Latest project (easy for experienced knitters but a good challenge for beginners) off the needles!

12/16/13
Finished and wearing :) Much of project is easy but entrelac may be a bit of a challenge for new knitters. Color work choices can make it harder - if you are more particular with how the colorways go together, you’ll be breaking the yarn more than if you just let it go as the balls dictate.
Spit splicing is a definite plus here - Gina is perfect for a little spit and some friction between your palms. I used it throughout, made all the yarn changes work easier.
I’m tall (5’10”) so followed another knitter’s idea and made the outer ring of the ribbing (3x2) a couple inches longer. The end result is that it looks great on my longer body. :)

Total project weighs 517g / 1lb 2 1/4 oz, putting it at 10 skeins and another 1/3. I used more skeins than this (probably about 12) because of color choices. Also, remember that I have an extra long ribbing because of my height.

12/1/13
Have been alternating between this (mindless knitting) and a lace jacket. Completed 1x1 ribbing, increased to 2x2 ribbing and now starting 3x2 ribbing (final increase before binding off). Piece (with knitting needles) weighs 11 3/4 oz or 331 grams. Since each ball weighs 1 3/4 oz, I’ve used about 6 2/3 balls. Technically, I’ve got 2 1/3 balls to go but I went back to yarnivore and stocked up so I have 4+ balls left. I feel better knowing I don’t have to stress about running out. :)

11/18/13
Fixed the entrelac and have the upper 4” of 1x1 ribbing done. Picked up the stitches from the waste yarn cast on (white thread in pics of entrelac) and have the 1.5” on the bottom done as well.

I mixed and matched some of the colorway to make the entrelac squares stand out better. Because of this, I can’t count balls to see how much I’ve finished. I have now connected the top & bottom of the entrelac/ribbing via the 8 st cast on. At this point, my work weighs 5 1/8 oz. Since each ball is 1 3/4 oz, this amounts to about 3 balls, or 1/3 of the 9 I’ll need to finish. Given that the outer edge doubles the number of stitches, it’s not a surprise to have so much yarn left at this point.

The 1x1 ribbing in Gina (with 10.5 needles) is lush, creating a lovely thick rib. I’m really happy with how this portion is turning out. Plus, Gina is soft enough on my hands to make me happy. It looks so much like Noro but it’s much softer. Still not as soft as good merino but it’s fine for this project.

11/13/13
Ripped this baby back to end of 2nd tier - fixing both the mess on 8th/9th tier and also reworking color run in 3rd tier.

11/11/13
Take $5 out. Preferably in quarters. Put in potty mouth jar because I just realized that I have not learned my lesson. What lesson, you ask? The “Don’t knit while sleeping” lesson. Sounds obvious until you see the results. But I’m getting ahead of myself….

After making great progress while watching Scandal, took the piece to knit on while we watched #2 son’s soccer/fitba matches in Houston (3.5 hour drive each way), so lots of time for knitting - worked lace project while on the drive (DH at the wheel), worked entrelac at the matches. Made great progress and quickly found myself at tier 8, rounding the corner to the 9th (making the 38” version, with 9th tier being the final tier). Emphasis on rounding the corner to 9th, BTW.
I’m now home and starting in on the finishing row of partial squares, powering through while watching some Downton Abbey (again, too fascinating to knit lace so doing something I don’t have to watch as much and that should be your first warning that I was just a little too comfortable….). So now, I’m almost to the last square of the final row and what do I see? ~~$5 in quarters in the potty mouth jar.~~ See two pics of the work where where the supposed-to-be-square but oddly-missing-pieces-of-the-puzzle are shown. Now I’m going to rip that sucker back and am even rethinking the color runs in the 3rd and 4th tiers. Gahhhh! Fortunately, it’s an enjoyable and fast knit. :)

11/8/13
On vacation, hanging with DH’s mum and watching Scandal. Great show - so much that I couldn’t concentrate on my lace jacket. So, cast on Gina’s vesty/shrug thing (don’t shrugs have sleeves?). Have done entrelac before, so it’s going smoothly. Have to say the pattern’s instructions for working in entrelac seem pretty good - those unfamiliar with entrelac would be the real test but hoping they find it similarly straightforward.

Worked the gauge swatch twice (first time on size 7, as gauge instructions indicate and found it too small so moved up to an 8). Cast on and made it to the fifth tier of blocks before my hands gave out. Because of my gauge adjustment, I went up a size from instructions (I used 10.5, 10, 9 when you change needles in each of the first tiers). For what it’s worth, I’ve used up 1 of the 9 balls I think I’ll need for the 38”. (I’m knitting up a size since I want a little more ease in the finished piece. The sample picture from Plymouth looks a little snug.)

Have to say I’m in love with each color that unspools from the ball. I also like that Gina is not as rough on my hands as Noro. :)

Pics
First pic is finished vest, from the back, on my LYS’s (Yarnivore) mannequin.
Second pic is from the front, with the lapels pulled in, where you can see how deep they are.
Third pic is the back, where the extra deep lapels, when folded back, cover the upper back.
Fourth pic is the front of the same, with lapels open.
Fifth is a close up of the colorway, which I love.
Sixth pic is of the bind off of the 2x3 rib.

Seventh & eighth pics are of the work that caused me to pull out about $5 in potty mouth money. See 11/11 entry. Bah!

Ninth & tenth are of the piece after 5th and 6th tiers. Both are taken in late afternoon sunlight, one against taupe blanket and one against grass, to give you a good sense of colors. Note waste yarn (white) at bottom of piece.

Eleventh pic is of swatch, again gorgeous colors, although these aren’t my favorite colors in this colorway.

Final pic is of the yarn on our back deck.