Another view of the WIP. I worked on it a bit in home and then in yesterday’s class. More work to be done, but I am letting it sit in the backyard to dry a bit and give me a break from it as well. It seems that when you work in oils you can always find more and more to fix! Well, yes, it is still “getting there” – so more to come.
Reference photo and first round below.
A paintings is rather like rocket ship – different stages as it takes off.
I did this in yesterday afternoon’s class, trying to focus on both light and dark, warm and cool. Acrylics seem like a rather unforgiving medium insofar as they dry quickly and can have very hard edges. That makes it a bit of a challenge for someone like me who prefers blending and mushing painting. It took me a bit to figure out how to do it.
The fun thing about an art class is the class members and seeing how they paint. Perceptions and styles are all so individualistic. Naturally you prefer this to that, but admiration for an individual’s work doesn’t mean you have to copy them. Add to this, people are so full of information and stories, and this adds to the value of their art – you get to know them.
So, this may be put off for a few days as I have some other things I need to do – and it never hurts to take a break. I hope I don’t start more than one painting at a time, though, as then I will fall into my habit of UFOs lying around, sobbing for attention.
I finally found my 40″ circular needles, and transferred this never-ending beret to them. Â Spread out, this is an ugly item! Â Too much open space between verticals and cables. Â Too many stitches. Â Way too big even for the 40-inchers! Â Maybe I’ll felt it.
Despite that, the progress has been educational. Â I think my original pattern with a lot of cables would be far more interesting to look at, though admittedly I am rather tired of them right now.
For the last couple of weeks knitting has wandered in and out of my day, along with my sourpuss attitude. This latter has, I hope, been vanquished, even if temporarily.
I’ve been really frustrated by this pattern, so decided to try it from the bottom up. And, it began to make sense. The pattern has changed rather considerably, but the lacy mock cable and top down construction remain. I’m not doing as many cables – considerably less. Where I had planned a number of cables, I am now using simple a line of knit stitches on a purl background. All knit stitches are now knit through the back loop except for a couple, which will be seen in the pattern.
The most interesting element is just how much simpler the pattern is, and so much easier to knit as it grows more organically once a certain level is reached in the stitch increases.
The Buttoned Cardigan seems to be moving along nicely. Some focus is needed for the button bands and the pattern along the upper portion of the bodice, but it is easily done. I had to improvise a bit along the way, just to get a sense of how the pattern could work with the modifications I made.
Personally, I think the left front neckband’s decreases are tidier than the right (when you look at the photo, your right is the sweater’s left).
I also think that this yarn was possibly not the best for this pattern, in part because it is so busy, but also because of the looseness of the twist in the yarn itself. Still, the sweater is not obnoxious, and the details of the sweater up close, with this yarn, are nice. A solid color would be better. I do like the green buttons.
I have a few more rows to do on the left front before I begin the sleeves. I am thinking of making the sleeves 3/4 length, just because I prefer shorter ones. I always roll up or push my wrist-length sleeves. I have 8 buttons, and maybe I’ll put one on each sleeve as a decoration of sorts . . .
Ink, Yarn & Beer 