August 6, 2010

Civil War Era Knit-Along Update


Hopefully, many of us have all been knitting a period item for about a week now. I haven't gotten very far on mine. Regardless of how far you are or what you are knitting, you can show off your color choices and pieces so far. Just write up a blog post and link to it using the link function at the bottom of this post. You can link until Monday. 

I chose to use a forest green and a dark brown for my sontag. I keep forgetting to increase at the beginning of each row and end up remembering half way through the row. Once you get the hang of the basket weave pattern, it is fun to work on. I have been using a yarn called "Swish" from Knitpicks.com and have been using size 8 needles.        

 I have seen sontags laid out and it never looks like it will fit the body the right way, but they always do! I am happy with how it looks so far. I was really undecided when I was choosing colors. I have too much maroon knitted period items. I thought the dark green and brown would offset them nicely. I only have two reenacting dresses, one is green checkered and the other maroon and white calico. I know that one of the biggest reenactor pet-peeves is being too "matchy." I try my best but I know what I like.

As you can see from the photo at the top, Coal the Kitty is such a full supporter of the Civil War Era Knit-Along that he has chosen to play with a period correct toy--around the room and eventually down the stairs. As usual, I can't wait to see everyone's work. It is amazing how many talented bloggers there are out there! 

17 comments:

  1. i like this color
    thanks
    good blog and good post

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  2. Looks really good! Haven't done much with mine yet :P needed to get a hold of a printer for the pattern hehe.

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  3. Susan, I know how that is! I keep buying ink and there never seems to be any ink in there!

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  4. Knitpicks' shopping cart decided it didn't like me, so I ended up only just today getting my order in. Whoops! xD I'll have to catch up a bit.

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  5. I only started knitting yesterday, but I already have ten rows. :D My increasing was rather wonky, but now I think I've figured it out. My problem is the exact opposite of yours: I increase too much!
    And I'm using similar colours! My body is brown, and the border's going to be green - but a different, more olive kind of green. Still, similar!

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  6. Hello Stephanie,

    I am sorry that I am late coming into this but I just wanted to let you know that I will be participating and putting stuff on my blog :) I had to set my sontag aside for a while but am hoping to pick it up again soon!

    Also, I would love to have more detail on you made your opera hood! I seem to remember having trouble getting through the directions so I would love to hear your thoughts on it!

    Blessings,
    Bethany

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  7. Hana, By the end, I think we'll get it! I think the problem for me was increasing and still making it "look like a knit or pearl" especially when it was split between a knit and a pearl block. I'm glad you got that far. I can't wait until these are finished.

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  8. Bethany, no worries! The pattern for the opera hood that I have photos of me wearing can be found at Deborah's blog

    http://ephemeralchaos.blogspot.com/2009/05/free-civil-war-knitted-hood-pattern.html

    If you need help with the layered one, I haven't gone through it yet, I already am working on "translating" a simpler opera hood.

    I'm glad you are working on a sontag. From your blog. you have a lot of pretty dresses it will look nice with.

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  9. Cute kitty! My little brother does that :P

    So you're doing the original Godey's pattern then? (Looks fantastic, BTW) I'm using the one from the ragged soldier website, and I'm making the "medium" sized one, from the translation. If it doesn't fit, than better too big than too small!

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  10. Sophia, I am making the medium too. I figured the same thing, if it is too big I can tie it tighter. It looks great so far. I like that you are using a circular needle. It's resourceful, I hate having to buy new needles for every project.

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  11. I don't know how you add stitches... I tried adding them by knitting two eyes out of one, but it was messy, so now I simply add stitches by wrapping yarn around the needle. It is easier, and saves me the trouble of making sure how it looks... It's on the edge, so the holes thus created are not such a problem.

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  12. Hana, that is a perfectly period way to add them. Many patterns just mention to "wrap the yarn around the needle and be sure to knit in it the next time."

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  13. I started mine on 8/1. I'm doing it in a black shetland wool in seed stitch. I am glad you reassured me about how wide it looks. I had taken a break b/c it looked so wide, but now I'll restart. I went with 35 stitches on a size 7.

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  14. Deborah, I can't wait to see. Mine is looking too short. I don't know if I should knit some extra rows or just go with the pattern. I am definitely planning to knit the extra bit that the pattern suggests.

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