Habu Bamboo Pullover

Pattern: mine
Yarn: Habu bamboo XS-32 20/18, Color Charcoal (4), 6 skeins
Needles: US 4 Addi Turbos
Ravelry link
I finally took some photos!
I love this yarn!!! It is one of the nicest yarns I have ever used, smooth and silky and soft. It is also heavy and drapey, so it's not really appropriate for anything that needs stitch definition, or to hold a defined shape. But it falls over the body like a sheet of water--it's delicious to wear.
So, I made this pattern up as I went, specifically for this lovely yarn, with some preliminary drawings, and a general idea in my head. I took no notes, and re-did the neck twice, so I'm sort of fuzzy on specifics. A couple of people have asked, however, for a clue to its general construction, so I've tried to describe it here.
This is one of my favorite knits, much due to the gorgeousness of the bamboo yarn, but it took me a while to come up with something that was really right for such a heavy yarn. Yay for Habu!!! How I love them.... ;)
Cross-posted at Yarnmonster.

Kit 86

Started swatching for it.  Had to go to a size 0 needle and needed something pointy so tried knitpicks metal circulars after bamboo made me crazy.

At first it seemed like knitting with an invisible thread but after about ten rows I got really into it and am excited about starting the cardigan.  its amazing that something so cobweb quickly feels quite substantial when knit.

I have not seen this made up (have to find a trunk show) and wonder if anyone has made it?

Although the dimensions say it should fit me, i suspect it is supposed to be very loose and on me it will be more form fitting--any thoughts on whether I should make it larger or just do the first one as written (which is my inclination.)  I can always make a gift of it.   I have a 44 bust and the pattern is 45 inches buttoned--although i usually keep cardigans open.  Also wonder how the assymetric  fold on front will look if i have it opened or maybe just button one or two buttons.

any suggestions appreciated

Sandy

Washi and Tsumugi Coat

Also posted as The Coat on my blog, When a Door Closes...

I finally finished The Coat. I was determined to take it to Moscow because I didn't have much else to wear. So I did the minimum finishing possible, i.e. just enough to hold it together and not have strands of yarn showing (shame, shame!). I have not woven in the yarn on the interior pockets. It still has no buttons and I didn't do the slip-stitch edging as instructed.

I love it, even though I suspect that all the alterations I had to do to it caused my summer-long knitting hiatus. I love it, though I wish the collar would stand up more like this all the time. A little starch maybe?

I love wearing it with slacks, and full skirts, and pencil skirts. It dresses up with a crystal brooch as a closure for the ballet or dresses down swinging open with a pair of jeans. I love it with turtlenecks and v-necks. I love it with pearls and I love it with tiny Russian icon pendants. It travels well and dries nearly overnight.

Pattern: Washi and Tsumugi Coat, Hand-Knit Works, by Setsuko Torii
Yarn: Habu Shosenshi Paper and Habu Tsumugi Silk, knit together.
Needles: US 6 Addi Lace Weights (perfect for the paper and silk)
Mods: I will make it again, but I've learned a few things. I knit the top as one piece, which meant no shoulder seams and makes it more comfortable to wear I think. I knit straight across the back, which would have eliminated grafting had I been more mindful of the size. I will make the sleeves longer next time. It has always been necessary to extend the length of the sleeves on most of my garments and I simply forgot this. As is the sleeves are 3/4 length, which actually works out just fine, but I wish I had been more aware. The pattern was an X-Large, I think, rather than a Large as the pattern was labeled. I will be more mindful of size and fit as I knit next time.

Nicole: I would be happy to help if you have resumed working on your Coat. You can post here or e-mail me at Ava.R.Smith AT Gmail.com. I would be happy to answer other questions too.

Not a Habu kit-this is Stella...made with Habu textiles shosenshi linen paper and tsumugi silk.



the colorway is dark red and eggplant,which blends into a deep rich color.The sweater is light and airy,perfect for the summer,but will easily transition into the fall and winter...



I'm just not sure about the button-the pattern seems to need a large button...I like this,but I need opinions-is it too much?too heavy?,please be honest...



Whatever-I'm wearing it and loving the Habu...

Kit 70 - Completed

Since it was a gift, it was important for me to "get it right"...

That meant following the pattern's suggestion on gauge, measurement and fit...

Did the Habu Kit-70 redeem my faith in knitting or knitting patterns?

Well, it is what it is...

Airy - A sweater that's light as a feather, knit on fine gauge yarn and large needles:



Fragile - An extra effort needed to avoid catching the sweater on sharp objects and being cautious about pulling on buttons/stretching button holes:


Minimal - A sweater with clean lines, simple shaping and construction.

And in keeping with the minimalist styling of the pattern, I took it a step further...

Stockinette - Decided to make the public side of the garment in stockinette stitch instead of reverse stockinette (smoother appearance - less 'bumpy'):




Hidden Seams - Employed mattress stitch for the arms/shoulders/neck, invisible horizontal seam for the sides and grafted the collar pieces together:




Improvements - More minimalism:

If I were to make this sweater for myself, I would make it even more minimal by changing the closures, attaching some hidden metal or magnetic snaps.

While I'm on that tangent, is there such a thing as magnetic yarn? I suppose you could get some metallic yarn and 'charge' it with a magnet. If it actually worked, you could hold the magnetized yarn with the main yarn where needed, resulting in a very minimal and invisible closure.

Fabric - Denser:

Fine gauge yarn is perfect for this pattern, only it needs to be knit on a more 'appropriate' needle size. Next time, I would probably choose a DK weight yarn and knit it on size 4-6 US needle. This would give the garment more strength and 'memory' that is lacking.

As noted on my previous post, I used US size 8 needles and got the corrected/suggested gauge of 16 stitches & 25 rows per 4 inches of stockinette fabric.

It would also be cool to incorporate some of the Habu stainless steel yarn into both the collar and plackets. That way, those pieces would hold their shape 'vertically' when unbuttoned or left open.

Sizing - Larger:

All the panels were knit and shaped to the specifications of the pattern, but the sweater came out more form fitting than what Habu's photo represented (the photo makes the sweater look more 'over-sized' and 'roomy' than it really is).

I like the oversized jacket 'concept' better and would resize the garment accordingly (more positive ease - additional length/width/larger arms/broader to fit my shoulders).

Jumping on the Chinese Style Pullover Bandwagon

Item #: Kit-89 Habu Chinese Tunic
content: 2 strands of A-60 in Red and Charcoal

Negative: This is the first time that I have purchased yarn from Habu and it was full of knots of broken threads. There were so many I didn't want to count.

The Estonian Cast on edge really reminds me of the paper loops you make as a kid for a toy necklace. The best thing about it though with three rows of moss stitch it created a flat professional edge.

11 Buttons from Olga with crochets button holes

Though the one question that I really had while knitting the pattern is whether a 1 thread raised stitch would have worked better than a slipped stitch with the way that I knit.

When I first started the sweater I talked with Olga to see if I was missing something with the way that I was doing my stitches. The close up of her stitches , click here appeared more like a honeycomb while mine looked a lot less polished.

Chinese Style Pullover

Chinese Style Pullover
Hand-Knit Works by Setsuko Torii
(Kit 89 from habu)
A-60-115 & 117 Shosenshi Paper, 6mm needles
mods: 5 extra Reps to length, single crochet around armholes, modified neck line
5 brown 19 mm buttons (#BO-8-1) from habu

Sculpture. Texture. Knitting.

A garment that bears greater resemblance to a piece of art than a softly folded sweater on the shelf. And yet I love it. I finished this top while traveling and didn't realize until later that the neck line was off - more boat neck than turtleneck. I didn't fix it because after sewing the two pieces together the neck line felt quite comfortable. The V's that make up the stitch pattern accentuate the nature of the yarn, flat linen contrasted by purly bumps. The dark and delicate buttons really complete the pullover. The Japanese numbering system, challenging at first but quickly clear and easy to understand, made for a interesting knit. There were so many things about this project that were new and challenging - a new way to read and execute a pattern, a new yarn (with the cones on a towel rod type tool for smooth knitting), a new construction (I really like the way the arm holes and shoulders are constructed). Surprisingly comfortable when worn, the sound that is created when on the needles doesn't disappear with the bind off. My movements are accompanied by subtle sounds - it's as if I am walking through fields of wheat.

I cast on for this project after seeing Pullovers by Kirsten and Olga - thanks for the inspiration!

More photos at the daily purl.com

Japanese Efficiency - Kit-70 New Gauge

Hi Everyone!

Just to let you know, this is my very first time posting on the KAL.

I've visited the group before, but didn't have anything to contribute until now :)

I purchased my Kit-70 last year, but didn't get started on it until this week. It was actually supposed to be a Christmas present for my Aunt in London, but now it will have to be a birthday present instead (I'm kind of a slow knitter and have been sidetracked by other projects).

Once I reviewed the instructions, I found that I really loved the style and efficient 'beauty' of Japanese knitting patterns and the use of numeric 'sequences' to guide the knitter.

Since those numeric sequences were so different than what I'm used to working with, I decided to 'map out' the whole thing in Excel (I love my spreadsheets, plus Kirsten and a few other knitter's kept mentioning the irregularities in this pattern and I was scared to jump right in).

After inputting everything for the sweater's back panel, I zoomed out and noticed how wide it looked...

It was alarming!

Somehow, the shape was horizontally 'skewed', as if it were stretched lengthwise:

Since something was visibly wrong, I double checked the Habu schematic. All the measurements looked good and the illustration was drawn like it was supposed to fit a 'normal' adult human (not an orangutan with really long arms that drag on the ground).

Then, I decided to break out the calculator and dig deeper...

The instructions note that you should get a row gauge of:
18 rows = 4" (4.5 rpi - rows per inch)

On the schematic, they want you to achieve the following measurements WITH that gauge:
162 Rows = 26" (6.24 rpi)
100 Rows = 16" (6.25 rpi)
140 Rows = 22.4" (6.25 rpi)

Does anyone else see a conflict here?

It seems like the only way to get those measurements is to use a row gauge of 6.25 rpi or 25 rows per 4", making the correct gauge for this pattern 25 rows and 16 stitches per 4" square.

Here's what it looks like with the row gauge corrected:

At least now, I feel more confident casting on.

Hopefully, this is the only bug in the pattern?

kusha kusha shawl

I have quite a hard time when I started to knit with the yarn, is so thin and keep slipping off my needle. I have change different type of needle at least three time…and it works best on straight bamboo needle. Knitting with this yarn do requires a lot of patient, and I learn that no matter how boring it is, just “DO NOT STOP” or else it will just sit in the corner for long long time. For the last two week I keep knitting it until I get used to the yarn… and I quite enjoy it after awhile.

I didn’t order the kit from Habu textile which is rather expensive to me. I use wool stainless steel from my stash and combine with merino wool.. I guess it works the same. I followed the dimension from the book Hand-knit works by Setsuko Torii and the only change I made is extent the stainless steel border at two end which I should do 8 inch instead of 4 inch..urgh !!

I have accidentally snag the shawl couple of time..and it was hell to fix it back, so I have no choice but to felt it. I do a very light felt, soak in the hot water, and stir it about 2 minutes so the length will not shrink too much as well as the stitches still visible. Even though the shawl look very sheen and thin, but actually is quite warm and is extremely light in weight, is absolutely worth the effort.

Pattern : Kusha kusha shawl or kit 73
Yarn : Wool stainless steel A-148, merino wool A-33
Yardage : 5 cone wool stainless steel, 3 cone merino wool
Colour: 2867 purple and 14 brick
Needle: 3.5mm, 5.5mm

triple play::xposted

It has been months since I showed off my Habu explorations, as it seems to be the only projects/yarn/concept I am being drawn to in between my deadline projects..
I am... I have accumulated 3 finished Habu garments.. shame on me, heee.. well. I just didn't have time.. I wrote a huge post... clumsy me, hit something on the keyboard and it was gone.. sometimes this happens, but at that moment I was almost done, so pulling my hair out or just yelling some words to my non-russian speaking cat.. didn't fix it.

So here that goes..

The first is a long time "yo-yo" cocktail commute project, it all has started from Vanessa sending me some leftover caramel colored Rowan KSH.. I added some test skeins of Habu Silk Mohair A-32b and there you have it.. a Nymphadora Scarf.. it is super long.. just like I wanted.. at one point I was about to toss it into a washing machine to perform some hazelnut stuffed shibori, overlooked at Nicky Epstein's Knitting never felt better, but then.. I haven't decided on it yet.. it is simple, yet cute, starting with frequent striping transitioning into wider ones. So I need a public opinion for once: Should I or should I not proceed?



And then there is a kit I got.. and long time wanted, ever since Isel pointed out the fabulousness of it while paging through my copy of Setsuko Torii's Hand-Knit works. Though I have knit a skirt before, it was a little worrying me how the silk would look and behave while worn around one's behind!
I didn't have any help on taking a decent photo, so self-timer on the edge of my balcony was the best friend for time being..
Here is a triptych, click on either to zoom







Habu Textiles
Gradation Tsumugi Skirt : kit-102: A-1, 5 or 6 colors triple stranded and wound in 10 variations in mini skeins (come ready to knit in a kit): charcoal: US 7 (4.5mm) needle: 30" of 1/2" black elastic.

This skirt became a success because I had a great buddy in face of Julianne (Ravelry link), who was making this skirt at the same time (she is actually making also a habu mohaired skirt as well!), so we got connected and figured it out together, we had to email Takako once. As usual she was very helpful and it was all cleared out. Printed english pattern had some typos, but it felt good about putting some idle brain cells to work. Japanese patterns are all about math afterall.

I have eliminated seaming, by doing provisional cast on and grafting it to the end of the fabric after and did a casing with elastic instead of drawstring, just by knitting extra fabric and turning it into a hem.
And eliminated doing 2 parts of the yoke, by just picking up and knitting garter stitch in a round, but still doing the decreases along the sides indicated by strategically placed markers. The least favorite part- it took about 2 hours and tons of patience just to weave in those zillion of ends, but in the end I saw how it improved the sturdiness of the bottom edge.
The skirt before blocking looked like an elongate mini.. and original is shown in your mid-calf, I am not a model height, so just below the knee was the right length and I wasn't blocking it to the original measurements. But, seriously, if you are taller and need longer skirt, it will block out , plus it is silk and in a skirt gravitation power would still pull it down.

The next was a secret gift.. which I can already reveal, Happy Birthday, Vanessa! It is my Birthday gift for her!

It is linen paper A-60 from Habu again, in two colors used for A Chinese Style Pullover aka kit-89. I have used the pattern from my book and US 9 needle, though next time I make it I may try it on recommended US 10 (6mm).
I love how airy and noisy this project was and is as a garment. Kirsten of assemblage fame pointed it out, this is a musical garment at some point.. so who needs a fireplace with crackling firelogs? Just get one of those and you kill two birds at the same time!
I hope V enjoys wearing it! It is perfect for steamy summers, as you get style and breeze constantly!



I know for a fact there are couple Rustling kits 89 in progress, so ladies please don't be shy, show off the goods, it is just a perfect, quick summer knit, that you can layer as well if needed.

Another kusha kusha scarf

Some time ago I finished a kusha kusha scarf using the merino yarn in grey and the stainless steel in brown. It was my first work both with Habu yarn and japanese instructions and I messed a little over the needles numbers. I didn't want to frog such a thin yarn so I let it go like that. After felting, it just felt too short for a regular scarf, but big enough for a little something to wear around the neck.

I liked the yarn so much that shortly after that I started a tank with some blue bamboo from another brand, and some more Habu merino and stainless steel in blue. The swatch you see here is about to be frogged:

because what I really have in mind is this pattern ( # 81-19) from drops design:

Habu Wool Roving Cardigan

I recently finished a sweater of my own design using Habu's Wool Roving A-81 1/6. I call it my "Kinari cardigan," since the color of the yarn is called "kinari" on the ballband.



I enjoyed working with this yarn. Though it's called "roving," it's more of a singles with a light twist. It's a delicate yarn, but I never had any trouble with it breaking while I knit with it.

Details and more pictures are on my blog, here.

Habu linen paper sweater

This sweater was my first experiment with Habu yarn. The first thing I made was the paper silk shoulder bag (kit 13S), and I knew I had to knit with the paper yarn again - no doubt, you all know the feeling.   I combined three strands: Habu linen paper and lace weight merino wool, and Crystal palace kid merino, which I already had.  The border at the bottom is in khaki linen paper and grey merino, the body is in grey linen paper and olive merino wool. The third strand is the same color for the whole project. I like the color, but I don't think I'll use Crystal Palace kid merino again, apart from the price there is nothing much to say for it. The sweater is in soft A-line, sleeves are bell shaped at the bottom. To give the illusion of a longer neck I tried a “deception device”: to make a crew line in the front and a stand-up collar in the back with an edge in khaki linen paper. It’s light as a feather and surprisingly warm - it kept me warm in December in Moscow!  It was not easy to photograph (especially with one’s computer camera), I am afraid. I tried!