Tag: shepherds vest

Binding off, Casting On

I’m mighty pleased to announce that I have (essentially) finished the Shepherd’s vest!

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It still needs to be blocked, and the ends woven in, but the knitting is done.

So that frees up my needles for the next challenge, Shadow, from Wool People.
Just finished another 400 or so yds of Edgar/Griff for this project,

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and I have a few other skeins already in the stash, so I’m set to get a start, but will probably have to do a fair bit more on the yarn-generation side as I go to get to the finish line on this one.

My yarn is a bit lighter-weight  than Shelter, the yarn specified in the pattern, and so will have to do some knitting math to adjust stitch counts and such. Looks like size 6 needles for this one.

Here is the happy little swatch-

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I’ve looked hard at this pattern to see if there is any possible way to translate it into a seamless, in-the-round construction type of thing, and it was making my brain very tired.

So, this is going to be the first sweater I’ve ever knit in pieces and then assembled.

Yep. Really.

Wish me luck. 🙂

Shear Luck?

Nope. None here.
I had great hopes of getting little Chone sheared this weekend,

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but he’s a wiley little bugger. And it’s like he knew what I was up to.

I tried plying him with apple branches, and nice sweet-smelling hay, but I just couldn’t get the guy within arms reach.

Oh well, perhaps it’s not meant to be.

In other news, I’ve made great progress with The Shepherd’s vest since it’s last appeared on the blog.

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Just about ready to start shaping the v-neck. So, I’m in the homestretch on this one!

And I’ve got the first weaving experiment off the loom,

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and another in the works, this time being a little more adventurous in building curvy shapes and such-

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Felix asks

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“Is this my best side? I think this is my best side.”

I think he’s getting a little vain. 🙂

Back from the Island

Langley was wonderful, and I actually got quite a bit done-

Three new skeins:

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About 5 inches of progress on The Shepherd’s vest:

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Found a really cool pattern at Knitty Purls, the local yarn store, and managed to get a start on it-

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I also took along a couple of skeins of thick and cushy yarns I’d spun on Hank- thinking I’d do a cowl,,, but the cowl had other plans, and started turning into a poncho. So there you go-

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But I’m happy to be back home now with the man and the critters.

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It’s the weekend, and the sun is shining.

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And I’m hangin’ with my sheeps. 🙂

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Have a good week!

My New Friend Pirtle

So the wheel has a name!

Thanks to the fine folks on Ravelry, I’ve come to know that he’s a Pirtle.

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So, he’s a 70’s-vintage guy, one of about 200 made by a retired Air Force engineer.
I’ve named him Hank.
Hank Pirtle.

And I’ve just combed up another batch of Frank/Felix to spin up all nice and bulky on him.

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In addition to getting a feel for Hanks irish tension system, I’ve managed to get a start on a another vest for John The Shepherd, of Marietta Shetlands:

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I took the cable motif from the Hand in Hand men’s cable vest pattern by Kathy Zimmerman. I think it’s working out nicely- it’s curvy, and large enough to stand out in the dark yarn, but still manly and subdued.

No outside photos this week. It’s July, but feels like October.
Ick.

No summer yet.