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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

WIP: Idlewood

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Two swatches. TWO

I have a WIP on Wednesday again, and it's safe to say that at this moment my knitting is definitely not monogamous. Where did I go wrong, etc etc?

Idlewood caused some uncharacteristic behaviour in me. When I saw it, I thought, "I NEED TO KNIT THIS RIGHT NOW." A week later, the yarn arrived on my doorstep, and I eagerly dived in.

Another uncharacteristic move connected with this project: I swatched twice. You heard. Because the Troon Tweed is oiled, I thought it would change a lot with blocking, so I was extra careful. As many have done before, I made a pocket as my swatch. And then another.

For those of you considering Idlewood, note that the gauge supplied, 15 sts / 4 in, is more typical for a bulky yarn, although the yarn used is worsted weight. I hadn't noticed this until I'd bought the yarn, and it turned out not to be one of those that looks awesome at a loose gauge.

My original gauge was tighter than the pattern calls for, but still way looser than I'm comfortable with, so I went down a needle size and resigned myself to sizing mods. It's still loose, but it looks a lot better on 5.5 mm needles, I think.

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A heart. Aw.

This is what I've done so far. Not much, but I like it.

See more WIP Wednesday posts on Tami's Amis

6 comments:

  1. I completely understand your reaction to this pattern. It's so modern and wearable, especially in the gray tweed that you chose. I also have it lined up as my After Christmas Knitting gift to myself. Thanks for the tip on the gauge. Knitting the pockets as a gauge swatch is a terrific idea!

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  2. It's exciting to get that "must cast on right now!" feeling about a project, and I love Cecily Glowik MacDonald' patterns too. I look forward to seeing your Idlewood.

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  3. WOW, what a FANTASTIC pattern! I'm adding it to my Ravelry queue, despite just learning to knit. Maybe a year or two from now I'll be good enough at knitting to try it! You chose a great yarn for it!

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  4. very pretty, may have to consider one myself

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  5. Haha I actually had that reaction myself, I faved it straight away when I saw the pattern a week or two ago. But I don't have a good track record with bigger projects. Maybe one day!

    Can't wait to see how you get on with yours.

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  6. Very nice, love the yarn you chose. That would be too warm for me here in the desert. I think I may make that for my daughter back in Western NY.

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