarn, just not as much.
3. Think of a new design that is suitable for current gauge. Pro: Definitely won’t have to buy more yarn. Con: Have to think of new design. Although I do have some ideas.
My major yarn purchase of 2008 was five cones of Habu yarn, from Loop and Leaf. Three cones of silk and two of wool. I’m holding the yarns together and turning them into a pullover:
This piece is going to be fairly simple, although I do have ideas for some small embellishments.
