Swatching, Swatching...

The Cherie is blocked, sewn (and altered) and it now looks wonderful.

See:

I had to sew the neckline closed about 3" because it was so deep that I kept having to adjust it. Now it is perfect and I love the feel of the Manos. The pattern is perfect for this yarn because it is warm without being too hot to wear indoors.

I am still working on my current WIPs including the sweater for my boyfriend, but there has been some major stash enhancement and today I will begin swatching for two new projects.

The first is the Soap Bubble Wrap available free if you sign up for Knitting Daily emails from Interweave Knits. The yarn I chose for this project is Silk Bamboo from Patons in the Sapphire colourway:

I bought it from Yarn Forward and Sew On on Bank S. This yarn is sooo soft, but it has the reputation of being very slippery so we will see how it goes.

The next yarn is Sublime Kid Mohair in the Fancy colourway:

Purchased at Wool-Tyme on Colonnade. This yarn is also extremeally soft, which is a good thing since it is destined to become the Grecian Plait, a sweater designed to be worn next to the skin (with perhaps a cami underneath since it seems to be see through).

So I will be swatching for both of those today.

TTFN and KEEP KNITTING!

The Many Lives of Manos

Rejoice, for I have a finished object!
Well...almost finished...the knitting part is done, it is currently blocking, and then I have to sew in the sleeves.
But it is off the needles and until it dries I can work on something else.

Here's a pic:

I love the pooling on the sleeves:

The pattern: Cherie Amour (why yes I did end up humming Stevie Wonder the whole time I was knitting it, why do you ask?)
The Yarn: Manos Del Uruguay, and thus begins the story of The Many Lives of Manos...

Once upon a time I walked into Wool-Tyme with the intent to purchase some Patons Divine to make the Divine Throw. I was disappointed to discover that they did not have enough balls in my colourway to make the throw (they had tons of every other colour, but only 2 balls of the one I needed). I really wanted to make a throw, so I started hunting for something else I could use. I wandered the aisles...mushing skeins and petting yarns...all the while hunting for the perfect colour. Then I saw it. Long skeins of glorious reds, rusts, oranges, and browns. I rushed forward, hoping the yarn was a soft as it looked...it was. The only downside was the price. In order to make a large throw I would need quite a few of the 138 yard skeins, and at $19.99 a ball, I couldn't justify the expense.
Since I loved the yarn I decided I would get enough to make a small lap rug. I happily purchased 5 skeins and took my bounty home.

I cast on immediately and started to make a lap rug in a cable lace pattern:

But the colours called to me and said that they needed to become a sweater. The lap rug died a noble death, and the second life of Manos began.

I found the pattern for a custom fit raglan sweater. I took my measurements, did the math and cast on for the neck:

I happily knitted away, excited about my new sweater, but the yarn had other ideas...

As I stitched a little voice kept speaking in my ear, reminding me of a sweater that I had put in my Ravelry queue some time before. A pretty sweater that called for a bulky yarn. So the raglan sweater died a noble death and the final incarnation of Manos began.

My cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore...

I have a feeling that is what I really bought the yarn for in the first place, since I had exactly enough to finish the sweater.

What's next? Well aside from all the other unfinished projects (I'm picking up the sweater for my boyfriend again), I'm waiting for yarn and a pattern.

The yarn is this:

Flock of Feathers DK from Robyn's Nest (the photo was taken by Robyn). The yarn is 95% wool, 5% cashmere, the colourway is Ibis. It will become Evangeline.
I can't wait to start!

OOOOHHHH!!!! My yarn just arrived!!! Thank you Robyn! Now I just have to wait for the pattern.

Well, I'm going to do a few rounds of my boyfriend's sweater before work.

TTFN and KEEP KNITTING!