Talise Pattern

Photos by DJ

Last summer the nice folks at Knit Picks asked me if I'd be interested in designing something in one of their new yarns. I chose to work with Capra, a DK weight yarn of merino and cashmere. Needless to say, the resulting sweater is extremely soft.

Talise is a close-fitting, tunic-length pullover. Worked in the round from hem to yoke, front and back are then separated and knit flat. Sleeves are picked up around the armhole and knit in the round. Bold cables extend into the collar which is seamed in the back.

This pattern is available for $5.99 as a pdf download via Ravelry.*


You may also purchase a copy through Knit Picks.

Errata notice, 3/24/2011: The original pattern contained errors in the chart legend and in the written chart directions (page 5). Many apologies!

For 2/1 RPC it should read: Slip next st to cable needle. Hold in back. K2, p1 from cable needle.
Written chart directions should read: Circular: work every rw from right to left. Flat: Work odd numbered rws (rs) right to left, even rws (ws), left to right.

sizes: 32 (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54)

finished bust: 32¾ (35¼, 36¾, 39¼, 40¾, 43¼, 44¾, 47¼, 48¾, 51¼, 52¾, 55¼)"/83.5 (89.5, 93.5, 99.5, 104, 110, 114, 120, 124, 130, 134, 140.5)cm

finished length: 27¾ (28, 28¼, 28½, 28¾, 29, 29¼, 29½, 29¾, 30, 30¼, 30½)"/70.5 (71, 72, 72.5, 73, 73.5, 74.5, 75, 75.5, 76, 77, 77.5)cm

Zero to 2"/5cm positive bust ease. Sample shown with 1"/2.5cm ease.

needles: 24"/61cm and 16"/41cm circulars in US 6/3.75mm and US 7/4.5mm. Dpns in US 6/3.75mm and US 7/4.5mm. If necessary, change needle size to get gauge.

yarn: 10 (11, 11, 12, 12, 13, 14, 14, 15, 16, 16, 17) skeins Knit Picks Capra, DK, in Platinum, 85% Merino Wool, 15% Cashmere, 123 yds/112 m, 50g.

Approximately 1182 (1272, 1326, 1417, 1471, 1561, 1615, 1705, 1759, 1850, 1904, 1994) yds/1081 (1163, 1212, 1296, 1345, 1427, 1477, 1559, 1608, 1692, 1741, 1823)m total.

other: cable needle, tapestry needle, stitch markers, scrap yarn or stitch holders.

gauge: 20 sts and 28 rws in ST st over 4"/10cm.

Center panel for sizes 32-38, is 34 st over 5¼"/13.5cm, for sizes 40-46, 38 st over 6"/15cm, for sizes 48-54, 42 st over 6¾"/17 cm.

stitches and skills: 2x2 rib, cables, decreasing, k2tog, ssk, straight stitch, knitting in the round, picking up stitches, seaming. See page 4 for details on 3-needle bind off and short-rows.

* The buy now button will take you to PayPal. After entering your payment information, you'll receive an e-mail with a download link, or if you're a ravelry.com member, the pattern will be placed in your library.

Click image for larger schematics

Argyle Man Pattern

This pattern is available for $6.00 as a pdf download via Ravelry.*


Argyle designs are timeless and beautiful. The set-in sleeves and standard fit on this sweater add to its tailored, classic look. The pattern includes two charts for the color work: one scaled for the smaller sizes and one for the larger.

The argyle motif appears on the front only. The back piece is solid. You'll get plenty of argyle goodness without the sorrow involved in trying to match the design at the side seams.

Argyle looks classic in subdued colors, funky in bright shades, and subtle in earth tones.

Information
Recommended skill level: experienced knitters and patient beginners

Size: 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50
To fit chest size: 37-38 (39-40, 41-42, 43-44, 45-46 ,47-48,49-50) in / 94-96.5 (99-101.5, 104-106.5, 109-112, 114.5-117, 119.5-122, 124.5-127) cm
Sweater pictured has about 3 inches of positive ease.

Yarn: Elann Superwash Worsted
11 (12, 13, 14, 14, 15, 16) skeins in Jet Black (MC), 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2) skeins in Denim Grey (CC1), 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1) skein in Pewter (CC2)

Substitute yarn of similar weight (light worsted) and composition (wool) in the following approximate amounts:
For MC: 1301 (1393, 1487, 1584, 1667, 1772, 1909) yds / 1190 (1274, 1360, 1449, 1525, 1620, 1746) m
For CC1: 79 (81, 83, 84, 113, 116, 121) yds / 73, (75, 76, 77, 103, 106, 111) m
For CC2: 29 (30, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34) yds / 26 (27, 28, 28, 29, 30, 31) m

Needles: US 4/3.5 mm, US 6/4.0 mm straight, US 4 circular,16 in/40 cm (for neckband)
Misc: stitch markers, tapestry needle, optional yarn bobbins

Gauge: 22 sts and 28 rws over 4 in/10 cm

Techniques and stitches: casting on, binding off, intarsia, following a chart, increasing, decreasing, picking up stitches, mattress stitch or invisible seaming, Stockinette st, 1 x 1 rib

Click image below for a larger schematic.

* The button will take you to PayPal. After entering your payment information, you'll receive an e-mail with a download link, or if you're a ravelry.com member, the pattern will be placed in your library.

Poll: Pointed vs. Rounded Hoods

Do you like pointy or round hoods?

I like a pointed hood. But, they can look, well, too pointy.

Since I'm writing a pattern for the hoodie pictured, I thought I'd ask my readers. So, to my few and cherished readers, please make your voices heard and take the poll to the right. Leave a comment if you need more room to expound.

I did a few decreases to make the hood a little less angular. I like the way it looks here. Still, I can't decide if a round hood might not be better. I could easily rip out a few rows and rework the top.

When I write that part of the pattern, I could include instructions for both a pointy and a round hood. Maybe that's the best solution.

2 Hats and a Hoodie

I finished a hoodie, pattern to follow shortly. (Update: no pattern. I'm not really happy with how this hoodie turned out.)


And, a hat, free pattern to follow very shortly.
And, another hat, knit from sock yarn. It's light enough to wear running and to get stuffed into a pocket if the runner's head starts overheating. Notes and photos to follow shortly.

Status Report

I'm on the 7th revision of the Kelso pattern. It's nearly done. My test knitter has really helped me clear up confusing sections. The final version will be much easier to follow than the original version.

In other news, I discovered today that kneecaps can sweat heavily. I never noticed this before. Today, after a short run in hot and humid conditions, I was standing in the yard checking out some bumblebees on the lavender. I felt something on my leg, which I assumed was a bee. When I looked down, there were my knees with beads of sweat rolling down my shins. What's up with that!

Rough Stuff

I have a rough draft of the Kelso pattern! The pattern needs some heavy editing. Then it will go to my two test knitters, then more editing, before I can finally say "TADAH!" and publish it.

Now that I've turned the corner, I think I'll go for a refreshing run. I need to clear my mind since there's more math ahead.

Thanks for all the encouraging comments. You've kept me motivated.

Crap-free pattern writing is difficult

I miss knitting. Lately, I've been spending my knitting time writing a pattern for the Kelso Lace Cardigan, aka Horseshoe Corset Cardigan.

Pattern writing is a high-anxiety activity. My brow is furrowed. The stressful part is trying to make sure I don't publish something that's a piece of crap! No one likes crap.

Thanks for all the queries and compliments, both here and on ravelry. I hope to complete the pattern in August. I hope it will be sooner rather than later. I hope you will like it.

Minimalist Raglan

Although I love Dobby the House Elf in the Harry Potter books, I’ve decided to give up dressing like him. I never meant to become an eyesore. Slovenliness snuck up on me. But, in my defense, it seems like a waste of valuable knitting time to put together a coordinated look in order to sit at home knitting.

Still, one doesn’t want to let these things get out of hand, so I compromised by knitting a house sweater. I’m happy with how it turned out. It’s roomy, comfortable, and looks better than lots of things I wear. It was also fun to knit because I made up the design as I went.

I started only with the intention of knitting a simple sweater with minimal shaping. I determined my gauge and my desired neck width and decided on everything else as things progressed. That’s the beauty of a top-down raglan. You can try it on and adjust things as you go.

I didn’t want any pattern or embellishments on the sweater, but I did add visible decreases on the front and back. I like the rolled hem at the neck, but chose a bumpy garter stitch hem for the bottom and cuffs. On the raglan seams, I increased every other row for the first and last couple of inches, and every third row for the main section. That gave me a roomy but neat looking armhole.

I’m calling this sweater a success even though it’s not gorgeous, and it’s made from yarn of questionable quality. That’s all OK, because the yarn and the design were perfect for my plan of a hanging-around-the-house-doing-dishes-and grooming-the-cat kind of sweater.

Specs
Pattern: My version of a basic top-down raglan. Finished chest is about 36".
Needles: size 10 for the body
Yarn: A little less than 6 skeins (750 yards) of Patons Shetland Chunky Tweeds, in Beige. 25% wool, 75% acrylic.

What would Ricardo Montalbán do?

Ricardo Montalbán as Khan Noonien Singh in the Star Trek episode "Space Seed."*

As a kid, I watched more episodes of the Merv Griffin show than was healthy. It was there, I think, that I heard Ricardo Montalbán say, he had long ago given up on hopes and dreams because they led to disappointment. He tried to be happy with the roles that came his way.

He was probably playing Mr. Roarke on “Fantasy Island” at the time. I can see how, under the circumstances, his was a healthy attitude. I myself, have, for several decades, enthusiastically been living a life of low expectations. For me, fatalism leads to serenity. Whenever I temporarily get ambitious and try for something better, I go mad.

So, I hope it is more a paradox and less a sign of impending insanity, that I’ve lately been engaged in activities that require a good amount of striving and a fair degree of hope for a happy ending.

I’m over-dramatizing. Here are my two modest dreams.

1) To design a good sweater and share the pattern with the blogosphere,
2) To finish a half marathon without walking, crying, or swearing-off running (swearing and cursing during the race will be allowed when warranted).

To make my dreams come true, I’m in training. The half marathon training is predictable: more mileage, strength workouts, etc. It’s too boring, really, to write about here.

I’ve also completed my first totally-from-scratch sweater. It’s not the “good sweater” I’m working towards, but, more like a useful experiment. I’ll have more details and a photo as soon as it’s blocked.

Facts about Ricardo Montalbán that I learned from Wikipedia and Don:

1. Ricardo Montalbán’s full name is, Ricardo Gonzálo Pedro Montalbán Merino. Merino? Cool!
   
   
2. It’s been rumored that to achieve a buff look, Mr. Montalbán wore a prosthetic chest during the filming of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” These rumors were denied by Leonard Nimoy in his book “I am Spock.” To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Don and I rented Star Trek II. If Mr. Montalbán’s chest was enhanced, in my opinion, it was only with bronzer and strategically placed duct tape.
   
   
3. In 1984, Mr. Montalbán visited the restaurant, La Pinata (or something like that), in Bellingham, WA, while filming a commercial for the Chyrsler Cordoba. He ordered a chimichanga. Don, who was then a fresh-faced reporter, interviewed the perfectly coifed star on location. Mr. Montalbán was exceedingly gracious.

* Paramount Pictures and/or CBS Studios This image is copyrighted, but used here under Fair Use guidelines.

Dude, I needed more coffee

Yesterday was a rest day from running. I used the time to knit. I’m calling it “The Minimalist Raglan.” That name could change later.

I’m not using a pattern, just making it up as I go and keeping the numbers and measurements in my head. Except, my head is failing me.

I was happily knitting and watching a recording of the Boston Marathon, and I made a lot of progress on the sweater. I was in a great mood, sitting with my feet up, knitting and eating banana bread.

I got past the waist decreases and on to the hip increases. I felt kind of smug that everything was going so well. Then, I realized I had miscalculated the decreases.

Even without the help of a calculator, I know that 2 decreases x 2 sides does not = 2 decreases. I know, for a fact, that it = 4 decreases. It has always been 4. It always will be 4. 2 x 2 = 4. It does not equal 2. And, of course I did several decrease rounds, so the mistake was multiplied each time.

Does that mean the error grew exponentially? Well, anyway, I need a calculator for anything beyond 2 x 2 (which = 4).

My sweater was 2 inches narrower than I had planned. I could have worn it that way. It would have looked fine as long as I was always sucking in my stomach and standing at a certain angle. But, that's more work than just re-knitting.

I ripped it back and started again. After four rows, I noticed I was increasing instead of decreasing. And, it’s been that kind of a knitting day today, too. I have a picture of the sweater before I ripped it, but why waste the bandwidth posting it.

When I told this story to my mom, she laughed and laughed. She’s also a knitter.

Procrastination

This morning it was snowing. By 2 p.m. the sun was shining and pink cherry blossoms were standing out against a blue, white and gray sky.

Here is my blue, white and gray sweater in progress (shot in black and white). It took two days to knit and is taking two months to sew together…

With apologies to Apple, Speck, Razor, and Dick

It is sometimes said that names are a self-fulfilling prophecy. If this is true, parents should quit giving their children names like, Apple, Speck, Razor, and Dick. Sure, a baby Apple, Speck, Razor, or Dick is very cute, but will it be so nice when the prophecy is fulfilled, and you have a fully mature, adult Apple, Speck, Razor, or Dick standing there in front of you?

I am sincerely sorry if, dear reader, I insulted you because you or yours are called one of these names. But, if you are an Apple, Speck, Razor, or Dick, drop me a comment about the veracity of the self-fulfilling-prophecy theory.

Because, I’ve been wondering about it ever since I caught the fever of the Must Have Cardigan. I didn’t like it much when I first saw the sweater. It seemed like a box with cables, and I never cared much for cables or for wearing boxes.

Then I saw a detailed photo of the stitch pattern on the Yarn Harlot’s Must Have, and that turned me. The cables and seed stitch stood out like a soft, relief sculpture. It looked beautiful.


I started musing about how a hard marble sculpture can look like soft flesh, and soft yarn can look as if it’s carved from stone. That made me want to knit the cardigan even if it looked like a box. Luckily, it turned out less boxy than I feared.


Specs
Pattern: Must Have Cardigan from Patons Street Smart booklet, size small.
Needles: size 7 for the body, size 6 for the ribbing and waist.
Yarn: 5 skeins of Valley Yarns Northampton in Merlot Heather
Modifications: Increased the body length 1 inch. Increased sleeve length .5 inch. Knit the fronts and back on one long circular. Added waist shaping by knitting with one size smaller needles somewhere around the waist. Mirrored the cables. Cast on full number of stitches from the get-go instead of increasing after ribbing.

Sewing a zipper into a sweater

Here’s how I converted the Urban Aran pullover into a zippered cardigan.

Preparations: Divide the stitches for the front into two equal parts. Add 3 stitches to each center front. The first stitch of each row is slipped to form a turned under edge. The remaining 2 stitches will cover the zipper. Knit the fronts. Block the fronts.

Get a zipper. I recommend a two-way zipper because they’re two-times more versatile. Preshrink your zipper. You don’t want anything changing size after your zipper’s sewn in. You can add the zipper as soon as the fronts are done.

Sew it in

1. Pin the center front edges together. The edges should just meet, not overlap. I used stitch markers, and joined the two pieces every ten rows, more or less. It pays to be meticulous before any sewing happens. It’s easier to reposition stitch markers than to dig out a tiny disappearing line of sewing thread.
   
   
2. Baste the fronts with contrasting yarn, removing the stitch markers as you go. Baste with an even tension. Don’t warp the edges by sewing tight. Basting will stabilize your pieces so that nothing shifts before positioning the zipper. This step will be easier if you didn’t skip step one.
   
   
3. Turn the sweater inside out. Place the zipper face down on the sweater. The zipper teeth should match the center seam. Pin the zipper to the sweater.
   
   Note: you can see in the photo below that the zipper is buckling a little. That's because the zipper is a fraction of an inch longer than the sweater. The cables make the center a little shorter than the rest of the sweater, so I stretched it a wee bit so everything matched. It's a judgment call, figuring out if you should stretch the centers, or work in the ease. Depends on the yarn and pattern.
   
   
4. Whipstitch the edges of the zipper tape to the sweater with sewing thread. Make sure this doesn’t show on the public side of the sweater. As you stitch, look at the edge of the tape and make sure it stays parallel to the center rows of the sweater. If you see a row curving out, as in the above photo, nudge it straight with your finger as you sew.
   
   I like to whipstich before actually sewing the zipper in. It’s like basting and finishing at the same time. Get rid of the pins. Now your zipper is positioned, flat, and ready to be sewn.
   
5. Turn the sweater right-side out. Pull out the basting yarn. If you leave it in, it could cause a little wave in your seam. The whipstitch should hold everything in place.
   
6. Turn the sweater inside out. Starting at the bottom of one side, using sewing thread, start a line of stitching. Sew as close to the zipper teeth as possible while still allowing free movement of the zipper pulls—about 1/4 inch. Test the zipper action before sewing too far. Up, down. Up, down. Good job. Use whatever stitch gives you a feeling of confidence. I used a backstitch. Mind the tension.
   
7. Do whatever you need to do—fold, tuck, trim—to make the top edge of the zipper neat.
   
8. Enjoy satisfying two-way zipper action!

This is the method that works for me (pictures of the finished sweater in this post). But, if this seems like a crummy way of doing things, check out these other tutorials.

For detailed advice in determining what zipper length to use, go here. If you need to know how to shorten a zipper, go here. If you’d just like to look at another zipper tutorial, go here.

Final Caveat: Don’t trim a zipper before you create a new zipper stop. If you do, your zipper-pull will fall off. Feels like there should be a punch line here.

You can't fluff the floor

How will I ever finish the Must Have if I’m ripping out rows as fast as I'm knitting them?

Perhaps I should put it aside and knit a mindless project. Ziggy could use a soft, fluffy, hand-knit cat bed.



Then again, he seems pretty content with the floor. Maybe he'd prefer an attractive, ribbed pullover, like this one:


Get the free pattern at ChristineLandry.com.

It's been fun, L'il Mouse

A knitting project can start stinking if it sits unfinished too long. Even if it’s not actually sitting, but steadily growing, it can sometimes feel like it’s starting to rot. This week, when my knitting reached the armpits of the Must Have Cardigan, it started to smell.

Must Have, it’s not you. It’s me. I’ve noticed a troubling pattern in my relationships to sweaters-in-progress. By the time I knit from the hem to the armhole shaping, I’m fighting off boredom. And, when I think of the future, the sleeves, the seaming, the blocking, I begin to feel trapped. My eye starts wandering to other yarns, other possibilities.

Exacerbating my disillusionment with the Must Have this week, is my failing eyesight. I’ve been having trouble seeing the stitches. I’ve been making mistakes. I’ve been feeling middle-aged.


So, to relieve my ennui, I bought “Amigurumi: Super Happy Crochet Cute.” Just looking at the Hep Cat pattern cheered me up a bit, though I’m holding off starting it until I’m done with my sweater. I did have a fling with Mightly L’il Mouse. I feel much better for it.


Ziggy feels better, too.

Monday's post

Must Have Cardigan Update
One sleeve is complete. This sleeve is also my test swatch. It is now pinned to a damp towel, working like the devil to live up to expectations by drying to the desired dimensions. I don’t have a picture of this. It is not visually stimulating.

Spring Training Update
Today was day two of week three of spring training 2008. I made some progress. I felt, for the first time this year, that today’s five mile run was no more strenuous than a sneeze. OK, two sneezes. Well, maybe three sneezes in rapid succession.

Training stats for the first three weeks

1. Miles run: 53, give or take


2. Non-running stuff: miscellaneous weights, yoga, and ab exercises. Ab exercises are totally ineffective for me, but I continue doing them out of pure lunacy.


3. Injuries: Two blisters. Weird collapsing arch and weak ankle, both cured by an afternoon of knitting with raised feet.


4. Disturbing incidents: discovered a hole in the seat of running pants—the day after wearing them. Gaggle of kids poking a stick into bushes next to running trail, one of them saying, “Don’t tell Mom.”


5. Three episodes of breaking training during week two:
   
   a. While at Fred Meyer looking for the latest issue of Interweave Knits, purchased a bag of Cadbury chocolate eggs. The eggs were later consumed at my residence, while knitting something (I forget what).
   
   b. At the Hotel Oregon, a shared order of chips with spinach, artichoke, and sour cream dip.
   
   c. At the Red Fox Bakery, inhaled a large cinnamon snail. A cinnamon snail is a hybrid between a cinnamon roll and a croissant. A cinnamon snail is very delicious.
   
   d. Baked and ate some peanut butter cookies. This doesn’t count as the fourth breakdown. Cookies are part of my training regimen.


6. Successes: met running goals despite being loaded down with chocolate and whatnot.

An Urban Aran in wine country

I took the Urban Aran for a test drive last week in McMinnville, Or.
It exceeded expectations in every area of performance. It looks great, fits great and is cozy and comfortable. It kept me warm while I enjoyed a class of Pinot Noir (or was it Black Rabbit Red?) on the rooftop bar of The Hotel Oregon.

Later, bolstered by its timeless, yet hip, diagonal cables, I remained stoic during a theatrical performance so atrocious that it seemed designed to suck out your soul, like dementors, and make you feel as though you’d never be cheerful again.

It's a great sweater pattern.

McMinnville is a casual, artsy town in the middle of the Willamette Valley American Vitacutural Area. Besides having many restaurants and stores offering “wine tastings,” the downtown has a great yarn store, The Knitting Basket.

I bought six skeins of Donegal Tweed Homespun. The rich green color doesn’t really show in this photo. You’ll just have to take my word that it is beautiful, and if I’d had a set of size 8 needles on me, I would’ve hung the “Privacy Please” sign up on the hotel room door. That’s how much I love it. (Thanks for buying it for me, Sweetie.)

Mixed results

I’m moderately happy with how this turned out. In and of itself, it looks pretty good though not great. (Update 10/26/2010: this turned out to be my favorite sweater. It's warm and cozy.)


I’m much happier with the project I finished today: the coveted Urban Aran from Patons Street Smart book. This pattern is great. I first saw it on brooklyntweed, but I’ve seen it on many other blogs, too. The ribs and cables in the chunky yarn add a lot of structure, maybe that’s why it looks great on both the lean and the curvy.

I altered the sleeves and armholes a bit. They were a tad wide and short and seemed in danger of looking dumpy. I also knit the body back and forth on one long circular to avoid seaming. I used Elann’s Highland Chunky in Spiced Wine.

I plan to wear it on the rooftop bar of the Hotel Oregon when I travel to Oregon's wine country later this week.

Knitting Weather

Today was a good day to knit. Freezing temperatures, an icy, gorge wind and white, winter sun combined to put me into a knitting mood.

The sun gave me a new appreciation for the heathery grays and blues of the yarn I’m using. I needed this new perspective because I’m sick of the stuff. It’s Classic Elite’s Skye Tweed (discontinued, I think) and though pretty, it’s dry and rough. I’ll like wearing it more than knitting with it.

But, the real reason I’m a bit put out, is it’s my second attempt at finishing a sweater with the stuff. I ripped out the first sweater I made (Drops Studio), because the shoulders and sleeves looked terrible. It’s fitting that they are called “dropped” shoulders, since not only do one’s shoulders look droopy, but so does everything immediately south of the shoulders. But the nubby texture in the Drops pattern (Drops--ironic, that) looked great, so I was happy to use the double moss stitch again in this attempt (shawl-collar sweater from Vogue Winter 2007/2008). Also, just to be safe, I altered the shoulders and set-in sleeves of the pattern to fit even closer.

I still have to finish the ribbing that runs down the neck and around the hem. That won’t be fun, but mindless knitting means that I can crack open a book to help pass the time.