Can I start a thread for Jennifer Beale patterns?
Can I start a thread for Jennifer Beale patterns?
You just did! LOL Lot's to talk about for Jennifer Beale!
I am swatching for L'Anse-Au-Loup. I had a lot of a sport weight yarn from a Fair Isle pattern that I wasn't happy with it. My Fair Isle section is spot on right now. I need to block it and then knit a stockinette swatch
@Kim Doherty-Smith I finished my swatch of the Fair Isle. One end of the swatch is spot on gauge. The other end of the swatch is tighter. My average gauge is 25 per inch. The gauge of the pattern is 23. I like the drape and feel of this knitting. I think that if I went up a needle size, I would not like the feel of the fabric. Here's my concerns.
I could go up a pattern size to accommodate the gauge. That's ok. However I am short. I am 5:1", maybe now that my bones are shrinking. What occurred to me yesterday, is that I have short arms! The larger size Fair Isle band will be very long, not elbow length. My spun elbow to elbow is about 36 inches. This is only the second or third size at the most. HELP!
@Sheila Sakraida I haven't knit this pattern as you know, but I am confused a little about the fact that you got gauge on one end of your swatch and not the other end. And are we talking row gauge or stitch gauge? (Sometimes the row gauge is important in a JB pattern) I am guessing you tightened your gauge as you knit the swatch since you are talking about going up a needle size? Can you figure out why it tightened up? Is it the floats or is it the actual stitches and which part was your "comfortable" knitting part - meaning you were in the rythm of the knitting? What I am getting to here, is can you knit in the proper gauge since you did achieve it on part of the swatch. (Knowing that is advice I would normally not give - as you know.)
As for adjusting the pattern for the arms, I don't feel equipped to make a suggestion without having knit or even seen the pattern. Once you have your decision made on the gauge, you could send a message to Jennifer B. about adjusting the sleeve length.
@Kim Doherty-Smith I think that my gauge tightened up on the second half of the magic look. I have a message out for Jennifer on her Ravelry group about the sizing issue. I am thinking that I will be knitting the Fair Isle band in a size 3 and then increasing the front and back areas to my correct size. The good news with this sweater is that it is top downish. So, I will be trying it on as I go. I will need to increase the stitches very evenly over the band.
@Kim Doherty-Smith I forgot to say thanks for your input. I am sure that my Fair Isle gauge is more accurate on the first portion of the swatch. The second side just looks messy. I'm waiting for Jennifer to answer. She is one busy mama with Basil, designing and all of our other activities. What yarn did Jennifer knit her sweater in? I know that it was one of your yarns. I am tempted.
@Kim Doherty-Smith Jennifer replied on Ravelry. She said that I should knit the size 3 Fair Isle band. She could easily help me increase the size for the chest and hips. Now, I need some time to cast on the bands. Did I mention that I have a crazy 5 month old puppy who thinks that knitting is so much fun to try to grab!
I just finished my Saint Lunaire Griquet using Eldon lace. Jennifer's pattern was complicated but very easy to follow. I love how the stitch definition shows up so well on the plain colour. I used just over 3skeins of the Autumn Birch and less than 1skein of November Sky even though I lengthened the sleeves. I was knitting the 4th size. 
@Ruth Allan Really nice! One of the challenges with that pattern is getting a colour that really shows off the texture of the body. You nailed it! Stunning!
@Kim Doherty-Smith Thanks for asking Jennifer about the easiest of her patterns to knit. I bought Stepaside and then couldn't think of an Aran weight yarn in my stash. Today, I remember some yarn that I bought years ago at Stitches East. I bought it and then was afraid to knit it because it was a "good" yarn and my knitting skills weren't great. The yarn is naturally dyed with I think willow bark. I pulled it out of the stash and some Noro as the accent yarn. Both are old as the hills stash yarn. I'm impatiently watching my yarn coming from you all on the Shop APP. It's in Montreal for the weekend. I hope that it had some Poutine. ha ha. Seriously, my Rowan magazine was shipped from Great Britain and it hasn't arrived at my house yet. So, I can't even cast on the shawl/sweater that I bought the Blankie yarn for yet. So, I am going to swatch and try to knit Stepaside. I hope that it goes as quickly as Jennifer's Stepaside. I could use a heavy sweater for taking Curly to dog outside to play.
@Kim Doherty-Smith I got gauge with some stash yarn and I cast on Stepaside. I love the top down construction. I will post photos as I go as long as you don't mind that it isn't your yarn. I want to respect your mill and business. I wish that I had a smaller stash now I found your great yarns.
@Kim Doherty-Smith Kim , Jennifer recommended blueberry preserves as my contrast color for the Blankie. I just ordered three skeins of blueberry preserves and three extra Blankie. I plan on swatching for her New Years KAL.
Great! Have a wonderful holiday with lots of knitting!
@Kim Doherty-Smith Hi, Kim. I just got the contrast yarn for my Stepaside sweater. I am itching to knit a swatch but I need to finish my daughter's pullover first. I was knitting this Elizabeth Smith simple pullover so Lindsay can throw it on the walk the dog. I needed TV knitting that was all knit and purl stitches. I will probably swatch with Blankie today. I will swatch the stranded area soon.
@Kim Doherty-Smith I loved swatching with Signature. I needed to go down to a US 6 needle but I think I am close enough for gauge. 4.2 stitches per inch. Jennifer's gauge is 4.25 per inch. I just asked her on her group. Here's my swatch. I want to be sure of my needle size before I swatch the standed area.
@Kim Doherty-Smith I swatched for Stepaside. I learned a very important thing about swatching with your gorgeous yarn. I measured my gauge after 24 hours. The swatch felt dry. I measured it again at 72 hours when the swatch was completely dry. The gauge really changed! The slightly damp gauge was 4 stitches per inch. The completely dry gauge is 4.2 stitches per inch! What an eye opener. I will swatch the stranded area when I finish my Rainbow Chronical change sock today or tomorrow. I love knitting with the yarn. The fabric is so soft and squishy. I am eager to cast on the whole sweater but that won't happen until at least the beginning of next week. I'm letting my swatch get bone dry this time!
@Sheila Sakraida Yes, swatching is a science all on its own!
