Herbology OWL, Fall 2010

This is my second OWL proposal for the term. If you missed it, my first OWL proposal and a little more information is in my previous post.

Herbology – Students should be able to easily manipulate organic materials.
Option 1: Knit or crochet an adult-size sleeved garment with multiple cables or an afghan with multiple cables. Garments usually must have at least one complex cable that travels the entire length of both the front and the back body AND at least one complex cable that travels the length of the sleeves, OR more extensive and complex cables in either of these areas. Please note that these are guidelines. The Examiners are looking for projects that demonstrate the student’s ability to follow mutiple cables. Think: all-over cabling.
Option 2: Create an item using freeform knitting or crochet.
Option 3: Spinners – spin a minimum of 600 yds of plant fiber into a plied yarn which is spun and finished in ways appropriate to the medium (meaning no drifting apart cotton singles, no stiff-as-sticks linen, etc.).
Option 4: Spinners – Spin at least 8 oz of fiber into a cabled yarn.

I am Needlesnswiffers of Hufflepuff here to submit a proposal for a second OWL this term in Herbology. I am a fourth year student and have two complete OWLs so I am eligible for a second OWL attempt this term.

I have found a cabled sweater that I would like to make for myself - the Fireside Sweater. This sweater has three different cables and cables of one sort or another appear on the back, sleeves, and fronts of this cardigan.

I actually have the needles (size 10/6mm) and yarn (Valley Yarns Berkshire in Wine, 13 skeins, only 12 called for) that are called for in the pattern, and - someone alert the media! - I actually printed the pattern out. Now you know I’m serious.

Yup, that’s my stuff.

This is a little closer view of the swatch. My swatch is 3.5 inches of the bottom of the right front of the cardigan. After pondering and even verifying on the OWL Advisory thread, I determined that this piece made the most sense as a swatch. If you are concerned I would be happy to elaborate. I made the swatch long enough so that the widest part of each type of cable would appear so I could measure at that point. I was pleasantly surprised to find that each cable measured exactly the width referred to in the pattern. I guess dreams really can come true.

Possible changes alert: I don’t love the collar and I don’t love the back. The back would have the same OR MORE cabling involved. The collar, I don’t know. I was thinking of making it a hood. I don’t know how to do that, but that’s never stopped me before. It will be finished, either as written or some other exciting way. So, depending on how that collar ends up, the cable on the shawl collar might have to go. I think the rest of the cabling makes up for it.

Buttons will be procured when there is something for them to button. If I have to, I am in possession of my grandmother’s button stash and it is extensive. I can always slice buttons off of something else, sew them on, cut them off and sew them back if I really have to. I am a Hufflepuff, and I will make it work!

Now, challenges! I haven’t made many sweaters in my time. I’ve finished two and they were both for the under 6 months of age set. I’ve got a sweater stuffed in a bag of shame and missing a sleeve since 2005. I went sweatermad recently and have two others on the needles at the moment, neither of which is eligible for anything outside of detention. So you could say I don’t have much good history with sweater making. It’s a dead heat for the title of My First (Adult) Sweater and I frankly have no idea what will win.

While I’ve cabled a little, I haven’t done much and I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of so many different varieties of cable in a single row as I’ll have here. My swatch section has some cabling on every right side row. I don’t even know if that’s normal, but it sounds like a lot to me. I’ve mostly cabled hats before. Small. Round. This sweater is neither.

This sweater is totally OWL worthy for me and I have little doubt that it will keep me occupied well into November.

Thank you for your time.