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Guys, this post has been a long time coming! (We got finished project photos while we were slacklining so ignore my funny faces and weird stances!)
I hardly made any mods with this pattern – I did add a few rows of garter to the neck edge along the back piece, I didn’t like the way it rolled and you could see the wrong side of the work there. Other than that, I followed the pattern directly as written!
I really like the colors, especially how vibrant the blue is. My biggest beef with the wearability is that it slides off my shoulders very easily – I think I’ll add an icord or crochet chain between the shoulder seams to try and keep it in place a bit better.
May 4, 2016 ~ Holly Priestley ~ 1 Comment
I debated writing this post today. These fronts are so close to being finished that I kind of wanted to wait and surprise you all next week with the finished kimono!
As of this picture, these fronts are only a few rows away from being bound off, then it’s straight into a bath and block, then seams, little armhole edges and fringe and it’ll be done! Writing it out like that makes the process seem long but I don’t think it’ll take more than an hour to seam, maybe an hour for the armhole edges and probably another hour for fringe – soooooo T minus 3 hours + blocking time? That’s so quick, right?
Aaannndddd it doesn’t look like I’ll be in danger of running out of any of the yarn!
What are you working on this week?
WIP Wednesday: Quiet Week Around These Parts
March 23, 2016March 22, 2016 ~ Holly Priestley ~ 2 Comments
Sorry for the radio silence you guys! I had full intentions of blogging last Friday and this Monday but, as you may have noticed, that didn’t quite happen. I’m going to my damndest not to let it happen again!
I’ve been primarily working on the Hualpa Kimono the past few days and I’m so close to being done with the back piece! I’m more than 75% of the way there and I think the fronts will be a breeze (how many times has that sentiment blown up in my face? Don’t answer that.).
And another victory I’ve reached on this project – the need to start a new ball of the blue! Woo! That surely means I’m making progress – yarn doesn’t just disappear without being knit up (don’t correct me on that one either).
Yes, I am still keeping my yarn in the original kit bag. I don’t carry it around with me as a project bag because of the size and that fact that it isn’t a flexible material but I have enjoyed keeping the spirit of the original kit alive.
What are you working on this week? Making more progress than I am I hope!
WIP Wednesday: Every Little Bit Counts
March 16, 2016March 15, 2016 ~ Holly Priestley ~ 10 Comments
I’ve been primarily working on the Hualpa Kimono project lately, a few rows here, a few rows there. I haven’t been able to spend a good chunk of time cranking it out but it is moving along, I think I’m about to the halfway point for this back piece! I love watching those center diamonds come together.
The combination of smooth cotton yarn and the slick aluminum needles means that this is my at-home knitting project. Almost every time I put it in my purse I lose a few stitches off the end. It’s not a hassle to pick them back up but I would hate for something more dramatic to happen in the black hole that is my catch-all bag.¬†
The Peony Shawl is my purse knitting because I need to pay less attention to it. I’m getting to close to the texture change and I’m very excited to see how that works up! As always, it’s hard to show all the real progress on shawl projects, they just squish up on these needles, but I hope that the center spine looks longer to you since the last time I shared it!
I’m still totally in love with this yarn, the color is perfect and it’s knitting up beautifully in this pattern!
What are you working on this week?
WIP Wednesday: Let’s Float
March 9, 2016March 8, 2016 ~ Holly Priestley ~ 2 Comments
While the idea of taking a nice, meandering cruise down a river certainly does sound excellent, that’s not the kind of floating I’m talking about.
I’m talking about the floats created in stranded colorwork. Namely, the Hualpa Kimono I’m still working on. I’ve gotten past the first chart repeat which means that from here on out, I should be moving along a tad bit quicker because I can refer to my previous work instead of the tiny chart (just, uh, ignore the few spots where I may have fudged a stitch…or two…).
Generally it’s recommended that you catch your floats every 3-5 stitches but, as you can see in the photo below, I’m ignoring that guideline for this project.¬†
I’m doing this for a few reasons:
The smooth cotton yarn is being knit at a larger gauge than I’d typically pick and I don’t believe that catching the yarn will “hide” it – I think it’ll show through to the right side of the work when I’m done and I really don’t want that
If you look at the photos of all the other Hualpa’s out there, it appears that everyone else is doing the same thing – not that I’m a lemming, I’m just using it as further justification of number one above.
So, it’s coming along and hopefully I’ll be a bit quicker through the rest of the project.
What are you working on this week?
The Hualpa Kimono from We Are Knitters
December 14, 2015December 11, 2015 ~ Holly Priestley ~ 12 Comments
Not long ago the ladies from We Are Knitters reached out and asked if I’d like to try one of their kits – umm, yes please! If you’ve been around the knitting blogosphere for more than a few months you’ve probably heard of this company. They sell kits complete with every last thing you’ll need to make the project including all the needles and notions. Everything comes wrapped up in a cute package and really makes you feel like you’re opening a special gift (or at least that’s how I felt, I’m easy to please over here).
At first I was a little worried that their kits feature a lot of bulky knits and over-sized shapes. Don’t get me wrong, I totally love bulky knits and over-sized shapes but as a petite and curvy lady, these don’t always translate as well to my body type. I looked through all of the options available to me and was pleasantly surprised that there are some finer gauge projects in the mix!
I had a hard time deciding between a few of the options but picked the Hualpa Kimono for a few reasons:
A) Most frequently, I prefer cardigans to pullovers
B) I love the colorwork in this design
C) And the fringe
D) It’ll fit in with my wardrobe¬†
My version will have this gorgeous deep blue as the main color and the natural as the contrasting color – very different from the other finished projects but I’m excited about it!
I mentioned my gauge woes the other day, I think I’ve got them mostly figured out and I plan to cast on this project as soon as I finish a quick hat for my mister. Have you ever worked with a We Are Knitters kit? Which one is your favorite?
Hi! Holly here and this is my blog. I share my latest knitting projects and patterns, my adventures and copious photos of my dog. Sit down and have a beer with me!