Meet Riley in Sprout

The Riley cardigan is a sweet little thing, knitted up in Classic Elite Mint Sprout. But Sprout is not a yarn I am in love with. A bit too “sproingy” for my taste. Take into account, though, that I am always hard on cotton. I think I always want it to be wool. Or alpaca. Anything but the cotton it is. Good thing I don’t have to knit in a perpetually warm climate.

Riley is in Classic Elite’s “Wee Ones” booklet #9144, copyright 2011.  Here’s are corrections for the errors in the right front– corrections first identified by “lippyone” on Ravelry.

Right Front:

After “Rep the last 2 rows 4 (5,7,6) more times” the pattern should read:

Wrong side: Purl to marker, Knit to end of row.

Right side: Knit

Wrong side: Purl to marker, Knit to end of row.

Right side: K, k1 f/b, knit to marker, slip marker, ssk, knit to end of row.

In size 12 months, after you work the back until same length as front, you are working on 27 stitches. When you are at the bind off row you will have to: work 5 stitches and place on stitch holder. BO center 17 sts, work to end of row and place remaining 5 stitches onto stitch holder.

And if you graft the shoulders to the fronts when the pattern tells you to, you will likely want to work the sleeves in the round.  That works better than flat anyway.  Just center the decreases at the underarms.

Off-Season Knitting

I have always been prone to off-season knitting. I’ve been known to knit heavy wool afghans in the summer. You put the work in a flexible clothes basket so it doesn’t have to rest on your lap. In the dead of winter I may be knitting something in light spring colors, just to brighten up the mood some.

It will be awhile before anyone can wear this Calorimetry--an earwarming headband. Knitty’s free pattern has been knit and posted 13,160 times on Ravelry and it’s waiting to be knit in more than 6,000 Rav queues. It is blast to make, all the more so because even a pretty pokey knitter will have it completed in 3 hours. All the short rows are left unwrapped, creating small holes in the fabric, which gives the wearer flexibility in adjusting the button. This Calorimetry is knit with about 89 yards of Plymouth Boku, a 95% wool, 5% silk mix. Just a tad softer hand than Noro Kureyon.

I am working on a major slow poke blanket at the moment. It’s a fun slip stitch (mosaic) pattern, but after about 20 rows in a sitting I’m fighting to keep awake. So the new plan is that I am going to make some quick knits to give myself a break. This headband pattern is threatening to become my new favorite quick knit. I’m trying to convince myself it will look good even with my short hair. And when it’s on a head it doesn’t look a bit like lips. Not a bit.