Fall Is for Knitting

I love fall when it's Indian summer.  Our poplar trees turned to gold last weekend, and the honking of geese overhead can be heard morning and evening.  We are on the migratory flight path from Hudson and James Bay, and sometimes two hundred fly over in succession or stopover nearby.  The sun has been shining, making you think it's warmer than it is.  I haven't had to give up my sandals yet, but I have put away the shorts and capri pants, and shut off the pump on the swimming pool.  I should start putting some of the patio furniture away, but I won't take down the gazebo panels yet.  One unfinished cotton cardigan has gone into hibernation, the only real casualty of this summer's knitting agenda. 

I did not get distracted from the Daybreak shawl.  It was completed in four days of fairly mindless knitting.  (edited to add:  Noro Silk Garden Sock and Kertzer On Your Toes sock yarn)

 
 
The pattern has miles of stockinette, with stripes to keep your interest in the middle section.  You have to remember to make your increases at both edges, but that's about it.  Placing markers reminds you when to do the slipped stitch and the interior increases, and it's all pretty easy and pleasing.  Some time I'd like to do the scarf size using tonal sock yarn for another look.  This one will go with almost everything in my suitcase, and the charcoal solid makes it look really good draped over the new cotton cardigan shown in the last post.

I test drove one repeat of a scarf/stole (edited to add:  Rhodocrosite) from Norah Gaughan vol. 7, to see if it would make a good travel project. 

 
 
The verdict is a resounding "Yes."  The photocopied pattern is small enough to fit on a recipe card.  The pattern is very regular and easy to remember for 6, 10 or 20 rows at a time.  The Ultra Alpaca Fine isn't too fine or slippery.  So I think this project will be cruising along with me in just a couple of weeks.

I'm not going to push to try to finish this next project before I go, although I do have one plain reverse stitch sleeve done too.  I can't take every sweater, scarf and shawl I own; knits take up a lot of space.  It's a lot easier to pack for a resort trip when you know it's going to be 80 degrees and you'll just be in a bathing suit and coverup all day.

 
This is the Dovetail Pullover from Interweave Knits Spring 2008.  I've admired Kathy Zimmerman's cables for a long time and picked this sweater because it's not as heavily cabled as some others.  I think "less is more" flattering for my full figure. I actually have enough Mission Falls cotton in the stash, the yarn used in the original, but I find it really heavy, and knobbly, and hard on my hands.  So I'm using Cascade 220 Heather and getting gauge.

Cabling and I don't really get along, although I believe every wardrobe needs a few cabled classics.  All the cables here are easy to do without a cable needle.  The central cable just moves two stitches over every RS row until it hits a rib.  The side is a simple 6-stitch cable.  However, I've already embroidered over a  mistake that went unnoticed for four or five repeats, and dropped down and knit up correctly another error that I spotted at the end of the eight-row repeat.  I can't seem to remember that it's cable back at the start of the row and cable front at the end.  Maybe I shouldn't have got so many blonde highlights put in last week.

Comments

[Carol]

Wow. A knitting cruise! I'm so jealous! And lots of lovely, lovely knitting. You've been busy this summer. I love cables, and especially the Kathy Zimmerman designs. Excellent choice. Can't wait to see the finished project!