hiya!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to say hi & introduce myself. I'm Carole, aka strangelittlemama. I live in beautiful Albuquerque, NM, with my husband and two kids.
I am so excited about knitting this gorgeous sweater!!! I will probably start mine at the beginning of November, since I have GOT to finish a last-year's Christmas gift, and I'm also working on socks for Socktoberfest! I'm looking forward to watching you all get started, though.
I think I am going to use some yarn I have had in my stash since I started knitting. It's Paton's Classic Merino. I've become pretty yarn-snobby and don't usually knit with Paton's, but it's a pretty olive color, and it feels very soft. Has anyone else knit with this yarn? What is your experience with it?

Also, just so you know, I'm helping Bonne Marie run the KAL. Obviously, pattern questions are best directed to her, but I'm more than happy to help if you have any problems with posting, loading pictures, etc.
Ok, get knitting! ;)

Okay, I'm stumped

Hi, I'm Liz from Rochester, NY and have jumped into this pattern like a pig jumps into mud!
I have finished the body with no problems, but I have started the first sleeve and can't understand about the increases. First, I tried it on dpns and hated it. Just too fiddly for me, so I ripped back and started working it flat. Much better. I added a stitch at each end for seaming. So, then I started the increases but it sounds like you are supposed to add stitches in pattern, but I can't figure out how to do it. Do I just stay in stockinette or am I supposed to add in additional pattern repeats. If that is what I'm supposed to do, do I wait until I have a full 12 stitches on each end? Bonne, how did you do it?
TIA
Liz

Hi there!

Totally excited to be here; Thanks for the invitation!

My name is Rosemary and I live in Oklahoma (transplanted Chicagoan, boohoo) with my geeky husband, 2 hobbitey kids, 2 cats and 2 dachshunds.

I've known how to knit for some years but it's only been this year that I've gotten serious about it. Now I'm into socks, sweaters, and lace shawls. I made Ribby Cardi this summer, and coincidentally enough plan to put in my zipper today.

Very much looking forward to starting Ariann. I don't have very many sweaters in my own wardrobe and I think she will be a great way to kick off the beefing-up of my closet. Tomorrow I will be at a knitting circle that happens to be at my LYS so I will go in with a mind for choosing yarn. Can't wait!

Cheers
Rosemary, Quietish

a little question or two

Hello everyone - Bonne Marie here -

I thought it would be fun to share some of the questions people have emailed me with about the Ariann Pattern.

First Up - from Lauren: " How exactly is the buttonhole worked?"

My all time favorite Buttonhole is one I found here:
http://knitting.about.com/library/weekly/aa123100.htm

I use the directions for Buttonhole #4.

This is a one -row operation and has beautiful, smoothly bound-off edges, both top and bottom. I work, for the gauge of Ariann, a 3 stitch buttonhole.

Note: Since the buttonband is knit-as-you-go, these are worked every few inches. I mark the row of the last worked buttonhole and count rows up as I work to know where the next one goes. For instance, if I'm making a buttonhole every 4 inches, that's (according to gauge of 6 rows per inch) - 4 inches times 6 rows = a buttonhole every 24 rows. Be sure to adjust if your row gauge is different.

Steph writes: "Hi Bonne Marie, I am having problem printing the pattern.The first page prints perfect, the second page prints only the graphic chart..."

A couple of people have written me about this - the version of Acrobat Reader on your computer might be making the mischief!

If you go here:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
you can update your version of Acobe Acrobat Reader for free and the issues should disappear.

Hi All!

Hi Bonne Marie, and everyone!

I think this KAL is a great idea, as I really love this pattern and I just finished my first KAL for the Simple Knitted Bodice.

I decided even though I have Christmas gifts to make (just a few left - yay) and some UFOs, I am going to get started on this pattern now anyway. I'm considering using Brooks Farm Riatta, which I posted about on my blog and I swatched it tonight.




I LOVE the pattern - you can see it better if you zoom in on the picture. I didn't realize just how pretty it was until I swatched it up. My only concern with this yarn is that it feels a little stiff (not real drape-y) when swatched to this gauge - I would classify it as heavy worsted. I am a loose knitter so I got gauge on Addi size 5s (probably would be 6s if I used bamboos, but I like doing lace on Addis.)

Any feedback on this?

Welcome

Please join in and sit and knit with us as we work on Ariann...