This poor blog, Punsters. What has happened to it? So much of my internet energy is going to Flickr and Ravelry that it's time to redefine what WryPunster is. Originally, WryPunster was conceived as a knitting blog, with only brief forays into other aspects of my life, such as cooking, travel and major changes. Now that a big project reveal happens on Ravelry before it appears on the blog, sometimes weeks before!, WryPunster has been neglected. Taking WryPunster down has never been an option, since it documents so much of my life, but I think WryPunster's domain is going to expand to include what I'm doing outside of knitting. I hope you still find it interesting, though perhaps it's only PunDad who pops by here to see if I've posted!
Having announced that this blog is no longer just about knitting, let's talk about knitting. And more specifically, sweaters. You're shocked, right? I've knit some sweaters! Who'd thunkit?
Sweater First is a simple, Spring cardigan knit to spec and without any real design. The yarn was a destashing gift from the ever-delightful 4-Ply Katie. Katie also supplied the yarn for my most recent Hourglass and the blanket I made for Punsir's parents; what a great destash!
This Spring cardi was knit from 7.5 balls of Rowan Wool Cotton in Tender, or about 950 yards. It's very simple and went wickedly fast on US 3s and 5, all stockinette with a button band and basic silver buttons. Since I finished it a few months ago, it's seen a good deal of wear, though the yarn has pilled somewhat under the arms. All in all, I'm very pleased with how wearable this sweater is and hope to get a lot of use of it.
This sweater, incidentally, is all part of my Work Clothes 09 spree, wherein I am desperately attempting to pad out my graduate student wardrobe with appropriately tailored pieces that can be worn with flats. I have a closet full of great dresses and suits, but they look silly with the kind of shoes I wear to work now and since I stand for up to eight hours a day, my sky high heels don't see nearly as much action. With comfort being ever our watch word, I'm trying to supplement my favorite slacks and blouses with sweet cardigans and lots of knitwear.
Sweater Second has been even more of a success than Sweater First. Knit from seven skeins or about 1337 yards of Rowan Felted Tweed in Rage from the pattern Espresso in A Fine Fleece by Lisa Lloyd, this sweater has changed how I feel about cardigans and the color red. I've worn it constantly since I finished it and love it even more than day one. It's perfect!
I added an inch or so to the body and sleeves, changed the collar and omitted the reverse stockinette from the sleeves. Otherwise, the pattern was thoughtful and fun to follow, if a little unclear. The collar was especially difficult to understand, but if you've ever knit a sweater before, you'll have an easy time solving the issue. The sizing of the pattern is a little unusual: the smallest size is quite a bit larger than the usual "small" these days, but the book is geared towards a different silhouette than has been popular of late.
Speaking of the book, it's beautiful. Lisa Lloyd has largely designed for yarn companies like Harrisville, and her Starmore like aesthetic beautifully matches the wooly, tweedy sensibilities of yarns for whom softness is not the top priority. By no means is Lloyd new to the knitting scene, but if you've been itching for an intricate, cable driven knitting fix, A Fine Fleece is a book for you! Knitting to Stay Sane's Glenna offers a great review of this under appreciated book, so I hope you'll visit your LYS for a looksee and a squee.
These two sweaters have been such wonderful additions to my wardrobe that I've really gone on a cardigan kick! Currently drying is a Minimalist Cardigan knit from a beautiful, hand dyed yarn purchased two Rhinebecks ago. For anyone still with me, that makes four cardigans in a row this year, all part of the Knit Twelve Sweaters in a year challenge. I've also polished off the beautifully beaded back of Martha, knit in fingering weight Cormo from last year's Rhinebeck. In addition to falling head over teakettle for cardigans, everything has been knit on smaller needles, from Martha, which is crusing along on US 1s, to Espresso, on US3s. Delightful!
Lastly, lest you think I only make sweaters (which, I guess is mostly true) I've also knit and designed a cowl for the winner of Carrieoke's recent Literacy Raffle. I'm thrilled to present the newest WryPunster design, Flock Together!
Flock Together is a lacy cowl designed to highlight hand dyed yarn with a spiraling lace pattern and a scrumptious drape. If you're interested in the pattern, you can download it here (.pdf link) and queue here on Ravelry.
Since Jesse's Christmas Hat has been so popular, I'm excited to see where Flock Together goes!