Ah so last week I Cast On for Donegal designed by Alice Starmore using the Rowan Donegal Tweed as called for in Celtic Collection. I have had the yarn stashed away for this sweater for many, many years and admired the garment since I first saw it when the book came out. Yes Iam known for my procrastination. I finished the ribbing and started the stranded color pattern this weekend. Now Sheila-mamam had inquired about how to fix a problem a few years ago while knitting so I immediately incorporated my suggested solution. I am not sure I am happy but its hard to tell after one piddly round. Here is a shot of the ribbing inside and out…. gotta get the yarn porn in sometimes:
Believe it or not I actually belong to a knit-along for this baby and am now officially several years behind.
Inquisitive readers may be interested in discovering what yarn I purchased last week. 10 hanks of Tahki Donegal Tweed in shade #845. It’s a lovely deap purple most often called aubergine by me. I have been wanting to acquire 10 hanks of this yarn for quite a while to knit up Rogue. I even discussed knitting it last fall with a friend to wear to MS&W since it seems to be a blog thingie to have a festival sweater knit under the wire. Alas my printer is out of ink and every time I suggest my going out to purchase a new cartridge my husband says he has one already and will put it in poste haste. Poste Haste has lasted 2 years. So I swatched my yarn for several garments including Denmark Gefjon on pg 60+ of Knitters issue #53. This issue is particularly lovely if you are wondering which back issues are worth having btw.
Now there are a few problems with this pattern IMO. It comes in 2 sizes~38 and 49″ and is long. 33″ for the size 49″ Now I am not particularly short. 5’4″ is supposed to be avg but I have worn dresses shorter than that. I resigned myself to figuring out how many sts to cast on to achieve a normal length{the sweater is kinda A-line with regular decreases until yoke pattern is reached} and also closely eyed that deap V and wide collar treatment, which I am not sure I totally approve of. My swatch was beautiful. Hey I swatched!
And good thing too. I decided that Donegal Tweed was nowhere near as drapey as Lopi Lite[never have knitted it] and the whole A-line thing wasn’t gonna work. Scratch Gefjon back to Rogue. Husband be damned I am sitting at the computer glued to the instructions and skipping from one page to another to another. I want my printer fixed. Oh and here is the sleeve so far:
I am starting to wonder if the yarn is too dark and flecky for the pattern. Not that I would ever do it in a pastel but I may be being impatient. Anybody feel up to saying Elka you can’t begin to see the cabling?
Ok enough of my aimless knitting expose. Have a great yarny day and knitterly evening you alls!
