My inspired Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet

A few weeks ago I was cleaning out the craft room and found a bag of acrylic I had purchased for gifts about a year ago. I had the intention of knitting scarves for Christmas gifts, but I was too busy and I was not interested as much in knitting at the time. (I know, the HORROR!) Well, it didn't take too long for me to be hit hard by the knitting bug, and to find I preferred nicer colors, and thinner yarn. I knew I had this yarn somewhere, but never could find it.

Now that I have, my stash has gotten bigger, and I would like to rid myself of the bulky stash filler. I had queued the Anthropologie-inspired capelet awhile ago, and I had a quiet enough bulky weight, so casting on I went. The knit went pretty fast, but I could see that I would have a lot left. Now lately I've been finishing off skeins with about 11 yards left. (This is called fore-shadowing) Too much for me to throw away, but not enough to find a project. I had incentive to try to use up as much as I could. So I decided to add a lace edge.

A few months ago I had seen a lace cover-up that I loved. I charted the pattern as best I could (and I'm sure weirded out the kid wearing it). Of course, I left the pattern at work so, I used A Gathering of Lace to look for an arrow-head like pattern. I had 89 stitches on the body, and while there was a 12 stitch repeat pattern I really liked, I found a nice 8 stitch. With 11 repeats this would make 88 stitches. I decreased on in the middle of the back, and I began to plot.

The sleeves only had 38 stitches, so I would need to increase somehow. I decided a simple row of eyelets would not only make the increases on the sleeves invisible, but would allow me to add a decorative ribbon. This turned out the be the hardest part. An eyelet every 8 stitches would make an even pattern. The FIRST time I knit on the body, I had the incite to make the first eyelet only 4 stitches in so they would be even in the front. Unfortunately I actually made them every 9 stitches, so I was completely wrong. The SECOND time, I found out I had an odd number of eyelets and it would make the ribbon come out on the inside of the capelet on one side. For the THIRD time, I made them every 4 stitches (thus doubling the number of eyelets and ensuring the ribbon came out right), but found out at the end that I had forgotten to make the first eyelet at half the repeat. This made the first one three stitches in from the "buttonband", but the last one right on it. I couldn't let that go, so I knit it a FOURTH time. The lace went easier. The only other real "fub" I had to fix was that I originally cast-off with a picot on every stitch. It reminded me of a cheap fringed jacket from the 70's. I decided to make one at every point in the lace.

I messed up a bit on the sleeves. I made one eyelet a stitch off, but it ended up matching up with the lace. Unfortunately I didn't notice until after I didn't get the same result on the other sleeve.

I then killed it so it would drape. I am currently adding some embellishments to the picot points. While this is a potentially reversible knit, the lace and the soon to be added extras will make it a preferred stockinette side. I haven't been able to look for ribbon, but I hope to fix that soon.
PS: This is what I had left:
Yep. 11 yards.

Pictures galore!

So, I was properly shamed after the last post and I immediately got dressed and took pictures of all my projects.

I finished a pair of hats and a pair of fingerless mitts. (Although, when I described them as such to my family, they didn't really get the picture. A better description became wrist warmers with a thumb .)

First up:Pattern: Odessa by grumperina
Yarn: Crystal Palace Merino 5 in white
Needle size: 6
Started: June 20
Completed: June 22

After I made my mother's Odessa, I knew I wanted one for myself. I bought two of these skeins, but found that the hat as written would take a little of the second. I decided to end the hat a little early to save the entire second skein. The hat is a little small, but I think I can live with it. It yarn did break A LOT as I threaded the beads. One ply would break, then the rest would quickly follow. But don't worry, the yarn got it's revenge. I actually broke my big eye needle too working on this .

Next:
Pattern: Black Sea Hat by; grumperina
Yarn: Most of one skein of Frog Tree Pima Silk in purple
Needle Size: 4
Started: June 22
Completed: July 1

I had purchased two skeins of this yarn at the closing of Knitter's Playground in Davis, in order to make a hat for my mom. I did make the hat (the Odessa), but it only took one skein. I decided to make this hat for myself with the leftovers, but couldn't find the beads. So I used the extras from MY Odessa.

Then:
Pattern: Fetching
Yarn: Crystal Palace merino 5 in white
Needle: 5
Started: July 2
Finished: July 4

I am working on stash busting as well as my summer goals. Since Odessa only took up one skein, I decided to make these out of the second one. I still have 11 yards left, but I consider it used up or all intents and purposes.

And because I never can be idle:

This is Anthopologie-inspired Capelet. I added a few modifications, and since this is a long enough post (although slightly dry) I'll post about it tomorrow.

Confessions

I have not been blogging for two reasons, and I am going to be perfectly honest here. One, I have been busy outside of the house for the last week, and time in the house without the husband has been limited. Let me clarify that. I do not blog when the husband is around. Why you might ask. "Are you making a concerted effort to spend evenings together?" No. In fact, it is a normal occurance for the TV to be on, and both of us to be on our laptops all at the same time. Usually one of us is watching the TV and surfing (me) or writing (him), while the other watches a show on their laptop (some anime for him, and Doctor Who for me). The fact I don't write the blog in front of him is because I don't really want him involved. He has to deal with my knitting obsession every other time of the day and the blog is so I don't have to tell him EVERYTHING. Bottom line, I blog to save his sanity.

Reason two, and here is where the ugly truth comes in. I have been knitting, and in fact have finished a few projects, but I refuse to call them finished on Ravelry, or talk about them here unless I get a picture. I have not taken pictures of my FOs because I would like natural light to have good pictures, but to get natural light you have to go outside and to go outside (here's the kicker) you have to get dressed. And I don't want to.

It is hot here in my little part of the world, and I won't turn on the air conditioner. (I also can't, but that's another story.) So getting up the effort to put on jeans in 90-100 degree heat is just not worth it, especially if I'm only going to have to go out in the horribly smoky heat, just to come in 5 minutes later, strip off the heavy clothes and return to my cotton jammies. (You might be able to guess where abouts I live from that.) I will get pictures soon. Maybe even today. After reading that back, I'm a little ashamed of myself. I'm an adult, I probably should make an effort to get dressed when I'm not sick.


Oh, in case you're all wondering what I do when it comes to work, I'm on vacation. So it's not like I'm walking into an office in bunny slippers and a robe or anything,