UMA update

So for this UMA, I am knitting the sleeves in the round. This is such a time saver as I only have to do knit stitch. I was kinda nervous about ending the sleeve and starting the back but it was really easy....don't connect the round and start knit and purl. I will never do sleeves on straight needles again! No bulky seam up the arm and the sleeve to the back looks really clean.

Don't she look cute!

UMA v2 went to my sister Susan for her birthday. She lives in Chicago so UMA is knit from a thick wool/mohair blend.

Best of all, it fits her perfectly and will keep her very warm next winter.

A new take on UMA

I've done two UMAs, both in wool. Wool is probably the easiest fiber to knit with. It has give, moves easily between needles, and holds its shape. I wanted to do a summer weight UMA (and for those uninitiated to the UMA, UMA is a shrug....a long story) in cotton or a cotton blend. I found a hand-dyed cotton at So Much Yarn that I took a liking too. Shades of khaki green, gold and black. Cotton is not my favorite yarn to knit with. It has no give and doesn't hold its shape. To compensate, you have to knit on smaller needles so the project takes longer. I don't like knitting with cotton but I'm going to give it a shot.

Since cotton knits on a smaller needle than the manufacturer usually recommends, a gauge swatch is always in order. The gauge swatch determines the number of stitches per inch. Once you know the number of stitches per inch, you can determine the number of stitches you have to cast on to fit the pattern. Left is my gauge swatch on a size 9 needle and my revised pattern based on the gauge.

I cast on with my smaller needle to do the ribbed cuff and 4-inches in, I began to have doubts. Knowing that cotton will expand, I had concerns I would have huge ribbed cuffs and it wouldn't look so hot. So I ripped it out and went back to the drawing board. I did another gauge swatch with a size 8 needle and recalculated my pattern.

Then I was like, why do I need to have a ribbed cuff? I'd seen a pattern earlier that day for a knit kimono and I liked the long loose sleeve. This UMA is going to have an Asian flair with clean lines, wide sleeves, rolled cuffs and a one-inch knit border versus a 8-inch ribbed collar. I am also knitting the sleeves on circular needles which will speed things up since I will not have to knit and purl. At 20 inches in, I will not connect the round and start knit purl and then at 40 inches, connect the round again.

No crafting!

But soon, I hope! It seems I've been really busy, but I have a project to work on for Ian again. His mother requested a smaller version of his baby blanket. So I am planning to start working on that this month! More to come...

Work in progress

Many of you know my poncho wearing friend Brenna. I wear scarves, Brenna wears ponchos. Some of her ponchos have seen better days so for Christmas, I offered to knit her one. After months of procrastination, I finally started.

This project is going to be a challenge for me.

I dont like knitting that requires me to pay attention. As you can see from the photo, this pattern requires me to count! So I am using a handy dandy counter (thats the red thingee). It helps me track what row I am on. I also have to read the pattern out loud so I dont lose my place. As Sarah said, you cant watch the Food Network and knit this pattern at the same time.

My goal is to have it done in two weeks. Next on the list, a summer weight UMA for me!