Colorful Colorica

Pattern: Colorica by Romi Hill (Link to pattern page on Designs by Romi.com🔗)

Started: June 26, 2023

Finished:

Made for: Síle aka Me

Yarn: Briggs & Little Sport (430yds/393m = 113g; 100% wool)

• ??g of "56 Mauve" (start wght: 72g; end wght: ?g) = ???yds
• ??g of " Light Green" (start wght: 94g; end wght/ ?g) = ??? yds

Needle sizes: main - 3.75mm; smaller - 3.5mm

Notes & Photos:

Joining in with the Summer of Lace KAL in @Romi’s Studio.
I really love the look of this sweater and I think it’s time to actually knit one of Romi’s sweaters; I own all of the patterns!
I’m starting with Mauve and then we’ll see where my fancy takes me. I have sooooo many colors of B&L Sport on hand

I'm also participating in the Budget Sweater MAL, which is the brainchild of Ruth at Orchard House Editing and Design, Marcella Chang Knits, and Ruth N. This is the second year, and the focus is knitting a sweater in 4 months (WIPs are acceptable; it's very relaxed; July 1-Oct 31), using stash and/or inexpensive yarns. Knowing me I'll probably cast on before the "start date" lol

Here is my starting ball of yarn; I'll be swatching later today or Sunday:

June 26: Swatching day! I'm starting with a 3.75mm; pattern recommends 3.5mm but my needle gauge is still AWOL so going with what I know the size of. I have a 3.25mm on standby. Pattern gauge is 24 sts and 30 rows = 4 inches

later (11:53pm NDT): My gauge with the 3.75mm needle is 21.5 sts & 34 rows = 4 inches. I like the fabric I’ve gotten with this needle and this yarn.

I don’t have an identifiable 3.5mm needle but I have a 3.25mm one and will see what I get with that

later (June 27: 1:58am NDT): My gauge with the 3.25mm needle is 26 sts & 42 rows = 4 inches. So closer to the 24sts but wowsers on the row gauge! I need to figure out which of these needles is my 3.5mm, and see how close it comes stitchwise. Row wise I’m going to have to go with actual measurements instead of the gauge because there’s no way I’m getting 30 rows = 4inches without using a way bigger needle and throwing my stitch gauge way off

July 3: I worked up a swatch on a 3.5mm needle Saturday night at the music before the fireworks. Time to check the gauge! 27sts & 36 rows. I'm going to retry a swatch on the 3.25mm needle. I think maybe I wasn't relaxed when I did the first couple. I was definitely relaxed on Saturday, listening to the music and enjoying the evening

July 5: Knit another swatch with the 3.75mm needle; 24sts & 38 rows. I can easily add rows in. I’m going to use the 3.75mm needle for this project. Finally! I’ll get to start! 

July 6 (12:51am NDT): I have provisionally casted on the 199 sts needed for my size (48" bust). Whew! Now I can start by knitting a row with my C1, which is the Mauve.

later (3:24pm NDT): I have finished the row of Estonian (Vikkel) braid :) And yay for learning something new! :D I started it using my working needle but found after about 10-12 sts it looked a little sloppy. Then I watched Romi's teeny tiny tutorial (I love the 3t videos! I can sit and watch them for hours) and she used a smaller needle. So I restarted the braid and it's quite cute now 

July 7 (4:55am NDT): Finished through section 3 :)

I'm so enjoying this knit. It's been awhile since I did any lace, and I think I needed the balance of it versus all the cables and denser knitting I've been focused on lately. Onto section 4, short rows, later on :)

July 8: Before bed last night, I finished the short rows :) So I have 6 rows (for my size rows 3&4 are repeated 2x) left and I get to move to C2 and section 5. I want to get a photo of the finished shortrows section first though

later (4:23pm NDT): And done the last 6 rows of section 4 :)

I’ve decided to use Light Green for my C2. I have an affinity for purples and greens together. I have 94g of Light Green

July 9

Caught up on Romi’s Youtube lives last night :) Such an incredible amount of lace knowledge! 

July 27 (4:04am NDT): Finally cooled down enough that I can knit wothout the yarn sticking to my hands! I’ve just completed row 8 (of the 15 I need) of the stockinette part of section 5. Excited to move onto section 6, and start the front of this sweater soon!

July 28 (12:38am NDT): Need to take the current live sts and put them on hold, take out the provisional CO, and get those sts back on the working needle, and then I can start section 6; shaping the neckline and shoulders. That's also a return to C1. 

later (1:24pm NDT): Didn't take a pic earlier, so here's what the back is looking like before I start section 6:

Ready to start the neckline and shoulder shaping :) A small number of short rows to get this underway...

July 29 (2:13am NDT):** Completed the short rows and have started section 7. I have the prov CO 20sts and will add those to the front as per the instructions. I tried to get a pic of the shot rows but it doesn't really show them that well 

August 13 (5:28am NDT): So I stayed up to finish the C1 part of section 8. I'm on the last row! And have run out of this ball. I have another hank of this same color/dyelot, I was just hoping to not need to join it in only to cut it again. Oh well, at least I have a second hank. And this tells me if I'd started with the full hank rather than the partial ball leftover from Sistwerp's fingerless mitts, I would've had enough to not run out on the left side. Live and learn! Here's the pic:

August 22 (1:33am NDT): Found the second hank of mauve. I put it in a "safe place" *facepalm* I need to learn not to do that lol! Hoping to get section 8 finished sometime this week :)

October 29: Ok, that took me way too long to actually wind that ball *facepalm* And I needed it for less than a full row! lol

Onto the second half of section 8 (C2) now. photo to add

November 9: Sailed through section 9 and already part way through section 10! Starting C2 of this section photo to add