Sweater vest with frontband attached.

Hey! It looks like a sweater!

Hello Again

Alright. It's been a while since my last post. But it hasn't been a while since I worked on my sweater. During the month that I missed posting, I finished my two sleeves and a frontband, including sewing the frontband to the sweater. I pinned on the buttons, which are very cute, I might add, and am working on the other frontband with the buttonholes. That could be interesting. Although, as my aunt pointed out, everything that I thought would be difficult about this project has been relatively easy for me. Except the part where I actually have to get up and do it.

My goal is to finish the sweater by Christmas, which I think is pretty reasonable, seeing as I only have a frontband and the collar to finish knitting. Then sewing those pieces on, along with the sleeves, and blocking it. Oh, and the loose ends. That could take until Valentine's Day. But at least it will look like a sweater.



I haven't really encountered any problems worth going into detail about. The sleeves were pretty straight forward, although I had a hard time trying to get them to be the exact same length. Let's just hope that one of my arms is slightly longer than the other. Grafting the shoulders together was definitely tricky, and took more than one try. I think in that situation, I was too focused on it looked perfect that I forgot to remember that perfect is not my goal. Those little imperfections will give the sweater character. 



Well, I've got to go start on the next frontband. I included photos of all the pieces that I've finished, and the pieces put together to look passably like a sweater. I'm very excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel!!



All the buttons have different flowers on them.



Sweaters for Penguins

This week, I decided to do something fun for my blog post. Well, something maybe a little bit more fun than just a history lesson or knitting accomplishment. I'm almost done with one sleeve, so that's exciting, but I thought this would be more fun to talk about.

Apparently, there was a giant oil spill in New Zealand recently, and the penguins, as well as other wildlife that live in the region, are suffering from the after-effects. A yarn store in New Zealand has started a worldwide effort to help through knitting, and it sounds really cool. Knitting sweaters for penguins is a new fad, and it has great benefits for the birds. Wearing the sweaters keep the penguins from trying to clean themselves with their beaks, which can cause poisoning from the oil. And, the sweaters keep them warm while they're waiting for their turn to be clean, just like any other sweater should.

For me, this is something that I'll definitely take part in after I finish my sweater, because I know that if I start another project, I may never finish my original. I already have too many unfinished projects that I need to finish at some point or another. But I encourage anyone who is interested to go to this link for more information, the pattern, and some really cute pictures: http://jezebel.com/5851711/the-worldwide-campaign-to-knit-sweaters-for-penguins-affected

The Sweater Vest

Now that I've finished both front of my sweater, it looks like a sweater vest. I don't usually like sweater vests, so this is very motivating for me to start and finish the sleeves. However, I will say that this particular sweater vest is a nice-looking one, except that it's not sewn together yet. I'm very excited to finish all the pieces and start sewing it together, because that's when I think the project really starts to come together and look like the intended product.

To my surprise and pleasure, the two fronts look pretty much identical. I was slightly worried that one would turn out longer than the other, or the waistbands wouldn't match up, or that anything else that could go wrong would, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that not everything I make turns out lopsided. They match up pretty well, and if there are any slight differences, I should be able to fix them when I sew the whole thing together.

The rest of this project could get pretty interesting just about now, simply because of how gauge changes. Since I'm in the midst of applying for college and getting through senior year and doing everything else necessary to survive, my yarn tension may change a bit, and one of the sleeves could turn out quite a bit smaller than the other. But that would be a mistake that would probably make me laugh more than anything else, so if anything were to go wrong, I would want it to be that. Hopefully, though, I'll maintain my present level of sanity and keep the gauge close to where it is at the moment.

The History of Knitting

I have always thought that knitting began in a cold climate, most likely in Scandinavia or another northern area. But I did some research on how knitting began, and was surprised by what I found. So instead of another installment of cultural knitting studies, I'm going to share what I found out about where and when knitting began.

The first tangible evidence of knitting that historians have today was found in Egypt, of all places. Knitted socks were found in Egyptian graves, dating to the third to sixth centuries A.D. But many people believe that Egypt was not the first place for knitting to be popular. Theories exist today regarding the first knitting cultures, and many of them include countries where the climate is anything but cold. Among those included are Israel, Jordan and even North Africa.

The oldest knitting needle that has been found is made of brass and dates back to the Iron Age. Spinning wool became an art in the Mediterranean Sea area, and the Romans were the first to set up a spinning system of fabrication. In medieval Europe, hand-knitting was a popular form of making clothes, and even Peru is included in the early knitting history.

Many people today believe that knitting was spread by merchants from the Mediterranean Sea region across the world. Spain may have been of the most important hubs, as Spanish Catholics quickly spread knitting to the rest of Europe, where it has spread even further and still remains an important part of many European cultures.

I guess nearly everything in the ancient world was invented and spread from the Middle East region. I had thought that if anything didn't have a beginning in the Fertile Crescent, it would have been knitting, as it has such a strong association with Northern European culture. But I guess you learn something new every day!

Source: http://www.knittingforbeginner.com/real-history-of-knitting.php

Checked Off the List

Left Front

Even with my incredibly busy week and full to-do list I managed to finish the left front of my sweater. I'm very excited about it because now it's beginning to come together and look like a sweater, making me want to finish the whole thing even faster.

This piece didn't give me too much trouble, except picking up stitches on either side of the waistband. But for me, that's to be expected. I have one more waistband to go and I'm counting down the number of pieces of the sweater that will require me to pick up stitches from the ends of rows.

Now that one out of two fronts is done and I've started on the second, I'm getting a little worried about the pieces that may not be as straightforward and easy as the first three pieces. I have had trouble with sleeves in the past, and the collar and edging will definitely be an interesting and challenging experience. I can only hope that I won't be tearing out my work multiple times. But right now, I'll just focus on my second front and keep checking the pieces off of my to-do list.

A Full To-Do List

Managing a blog along with school, soccer and college applications is a very tough thing to do. Add the actual knitting project on top and you've got yourself a full week of work. But somehow I seem to be managing, if some of that entails procrastinating on the less important things on the to-do list. Of course, my jacket and blog are not on the less important list, and especially with the fall weather blowing in, a new jacket, and a handmade one at that, is even more of a priority.

In the past week I finished the bottom half of my sweater for one side of the front, and now that it's looking more and more like an actual sweater, I'm getting very excited. Even though it's not even halfway done, I'm still motivated and itching for it to be finished so I can wear it. This time around, when picking up the stitches on the sides of the waistband, I was careful to work out a way to pick up the stitches so they were evenly spaced and not bunched up at the end when I was trying to make the last 10 stitches out of two. I think it looks quite a bit better than my previous attempts and took considerably less time with less ripping out of the picked up stitches. So, naturally I was also in a much better mood as well.

Picking up stitches on both sides of the waistband
 turned out better this time than before.



 I'm hoping to finish the top half of the left front of the jacket and then start on the opposite side. I also will probably be doing some research about blocking the sweater in pieces versus as a whole once I'm finished, but I may wait until I'm closer to finishing before I do that. Slowly but surely I'm getting there and I can't wait to be done!

The Navajo and Pueblo Native Americans

The history of weaving and knitting is one that dates back to before written records. Weaving is a worldwide art and because it can be so specific to each region of the globe, it seemed like a perfect way to learn about all different types of culture and to try and refresh my memory from AP Human Geography sophomore year in high school.

It seems to me that knitting and weaving are most often associated with Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Most patterns that we see in books and magazines that are ethnic are from those regions and other parts of Europe. I think we sometimes overlook those lesser known cultures, some even in our own country, and what knitting and weaving mean in everyday life. So, for my first cultural weaving blog post, I decided to research the Native American culture and what weaving means to them.

Native American tribes are spread out all over the U.S. and different tribes and regions have various meanings and uses attached to weaving, but not so much to knitting. Most of the time these differences come from the availability of materials or climate. For example, the more northern tribes wouldn't necessarily have prairie grass or a lot of warm weather, whereas the Pueblo tribes of the southwest probably wouldn't use cedar bark or need to make excessively warm garments. Basketweaving is what most people think of when it comes to weaving, but many tribes made and still make blankets, clothing and other items necessary to life.

The Navajo and Pueblo tribes of the southwest United States are famous for blanketweaving. The weaving began with grasses that grow in the area they settled in, but when the Spanish began to colonize the area, sheep wool became available. Different types of looms were developed, ranging in size from small belt looms to upright looms, which were much larger. Natural dyes were used to produce the right colors, and other yarns from England were used when trading began. Elaborately woven blankets were, in the early stages, a symbol of wealth, and only the chiefs and more wealthy would have them. The weaving patterns were often geometric and colorful, and today, it is considered an art worldwide.

Because there are so many different tribes with their own traditions concerning weaving, I decided to stick with just one for now. Otherwise, this post would be way too long. But there will definitely be more about the different Native American ways of weaving.

Source:

Anderson, Lee, and Eric Anderson. "Article on the History of Navajo Weaving by Lee and Eric Anderson - Americana Indian Traders." Native American Art, Navajo Jewellery, Navajo Jewelry, Navajo Rugs, Hopi Jewelry, Southwest Art. Anderson's Americana Indian & Western Shows. Web. 18 Sept. 2011. <http://www.americana.net/rugs_article.html#last200>.

There and Back Again

The back of a sweater is always the most boring part of a sweater for me. Besides the swatches. But thankfully, this time I didn't get to the end and have to go back and take anything out as I have in the past. I finished the back of the sweater without much trouble, much to my excitement. I did have some problems picking up stitches from the edge of the waistband: spacing the stitches out and on top of that picking up the right amount of stitches proved to be a bit difficult. But I managed to do it somehow, and went on with the rest of the back.

In my previous experiences working with increases, I always did a knit in front and back on the first or last stitch of a row. However, after discovering that that technique leaves an awkwardly placed bump in the midst of nice-looking stockinette stitch, I tried something different this time. Two stitches in from each end of a row, I picked up a stitch in between stitches, creating a new stitch and a small hole, something I can fix when sewing the sweater together. Thus, the back is finished, complete with armholes and everything.

Hopefully my luck will continue to hold out to the finish and I won't have to get there and then go back again.

Stitches on both sides of the waistband were picked up
and knitted to make the top and bottom of the back.

The Dreaded Swatch

Ever since I learned of the existence of the swatch, I have loathed it with a passion. I know they are important to gauge and all that, but I really dislike the feeling of doing something seemingly unproductive when I could be working on an actual project.

But since I want to do this project with as few problems as possible, that means taking precautions, putting my hatred aside, and knitting not one, but two swatches.

I finished my swatches and washed one to see if the gauge would change or if the yarn happened to somehow felt itself or do something else drastic. It proved to be normal yarn, and after the swatch dried, the gauge remained the same as before. So, with this unhappy task of making swatches out of the way and the proof that the yarn won't change on me after I finish my project, now I can actually start on my sweater.

Left swatch: not washed. Right swatch: washed.

The Pattern

I probably should have included my pattern in all the introductions of the first post. But I didn't, and having no particular reason for doing so, I'll go straight into introducing the pattern, as it's kind of vital to my project.

The pattern for the sweater/jacket that I'm making is from a small booklet issued by Berroco, titled Berroco #228: Blackstone Tweed and designed by the Berroco Design Team, Cirilia Rose, Norah Gaughan, and Donna Yacino. The pattern itself is called "nonpareil", which means "no equal", apparently in English (I thought it was French). The pattern is classified as intermediate; however that is a relative label, so we'll see how difficult it is.

I did quite a bit of research on different yarn possibilities other than the original recommendation of Berroco Blackstone Tweed. Wool of the Andes was a strong candidate, as was Cascade 220. Both yarns had similar gauges and felt similar to the Blackstone Tweed, and had colors that I liked. Silky Wool XL, Lamb's Pride, and Portland Tweed were also possibilities, but had smaller gauges. In the end, I chose to stick with the original. Factoring in shipping, yardage, the number of skeins, gauge and my comfort zone, I decided the Blackstone Tweed would be the best choice. So after making my decision, I now have the right amount of Berroco Blackstone Tweed in Bright Teal and am ready to start my swatches.

The Very Beginning

This is my first blog; and the first time my writing will be public. Except for that one newspaper article I wrote for my high school publication. But this is the first time all my triumphs, mistakes and ideas of the knitting world and the writing scene will be made available for all to see.

My only real writing experience has been elementary school book reports, literary analysis (way too many of these), standardized test essays and the newspaper article I mentioned before. So, writing a blog is completely new to me. Along with being a knitting blog, this could turn out to be an experimental writing development opportunity. But I hope not, and I'm getting ahead of myself. As in any good piece of writing, I should probably start with an introduction.

This blog is a knitting blog. With wit, I hope. My goal is to share my projects with the community while stretching my creative abilities. But I also want to have fun with this and turn it into something that I will want to continue after my first documented project. I would prefer that this is a light, casual and fun read about projects, an easy and fun way to follow a pattern. I think that patterns with commentary are more entertaining and motivating than just plain instructions.

Along with the patter of the sweater I'm planning to make and document, this project is a way for me to learn more about the creative elements of knitting and also about different techniques and fibers of various knitting cultures. In all, this is a total learning experience for me, but also a fun and worthwhile one, hoping that I end up with a finished product.

So, putting all my hesitations aside, and armed with a pair of knitting needles, all the other necessary supplies and a pattern, I'm off, ready to embark (with all clichés possible) on this exciting strand of adventure.