Projects
Let the Carbeth Swan Dance Commence!
Dear Ann,
Look! My Carbeth is done! Damp, but done.
I am well pleased.
After letting Carbeth rest before putting the neckband on, I got a renewed burst of energy last week, when Kate Davies surprised the knitting world with the release of the Carbeth Cardigan.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a knitter in possession of a good pullover pattern, must be in want of a cardigan. (Apologies to Jane Austen.)
The Carbeth Cardigan is perfection, with buttons. It is the Mr. Darcy of cardigan patterns. I immediately made plans to knit one.
Drama at the Finish Line
Yesterday morning, after finishing the neckband on my Carbeth, I briefly had a mind to steek it and achieve an instant Carbeth Cardigan. I went so far as to research various methods for making an afterthought steek.
Then I got a grip on myself. I have a finished pullover. It has tricky diagonal decreases in every row at the top of the steek zone. Why tempt fate, when there is a purpose-built Carbeth Cardigan pattern that will knit up just as fast as the pullover?
Apart from this foolhardy steeking notion, Carbeth has given me only one moment of drama, and that was when I tried it on right after binding off the neck.
The fit was, um, encasing. Tubular. Spanxian. It was not at all what I had in mind.
I stayed calm, and proceeded immediately to the soaking and blocking phase of my Carbeth.
As soon as the water hit it, the Alice CVM Silk fabric started to grow. Phew!
And here’s my expanded Carbeth, drying.
I placed my Relax pullover next to it for further reassurance that this Carbeth will have positive ease, which is the only kind of ease I like. (I promise that I will update this post with a photo of how Carbeth fits, as soon as it is dry.)
For the Show Us Your Plate crowd, my Carbeth neck blocker is a classic 1980s pattern, beloved of brides: Lenox Poppies on Blue. In 1988, when I moved in with Peter, I bought 4 place settings, to send a silent but definite message: This (Everything In Your Apartment) Must All Change. In the ensuing years, the collection grew, my tastes changed, and all the tablecloths that looked so great with Poppies on Blue have long since dissolved into shreds, but it is really hard to change dishes.
Hashtag: #CarbethSwanDance
The parade of finished Carbeths continues over at the #bangoutaCarbeth hashtag on Instagram. We are putting lots of these photos at the bottom of our home page for all to admire. (Go back to the home page, and scroll down to see them.)
It really is glorious to see happy knitters raising their arms in a spontaneous Carbeth Swan Dance. If you’re not on Instagram, feel free to send us your photos and we’ll ’gram them on your behalf.
Love,
Kay
A cardigan version! This short person would knit that in a cardigan …. the whole look changes.
So totally agree.
Cannot wait to see the modeled shots! I’m attempting to finish one more sweater before casting on the Carbeth cardigan but the struggle is real.
Kay! Your new sweater is lovely, and I’m so glad that you resisted (the clever yet potentially calamitous) temptation to steek it. I enjoyed the prompt to think of my first set of dishes, not china, but something that makes me smile (and weep) when I see it in the vintage shops.
Nell—it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who gets misty over dishes at vintage shops.
Kay, your sweaters look so pretty on that blanket. I’d leave them lying around like that for a while, as decoration. I too was thinking about steeking my Carbeth, pretty much as I finished each round, so it took me about two minutes to decide to switch to the Card version.Sleeves stay the same, and I’m fine with ripping back my 6″ of the body and doing that over.
I answered the call of the Carbeth Cardigan. Finished the neck of Carbeth the First and cast on right away. This has been fun, thank you ladies for the inspiration. Will post swan dance photo when it is dry.
How chic that your knitting matches your quilt.
I purchased the pullover edition pattern of Carbeth immediately after seeing the gorgeous photos on Kate Davies’ Instagram feed. Then, after much considering of yarn options, I ordered the very same yarn shown in her pictures. While waiting for the arrival of said yarn, she came out with the cardigan pattern which I promptly purchased as well. Yesterday, the yarn arrived. Thank goodness it’s knit night at my lys. I’ve got some swatching to do. (Just kidding. I’m not waiting until tonight.)
I’m also thinking of ordering the yarn, but am a bit apprehensive that it may be quite rough/itchy – similar to Icelandic – as you have some in hand, what are your impressions? Thank you in advance!! (a very new, but smitten knitter!)
It is always hard to know how one person’s soft/rough/itchy will compare to another’s, but Buachaille is *not at all* like Icelandic wool!
Right this minute, I have in my hands a skein of Buachaiile (in Ptarmigan) and a skein of Cascade 220 Sport (in color 8505, a “natural”). They are spun differently, with Buachaille having a bit more thick-thin nubbly-ness to its twist, and straddling the line between sport and DK in thickness.
However, when I closed my eyes and mixed them up and tried to pick the Cascade, I couldn’t do it. So I feel fairly confident in saying that however you feel about Cascade 220 Sport (NOT the superwash variety) is how you’ll feel about Buachaille. And no patch on Cascade, but Buachaille is, in my estimation, a more special yarn (see Kate Davies’ blog for the story of its creation). And the colors are absolutely gorgeous!
I wear a lightweight tee with sleeves cut off under my “itchier” wools. Too many yarns not to be able to wear:)
Gosh, that looks simply gorgeous! So glad the blocking gave you the fit you like. Personally, I find “negative ease” a rather nonsensical term.
My first steek project will probably be a washcloth knit in the round. The idea of knitting an entire sweater (which, for me, would be a large project in every way) and wondering all through the knitting process just how well the steeking would go….well, I need less drama in my life 🙂
Try steeking an old swatch, or a thrift store will sweater (be sure it’s wool!). With all that to work with, you can test out different methods for Steeks till you find your favorite, and feel comfortable enough doing it to transfer that knowledge to your “good” project.
Oh prefect! All the fun and drama of steeking without the messy emotional attachment of using my own knitting. Off to the thrift store just as soon as the snow clears!
A washcloth – what a brilliant idea for a steek-phobic knitter!! Thank you for suggesting that.
OMG, thank you for this comment, Quinn! I am intrigued by the idea of steeking but actually TRYING it was off the grid for me–until you said “washcloth in the round”– angels sang! PERFECT way to attempt this!
And yes, this carbeth is gorgeous!
Your sweater is so beautiful Kay!
I must stay on my diet so Carbeth can be on my needles!
I bought the Shibui yarn for the Carbeth sweater but prefer the cardigan. Will there be enough yarn for the cardigan?
Check the cardigan pattern for yardage requirements. We have yet to knit the Carbeth Cardigan in Drift but the yardage worked out well for the pullover.
Your Carbeth pullover looks great. The cardigan is on my wish list. I love Poppies on Blue! For 30 years it was my everyday China. I had purchased some place settings before I was married and luckily my husband liked the pattern! We finally bought new china a few years ago when we moved to a new house. The plates had started to fade and the pattern is now discontinued. But, I have saved some place settings and serving pieces for my daughter’s first apartment!
L-O-V-E your Carbeth. Just joined the body and sleeves on mine. Bought the cardigan pattern the minute it came out and have to resist buying new yarn to knit it. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Swan dance? Why not the Carbeth Funky Chicken? (Your Carbeth looks amazing. Meanwhile, the Big Floral Damask Thing was last seen doing the Frug around the Fashion District…!)
Congratulations! It is so quietly beautiful, and I’m glad that the neck blocked out nicely. Finally, I LOVE “positive ease, the only kind of ease I like.” Moi aussi!
I am nearing the neck band – but I don’t think I’ll make it to the finish line before tomorrow night. I actually brought it to work today because I had a webinar to watch and decided no one who was scheduled to be there would care if I was knitting. And I’m meeting friends for drinks after work – I’m thinking I can knit there, too!
I finished my Carbeth using stash yarn. I had more left than I had used. And, I had more in another color. Sooo, my next Carbeth is going to be a dress!
LOVE this idea. Please share when your frock is finished?
I resisted the Siren Song of the Carbeth until last Sunday, when I succumbed and ordered two slightly different green shades Berocco Vintage worsted to make one. (Vintage is only 40% wool; a bulky 100% wool sweater would have been so warm I couldn’t wear it. Such is each one’s comfort temperature.) So, that was Sunday. On Monday I went to the doctor to have my shoulder, which still hurt from a fall 3-1/2 weeks ago, looked at and discovered that I had broken a bone in said shoulder. Haven’t knitted a stitch since; doctor’s advice, after issuing me a sling, was if it hurt to do something, Not To Do It. And it is a bit painful to knit ::sob::
Spanxian. Heh. Looking forward to seeing your modeled FO!
Carbeth Cardigan?! Off to check it out…
Just bought Carbeth sweater pattern and then saw the cardi version…hmm, I may be making both versions now (impossible to choose between them!)