Hello Again

Hi.

First, let me say thank you to all of you who wrote and left comments to check on me.  I know I've been pretty silent - but I really do want you to know it made a difference to know you were thinking of me.  Life is still pretty erratic, but not as rough - I don't know if I'm just getting used to the chaos (probably), but I'm dealing (which is good) and laughing at myself (a lot), which is very good.  And somewhere along the line, I decided I needed to come up with something to occupy my mind so I decided to start designing a sweater.

Meet Eloise.  Her sketch is really pretty crappy and doesn't do her justice at all.  (I am so not good at the sketching so it's really cool looking.)  Anyway, Eloise was born from staring at a ball of really beautiful blue mercerized cotton I bought last year that really did NOT want to be the pattern I bought it for.  Or the next pattern I tried to use it for.  The bag sat in my stash and one ball sat on my table, with me waiting for it to tell me what it wanted to be.  Until one day I just picked it up and started swatching. 

She's a fitted cardigan with a moss stitch border edged with pearl beads and then the body is a 7 x 2 rib with pearl beads staggered in between the 2 purled rib stitches.  I'm pretty much writing the pattern as I go, and am a bit more than halfway up the back right now.  This picture is pretty true to the color (at least on my monitor) -

         

I worked the beads into the cast on, so the whole thing is edged with beads.  It was a big old pain in the ass to do, but I really like the way it looks.  I'm going to edge the sleeves and the collar with beads as well.  (And will probably be so sick of beads by the time I'm done, I'll never want to see another for a very long time.)  Here's a close-up (that isn't so true to color) of the ribbing which shows the beading a little better.

          

The decreases and increases were actually pretty easy to work out - now I've got to deal with the armscyes.  And btw... does anyone know where that word even came from?  Is it just because armhole doesn't sound as pretty or something?  Armscye.  What the hell kind of word is that???  And even more pertinent... can I actually figure out how to design one???? 

Ann Budd should be delivered tomorrow.  I'm hoping she can tell me.

Comments

[Carole]

I love the way the beads look and the color is terrific.

[trek]

Those beads make it really pretty!
Nice job there.

[Ko]

Great to have you back! That's going to be a beautiful sweater. Love the beads with the ribbing.

[Anita]

Good to see you back again, Kathy. I hope everything is going well for you. What a pretty project, I love the look of the beads in the knitting - makes a great fabric.

[Kira]

Looks as though you are doing a great job with the design! The blue and the beads look fabulous together.

I had never heard of armscyes until I read knitting blogs, and don't really know what it actually is!!

[Imbrium]

Prettiness! The beads may be a pain, but they look great!

[Lynda]

Wow - all that beading in the rib work is beautiful! What a great idea, you've got quite the eye! I'm in awe of those who can "make it up!" - and do such a stellar job!

[Sarah]

That is going to be one beautiful cardigan! I adore the color, especially with those pearly white beads. Can't wait to see the finished piece!

[Donna]

Glad you're back! Love the look of the sweater. What size beads did you use? I bought the yarn to make the cardigan "Joy" in Rowan Treasury of Knits, but had trouble finding beads to fit the yarn that weren't too big looking on the yarn. Yours look perfect! Love it!

[Stephanie]

Welcome back. Love the sweater and Ann Budd will be a huge help.

[Cara]

This is going to be beautiful! I just love the beads.