Cable Luxe Tunic Update!

CLT WIP Side
Originally uploaded by wzrdreams

So this is were I was yesterday. Then I ripped back about 6 inches and eliminated the last round of increases. I also added 1 purl stitch before that last cable at the edge so the spacing would match the ther purl sections. As of this morning I am past this point again. I love knitting this thing! It's not boring and not hard to keep track of the cable rows. Because I am knitting the pieces flat from the yoke my rapid progress is very visible. If I had knit this in the round (as many of the other people in the KAL are doing) I know my progress would appear more slow. Normally I love in the round construction, but this time I am glad I'm not monkeying with the pattern (too much). I have about 6 more inches to go on the back piece before I start on the front or sleeves.

Gifted Just in Time!

Pattern: Koolhaas Hat

by Jared Flood
Interweave Knits Holiday 2007
Yarn: Cascade 220
Needles: Clover Bamboo Sz 6 & 8 16" circular

I finally got a chance to give the Koolhaas to the Boy and just in time! We got our first real snow storm today at about 10:30 am. BTW,  www.msn.com is a TERRIBLE source for weather news. This morning they had me convinced that it would be partially cloudy with a chance of evening rain with snow TOMORROW. Hah! I guess I'll believe anything when I'm under caffeinated. Luckily I wore rain appropriate boots. And it did "rain" a bit this evening. If by rain you mean the snow was melting as it was falling. The good thing is that (fingers crossed) it will all be melted away by tomorrow. That's what I'm hoping anyway. I have a hair appointment tomorrow and a bunch of christmas shopping to do, all of which will not be helped by patches of black ice. You hear me G? NO BLACK ICE PLEASE.

Oh! Almost forgot.... I made some videos last night of my 2nd Koolhaas to show how I cable without the needle. 

I think I do it differently than what most people do and it's hard to describe and pictures only show so much. 

I'm not able to embed here right now for some reason, so if you need to know, follow these links: 1/1 RPC, 1/1 LPC 

Koolhaas Hat

Koolhaas Hat 1
Originally uploaded by mikehodge47

A WIP when this picture was taken, this hat is DONE and the next one is on the needles. I guess I liked knitting it after all. This one is for the boy, the current one is for ME.

The key to enjoying this pattern is knowing how to cable without a needle. From what I gleaned from all the helpful Ravelrs, I think I have a somewhat unusual way of cabling without a needle. I don't let any stitches dangle in mid-air off a needle. If I can get the boy to help before I finish the current one I'll try to take pictures to show how I accomplish this.

Pattern is Koolhaas (IK) by Jared Flood.
Yarn is Cascade 220, both hats. This one is a medium heather grey, and mine is a deep heather blue tinged with teal.
Needles: sz 6 & 8

Taj Mahal Hotel

Taj Mahal Hotel
Originally uploaded by wzrdreams

The Taj Hotel is just down the block from the Sea Palace hotel where I stayed in Mumbai in February 2007. The Sea Palace was far more modest than the glorious Taj. At the time, I was mildly jealous of the Taj guests. I bet they had more toilet paper and no cats hanging out of the ceiling. I thought that if I ever get a chance to go back to Bombay, I'd like to stay at the Taj.

Luxe Cable Progress

CLT Yoke Front
Originally uploaded by wzrdreams

Well there it is! Picking up the stitches wasn't as annoying as I thought it would be. All the angst was wasted on procrastination. Once my stitches were picked up an a satisfying manner it was another hour of idle tv watching and the yoke was done!

Picture of the back seam is here.

CableLuxeYoke2

CableLuxeYoke2
Originally uploaded by wzrdreams

Yup, I like the second version better (on the right).
My plan was to graft the CB seam together, but that turned out to be confusing and beyond my skills, so I cast off the end and used the tail at the beginning to graft the provisional CO live stitches to the bound off edge. It's neat enough and the seam isn't bulky or ugly. Why didn't I take a picture of that? Oh well.... later.

Now I have to pick up the garter yoke stitches. I'm not especially looking forward to it. I've tried a few times already with unsatisfactory results.... but it's the weekend so I'm going to dedicate some quiet attention to it.

Current WIP

I am so so so very happy about the results of the election!

But so is everyone and there is knitterly stuff to talk about so I'll skip it.

First, some obligatory Rhinebeck pics. I mostly took pictures of the animals because my hands were otherwise occupied in the yarn barns:

happy sheep

pretty trees

Nishanna, Shannon, Me, and Laura

It was mad fun. I wish it had lasted longer. We'd been planning that trip since our knitting group started meeting last December. I didn't go crazy with the purchases... I made it out of there with 1000 yards of Mohair, 3 skeins of fingering weight merino, 1.5 oz of roving (BUT I DON'T SPIN!!), a leather handle, a bag of Maple cotton candy and $15 worth of goat cheese. We went to the Ravelry party afterwards & met up with some of our other Brooklyn friends, made some knew acquaintances and ate Bob cupcakes. I also stalked a version of my current WIP....

My Current Wip:

I'm working on the Cable Luxe Tunic from Lion Brand. This is the yoke. I knit 19 repeats which gave me 45" unblocked, 53" blocked. Ripped back 2 repeats to get to the necessary 47" (size M). BUT - as much as this looks like the pattern picture, it bothers me that it doesn't look like the cable used on the yoke of the maxi version. This version has a right/left. The maxi version is more symmetrical. This bothers me more than it should and I'm contemplating starting over again. Gggrrrrrr! If I do start over, I could start with a provisional cast on and graft the center back seams together.... knitting buddy Eve's suggestion. What would you do?