Caden and the Clap

The clappie continues onward. I am closing out the 3rd skein. I think I've decided to go with five skeins instead of six. It feels like it will be plenty long after five and I'm not entirely sure I have the need or stamina for six. The color variations among this same colorway, same dye lot yarn continue to obsess/amuse/frustrate me.


I'm currently pretending that the color changes won't be as dramatic once all the dropped rows are dropped and it's blocked out. Or that I actually find them interesting and character-giving. Or that since I kind of love each variation individually, having them all on one project is fine, just fine-thank you very much. Or... well, I dunno, whatever will get me through the urge to frog and/or cast on a new one I might like better.

In positive Clap news I really, really, really like how sharp the pre- and post-dropped rows look. I'm twisting the stitches before and after on both the knit and purl sides. I think the result is a much crisper line. I'll have to take close up photos to convey what I mean. This silky mal is actually letting me drop rows, too. It might be that I've learned the yarn more, but it seems more than that. I am pretending it's the difference in tension due to the wonderfully twisted stitches.

And for a little clap break, I finally really, truly decided I deeply, irrevocably disliked working Caden's 2008 sweater (found here) and came to accept there was no way I was going to force myself to finish it before 2009 ended. While at Windsor Button for WWKIP/Pride, I scored some yummy yarn.


It is Cascade Yarns 128 Chunky Tweed. I got it cause I grew a little fond of tweedy yarn working on Emma's Viking Bag. And I figured I needed a quick knit - and a kid's project on bulky yarn should be that. And I didn't want to give him another blue sweater, so the red appealed to me. And it was on huge, mega-sale. Score.

I'd fallen in love with Zoe Mellor's Robin Hood Jacket (RHJ). Unfortunately, it's a pattern I can't just download on Ravelry (gasp), and I was feeling pressured to start a project. I hunted around literally through several hundred patterns on Rav. I found many I adored, but the RHJ kept calling to me. Finally, I bit the bullet and bought her book, Adorable Knits for Tots: 25 Stylish Designs for Babies and Toddlers. It's a great book with a lot of awesome patterns. Unfortunately it runs sizes 1-3 years and Caden is three next week. Thank goodness I tend to knit big.

So with yarn in hand and neat, shiny book for pattern, I finally cast on Caden's 2008 sweater-Robin Hood (for real this time). I got a good start on it on the needle size suggested, but it looked a little sloppy-ish to my eye. I frogged it and went down on needle size and like it far more. I've gotten as much done on it as I had on the Devan and am not feeling overly fatigued by it yet. Good sign.


I have about 1.5-2 pattern repeats til I'm done with the back. Unlike what I do historically, I am going to mix it up a little and work a sleeve, then front, then sleeve, then front. I am constantly getting the back and fronts of something done and then thinking "Yay, only sleeves left!" and then getting completely thrown (and often disheartened) by how long sleeves actually take to knit up. Hopefully, this will make it all move more smoothly. Overall though, I've no real complaints. The yarns feels good and knits up nicely and I still really like the pattern. Some had written how much attention it required. I'm not really finding that. I'd pretty much learned the pattern before completing the first repeat of it. I think it's because I can read the cables now (thank you Must Have Cardi and Viking Bags; I do believe I've got the cable thing now!). I am still amused by working with a tweedy yarn and it's coming along quickly thus far. The only caveat I'd add is that I'd forgotten how bleeding heavy cabled bulky yarn can be. Oy, it's murder on the wrists after working with the silky mal.

Soooo, WIPs currently going now include (but are not at all limited to, since I know there's a bunch hibernating and/or forgotten): halloween orange clappie, red clappie, blue/green/purple clappie, Caden's 2008 RHJ, Emma's Viking Bag, my WEBS score jawbreaker, the KAL swirl shawl (though I am 99.7777% sure I am going to frog that baby), the Pink Amanda hat, my new Cookie A socks (more to come on those later) and a pair of surprise gift socks. Oh, and I still need to find the perfect project for the Silk Noir I scored a couple of weeks ago! So, yeah.....