Overlapping Leaves Sock

I have also finished my Curried Cables Jacket, but that was before vacation started.  I’ve even gotten quite a bit of use out of it, with the recent cool weather.

Curried Cables Jacket

So, with those two projects finished and wearable, it was time to start a couple more projects.

My next crochet project is a blanket for my friend Bridget, who is expecting her first baby.  I’m using the pattern Sólás Caomh from Interweave Crochet’s Spring 2009 issue.  Thankfully, I’d already mastered crocheted cables before attempting this pattern, because this one takes a bit more attention than the jacket.  I’ve already switched some around, but that isn’t entirely my fault, since the chart doesn’t match the written directions in a couple of places.

I’ve also decided to do a different edging for the blanket.  While I was reading the pattern and mulling over the edging, my eye came across my Aragon Tunic; I think the edging on the tunic will be perfect for this blanket…a more substantial edging while still being lacey enough that it won’t add too much more weight to an already heavy blanket.

My  next new project is another pair of socks, since I’m totally addicted to making and wearing wool socks.  Of course, the first thing I did when we got to our timeshare was look up an LYS.  I found a couple of different yarns that I thought would make great socks.  As soon as I finished the overlapping leaves socks, I started a pair of Ambrosia Socks.  I’ve already finished the foot and turned the heel.  I’m anticipating that they will be stretchy enough that I can make them a bit longer than the other two pairs I’ve made.

Yep, I’m having a pretty good vacation.

Of course, this also brings me to the woulda-coulda-shoulda segment of my post.  I really should have lengthened the jacket between the hem and the armscye shaping.  I remembered to shorten the bust-to-shoulder length, as I’m a little short in that area, but I forgot to compensate by lengthening the lower portion of the jacket.  Oh, well.  The issue may fix itself as I wear the jacket and it hangs-out a bit.  I could also cross my fingers and hope to lose some weight in the next couple of months, like I should.

I’ve also been working some on my second overlapping leaves sock.  I had some down time last weekend and was able to knit from the toe up to the gusset increases.  Then, tonight, I got started on those increases.  I may actually get these done before going on vacation.  I think I’ll need another sock project to bring with me, or maybe another baby blanket for a friend.

Let’s start with the fun stuff, shall we…

Here is the cabled neckline of my Corona Hoodie.

An in-progress photo that gives you the general shape before the hood was finished.

This is the baby blanket that I'll be sending off to my friend Haley for her little boy.

As far as actual progress goes, I’ve sort of been piddling around with stuff.  I did manage to finish the first sock of my Overlapping Leaves pair.  Then, I did a bit more work on my Curried Cable jacket.  I got the shoulder and side seams sewn, but I’m really short on yarn at this point.  (Technically, I have plenty of yarn, since I have two more skeins left, but I really don’t want to start a new skein just to do the finishing.)  At this point, I think I’m going to take apart the placket, finish all the rest of the seams, attach the zipper, and then see if I want to open up another skein in order to make the placket.

Maybe if I leave off the flap that goes over the zipper.  But will that completely change the look of the jacket?

I guess I should just get started with the little bit of yarn I do have left and then make a decision once I see how much is left to do and how the zipper looks without the flap.

I have already made one modification, though.  I really didn’t like how the neck looked in the magazine pictures.  It just seems far too wide–which, to me, is not aesthetically pleasing, nor functional for keeping my neck warm.  So, I increased the shoulder in order to make the neck opening smaller.  It should work out fine, although it does put the cables in front very close to the side of the neck.  I won’t know how funny that looks until I start assembling the pieces, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Other than that tiny issue, all is going well.  I tried the sweater on today, and it looks lovely.  Not too tight, but not a sack either.  I can’t wait to finish, and hopefully the weather will cooperate by then and actually feel like autumn.

I’m also super excited about starting my next project, the Curried Cable Jacket.  I ended up buying yarn at my LYS.  (I couldn’t resist taking a trip over there this weekend, since I didn’t have any pressing plans on my calendar.)  The yarn I was really interested in using was going to be far too expensive, so I ended up going with the Cascade 220.  It’s a nice sturdy yarn that will wear well, plus it is a very reasonable price; both qualities which put it quite a bit ahead of anything else that might have felt or looked nicer.  When it comes down to it, I want this cardigan to be functional, not just pretty.  I also ended up compromising on the color–neither brown nor ivory, but a kind of buff color, still in the neutral range, but light enough to really show off the cable pattern.

So, I’ve started the second sleeve.  Yay!

In other news, I might break my promise that I wrote about in my previous post and buy yarn for my next project (the Curried Cable Jacket in the current issue of Interweave Crochet) before this one is done.  Joann’s is having a buy one, get one half off yarn sale, which includes the yarn I was eying for my this jacket.  I just have to decide what color I want.  The practical side of me says that I should make a brown cardigan because that’s what I’ll get the most use out of.  But the aesthetic side of me is saying ivory, because the cardi would just be gorgeous in that color.  Decisions, decisions!