Bistort

 After many long months, Martha has finished her beautiful,
complex Bistort sweater. 

 She took a little break while she went
to Grad school this winter.

 She added a different neck.

Look at the complex. complex!! colorwork
in this sweater!!!

I asked her send me the notes in her own words so I don't mess
up any details. Take a second to read thru and see how
she had to make adjustments For whatever reason the pictures
she sent with her notes did not come thru . Problem at my
end, not hers

Here it is:

1. I used the carrying method listed on Ravalry. I just learned it on tube and it was very easy.

2. I did rip a lot.

3. I looked at the comments on Ravalry that said it was tight in the armpits, which it clearly is even in the pattern pictures. Plus I’m often tight in the arm pits which is where I add extra stitches for the best fit.

4. I added a color pattern repeat to the arms to make an extra room for the arm and shoulder fit. Probably if you look closely at the top of the blue part in the sleeves you can see the increase for the pattern repeat.

5. I used increasingly big needles to keep the gauge in the color work. For 2-3 colors I increased one needle size, when I had 4 going I used a needle 2 sizes bigger. This kept the over all size of the sweater consistent. I think the color work looks ok too.

6. I reduced the needle size on the grey color work to the original size 5, to decrease the ruffling but it didn’t really solve the problem. This is the thing on this sweater I regret. The ruffling. If you look on Ravalry you will see this is on the other sweaters too.?

7. At the top of the color work it is supposed to stay gray, but I ran out of the grey and I had too much blue so I just said f it. I couldn’t wait to order more gray from knit pucks (ha ha knit pucks ) I finished it with the background in the blue thinking it’ll look good with my blue eyes. 

8. Likewise, the wine and light blue colors in the yoke are different from the pattern and depended on how much yarn I had left in both colors. 

9. I added short rows for the fit of the back in the yoke. I always do for yoke sweaters, it helps a lot. I added them at the top of the grey and in the upper back area. I’ll take a pic of that too. Here’s a pic of the back and front and you can see the added rows.

10. I don’t like boat necks. They’re sloppy and not flattering. I figured this sweater would be sooo warm I could put a high collar on it and love the one on my Ann Hanson sweater so imitated that one....

11. Finally here’s the mistake I did not fix. I kitchnered the armpit inside out so the purls showed up on the right side. 🤨 I just left it because no one would really know, it’s absorbed in the color work, and the stitches down there are loose and difficult to manage. PLUS I was done with this sweater! 

12. I did not add that Latvian braid on the sleeves or neck line bec it was a pain in the arse. 

I think that’s it. 

Moral of this story?  Don’t take a masters level college course in the middle of a difficult sweater. Lol. 

My unprofessional thoughts on this sweater is this. This pattern is really designed for flat chested people. It’s not a flexible pattern for alterations. I should reserve my love for patterns until I read the Ravalry comments. Also carrying 4 colors is to be avoided at all times. Whatever benefit in design is lost in the increased bulk, difficulty, and pia in effort. Just change the colors and make do if you find this in a pattern. Finally, and want to bury this sweater... I have a ton of yarn left over... I could make a size 2sweater out of this left over yarn....?? 

Thanks, Martha!

She is working to finish her sock...I bet she is done by the time
this is published.

Ruth was able to get buttons on two of her sweaters.
She is a sweater machine.  She started another one today.

And, she dyed more yarn. I love these colors.

 I finished up the 2nd sock. Reminder I had one almost done
and totally ripped, so I have really knit three of these things..ugh!

 Panda silk yarn
Size 0 needle

 We had a birthday party today for myself and my
brother. It was so much fun. That is why the
blog is late.

 I think dad looks good!

 We deep fried a turkey.  Joey's turkey he got from
work.  We have only done one before and that was
ten years ago.

 Everyone had fun

 My little brother

 Mark, son-in-law, came

 Joey cooked corn on the grill

 The turkey looks overdone, but it isn't...
it was perfect

 Benny was here too

  Tiffany made:
Lemon cupcakes infused with lemon simple
 syrup topped with lemon cream cheese frosting,
sugar pearls and candies lemons
Brownie batter cupcakes with mini chocolate
chips topped with brownie butter cream frosting and brownie pieces

 they were both soooo good
Her piping is beautiful

 Both were so delish

 Another birthday in the books...
We had such a beautiful day

 The pool is so nice.
have a great week dear blog readers.
Enjoy summer...next week is August!

Summering

I have been summering all week, so not much to share from
my knitting.  Spent as much time in the pool after work as I could.
It's been such great pool weather.

I managed to start the red decrease for toe on the
2nd sock.

I dyed some blue/green yarn to replace the skein I ruined, as well
as a green skein. I am going to do something else with that green...
not sure what.

Ruth is working on her two color sock:

She dyed some more yarn

And this is the result of her playing with it:

 It's really wonderful.

Martha has not done much more on her sock:

But she has been working tirelessly on the sweater.
She has struggled with the top, thinking it may be too big.
her stitch count is right on.

She said it looks the same as others on Ravelry.
I saw this in person last weekend..it is really wonderful!

Joe and I had a nice weekend...lots of time in the pool and
outdoors. I'm so tired...I hope I can sleep tonight..wish
me luck.

Have a nice week..stay cool.

Epic!

 I finished the baby sweater..finally got
the buttons on it.

 I will deliver to almost Bryce's grandma this week.
She is my friend and I'm happy to make this for her
almost grandson.

 I hope the hat and sweater fit at the same time.

 But who knows!

 I'm glad I did ribbing on the sleeves.

 Moving along on the 2nd sock. I'll be glad when these
are done. I think I will concentrate on this project
this week.

 I know what you're thinking...that does not sound epic
at all.  Well...here is the epic part.
Martha came to town, and Ruth had a dying party at
her house yesterday!  (Well three of us make a party).
IT WAS SO FUN.
She had her kitchen all set up so it was easy.

Here is yarn soaking in her kitchen sink.

 Martha is working on a ball of my yarn
that was all tangled...thank you!

Ruth..the hostess with the mostest!

Here is the first batch drying on her back deck.
The pink in the very right corner was dyed with
beet juice and vinegar.
The pink on the left used some of the beet juice.
The two solid pieces in the back are sock blanks
that Ruth dyed.  

More pics

 One of Martha's creations :

Ruth made the blue/green beauty in the front.
I think she dyed the blue/green, then soaked in a blue
bath.
The salmony red next to it is Martha's. She used
red food coloring.
We decided the food coloring is much better than koolaid.

Her are are the girls, when we were mostly done.

 Martha brought me lamb socks!!
Thank you!

Joe and Joey went fishing in Lake Ontario yesterday.
Caught a bunch of perch.

Such a pretty end to the day:

 Today, I took my blue and green that was died
with food coloring, and resoaked in vinegar, then
washed in a little dish soap trying to get more of the bleeding
out.  It was still bleeding color even after I rinsed several times.

I hung it on the line to dry and it is still nice and vibrant

Here is the beet juice dyed yarn

More of Ruth's yarn:

Ruth finished up her cute socks this week:

Joe and Joey went to Lake Erie fishing today and caught

a bunch of Walleye.  Going two days in a row is eipc for them.

 

We had a nice walleye dinner cooked in foil on the grill.

See my tiny tomatoes:

First year with a hollyhock

These are so pretty

Have a  nice summery week dear blog readers.