Projects
Cider Mill: Flow State
Dear Kay,
Glory be, here I am, past the yoke of Jen Geigley’s Cider Mill pullover.
It goes so fast, a yoke like this. I’m already sentimental—remember the short rows? The cider donuts? That time when I nailed 48 increases on the first try?
The yarn here is MDK Atlas in Truffle, Shale, Cork, and Natural. Seaglass is the main color.
When I got to the final yoke round, I turned off my audiobook (Anthony Marra’s Mercury Studio Presents, a juicy novel of Hollywood and World War II and European émigrés). Look sharp! Pay attention! Time to divide for the armholes and the body.
Spaghetti junction!
It’s one of those Trust The Pattern moments in knitting. Just keep counting, and surely it will all work out.
Can’t believe I have two 12-inch circs. What else is there around here? Bowl of doubloons? Some emeralds?
Yikes! I usually thread the sleeve stitches onto yarn, so this is an experiment. Not persuaded this is a good way to go. Could easily just veer off into unintentional sleeve knitting if I’m not careful.
Really enjoying the prospect of a Seaglass tube of stockinette for a bit.
I spent a recent weekend on a houseboat on a lake in Tennessee, and I didn’t take any knitting with me. Felt like I needed a break. It turned out to be a good scheme, because when I got home I headed straight for my Cider Mill pullover with fresh belovement and the feeling that I’d just discovered knitting. What a hobby! A person could get kind of amped up about this stuff!
Love,
Ann
Beautiful backside there too . I was a little bit shocked by your bravery at having a weekend away without any knitting, but it does make coming home sound fun.
I feel like “beautiful backside” is the “no soggy bottom” of knitting. haha!
Thank you, Ruth! There are some designs out there where the stranding is done on the front side, such a cool effect.
It really does!
That’s awfully pretty Ann. Can’t wait to try Atlas but on a less ambitious project – stranded knitting I expect takes more patience than I can muster!
Stranded knitting definitely takes a minute to get the hang of. I got the bug after seeing all those stranded Alice Starmore sweaters and finally caving in to my craving for such beautiful projects. Sometimes it’s just that one beautiful photo that sets me off.
Your descriptions are a hoot. I can SO identify!
I love your idea of having treats at hand as a reward for reaching knitting goals. I envision a treasure chest with your doubloons and emeralds inside. In mine, I might have dozens of precious stitch markers; a few cards of fabulous buttons; a gift card or two to Starbucks; packets of Koolaid in separate ziplock bags — all the colors I want for my perfect Sweater of Many Bright Colors and the right yarn to dye… I want the Big Treasure Chest, with the domed top and the Jolly Roger!
Try something different! Knit a few inches of body, knit a few inches of sleeves, repeat as needed. When you get to the bottom you’ll be done! No doing sleeves with the whole body sitting on your lap (I don’t know about you, but it’s still really hot where I am).
I knit socks and mittens this way (cuff 1, cuff 2, then up to gusset 1, up to gusset 2, …) but never thought to do it for a sweater – great idea!
Except wouldn’t you then have three balls of yarn attached that would need sorting every time you knit a round?
Am going to attempt innovative and unprecedented (by me!) knitting of body and sleeves. Goal: maximum fun, minimum futzing, zero tedium. Wish me luck!
What a fantastic idea! No sleeve island here.
Ann, you need the Knitting Barber cords!!! The simplest, most ingenious method for holding stitches (sleeves, hems, you name it) ever devised!!!!!!!
I have something called “Purl Strings” which I think are the same idea. What a game changer!
Yes. There are a couple of varieties. I love them!
Thanks for the gizmo tips, y’all! Will go investigate.
Totally agree!! Get some Knitting Barber cords ASAP! You’ll be so happy you did!!
These birds look interesting. I’m knitting a pattern that has you use scrap yarn to temporarily bind off sleeve stitches. I like that there’s nothing dangling around.
Yes, a person can get amped up about this little thing called knitting! Alas, my tennis elbow is keeping my knitting at bay… as I longingly look at my pile of WIPs, just mocking me in the corner. Enjoy your beautiful sweater knitting!
Sorry about that elbow–hoping it’s on the mend soon!
Oh, Ann, you so make me giggle. I will use the term “belovement” for the rest of my life. Hope you find those doubloons and emeralds. ( and I’m going to look for 12” circs )
I am liking these 12″ circs even as I try to remember how on earth I ended up with them.
I love all my circular needles, down to 9″ for mitts and socks. It may take a minute, but they feel very comfortable.
Many knitters like them, but I find the needle shafts much too small. 12” circs would make my hands cramp quickly. I’m fine with two circs for sleeves.
The colors are gorgeous, Ann! I can’t wait to see you model the finished sweater.
If the weather doesn’t break, I’ll be modeling it in a deep freezer somewhere. I cannot wait for BOOT SEASON to get here. I miss my boots. Tired of looking at my feet!
It is beautiful so far. To prevent unintentional sleeve knitting, why don’t you put some stoppers on the ends of the sleeve needles (or rubber bands if you don’t have any stoppers that will stay put while twirling the thing around while you knit? It will keep any stitches from falling off and prevent you from accidentally carrying the body yarn onto a sleeve.
Rubber bands! Clever! Thanks for the idea.
Looks great, Ann! I love the Seaglass as the main color.
Oh, me too! Very beautiful colors on a perfect sweater in progress! ❤
I’d bet that the doubloons, emeralds, and all your missing dpn’s are under the sofa with Kermit’s cat toys.
Might have left a child under there at some point, wondering now. Things were so busy for a decade or so.
I am so amazed ( and jealous) of people who can knit A beautiful yoke ! Great job Ann! You keep your sense of humor, most importantly!
Thanks, Elizabeth Ann–I heartily encourage you to give colorwork a try. It feels really weird at first, but eventually a halting rhythm emerges. I had to let myself be sort of terrible at it for a while, that lifelong learner thing, right?
Last weekend we went kayaking, and I found a $20 bill in the pocket of my PFD. The powers of retrieval are coming to us both, Ann!
SCORE! That’s the best thing ever.
I’m also knitting Cider Mill and you and I are in the same spot on this! It’s nice to have your post to compare notes and I look forward to seeing you at Rhinebeck!
High five, Carol! Let’s get some photographic twinsies proof at Rhinebeck.
I have a round-yoke sweater on the needles and after I separated the sleeves from the body, I knit the body until that ball of yarn ran out (so no ball of yarn to dangle). I put the body stitches on a Barber stitch holder cord and started on the first sleeve. It’s easier and lighter to untwist the work as I go round and round on the sleeve without a full sweater body attached. I’ve never done the sleeves first on a top-down sweater, but I’m liking this right now. And my reward will be an easy run to the finish line to complete the body.
Oooh, I like the thinking behind this. I think I’m gonna go crank some sleevies tonight and see how it goes. Maybe I can get them done before my irrational exuberance subsides!
I prefer putting my sleeve stitches on a short cable instead of waste yarn. Since my needles are interchangeable, I remove the needle tips and cap the cables. No chance of accidentally going from body to sleeve. When the body is done I use a long cable and knit both sleeves using the magic loop method. Both sleeves are then the same length.
Good too, love it!
Those sleeve stitches just hanging out on the 12 inch circulars are making me nervous. Will they just stay put? Won’t the needles slip out?! Too much worry for me, I would have them tied up on waste yarn. 😉
Where are your point protectors? In my hands that gorgeous sweater would become a disaster.
Ann! I love the colors you chose. Spectacular. I had planned to meet you in person the year for mor than a second, but I’m not destined for Rhinebeck this year.
And now for something completely different . . . I’m reading the same book. So much fun. I love the unexpected swerves, and I love all his books, full of unexpected swerves, too.
Ann, the color combinations are gorgeous, and perfect for that pattern. I especially love how the Seaglass brings it all together and adds a beautiful energy to the total look.
I knit top down circular sweaters inside out, with the right side inside the tube. Started out knitting just yokes that way to help guard against tight floats, but then noticed it also keeps any yarn abrasion, from all the turning, on the wrong side of the sweater – the right side stays fresh and crisp. I also sometimes put the dangling part of the garment in a plastic bag while knitting, which helps deter abrasion but also means it turns smoothly as it is knit.
Knitting barber cords for putting sleeves on hold is the best!
When I complete the yoke of a sweater like this, I put it on the Barber cords and block it. It comes out soooo pretty and I’m happy to show it off while working on the endless body. Plus I get a better sense of fit as I try it on for length. I love the colors you choose. So drawn to Seaglass.
What a beautiful sweater and I love the use of the word “belovement”.