See My Vest!

I know it’s been a while since I posted, but I have been very focused on finishing a particular item.

With only three items to go in my quest to rid Bacchus Marsh of its troublesome  UFOs, I launched into some “real” knitting. A proper garment and not just a scarf of hat or toy. Yes, I finished my vest.

This is my own pattern – a very simple vest with ribbed bands. In retrospect I should have included some short-row shaping across the bust, or made the “V” a lot deeper. Still, I’m happy with it and I feel a great sense of accomplishment having it finally finished.

I used 4mm needles (3.25mm on the ribs) and two strands of Araucania sock yarn – one variegated and one semi-solid. The bands are made two strands of the semi-solid only.

Despite being the middle of summer, we have a cool day here in Melbourne so I actually got to wear my new knit. How cool is that?

I’ve also taken another item out of the UFO basket – but not because I’ve finished it. The shawl made of Filatura Di Crosa Superior Lace Weight yarn. Knitting with Superior is like knitting with spiderwebs and just as hard to unravel.

I’ve decided that this 15% completed shawl can graduate from UFO to WIP*. I’m teaching a shawl design class in May and I want to finish it up for then, but before this class I’m teaching garment and hat design classes so the samples and demo items for those classes will have to take precedence. So this shawl has been promoted to a current but non-urgent piece.

That leave only one UFO to go. I hope to finish it tonight and post the details in two days, but tonight I’m going to indulge in some gratuitous swatching.

*(work in progress)