Ella week 2 and soft yarn for a tough guy

This is the second week into knitting this glorious coat. The assignment for this week is to work the armhole shaping and separate the back from the left and right fronts of the sweater. Special care was given by Nora when it came to instructions on how to get the perfect fit.

#1 Measure the distance from natural waist to underarm. Mine would be 7 inches.

#2 Work the bodice to an inch or inch and a half less than that measurement. So, I stopped at 6 inches.

#3 Make sure the increases fall at the center boob point of your bosom. Sounds kinda funny, but it's perfect because you ensure that the front isn't lopsided. I still have a little room for a ruffle in the front, so I am happy with my progress thus far.

Separating the fronts from the backs required binding off mid-row. That was no problem. I am happy with the way the back portion is turning out, and I happy that I am almost through my second color pattern repeat.

Did I mention how much I love this yarn? Shepherd's Worsted is a dream to knit with. I completed the Festivus gift for "The Brain". He loved the feel of the yarn so much that he tried it on, stayed in my house for an hour chatting, and never took it off. I asked "aren't you hot". He said it felt too nice to take it off. That's the best complement a knitter can get. For those of you still contemplating on a yarn choice for Ella, this yarn is tough-guy approved.

Ella NYC Diva Swatch

I must be honest with you. This is the first time I have ever done a proper swatch for a project. The first time I knit at least 4 inches, instead of just barely 2 and a half. The first time I didn't just follow what the pattern said, use the same yarn and needle size, and just go with it. The first time I didn't use the sleeve as my gauge swatch, to have to rip it out and change something. The first time I have contemplated cutting the yarn, so that I can actually wash it. I have usually had good luck with the sweaters I have knit in the past, in that they always fit.

This is also the first time I have ever had to create a color scheme layout on my own. The first time I had to calculate yarn quantity percentages. The first time I sketched something and had to make edits, and secondary edits.

What have I learned from all this? The first time can yield amazing beautiful results.

Upon examining my swatch, I realize that I want to add another 2 rows of hot pink. I think it would look perfect in the exact location that my finger is pointing. My expected gauge should be 18 stitches and 24 rows. However, I am getting 19 stitched and 26 rows. I really like the feel of this fabric. I wonder if I can just knit the next size up. Im afraid that if I go up a needle size, the fabric will not be dense enough. Any thoughts?

Also, it is killing me that I will have to wait a whole week before I can cast on. I am so excited about this Ella KAL.

I am also on love with Shepherd's Wool. It is so soft and plush. Here is a picture of the Festivus gift for "the Brain", the Scrumptious Cowl. I have 30 more rows to go before the project is complete. He got a sneak peek of it today, and told me he wants to buy a new grey coat to match it. He also said he feels special. Awwwwww!

And speaking of cowls, I finished my Scrunchable Bling cowl. I love it. The little pieces of bling don't itch at all. It isn't blocked in this picture, but I don't think blocking is a necessity. I used superwash wool, so I think this will be fine. Now I have something to wear with that coat with the pretty fur collar. More of those pics soon..... I promise.

 

So, with all this finishing going on, naturally I decided to cast on something else. Last week was really cold on NYC, and I didn't have a proper knitted hat made by yours truly. So, I came up with this idea to make a Cabled Earflap Hat. This hat is designed by Julie Hentz and was originally created for a baby using DK weight yarn on size 6 needles. I took worsted weight "Heavy Metal Wool" fro. http://www.littlebarninc.com/ and doubled it. I am using a size 10.5 16 inch Addi Turbo needle. So far, so good. And yes, of course it's pink.

One Earflap in the making.



2 Earflaps complete



No, this is not a set of Donkey Ears.  LOL! Just joined them to the hat.