Crocodylia aftermath

It has been a curious sensation having my pattern published online. Knitty links to Ravelry, where to date 15 folks are knitting or have already knit one for themselves. There are also blog postings and general musings, some of which refer to Crocodylia.

I hadn't given it much thought, and therefore did not have any clear expectations, but there have been some surprises-to me at least. There might be a significant "duh" factor here for some of you who spend more time on knitting chat rooms then I do....

• Almost no one used the yarn I specified!

I am not sure if that has more to do with yarn shops touting more upscale varieties, or a general elitism among hand-knitters, or if it is that as a scarf pattern, Crocodylia is viewed as a good stash-buster?

Lamb's pride bulky is very nice and all that, but I have noticed that the rather upscale yarn boutiques I have gone into in New York and New Haven, don't seem to carry it. This is a bit of a stunner to me because my original yarn for the project was something I bought in France, unavailable here, and I specifically looked for something with similar qualities that would be widely available, and not too expensive!*

This would not matter a whit- who am I to try and control other people's craft projects?

EXCEPT that using thin floppy yarn won't make the pattern do what it is supposed to do: make solid ripples and fins. It just doesn't come out "right". So, while I have been getting lots of happy positive feedback (this is a total rush- I really like it when I've made someone happy!) there are the odd, disappointed comments or faintly dissatisfied postings.

So I guess I'd like to say:
It really does come out a lot better if you use a chunky firm-bodied wool yarn. Really, really.

• Almost everyone "customizes" the pattern in some way:
  

I love this! fringes, edging, more rows...
you name it. I had (erroneously!) thought that everyone would be using the pattern like a kit- get the yarn, go straight through the pattern as directed and voila!

NOT SO.
This is the same-but in my view more positive-impetus as the one to try any number of kinds of yarns, and it is really nice to see what people have come up with.

• Last surprise:

Is there some sort of prejudice out there to chunky yarn that I did not know about?
If so WHY?
it's, well, YARN, and often better quality yarn then some of that skinny shiny glittery furry novelty stuff. Though I suppose that those who oppose chunky yarns wouldn't be caught dead with their digits sunk into anything synthetic either...

I, myself am feeling very anti snob and very proletariat these days.
My latest project uses fiber not from ANY yarn store, upscale or otherwise.
My latest project uses butcher's twine (untreated cotton!) from my local hardware store.
Soft, creamy white, and costs almost nothing.

It is very cool to see what people have made, and they are very lovely to boot!
I am really enjoying this, above musings notwithstanding.


* I did buy mine in one such a place however: Gotham Fine Yarn at 148 Orchard st. They should be applauded for including the prosaic workhorses in with the exotics.

blue belle's arms...

Here, once again is the lovely Myrna showing off my progress so far.
The plunging stock markets, world wide economic crisis, and the bankruptcy of ICELAND have done wonders for my knitting. Now, more than ever, I need to knit.
The sleeves, hem and neck are not done yet. all of that has to happen before I get to the STEEKING!!!!

Here's a good view of the back gussets(with string looped through the stitches

- not very photogenic, I know).


I am very pleased so far- it's just working beautifully.
HOWEVER:
I have just been reading alarming and worrisome reports on other people's blogs about alpaca- it apparently stretches and sags like crazy, making all of my elegant shaping for naught.
here is hoping that MY alpaca will not behave that way????
not too happy about this- after my fiasco with the Debbie Bliss chunky cashmerino for Teva Durham's corrugated vee neck, am still feeling burned.
So much work, and It looks like a stretched heavy floppy pill-ed Muppet after only one washing!
Argh!

blue belle!

Here are the first photos I've taken
(as modelled by my lovely assistant Myrna)
of my current project "blue belle" Myrna is a bit slimmer than I, so the work is a bit drapier on her than me.
On me, it is quite fit-and-flair, and very flattering indeed.

This is knit entirely in the round with increases and decreases for shaping. I was under the impression that I'd posted my sketches for this one, but that does not seem to be true.

So, see below for my artist's rendition of what I'd like this to be like:

Still to come are: Arms- sleeves- I've got 'em, even if Myrna doesn't, and I intend to cover them. They will be long, slightly flared with purled trim.

Also to do:
A high ribbed turtle neck, purled trim at the hem, and, the coup de resistance( or, perhaps, the coup de grace), steeks up the front and a zipper!

In layman's terms it means that after all of this hard work, I will risk it all by cutting up the center seams to open the garment up into a cardigan!
whoopee! I do live for danger....

This project has been so much fun-
and the beauty part? No Pattern!

just knit, try on, knit try on, adjust, add, try on.
how freeing....
(I take NO credit for "designing" this garment-The basics for this came from Stephanie Japel's excellent instructions on her Glampyre knits site for the raglan swaeter from the top down, plus many other inspirations and advice already out there. )

What does not show up well in the photos:
how lovely the llama/alpaca wool is, how rich the color, and how unbelievably frigging cool those gussets are!
I love gussets anyway, and these just shape the whole thing so marvelously....
this is (famous last words) truly painless sweater making.

This is indeed the same yarn I had in my shower all those months ago- for once I did as I said I would, and am USING UP MY STASH!!!

How very virtuous I feel. Not really- this stuff is so lovely and tempting it would be impossible NOT to use it. I have lots of other stuff that require more imagination and foresight...

Okay, so onwards- sleeve it is!