The Traveling Plum
Life has been doing a few vanishing acts lately with my free time. With work deadlines looming over me all week, there was not much I could do besides hunker down and hope that it will all be over soon. Fortunately for my sanity, knitting still managed to happen as my new project turned out to be completely amendable to being worked on during my lengthy commute. Between the jouncing and rocking on the rickety shuttle bus as it skittered across the city (with one memorable occasion where the shuttle launched itself over and down a hill so fast that all of the passengers briefly levitated above their seats), little birds practically flew off my needles.
Twelve shuttle and late-night taxi cab rides to and from lab and home after casting on, what I’ve taken to calling the Traveling Plum is taking shape.
This is the back piece of the sweater -- a few more inches to go until the arm holes. Actually, this isn’t so much a plum as a cherry -- the Cherry sweater, that is, designed by the brilliant Anna Bell of My Fashionable Life.
The profusion of pretty summer wear that have been cropping up all over blogs had made me want to join in on the fun. I initially contemplated making Green Gable but when I saw Anna’s pattern… I am absolutely in love with the vintage styling in the fit and the bird-like cable pattern and the cord-cinched waist. So very much in the spirit of the clothes I covet from The Shop I Must Avoid For The Sake of My Bank Account.
This is the first project I have worked on in transit. I’ve always hesitated before because trying to juggle charts and needles and yarn on a rapidly moving vehicle just seemed to invite disaster. However, the easily memorized nature of this pattern has made it perfect for wiling away commute time. The Rowan Wool Cotton I am using holds well too so that even if excessive “turbulence” causes me to drop a stitch, the loop stays put until I can slip it back on the needle. This great non-slipperiness of Wool Cotton is terrifically helpful too for my new ability to cable without a cable needle. As usual, I had over-thought the whole technique and spent much time fretting over letting stitches "hang free." Finally, I just tried it and lo and behold, the cables worked out beautifully. No escaped and laddering stitches at all. Hurray!
Twelve shuttle and late-night taxi cab rides to and from lab and home after casting on, what I’ve taken to calling the Traveling Plum is taking shape.
This is the back piece of the sweater -- a few more inches to go until the arm holes. Actually, this isn’t so much a plum as a cherry -- the Cherry sweater, that is, designed by the brilliant Anna Bell of My Fashionable Life.
The profusion of pretty summer wear that have been cropping up all over blogs had made me want to join in on the fun. I initially contemplated making Green Gable but when I saw Anna’s pattern… I am absolutely in love with the vintage styling in the fit and the bird-like cable pattern and the cord-cinched waist. So very much in the spirit of the clothes I covet from The Shop I Must Avoid For The Sake of My Bank Account.
This is the first project I have worked on in transit. I’ve always hesitated before because trying to juggle charts and needles and yarn on a rapidly moving vehicle just seemed to invite disaster. However, the easily memorized nature of this pattern has made it perfect for wiling away commute time. The Rowan Wool Cotton I am using holds well too so that even if excessive “turbulence” causes me to drop a stitch, the loop stays put until I can slip it back on the needle. This great non-slipperiness of Wool Cotton is terrifically helpful too for my new ability to cable without a cable needle. As usual, I had over-thought the whole technique and spent much time fretting over letting stitches "hang free." Finally, I just tried it and lo and behold, the cables worked out beautifully. No escaped and laddering stitches at all. Hurray!
posted by Marie at 2:03 AM
4 Comments:
Hooray! You've got KIPping nailed. ;) About the only knitting I can manage at the moment is on the bus, so I am practiced at knitting in public. My contribution to World Wide Knit In Public day was knitting, standing up, at the reception after Rich's dad's memorial service yesterday afternoon. It went down a treat with some old ladies, who were intrigued by the shiny shiny circular needle, and my friends, who all laughed at me and branded me 'incorrigible.' But lovely to knit outside in the glorious heat-wave we are having.
The Travelling Plum looks lovely, and makes me want to knit one too, very much. I had originally rejected the thought due to the cord at the waist, but I suppose I could leave it out. As usual, you've summed up some of my thoughts about it, but made it sound a lot nicer. Hmm...
Hope your work deadlines are over and you can spend a bit of time breathing. ;)
Cherry/Traveling Plum looks wonderful! I love knitting in transit. I lived in Copenhagen for a couple of years recently and I got so much knitting done on my subway commute. I really miss that, it was a very productive time for me :) Now I am stuck in my car again.
This Cherry sweater is a lovely pattern and I am looking forward to seeing yours finished. It seems to grow so quickly!
Oh, that's a beautiful pattern, and a beautiful color for it. I am going to love watching you work it up.
Post a Comment
<< Home