Progress post and thanks

Hi, all! I've been following this knitalong for quite a while, and I appreciate everyone posting about the problems they've had. I used a provisional cast-on to avoid being surprised by the "my i-cord is too short" problem later on in the process (especially in blocking!). The directions aren't unclear, but aren't well-written, so I'm avoiding anything irrevocable like cutting yarn until I finish. I found it interesting how the small size is proportionally more shapely than the medium size. As I read the directions, I've noticed that in most places, the small size has as much shaping as the medium, though it's not as large.

Anyway, this isn't a quick knit, but it's a lot easier than I expected, so it's been very relaxing.

Great News

Look - My Ballerina is blocking and she's almost done.



I am so glad that I did it this way. Now that I have blocked her I can see that I only need a neat little edging on the cuff of about 5 ridges. If I had followed the pattern to the letter and done 13 ridges - it would have been waaaaaay too long. So thank you ladies for your input. I can't wait to get this baby finished and handed over to my Mum - I hope she really likes it, this has been a cathartic knit for me. I started it when I moved to Oman - knitted it whilst I was pregnant - knitted it after I lost my twins at 15 weeks and it has really seen me through my emotional and physical recovery. I means a lot to me and so I hope it means a lot to my Mum and it is something she will wear and think of me.

I'll try to post a picture of my Mum wearing it if I can get her to pose in it for long enough !

Thanks again ladies - you have all been of great help to me.

Started my Mermaid

I got my kit a couple of weeks ago but had to finish another project. A "Twisted Sister" pattern that looks very suspiciously similar Hanne's DACAPO Actually not really similar but it looks exactly like but what do I know.Either way I love the pattern and have knitted it a couple of times, this one is rayon/cotton/wool mix light weight for the cool summer evenings.

At last I can start my Mermaid, I got it from CucumberPatch and the colors are #2 Spring Green/Disty Green/Green Lovat



First off the colors look totally different in person than on my computer or for that matter the color photograph they sent me in the kit. I happen to like green and I'm not that fussy about shades of green so I'm pleased. The second problem I had was trying to figure out which ball was which green, they are very close. I may be a little slow but just a little tiny label telling me which ball is called Dusty Green vs. Green Lovat or Spring Green would have helped. But I guess I managed to figure it out.

Then the iCord! Shish! First I thought I would knit it on my machine which is the easiest way, nope the gauge was just not right, then I tried my hand held gadget "Embellish Knit" which is great but the gauge was just not right on this one either. Then I bit the bullet and knitted it by hand, the pattern tells me to use a half size larger needle, so I did size 3 1/2 but the gauge was just not right on that one either so far this is the third iCord and picking up 181 sts.

I did a gauge each time on a few rows but that just did not give me the true gauge it looked right 20 or so rows but when I did the 181 sts it puckered. Fourth try was the charmer, I used size 5 dp needles and hand knitted all 181 or so rows of iCord and picked up the 181 sts! At last the right gauge no puckering looks nice and straight.

Then I had to make peace with the "wrong side" front. I guess she had to decide where to make the wrong side up by the neck or down at the bottom. I am now at peace with this it took a bit of getting used to but you really can't tell.

So far so good, the pattern seems a bit easier than the first Hanne Falkenberg project the Ballerina I knit a few months ago. The instructions seem to be a little better or maybe I have experience with her style of pattern writing. I will post the progress.

I can tell I will love this sweater......

So I'm knitting along and the piece is getting bigger and bigger, resting in my lap...you guessed it ... it's HOT....wool ...it's the first day of summer and it is warm. I can't knit a wool sweater in this heat! So I decided to make a cottom version, no stripes just the shape..I call it "the Parrot" because of the colors.

All cotton in this lovely rusty multi color. The gauge is about the same as the Hanne wool but it's cotton and light weight. This is a great knit! I love knitting it especially skipping the stripes. I think I'm only going to make a vest, no sleeves, I'll post pictures as I progress....

Hanne Hindenburg?

Well after a two week delay, I've finished the body. The delay came when I ran out of red yarn because I've been knitting with the wrong colors. Jennie was kind enough to point that out to me. However, I very much like the color combination I accidently invented. I'm more a red than a pink person. So, I had to figure out how to get more yarn. I know that this is Shetland yarn, and I know from Ana that HF does not sell extra yarn, so I went to Schoolhouse Press which sells Shetland in the same weight. I ordered two each of several reds, and one was pretty dang close.
I also decided that I don't care for the knitted-into i-cord on one side, so I cut out the beginning, and did an i-cord bind off all around the collar after I sewed it together. I sewed this thing up by hand, and I didn't care for it, so I ran it through my sewing machine, and I'm happy. The ridges match up well. If I were to do this again (which I will for what this pattern cost me!) I would knit the body beginning in the first few color ridges, sew it up, and then knit the entire collar on to avoid the seam on the neck. All in all, save the two weeks I stopped breathing, I've enjoyed this project.

Hanne Falkenberg Knitalong

Hanne Falkenberg Knitalong
well, i have finely got up the nerve to start my mermaid. after finishing a few other things i had on the needles, its time to take the plundge.thank you amy for the spread sheet its what i needed to really get me going. wish me luck
happy knitting
Trude

Amy's spreadsheet....

Amy your spreadsheet for the Mermaid is Brilliant! Thank you for sharing it with us. I only wish I had one for the Ballerina when I was knitting it. The version I wrote out is nowhere near what you did for the Mermaid. I think all patterns should be done in a spreadsheet it makes following directions so easy.

Thanks again.

Blocking my Ballerina

I thought I'd ask a little bit of adivce from you ladies. I have nearly finished my Ballerina now and am getting ready to block her. I was wondering - do you think I should block her first and then do the cuffs or should I do the cuffs first and then block her - I'm a little worried that if I knit the cuffs first and then block her the sleeves will end up too long as I won't know how much she will grow and therefore what the finished sleeve length should be before blocking - am I making sense ?! I don't want the sleeves to be way too long, so should I block her and then add the cuffs and hope they don't grow too much after knitting ? What do you think.

Becky

Hanne Falkenberg Knitalong

Hanne Falkenberg Knitalong
Woo!!! woo!!! I am finished with the Mermaid. Too late to wear it in CT this season but it gives me something to look forward to this fall! thanks to amy's spread sheet I has few problems completing the project and it seemed to go fasted than I expected. I will post a picture when my son returns from China with the digital camera. I have to say this is the first sweater my family has loved and oohed over. A friend wants me to make he one but I have Pagode in my next to knit list. Has anyone on this list made Pagode yet? I am in he middle of a Twisted Sister's pattern in cotton (mitered stripes) and the cotton is killing my hands. I hope to get it finished soon so I can begin the Pagode.

Half a Mermaid sleeve

Thanks for all your help with the sleeves. I decided to start with 92 stitches (size M) instead of 102.

Now I am halfway through the first sleeve and I think it's going to work fine.

By the way, I started with a provisional cast on, good description at Knitty, then I easily can knit it together.

Ballerina Pattern Question

Hi there - I wonder if anyone can help me - I am currently knitting Ballerina and I am on the last front triangle - however I have a slight problem in that I have a water stain in a vital bit of the pattern. So the pattern goes:

Right Front Triangle in Col A: Dec 1 st every 6th ridge 10 times. Cont edge sts
Ridge 1: K5, TURN, yo, k to end of row.
Ridge 2: k to previous yo, k yo tog with the follosing st, K1, TURN, yo, work to end of row.
Rep ridge 2 until last ridge from RS ends. K yo tog with the foll row, ????? end of row. Knit 1 last row from WS.

Can anyone fill in the ???? for me ? I'm so close to finishing this puppy - I'd love to get it done as soon as I can. I guess I could make it up, but I'd really like to get it right.

If anyone could help me I'd be very grateful indeed. Many thanks in advance.

Becky x

For Bronwyn

Here is the gauge. I think I'm about right with that. Also included in the picture is ALL of the red yarn I have left. I am really nervous about running out given that I've got three more gussets and trim to go. I finished the first ball before the half way point. I figure if I run out, Hanne owes me some Tomato colored wool. I don't have my tape measure at my house, so I'm not sure of the length. I would enjoy this project more if I were not nervous about the yarn supply.
Alright, lets see your progress!

Mermaid Progress

I am loving this project! I wish I could work on it every day, I think I'd have it done in a week if I had a week to work. I thought I'd get bored with the endless garter stitch, but I've just enjoyed working through the pattern and watching the texture appear on my needles.

What about the sleeves?

I have finished the body of the Mermaid. My arms are rather short so if anyone could offer advice how to make the sleeves shorter before I start knitting I will be grateful.

Ordered the Mermaid

I don't know what I was thinking but all of you inspired me to start another HF project. The Mermaid in the Spring Green/Dusty Green combination. I'm anxiously waiting for the ups man.

Now that I found this "knitalong" I'm a little braver so if I have questions or problems I know where to go for help. When I first started my first Ballerina I was so confused and asked anybody who would listen, but finally I figured it all out.

Mermaid Question

I am coming along on the Mermaid in reds. I must admit I am nervous about running out of red. I got two balls of red and two balls of orange, and the rest is coral, but I swear there is not enough red, and I'm knitting the small. Did I receive the correct configuration of yarn?
I'm so glad this blog is here!

after seeing the wonderful results on this blog,i fell in love with the mermaid pattern.after saving many pennies, i have ordered my own mermaid kit(#7) from cucumberpatch.has anyone else used them?
happy knitting

A month ago...

...I started my first HF project the Mermaid jacket. So far it's really a pleasure.

I think this is the first project of this size I have knitted evening after evening without getting tired and wanting to start another project at the same time.

Much of the credit I give to Amy's spreadsheet. I can recommend all new starters to use it. It really makes everything a lot simpler. Thank you very much for sharing, Amy.

Starting the Mermaid

Well, I did at first think the yarn is itchy, but as I've worked with it for a few hours now, it seems to be softening as I knit. Or, I'm just getting used to it. Either way, I am really enjoying watching it come together. I LOVE texture, and this is not disappointing. Even as I knitted through the initial rows of Coral, the heathered yarn makes the fabric really lovely, and it wasn't even that boring to knit. I was worried. This is going to be one of those projects that I will be in a hurry to finish, and this can be a problem as I will cut corners where ever I can. I don't want to do that here. I just have to remind myself how much money I spent for this kit. That should keep me in line!

Mermaid SOS!!!

KnitDoc-KNIT!

I've been lurking reading and looking at all the beautiful Hanne's out there. I'm nearly done with the body of my Mermaid - I think it's number 10 - it's black and grey with the cyclamen gussets. Everyone I show it to is pretty impressed. The problem is I must have shown it one too many times and LOST my pattern!!! I've called everyone I know to see if I dropped it in their car, at their house, etc...

Anyway, I obviously am in need of some help here before I just wind up breaking down and buying a second kit for the last page of the instructions.

I can post a picture - probably in a week or more - I'm going out of town tomorrow - if you need proof that I really bought this thing. Could someone pretty please find it in their heart to send me just the first part with the collar shaping as well as the I-cord attachment and the entire sleeve instructions as the end? I've been working on this thing since January - actually started the day my mother died in frigid Wisconsin as therapy.

As we all know knitting is the best therapy and I couldn't continue the project I'd been doing at the time which was actually the felted clogs that I was making for her upcoming birthday. Yeah - as I packed to rush to the hospital I found the first clog and knew she'd never wear them. So, I threw the Mermaid in the suitcase since I'd no idea how long I'd be there.

OK, OK, this is getting too maudlin. I just hope someone out there will take pity on me and send me a partial copy which I promise to not share or sell to anyone, anywhere.

You can e-mail me at asecord@prodigy.net

Mermaid Beginnings

بسم الله الرحمن الريم
I realized upon reading the directions that the needles are not US 3, but 3mm, or US 2. Glad I read. I usually just start knitting, and make a pattern of my errors, but I figured this cost me too much money to do that. I've been knitting with a bit of alpaca lately, and I must say I'm spoiled by the softness of that fiber. This is much more coarse, but I really like the bit of heathering in the yarn. If only I had more time...