Knitting WIPs

I have had time to knit here and there in the past couple of weeks. My favorite time to knit is on Thursday, when I'm tired from my past three days of school/babysitting and I feel I can spend the time knitting and watching bad TV. Like Making the Band or a Biography on Lizzie Borden. I've been knitting a Mother's Day gift for my mom, which I won't reveal just yet (because I haven't given it to her!) but, for those of you in the know, it's something that begins with "c". Hmmm....

My other works in progress (WIPs) are three sweaters. Well, one tank top and two sweaters. Because you can't have too many things going at once, right????


Here is my French Market Bag that I made last year. I usually carry one of my projects in it. What's inside?


Hey, looks like french yarn! Tee hee!


It's the makings of a Phildar Onde sweater in Orangeade. I've only started the back and I think I'll change the front of it.


I love the ombre effect (I think that's what that's called, right?) but I'm not a fan of the yarn. It's mainly acrylic so my hands get tired very quickly. It's also being knitted up on size 4 needles - ouch!

I decided I needed another project to help my hands.


It's the Gatsby Sweater from IK Spring 2003. (Thanks for holding the magazine open, Unki!).


I'm knitting it in handpaintedyarn.com's merino in Burgundy. I am a big fan of this yarn. It knits up so nice and soft! I decided to make this sweater because I just wanted a glorified sweatshirt out of this yarn. The gauge I got for the yarn is nothing close to the original yarn, so I did lots of math. I've finished the front and back. I'm a big fan of finishing the sweater as I go along. I've learned to attached my sleeves in pretty nicely even though I know I shouldn't be seaming the sides of the sweaters before I get the sleeves in. Or something like that.


I chose this sweater because of three things:
1. The side shaping (which you can see in the pic above). It starts 9 stitches in so it's a little more interesting to knit.
b. Three needle bind off - this sweater is designed to do the shoulder seams in three needle bind off, which I've never tried before. What a lovely seam it makes! I'm going to try it more often!
iii. Short rows. The neck is shaped by short rows, another new technique for me. I think I generally understood it, but I forgot to hide one wrap. Oh well!


The result of my new techniques! Yippee!

Finally, I decided to start a project that I thought I would finish in two days. Ha! Who do I think I am???


This is Thrill from Rowan's It's a Tape Thing. I had some Rowan Cotton Tape sitting around and I thought it would be a good tank to wear to the beach.


Here's my back blocking on the board Rob made me.


This is the stitch pattern for the tank. I think Carla (which I originally bought the yarn for) has the same pattern.

Phew! I think that was one of my longer posts. I have a feeling that Gatsby will be finished first, followed shortly by Thrill. I have a feeling the Onde sweater will take me quite a while to finish.