FO: Apres Surf Hoodie

Wow, has it really been that long?  I’ve been meaning to post for ages, but so much of my life has been non-knitting related lately, it’s hard to find much to write about.  In a quick and dirty, chronological-ish summary, since my last post 2 months ago I’ve trained for and run my first half marathon, gotten engaged to an amazing man, starting training for another half to run with my best friend, decided to become a doctor (because you can totally decide things like that in a matter of weeks), studied for and taken the MCAT (to get into med school), hung out with sister and sent her off to Bolivia, and finally had some time to knit and finished the Apres Surf Hoodie!

Pattern: Apres Surf Hoodie from Interweave Knits Summer 2008
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fine in Dusty Sage (#380), 2 cones
Purchased at: Lorien Alpacas
Needles: Addi Turbo US 3 and 4
Gauge: 26 st and 36 rows to 4 inches
Size: 35 1/2
Mods: Knit in the round; otherwise knit exactly to pattern

The pattern: This is the first pattern I’ve knit by Connie Chang Chinchio and won’t be the last.  I love everything about the final result and the pattern was super easy to follow.  This was one of those rare knits where I made no fit or sizing modifications to the pattern and it came out perfectly.

The yarn: I think Cotton Fine (and it’s worsted counterpart Cotton Fleece) can be kind of kit or miss for people.  I personally don’t like working with Cotton Fleece but like the final garment.  Cotton Fine on the other hand is really easy to work with, not like kitchen twine at all and also produces beautiful FOs.  I’m guessing that the recommended Rowan Cashcotton has a bit more softness and drape, but the Cotton Fine is a perfectly lovely and cost-effective substitute.  I picked up these 1,000-yard cones for $14 a piece and will maybe even have enough of the second to squeeze out an Orangina.

Modifications: My only mod was to knit in the round, which is very easy until you split for the neck.  There’s one small issue here for the inch you knit between splitting for the neck opening and splitting for the armholes.  Each round starts at the side so when you get to the neck split round, you knit across the left front, bind off the center stitches and then knit across the right front and back to end the round.  This is where your dilemma begins-if you then knit across the left front to the neck split and turn your work and knit back, your left front will be one row ahead of the rest of your sweater and you’ll be working the lace pattern on the wrong side for either the left front or the rest of the sweater.  That’s really no problem if you don’t mind figuring out left and right-leaning decreases on the wrong side, but I was feeling lazy so this was my solution starting with the neck opening round:

Work across left front side xx stitches, bind of center xx stitches, work around right front and back to start of round. Break yarn. Rejoin yarn at left front neck opening with wrong side facing. Purl.  Easy peasy.

Overall impressions: Love. It.  Want another woolly one for the winter.

Up next: Gah!  Who knew deciding on a new project could be so hard!  I finally pulled out my notes on the Twisted Stitch sweater to see where I stalled and why I haven’t picked it up again and my problem is deciding how to work the boatneck.  I just can’t decide where it should start–at the same length as the back or lower?  Anyway, if I can figure that out tonight, I will probably suck it up and make myself finish that sweater before starting another project just because I can’t stand having UFOs lying around mocking me.  I have yarn for the Riding to Avalon hoodie but don’t feel much like knitting another hoodie right now and I don’t want to make the ASH share its wear time.  I also bought Rowan Denim to knit Kim Hargreave’s Joy, but now I’m not so sure I want to have a denim cardigan and I’m thinking about using the yarn for the Indigo Ripples Skirt instead.  I have the yarn for Autumn Rose (Ravelry link) but not the needles and I have the yarn for the Bubble Pullover (Rav link) but lost the pattern!  And even with all that yarn and more lying around my coffee table, I am infatuated with tons of currently yarnless designs from Twist Collective and (somewhat surprisingly) Camden (only with real sleeves) from the new fall Knitty.  And I frickin’ can’t decide.  Guess I really should just finish the Twisted Stitch sweater…