While the pattern calls for the sleeves to be completed next, I will do the Collar/Button Band next... I am feeling more confident about the remaining Brown Skeins, but I want to be certain. :-)
Skein duration:
I have wanted to make a pair of Rainbow Socks for a while. As such, I've accumulated a selection of Rainbow Sock-weight yarns over the last few years.
I've been setting them aside for the last few months and contemplating them with different patterns... I want to show-off the colorway without making it muddy or modifying the stripe thicknesses due to changing round lengths around the heel. Many of the alternate-construction patterns are quite interesting in this regard, but as of the end of March, I decided to make a simple Toe-up, Vanilla Sock, with an Afterthought Heel using Scarlett's Rainbow.
The yarn I chose was acquired at the Estes Park Wool Market last year and dyed locally by a new-to-me artist.
The colorway, Scarlett's Rainbow, is named after the artist's daughter and has a large number of colors in short succession. Which means the color changes every few stitches.
This pattern should work nicely with this colorway, which I think lends itself to a pleasing set of Fraternal Twins, rather than needing to be Identical. If I hold on to that idea, the stress of getting both socks started in the same place of the colorway goes away.... and I am always in favor of reducing stress, no matter how small it may seem. :-)
I initially swatched with US0 needles, which yielded the recommended gauge of 8sts/inch. However, I decided the fabric was too stretchy. So I cast on with US00 needles.
As of this writing, I have two rounds completed per sock and the end-of-rounds are marked.
We are ready for being a travel project and will be Fraternal Twins.
Happy Fiber Arts Friday!
At the end of Part 7, I had decided to TINK and re-knit the Body Hem...
It took me 8 days to complete the TINKing. Of course, had I added a Life Line I could have ripped it out in a few minutes.... but I wanted to preserve where the stitch markers were located and make sure I didn't drop any stitches... so TINKing is what I did.
I restarted the hem with the smaller (US3) needles on March 6 and was able to get 1 more row out of skein #5 at just over 12.
Skein duration:
At the end of Part 6, I had completed the body stripes and was ready to begin the body hem, with 11g of Brown Skein #5 remaining.
The 11g took me thru row 12 of the hem and I started Brown Skein #6.
I have decided not to finish the body out with black since the bind-off for the Collar/Button Band is a different technique and I think it will look weird.
That being said, I have also decided to TINK back the hem and re-knit it with the next size smaller needles, per the recommendation in the pattern.
The good news here, it that the over-all length is good.
Skein duration:
At the end of Part #5, I was planning to make one more row of brown and then begin the stripes as written on the right side of the fabric.
Upon beginning the stripes, I have 14 g of Brown Skein #5 remaining.
The body stripes are now complete and I have 11g of Brown Skein #5 remaining.
I suspect that the remaining Green and Orange Skeins will be enough to complete the arm stripes.
Next up is the body hem.
Skein duration:
I'm getting pretty excited about this sweater. :-)
Happy Fiber Arts Friday!
As I begin this post, I am embarking upon Skein #5 of Brown yarn.... and have 5 more remaining.
The baseline pattern says to begin the stripes at 5-inches before the end. My goal length is 14-inches from the armpit, and am currently at 7-inches. So I need to check and confirm the body length at 9 inches or about half-way thru this skein or ~13 rows.
I expect to need a bit more than one skein for the collar/button band. The body hem will be about half of one skein. Which leaves ~3 skeins for the sleeves... so I continue to feel ok about the amount of yarn I have.
As of this morning, (2/5/25) I am 11 rows into Brown Skein #5. I have begin the hip increases and am getting close to my goal of 9-inches from the armpit. So I decided to try the sweater on and feel very good about where I am.
I will complete one more row of brown, so I can begin the stripes on the right side of the fabric and then begins the stripes as written.
Skein duration:
Happy Fiber Arts Friday!
As of last time (January 6, 2025) I had just completed skein #3.
My estimates for yarn needs for the rest of the body at that time was:
Now, at the completion of Skein #4, my estimates are holding pretty close. Skein #4 added 4 inches and 26 rows to the length to the body.
The length from the armpit is currently 7-inches and the goal is 14-inches. Meaning two full-skeins are required to finish out the body length.
At this point, I'm still waffling on whether to have stripes accentuating my hips. lol. So I am considering finishing out the body in the brown yarn and increase the striping on the arms.
In both cases, I am hoping to finish out in brown and trim in black. The black I had for other reasons and was not part of the initial color plan for this sweater.
Apologies for the shadows in these photos.... but even with looking at the color order side-by-side on my bigger screen it's clear there isn't much value difference between these colors, so the stripes should only offer interest and not accentuate. Which has me feeling better about including the stripes on the body.
And for the last several weeks, this has been my only project since ~Christmas (12/22/24)... For example, Skein #3 only took 1 week to consume (12/30-1/6).... Yes, these are small skeins at 25g, but still... that's a pretty good clip for me. :-)
Skein duration:
Happy Fiber Arts Friday!
At the end of December (27th) last time, I had just completed Skein #2 and was 4 rows away from dividing out the sleeves.
On News Year's Eve Eve, I completed the divide out...
Now, at the end of Skein #3, I'm feeling a little better about how much main color yarn I have...
I love that it's starting to look like it will be a sweater one day. :-)
Happy Fiber Arts Friday!
Since mid-December (12/8/24), I've finished the first skein of yarn
I'm putting these photos here so I can remember about how much one skein makes... I am in to the Sleeve and V-Neck increases here.
I also added a short thread marker to make it easier to see the end of each skein.
Even though my habit is to buy one more skein than I think I need, I am feeling insecure in the amount of brown yarn that I have available... I have a couple of ideas on how to use the other colors in the stripes, in order to conserve the brown.... and also possibly doing the button band and collar before starting the sleeves. We shall see how I'm feeling after a few more skeins.
While working with the second skein... I have completed with the Sleeve and V-Neck increases and am nearly complete with the body increases.
I have 4 rows to go before I divide out the sleeves.
Happy Fiber Arts Friday!
At last post, I had just returned with a second skein of this pretty pinky-purple, super bulky yarn that was miraculously the same dye lot as the first skein...
At the half-way point... 24 of 48 rounds complete, I have 106 g of 200g in the first skein remaining. I may not need the second skein, but as I said last time, it's going to be close.
The hat is currently 5.5 inches tall (12/19/24)
It's always interesting how the color changes when the light changes... the first photo is more purple and the second photo looks a bit orange.
I completed the hat with 25g remaining in the first skein.
I forgot how the cables tighten up the fabric.... so this may have to be remade, but for now, it is complete.
I also added a cute rabbit pom-pom...
Happy Fiber Arts Friday!
