I’m excited to join in this KAL. I’m awful about diligent posting but I can knit. I’m going to use MT dk twist in a speckled yarn with one CC in a dominant color. I know that I can get 19st on US 6 so I just have to get the pattern.
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Swatching…on day TWO.
I’m down to size 3s trying to hit gauge. I was at 4.5 st/inch on 4s. 19/4 is 4.75/inch.
But I don’t have size 3 DPN. How is that possible? Emergency yarn store run for size 3 DPN.
I’d like to see a histogram of the needle sizes we are all using to get gauge 19/4. That would be SOOOO interesting!
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Yeah, this is working out well. This morning I picked up my Hadley–which was a whopping four stitches into the first round–only to find that my darling boyfriend Brian had stepped on the needle and broken the tip.
Every fU*&^ing curse word in the book came out of my mouth. I think I may have even made up a few on my own. I come from a long line of cursing women. My mother is epic and she has the most charming ability to deny everything she’s ever said. She’s such a nice woman that everyone believes her but they’ve never had her try to teach them to drive. My mother’s father’s first cousins were the Dorsey Brothers and their mother, Tess, had such a filthy mouth that she got thrown off a tv show once because she couldn’t stop saying fu^k.
I did them all proud this morning. My Hadley is on hold because there’s no way I can pick up a new needle for at least a week. If I can my g*&da%n size 5 double points I’ll start on a sleeve.
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I’ve started my Hadley. I’m a bit behind as I had to swatch and wet block twice before I hit the gauge. I am using 6 and 4 needles with Cascade Ecological Wool. I love knitting with this wool! It is soft and easy to knit. I am looking forward to progressing on the sweater, but realistically with real life, I think it may take me longer than this month. I still have to pack away my Christmas tree ornaments so I can put up Valentine’s ornaments for my daughter’s birthday! But we’ll see…
I used the long tail method to CO as suggested by Nell. I am knitting flat for a few rows before joining the ribbing and knitting in the round. The markers are left over from counting my stitches during cast-on (I put a marker every 50 stitches).
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When I was younger I was a tight knitter (30 years ago!) and always had to go up a size or two to hit gauge. Now that I am older, I am a looser knitter. I often have to go down 2 sizes to hit gauge. I guess I have less stress or maybe different stress and a better appreciation/acceptance of life’s ups and downs.
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Maybe a dumb question but is this going to be the thread where we share progress and questions? Or are we heading to ravelry? I am not seeing to many progress reports etc and wondered if I am missing something.
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I like all the feedback of everyone’s experiences w different yarns.it is introducing some yarns I haven’t been familiar with. Here is a review Clara Parks did on Shelter yarn. I did have to deal with a yarn breakage yesterday but live the look and feel of the yarn.
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Ok. I’ve been resisting this KAL due to a loooong queue of projects, but my dear little book came yesterday and I fell down the rabbit hole! Yay! Obsessed with reading posts and swatching. I have enough indigo Tahki Donnegal tweed homespun. It will make for a heavier sweater - the gauge on label looked workable. I’m still swatching though - luckily I’ve read about lots of needle sizes and Yarns which is giving me the courage to forge ahead! If it doesn’t work out I’ll be making a KnitPicks order later today. Thanks for all you sage advice!
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I started on the sleeves first instead of the boding because the sleeves are more portable during the weekdays. The Color work starts right after the ribbing. Found a video showing how you can work the tail ends as you knit. Would this affect the evenness in the area of color change compared to weaving in the ends later w a tapestry needle?
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Came across a good video to illustrate color dominance in Fair Isle knitting and the effect achieved by having the dominant working yarn coming behind the background working yarn. I like holding the dominant yarn in my left hand and background yarn in the right but I seem to recall someone telling me that they get better, even stitches by holding both yarns in the same hand. Anyone compare both ways?
When working w three colors in a row, do you plan to twist two of the colors as they form a float in the back like the Latvian style or keep the floats fairly parallel? I’m catching the floats about every 3-4 stitches.
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Not dumb at all–in fact, you made me remember I’d been meaning to set up a topic for Hadley progress. Here you go: Bang Out a Hadley: My Progress
Thanks!
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Thanks Ann - I posted to the My Progress thread and was just wondering if I should try to copy it here when I got to your post. I’m only catching/trapping if the float is longer than 5 sts. (per Knitting Goddess - Elizabeth Zimmermann).
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I put the cast on stitches/the the needels on a pillow on my lap, lie it flat and straighten out all the stitches. Then I lift it up carefully to start the first round- I have never had a problem.
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That is a great way to do it. Thanks!
I’m glad to see I’m not way behind. I still have to pull out my yarn and figure out what color to use for the contrast. I remember each evening and wait til morning for best light, forget until evening… rinse and repeat. I’ll go and pull out my main yarn after dinner. A journey of a thousand stitches begins with winding your yarn. 
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I am a continental knitter who tried knitting with yarn in both hands and failed. I hold both in my left hand wrapped around different fingers and just tilt my hand up and down to change colors. It’s the only way that works for me and Meg Swansen once told me that she does it the same way I do, so I figure it is an okay way to knit 
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at “shape waist” on the set up round where it says “knit to next marker” which marker does that mean? THANKS!!
Here, the next marker is the side marker which should have been placed when you changed to the larger needle after completion of the ribbing.
OK. It seemed like that marker moved with the decrease rounds. Anyway, for the 4th size there are 110 stitches for front and back before starting shape waist so the side marker is at that halfway mark right? THANKS
When the Shape Waist section starts there are 110 stitches for front and back for my size. I assume the side marker divides the front and back evenly? It seems I placed the marker earlier in the knitting but it seemed to have disappeared. THANKS