Studio Marlowe

Last January, I bought some Matchmaker Merino 4-ply, with the intention of making a sweater from Rowan 36. Unfortunately, I didn’t *really* swatch properly, and 6 inches in, it became apparent that the sweater was going to fit a 10 year old child. Not being a 10 year old child myself, I was forced to rip out:

Then I got caught up in other projects and this one was abandoned. But I’ve just pulled the yarn out again–although the Rowan book is in California and I am in North Carolina, so I’m going to be doing something different with the yarn. This time though, I’m swatching.

Sorry about the general lack of posting. I did get my camera back, but I have been busy as all get out…there’s was a Christmas party hosted here Saturday so I was helping my mother with the cleaning+decorating.

Of course, I still managed to fit in some knitting on the sly:

This is some Cherry Tree Hill I received in a swap. I do rather love the bright electric pink…although I think it would be pretty tacky on anything other than my feet. These socks are just a basic toe up pattern with some ribbing up the ankles, and an afterthought heel. If I finish these, it’ll be my second finished pair of socks ever. I have a skein of Monarch sock yarn in the stash also, so there may be a pair #3 in the future. I still don’t know that I *really* enjoy making socks, mind you. But they really are superior to storebought socks–I like that they are warm but thinner than the big thick socks you get at REI or wherever. So they’re very practical. And I keep telling people knitting is a useful hobby so…might as well make something useful, right?

I left my camera at a party Saturday night (despite thinking “don’t you dare forget that“, as I put it on a coffee table). So no photos. BUT. I did finish the gloves on the plane ride home and now I’m working on Aisling and making some socks. Photos ASA-I-make-arrangements-to-retrieve-my-camera. I do, however, have the pattern for the Manus gloves available for download. I’ve decided to make this one available for free, because the colorwork pattern is really too long to size down below a men’s large. I have some ideas for which rows *I* would cut out to make a shorter and smaller size, but they might not be the same rows *you* would cut. So, enjoy:

There is also the full details page, and a Ravelry pattern page, of course. Also, as I said above, this pattern is meant to be free, but I am doing the whole PDF download thing because it is too long to just slap up on a webpage. If you try to download the pattern and the download service tries to charge you, PLEASE contact me (catherine AT studiomarlowe DOT com) and I’ll figure out what’s going on.

More of the brother-gloves:

Can I just say that the size difference between a glove for myself and one for brother dearest really makes the project seem a lot longer?  Big surprise, right?  According to my back of the envelope calculations, these gloves are roughly 35% larger than the Beatrice gloves I made for myself.  And you can totally tell.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still enjoying knitting these things.  I’m just starting to think onto what next?, which has a mixed effect of making me want to hurry up and finish and also just drop it and move on, because I’m impatient like that.

As promised, here are some pictures of my one finished glove.

The front:

And the back:

The finger ends do still need to be woven in, but I tucked them inside for now to make the whole thing look neater.  I’m a few rows into the colorwork on the second one now, so I think my Christmas knitting will definitely be finishing on time this year.

No photos today, although I have finished one glove (except for the ends).  I’m not entirely certain about the finger lengths–I’m thinking I may not sew in the yarn ends at the finger tips until the sib has had a chance to try them on, just in case they are way off in size.  I’m looking forward to getting some serious knitting time in on #2 Tuesday afternoon, after my *last final presentation*.  I think I am going to go to the open knit session at Loop and Leaf, and see if I can knock out a bit of the colorwork.  Then I have a nice long cross-country flight, which should be a great opportunity for making fingers and what have you.  I’m also trying to decide what knitting to bring with me for the visit home.  I don’t want to bring too much, because a good deal of my stash is currently at my parents, and I need to have room in the suitcase to bring some more of it back out.  So I’m thinking maybe just Aisling (which I should also post photos of sometime…I’ve had to rip the cabled border a few times but it is finally looking right, so now I need to get on with the body and finish that thing), and then if I get that done, it’s not like I won’t have more yarn available.  Plus I have plenty of non-knitting knitting stuff to do during the trip (namely, write up Lillian!).

And, as 2008 approaches, I’m also contemplating the size of my stash and the need to reduce it somewhat.  I have actually been doing reasonably well on this front–I’ve only made a few (three, to be precise) yarn purchases since moving out here in August.  And I almost never buy just for the sake of acquiring yarn–I pretty much always have a project in mind.   However, the fact remains that I have a multi-year supply of yarn.  I’m debating going totally cold turkey on yarn purchases in 2008 and knitting exclusively from stash.  Because honestly, even if there is a fantastic sale on something or it’s being discontinued, something similar will come around eventually.  I certainly can’t think of any yarn that I’m kicking myself for *not* buying.  And I don’t think I’m too attached to the yarn I do own…I had a fair bit stolen out of my car this summer, and life went on.  Anyway, anyone ever done this?  Gone without buying any new yarn at all for a long period (say, six months or more)?  Good idea, bad idea?  Did you get less or more attached to your yarn?  I kind of wonder if doing it would be like saying you’re going to give up chocolate–as soon as you decide to do it, all you can think about is how much you would like a big, delicious bar of chocolate.  Maybe I would wind up with a closet full of cashmere come February.

Yes, I’m still working on the gloves:

Just the two and a half fingers and a thumb on this one left to go. I’m pretty sure I’ll be done by Christmas.  Seriously though, these things are huuuuuuge.  I’m using some generic measurements as a man’s large as the basis, and I know they are for hands larger than mine, but….I still can’t quite imagine anyone has a hand that big.

I think I may be making some more small accessory type things in the future. They are so quick and fun! I have an idea for some armwarmers floating around and I’ve been thinking I could use a pair for the office…I occasionally find myself working on Saturdays and the heat gets turned way down over the weekends. And Beatrice could do with a hat to match. But I also can think of three or four sweaters/cardigans that I reallyreallyreally want to make, NOW (not to mention the ones I should be finishing….), so I don’t think I’ll be crossing completely over to the accessories dark side just yet.

The gloves continue:

Glove #2 is now just about ready to move into the colorwork…which means I need to finish the colorwork on glove 1 so I can switch the needles around.  One “nice” thing about this project is that it’s forcing me to practice my English style knitting.  Which is actually how I originally learned to knit, but I’ve gotten horrible rusty.  I often just hold the two colors in my left hand and pick out which one I need when doing colorwork, but this yarn is quite sticky, which makes picking out just one strand tricky.  So the two-handed method wins out for this one.

At any rate, they’re turning out well and the double thick fabric should make the hands nice and warm.  The brother who’s getting these lives in Boston so he actually has some use for warm gloves.  And this project is totally making me want to do more multi-color projects.  I have yarn for a couple of fair isle sweaters stashed away that I may have to pull out to start after Christmas.

I’ve finished up the pattern for Beatrice and she’s available for purchase (and has her own Ravelry page). View the full details page and purchase a PDF here. Note that although I’ve recommended Shetland Spindrift for the yarn, there are plenty of other yarns out there that would get gauge. Harrisville New England Shetland and Knitpicks Palette are two that come to mind immediately.

Like, I suspect, any designer, I’m always curious to see how other people’s interpretations of my patterns come out.  While selling the patterns is nice, seeing them finished is even nicer.  To that end, Jan has finished a lovely pink and white version of my Brendan Baby Sweater.  She made some very nice additions to the neckline also.  You really should check it out!

Also, I’m going to take this as an opportunity to remind folks that I started a Flickr group for people to post their finished items made from my pattern. Feel free to join and post yours!