It’s the new year now, about 6:30am local time. I’m writing this from my phone, and the warm comfort of bed. Seize the moment, and all. The whole family stayed up until midnight, even the kids (6 & 7.5). We have been watching all the Marvel movies (in release order), last night we watched Shaung-Chi (ok, we went slightly out of order and will watch Black Widow today).
Yesterday I found myself bereft of projects, having finished so many “loose ends” the past few weeks. So about 8pm, I did the sensible thing; I cast-on a new sweater. No actual plans, so far it’s a top-down sweater. With the possibility of some color work.
All the yarn is deep stash. The blue is Shepherd’s Wool that I purchased a decade ago to make a sweater I never made. I have 5 skeins of this, BUT at least 2 different very close colors. If I recall, I have 3. But there is no telling for absolute certain, because I have LOST 4/5 ball bands since winding them (also 10 years ago). From memory it’s Lt. blue, Lt. turquoise, and Misty Blue (that’s the ball band I have). In the light of day maybe I can figure it out. The contrast is Noro Silk Garden, and is leftover from my Stained Glass Sally Cardigan. I have 2 skeins of this.
So far, I did a tubular cast-on, 8 short-rows for the back neck. Raglan increases, which I may abandon. Some 1×1 color. I’m not sold on how I’m going to incorporate my color, so today I’ll play around with that and possibly change the 2 rows I’ve done so far. The body is on 8/5mm. Both yarns bloom when soaked, I think. Neither are superwash.
Miscellaneous Design Studio 
2 responses to “NYE Cast-On Party.”
You mean you can just cast on a sweater without a pattern and go? Oh wow. I would live to have that kind of knitting magic in my brain. Very pretty color you have.
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Here is my thinking: A sweater has some basic parts: a neck, 2 arms, and a torso, and there are some traditional construction methods for putting these elements together. Some construction methods, like the top down raglan, are REALLY easy to modify into a unique design. And once you’ve made a few, it becomes exceedingly intuitive to know what comes next. Using NON-traditional construction methods require significantly more planning and calculation before starting..
The basic construction becomes a formula that you just plug different variables into.
I wanted a closer neckline, my favorite tubular edge, short rows at the back of the neck, and some colorwork to break up the overwhelming light BLUENESS of the yarn. I also want the color to be ABOVE my chest’s widest part so there is less pulling and tugging to distort the design. I am also going to add a bunch of short rows the the BOTTOM of the front edge so that it lays in line with the back (because of my ample chest) without having to make it boxy OR doing bust darts.
And then OFF I go!
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