07-08-2016

My plan for the Fringe and Friends KAL--improvised top-down is a chunky knit cropped sweater with a split hem and wide raglan increases worked in a simple cable while the rest of the sweater is in stockinette. (See swatch and sketch.) Yarn is 100% kempisch heideschaap in worsted weight, a breed specific yarn made in holland

16-08-2016

Spent the weekend doing “sweater maths” and planning out how I would do my raglan increases and how often to cable. After it all looked good on paper, I CO to test things out, but then didn’t like the way things looked. The cables looked too smushed together and I didn’t like how the M1R and M1L increases were looking right up next to the Purl row of the raglans. My second CO trail had the raglan seams much wider and I increased using M1R/M1L one stitch before the marker, and I liked the way that looked more but then the neck was way too wide.

Third CO test worked out the best! I decided to increase using Yarn-Overs instead so that I could increase every 3rd round to have a more slopping raglan and also to cable every 6th row instead of every 4th row to have the cables have a more spread out look. So far so good!

22-08-2016

As we all know, not all yarns are created equal so I thought I’d take the opportunity to gush about the yarn I’m using for my #fringeandfriendskal2016 sweater. It is the perfect balance of sheepy/squishy and is an undyed 4-ply, 100% wool from kempisch heideschaap. The heideschaap are a rustic Dutch that are used for vegetation management in the heath and heathers, so their wool is known for being durable and hearty. I’m always when I see all the local and breed specific yarn available in the US and UK. Here in Holland there is no equivalent to something like @britishwool so it has taken me some time and research to find local Dutch yarn, especially factoring in the language barrier. However I was so excited to find “wools of holland” which is run by #uilenstad, a fiber farm in the south of the country that produces small batches of sheepy yarn from their own flock of Shetlands and also gathers wool from other Dutch sheep breeds to turn into yarn. I’m really liking how this yarn makes cables have great stitch definition and also can’t wait to have a hand knit sweater from local yarn! .

24-08-2016

Look neckline complete! I tried a few different things and did a lot of ripping out and starting over before settling on the “lighter” look of this garter stitch neckline. My original plan for 2x2 ribbing and folding it over and seaming ended up looking too aesthetically heavy. I uploaded a photo of that version onto ravelry (id: halfcrystalline) if anyone is curious. I’m enjoying the slow process of tweaking the design as I go along. Now onwards to the sleeves and body.

29-09-2016

Turned the fan on to speed up drying and it worked. Only took 5 days to dry compared to the usual 1-1.5 weeks. So this ivory cable raglan beauty is complete! All it is waiting for now is for some FO photos, to be continued as I wait for some decent Dutch weather.